Congratulations, you are a successful restaurant owner/operator (or artist, or musician, or sales rep, or wine retailer)! You watch your P&L statements like a hawk. You pay your employees fairly and on time. Your vendors appreciate their relationship with you for the same reason. You open multiple locations, each building more success for the other. Read More…
Author: Jason Kallsen
The Newbie Mindset
The new sales rep, with zero wine sales rep experiences, that crushes her numbers right out of the gate. And she’s one of the most charming and charismatic people you’ve ever met. The new retail wine consultant, with little prior wine experience and no sales experience, who suddenly brings in dozens of new customers as Read More…
… but if you do work for a gigantic wine wholesaler
Yesterday I wrote about the problems with large, commodity, goofy, and quotas. If you haven’t read that article, please check it out, for it puts this one in context. I bumped into four people that read yesterday’s post. Two of them worked for very small distributors and basically gave me a high five. “Thanks for telling Read More…
The problem with large, commodity, goofy, and quotas
Large wine wholesalers amble about, seem to pitch products with a slight sense of entitlement, have layers upon layers of management and division leaders, and change up sales reps and territories all the time. Commodity wine brands are created, not grown, and are perfected in their naming, branding, and marketing to hit the most profitable slice Read More…
Problem identification, Problem solving, and the first step
I like to tell wine sales reps that they are not salespeople. They are problem solvers. When I say that to a group, I notice people sit up straighter and have a curious look in their eye. It’s really just another direction to look at the job from, and it’s a crystal clear way to Read More…
Monday Challenge: 1.92%
Good day and welcome to another great week! Every Monday I throw out a challenge, a wee bit of a push to get you on the right track, and occasionally a nudge to knock you off the track and see things from a different angle. This week: 1.92%. What does this mean? What is this Read More…
The Reactive Rut
I had a great conversation last night with a local wine retailer. Her shop is small, based on convenience for the neighborhood, and with more and more competition moving in she’s having a hard time standing out and growing her business. The backbone of her business is reacting to the needs of her customers on Read More…
B2B vs. B2C vs. Reality
I met with two energetic heads of a wine distributor yesterday, people that love catchphrases and acronyms and buzzwords. I imagine they have the Harvard Business Review podcast playing while they sleep so they can absorb all the jargon of the moment. Some of the jargon of the moment is the whole “B2B” and “B2C” conversation. The idea Read More…
A good day to ask (the right) questions
Happy New Year! Every Monday I throw out a challenge to the readers, something to push you a bit into an uncomfortable place (that place where growth occurs). This week: A good day to ask (the right) questions. I suggest you print this page and handwrite your answers. How are you going to look back Read More…
That’s a wrap!
Good day everybody, and welcome to the last work day of 2016! Thank you for joining the VineThinking community. So far 184 blog posts composed of over 62,000 words since I started this in April, and a readership that has grown by leaps and bounds as the months have gone by. Thank you to all who Read More…
Playing the long game
As a wine sales rep, how far out do you think, plan, organize, and set goals? The answer to that question might very well depend on who you work for. Some wholesalers are notorious for shifting territories around, pulling accounts from one rep and giving them to the other, all under the notion that it Read More…
High end audio stores (and how they relate to wine)
I love high end audio. I like the older components. I like the texture of a vinyl record, and I love my older speakers. The sound is better, the richness is more complete, and when I take the time to sit down and listen to a favorite album I tend to put other things away and Read More…
Monday Challenge: End of Year Planning
Welcome to the final Monday Challenge of the year. Five more work days ahead for 2016, then this chapter is done and we collectively move into 2017. What to do? Just like Santa, make some lists and check them twice. List One: Do you have the opportunity to invest in your work life for 2016 tax deductions? Read More…
Gifts
It’s that time of the year. Gifts are awesome. I don’t know anybody who actively resists receiving a gift. I also know people who constantly give gifts. Some of these gift givers are pure to the extreme (“I saw this and thought immediately of you”), some are as predictable as the sun coming up (Merry Read More…
Goals vs. Expectations
Goals and expectations are frequently confused with each other at many organizations. “Our goal is provide top quality customer service.” … No, top quality customer service should be an expectation with every single interaction with every single customer. Anything less is simply unacceptable. “Our goal is to make great wine.” … No, the wine should Read More…
So what ya doing today?
What are you doing at 10am? At 12:30pm? At 3pm? If you took up yesterday’s Monday Challenge, then you know. You know exactly what you’re doing and where you’ll be. Not only every half hour of today and tomorrow, but also Thursday and Friday. And because you filled out the chart and thought ahead about Read More…
Monday Challenge: The Final Full Week
Every Monday I throw out a challenge to readers, something to push you a bit and help you grow. As you know by now, I’m big on lists and goal planning. I like to know as far in advance what I’ll be doing on any particular day. Time is the same for all of us. Read More…
You have a duty within the chaos
Welcome to the joyful Christmas season when everybody starts to run around like headless chickens, a panicked look in their eye, insistent on their assumption that one more gift is necessary to buy to show their love (sorry about the cynicism). As wine industry professionals, we have a few duties during this upcoming week of alarms Read More…
A Wine Rep’s Future
There are basically four types of wine sales reps. Brand new, green, inexperienced but excited. Established, productive, successful, and still very much excited about the industry. Established, productive, successful, but pretty entrenched and doesn’t want things to change. Very experienced, continuing to be successful, but complaining about any rumor of anything shifting. You can see Read More…
Enthusiasm, by itself, is worth nothing
You can be the most enthusiastic one at the sales meeting. You can be the ‘idea person’ that tosses new and shiny thoughts out left and right. You can be the beacon of light for those in the fog. But in the end enthusiasm has no value without action and accomplishment. All that really matters is getting Read More…
Your emergency kit is empowerment
What happens when … … your delivery driver drops the wrong case of wine at the wrong account? A case of wine very important to an event that evening. … one of your servers spills wine all over an impeccably dressed guest out for a night on the town with her friends? … the very Read More…
Monday challenge: Make a list, check it twice
Every Monday I throw out a challenge to readers to help arc you toward new ideas, uncomfortable places, and ultimately growth. This week: Make a list, check it twice. We are less than three weeks away from the end of the calendar year. It’s a time to work hard (the orders are flying for about 10 Read More…
It’s about the people, not the wine
A wine wholesaler that has an abundance of supply (an incredible portfolio, amazing brands, and a warehouse full of inventory) does not get a free pass into every account they want to be in. And conversely, a wine wholesaler that has a lack of supply (a few wines in the portfolio, obscure never-before-heard-of brands, and a garage Read More…
Sharing vision
Sharing vision is one of the most important aspects of any of our wine jobs. It shapes the meetings, sets the stage, outlines the expectations, and points out the differentiations between you and rest of the world (otherwise known as “them”). To share a vision you first have to have a vision. A vision is different Read More…
The trouble with robots
Robots are kind of awesome and fascinating. They work fast, they work hard, they don’t complain, they are masters of efficiency. The problem with robots is that they do or say the same things over and over (and over and over and over and over). What many people fail to realize is that being a Read More…
The goal of inducing curiosity (via a Coravin)
It’s one of the most effective but overlooked sales techniques. It’s the key to success for many legendary brands, but can easily be replicated into our industries. It’s curiosity. One of my wine consulting contracts is for a successful privately held restaurant group. Three locations, over $1 million in wine sales. They specialize in burgers (really Read More…
Monday challenge: Awesome at a few things, not pretty good at many
Every Monday I throw out a challenge to readers, something to make people think, get into an uncomfortable space (where growth happens) and in general give you ideas at looking at your job from different angles. This week: what are you awesome at? I’m not asking what are you pretty good at. I’m not asking Read More…
The power of loss over the power of gain (Loss Aversion)
If you’re traveling and looking for a place to eat, where do you turn for advice? Many of us whip out the phone and look at Yelp. And when we look at Yelp, and as scroll through the reviews, what jumps out? It’s not the four and five star reviews, because there are so many Read More…
December planning
The first day of the last month. Welcome! This is a great month to have one of those big paper wall calendars. To have your daily details written out, and a big red marker at the ready to cross out the days as they go by. Reminding yourself that time is the one thing we Read More…
Monday Challenge: Take care of number one (YOU!)
Every Monday I throw out a challenge to readers, something that is timely and of the moment, and pushes people in certain directions. This week: Take care of number one. This is the crunch time. It’s when business is really cranking. Thanksgiving is over, Christmas is around the corner, people are getting that frantic look Read More…
In-store wine tasting success
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, there will be many hours for sales reps and retailers standing behind a table pouring wine for consumers. The in-store tasting is a powerful tool if used right, but a waste of time if used wrong. Here are some ideas. Less is more: keep in mind the paradox of choice. Offer Read More…
What being remarkable really means
There is no goal other than to be remarkable at what you do. Everything else falls into place after that. Yes, there are highs and lows, unexpected roadblocks and accidentals holes you step in. That’s called being human. But if you are remarkable, the highs, lows, roadblocks, and holes don’t impact you as much as Read More…
A day of planning, a day of pause
Welcome to Black Friday. The day after Thanksgiving is always a strange one. Shoppers pack the stores, movie theaters are busy, many restaurants open early to catch the breakfast and brunch crowd, quite a few people simply stay at home and eat leftovers and watch TV. Wine shops are busy but not overrun (nothing compared Read More…
A great use for Thanksgiving Eve
What are you doing today? If you are a wine sales rep or a wholesale manager, here’s a little secret: today is one of the best days of the year to visit unsold or unopened restaurant accounts. Why? Because today the retailers are so busy they don’t want to see you. And your solid on-premise Read More…
Monday Challenge: Ask for help
Every Monday I throw out a challenge to put readers into a position of growth, which can sometimes be uncomfortable at first. This week: Ask for help. We are not wired instinctively to ask for help. Some people, by virtue of whom they work for, are downright terrified to ask for help, thinking it will Read More…
Private conversations
The amount of information that people are inclined to share with you privately rises in direct proportion to how well you handle the information others have given you. To put it in a much simpler way, if you lead any sentences with “I shouldn’t tell you this, but …” then you’re doing the wrong thing. Read More…
The problem with choices …
… is that most people second guess their decision. When faced with a huge number of choices in front of them, most people will fret and fuss and debate and contemplate until the frustration leads to simply grabbing something that they hope will work and going for it. It’s the video store syndrome. Remember those Read More…
Practice does make perfect
There is no short cut around practice. Simple as that. Does U2 just jump up on stage one day and pull off a perfect show? No way. Does an olympic swimmer casually decide to just swim really fast for that week? Of course not. Does a great restaurant built on customer experience just assume the new Read More…
Monday challenge: The Supermoon Effect
Every Monday I throw out a challenge to readers. Something to push you into an uncomfortable spot, to make you see things in a new light or direction, with the goal of growth. This week’s challenge: The Supermoon Effect. Last night more people than ever before paused what they were doing, walked outside, and watched Read More…
A new haircut
Yesterday my wife went to a new hair stylist for a haircut. She was tired of her old stylist for no reason other than “it’s time to change things up.” She came back with not only an awesome haircut, but an exceptional story about customer sales and the overall transaction. When most of us go for Read More…
Do you know …
… what you are doing every day of the upcoming week? … who you need to reach out to, listed in an easy format to check them off? … which wines you need to concentrate on, make sure you know the details of, and know a good story to tell about each one? … who Read More…
The best wine sales reps …
… constantly suggest new wines, ideas, categories, and look for ideas to bring to you from other markets or outside the wine industry. … plan and strategize. They develop sales goals with the buyer, and do whatever they can to achieve them (staff trainings and in store tastings should always be done to work toward a Read More…
Perceived value through having options
I’m writing this from a large, nice, off the beaten path privately owned hotel in Madison, Wisconsin. It’s a good, clean, practical building with very nice people working the front desk. A large free parking lot. Gentle hum of I-90 out the windows. Hot water is hot, cold water is cold, coffee is good, and free Read More…
Monday Challenge: One Sentence
Every Monday I throw out a challenge to readers. Something to put you into a slightly uncomfortable place, to push you to grow and thus get closer to being spectacular at what you do. This week: the challenge of One Sentence. The idea is that anything that takes too long to explain will quickly become grey Read More…
What Apple (via Samsung) can teach a wine sales rep
Phones are blowing up. Samsung designed a faulty product that is reeking havoc in their company, and more importantly it’s denting their reputation. You can’t have phones blow up. Not good. Then people don’t want to buy your product. The cheap and easy advertisement that Apple could then put out to promote the iPhone7? “Our Read More…
A simple buying strategy for smaller restaurants and wine retailers
Smaller restaurants and smaller wine retailers start off at a competitive disadvantage compared to their larger competitors. They don’t have the buying power, name recognition, attention, press, coverage, and influence of their bigger cousins. But that’s only if you look at the dollars, and especially if you look at the dollars of value per vendor. Read More…
Welcome to the maze
Everybody has items that fall off the list. Everybody has items that suddenly show up on the list. Everybody has prospects that look oh so good, feel oh so good, seem to be oh so good, and never buy as a customer or perform as an employee. Everybody has shit that comes up out of Read More…
Who can judge your true potential?
Who is best situated to judge your true potential? A simple question to consider, but one that can have deep impact. One hint: it’s not you. The worst judge of your true potential is yourself. This is why it’s imperative that you work with, around, and for people that want to see you succeed, grow, Read More…
Monday Challenge: 60 day sprint ahead, be ready!
Every Monday I throw out a challenge to readers. Something to keep everybody on the right track toward accomplishing the right goals and moving your wine career forward. This week: the 60 day sprint and how to be ready for it. ### Welcome to October 31st and happiest of Halloweens! A favorite holiday around our Read More…
The power of thinking you have control
Walk in to an elevator, press the button for the floor you want to go to, and nothing happens. What do you do next? If you’re like most people, you press the door close button. Sometimes it works but with a delay, sometimes it closes right away, and sometimes you have to hit it twice Read More…
He said, She said, They said
Chatter is a problem, and the rumor mills that have been built via instant communication and social media are pretty staggering. More so than ever, you have to be careful about what you hear, what you say, and what you choose to tell others. Golden rules: Don’t start rumors. Don’t propagate rumors. Don’t buy into Read More…
Hiring Great Wine People
How do you hire the top performers for your wholesale operation, restaurant, or retail shop? How do you find the wine energized people out there, the ones that can do their job extremely well without thinking the wine world revolves around them? (Which is a monumental problem in the wine business.) How do you, as Read More…
Wine Industry Baggage and Assumptions
When you walk into a new account as a sales rep, one that doesn’t know you at all personally but might have opinions about who you work for, what kind of assumptions could that customer make? Perhaps more importantly, what kind of assumptions do YOU make about what they are thinking? And in that instance, Read More…
Monday Challenge: Have you fallen off the track?
Every Monday I send out a Monday Challenge. This week: stay on target, set your goals, and recognize when you are off the track (while making a plan to get back on track and on target). One example of being off the track? Sending a “Monday Challenge” on Tuesday morning, like I’m doing now. Goal setting and Read More…
What’s the goal?
What are you REALLY trying to achieve? If it’s simply “more money” and “more sales” then guess what … that’s how you come across. It’s a bit desperate and people see through it. It’s not a bad thing to go after the dollar, but true growth can only happen when the purpose is higher. Here’s a Read More…
Wine sales is not a zero sum game
The idea that if one wine is bought, then another can’t be. That there is only so much space. This is the thinking of the old guard. There is a new dynamic in play, and the best wine sales reps in the nation are doing it. That of the giver and connector. If you can Read More…
Monday Challenge: Share your contract
This week’s challenge is super easy, if you completed last week’s (Write your own contract). The goal last week was self-accountability. To list the primary goals you need to achieve between now and the end of the year, and the steps necessary to achieve those goals. Then you were to put it into a contract, and Read More…
The Little Things
… the way the server picked the dirty knife off your plate, set it down, and took the plate away instead of just giving you a new knife. … the way the manager was being mean to the bartender. … the way the sales rep that just walked in interrupted your meeting “just for a second.” Read More…
Why are THEY so much better than YOU?
Every organization, especially those based on sales and/or hospitality has them. The superstar. The one for whom everything comes easy. They take on more work, they execute flawlessly. They are happy and they build forward momentum. Sometimes it’s the new kid in the organization. Sometimes a veteran with thirty years experience. Age has nothing to Read More…
Say it often, say it over and over, then say it again
We’re seeing accumulative negative marketing in the current political season. Because of social media, the more something get said, and the more people hear it, the more it becomes ingrained in the messaging, the more it’s repeated, and the more it’s paid attention to. Sadly, many of the things being bantered about are lies and Read More…
A little about a lot, or a lot about a little
Assessing what you know is a good exercise. Of course, you might not know what you don’t know, but you can usually make an accurate judgement through a gut feeling when thinking about your peers. Some of your peers seem to know a little bit about every wine. Snippets, sound bites, info-bits. They can pull Read More…
Considering Portugal: Encruzado
I just returned from leading a small group through Portugal, via our little side-business travel company, The Flying Grape. You can catch photos via The Flying Grape Facebook page (website coming soon). When thinking about new and shiny, and categories of wines that your competition does not have, Portugal should come to mind first. There is Read More…
Monday Challenge: Write your own contract
Every Monday I throw out a challenge to readers, sometimes small and simple and sometimes larger and more involved. This one is more large and involved, but the results can be life changing. The Nobel Prize for Economic Science was just released, and it went to Oliver Hart and Bengt Holmström, two scientists who have studied Read More…
It’s the singer, not the song (as long as the wine is good)
Fictional scenario, but play along: Two sales reps. Two different wholesalers. One buyer. Both reps bring in the same wine. Not the same label, but the same juice in the bottle. What’s going to happen? The buyer will buy one wine and not the other. It’s the “why?” of this equation that needs to be examined Read More…
The most overlooked wine placement
As a wine wholesale rep, are you using the cold box correctly? Pre-chilled wine is big business. With fewer and fewer people buying wine in bulk and rather grabbing multiple single bottles during the week, the cold box placement is gold. Every single sales call must address this, and a cold box placement can easily Read More…
Who is your mentor?
Study after study proves the same thing: those that work with mentors outperform all others my a monumental percentage. If you can find somebody in your orbit that understands and supports what you’re doing, but they can bring more experience and ideas to the table, ask for them to mentor you. They might be taken Read More…
Adding value when something costs nothing
Taking pictures used to be expensive. First you had to decide what kind of film to use. Black and white, color negative, or color positive. A 24 shot roll would cost you $4-10, a 36 shot roll between $6 and $13. Then you had to take the pictures. No clue how they eventually would look. Read More…
You’re writing a story
Every interaction you have with your customers is another chapter in the story. And the more chapters there are in the story, the more complex and intimate and important it can be. But don’t forget it’s an evolving narrative, that should pick up where the previous chapter left off. Each interaction (chapter) is not a Read More…
Quick Wine Math Quiz
Get ready, get set, go! What percentage of a 12 bottle case is one bottle? If the alcohol content of a wine goes from 12% to 13% what is the percentage volume increase in that alcohol content? If you buy a wine at $10.00 and sell it for $15.00, what is you margin? If you Read More…
Be the one to point out the obvious
I live in a city of a quarter million people, the capital of my state, in a metro area of three million. I live in a peacefully urban area laid out in the early 1900’s with alleys and grid streets. Ask most people in the country what day is “trash day” in their neighborhood and Read More…
Monday Challenge: Sense of Place
Every Monday I throw out an idea to challenge the readers. This week: Sense of Place. Pick a personal favorite wine region. Google that region with the words “wine map” and get a high quality image or two of the area. Then go the Wikipedia page for the main village or town in the region. Read More…
Identifying Doctor No
Every organization seems to have one. The curmudgeon, the naysayer, the one who resists change with every atom in their body. They don’t want the new software. They don’t want more training. They don’t want more accounts. They don’t see the value in group effort. They are Doctor No. Maybe they don’t say no to Read More…
What are you selling? A product or a brand?
If you are selling a product, you need to lead with the attributes of that product. The varieties in the bottle, the alcohol content, the main competition on the shelf or on the wine list. It’s mano a mano, one wine against the others. But if you are selling a brand, it’s a totally different Read More…
The Slow Build vs. The Out of the Blue
Earlier I wrote about how to get into unsold accounts (amongst other things). I said “Show up. Ask questions. Network. Show up. Ask questions. Network. Repeat. Repeat. Don’t stop. It takes work, it takes time, and there are no shortcuts.” A big part of showing up and doing the hard work is about the slow build. Read More…
Cheap is not an attribute
“We are the cheapest in town!” But at what cost? Being cheapest does not mean you are not delivering value (they are different things), and you are inviting comparisons to others. Being cheapest means your only measuring stick to determine if you’re doing the right thing is controlled by your competition. The moment somebody is cheaper Read More…
The hidden weight of email
Here’s something to think about: Email is a system built to pass the burden of response onto others. I send you an email. I expect a response. No response might mean (to me, the sender) that you don’t care about me, you’re lazy, you’re overworked and not doing anything to change that, that I’m a Read More…
Tiny, fast, nimble, and original
The rise of the number of wine distributors in major markets in the past five years has been stunning. Even in heavy handed and “old boy’s network” markets like Chicago, more and more micro-distributors are opening shop and succeeding. Not only succeeding, but making amazing inroads that are pissing off those that feel they “deserve Read More…
Monday Challenge: Your best customers
Welcome to the Monday Challenge! This week: Your best customers. Who are they, and why are they the best customers? This has nothing (or at least little) to do with money and sales. That’s the easy way out of the challenge. Rather, take ten minutes today to figure out who your best customers are. Base Read More…
Simple ideas for better restaurant wine service
It seems every restaurant’s wine service can be easily improved. With so much attention being paid to craft cocktails today, let’s take some of that energy and attention to detail and apply it to the wine program. Here’s a smattering of ideas that any restaurant or wine bar can use: Have all wines by the Read More…
I can’t do that
I don’t have the time. I don’t have the skill set. It’s out of my pay grade. I’m busy enough already. I don’t see how that would benefit me. I can’t do that. When you get in the habit of saying no, are you doing it for the right reasons, or are you making excuses? Read More…
Once it’s gone, it’s gone
There is only one thing you can’t replace in your life. Only one thing that gets spent continuously and no app, innovation, planning, savings, or checkbook can bring it back. And that’s yesterday. Time spent. Once time is gone, it’s gone. What happened yesterday can’t be changed. The only things that can change are today Read More…
Habits are for breaking
As a wine retailer, you lead people to the same wines, tell the same stories, and bring to work every day the same attitude. Time to break the habits. As a restauranteur, you carry forward the same energy to your team, you suggest the same wines on a regular basis, you train your staff the Read More…
Minimum needed knowledge
Is it better to know a lot about a few things, or a little about a lot of things? It depends on who you are and what you do. A server or bartender at a restaurant better know a little bit about all the wines by the glass. It’s an easy quiz to give them. Read More…
Monday challenge: Breaking from the normal
Every Monday I throw out a challenge to the readers, something to give a concentrated nudge in a certain direction. This week: breaking from the normal. The normal is a staff training where you hold up a bottle and talk about it. The normal is the parade of sales reps waiting in line at the Read More…
How to be a Wine Leader
There are very few Wine Leaders out there. There are a ton of wine managers, and in the scope of this idea a wine manager is defined as somebody who controls, regulates, checks on, and makes happen the flow of wine through the commercial transactions of our business. Most wholesale reps, retail buyers, restaurant buyers, Read More…
What is you real goal?
What is your real goal in life? If you had to pick one goal, what would it be? To me, it’s simple: be happy. Happiness involves lots of factors, but since that is my core goal, I always work toward it. Some ways I move closer to my goal everyday: 1) I choose to not deal Read More…
Canoes vs. Speedboats
Both will get you there, but in two very different ways. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Both are fun, but not for everybody. Both have a purpose. You can’t combine a canoe and a speedboat. It doesn’t work that way. Yet some try to, fail miserably, then oddly try to do it again. Figure Read More…
Connect your wine to something bigger and greater
Of course you think the wine you’re selling tastes better than the competition. And guess what? That doesn’t really matter. Playing the game of “mine is better than that” is a fool’s game because the rules can change constantly (via personal opinions). Would you throw money on the table in Vegas if the rules constantly changed based Read More…
The easiest, fastest, and most effective restaurant staff wine training ever
Training the staff at a restaurant can be a lesson in frustration. First off, it’s like hearding cats, trying to get everybody organized. Then, if the sales rep is doing the any of wrong things, it will go overtime and the attendees will be bored or antsy. Want to do the easiest, fastest, and most Read More…
Monday Challenge: TMI
Every Monday I throw out a challenge to the readers. Something to think about during the week of wine work. This week: become conscious of TMI, too much information. Over-explaining and over-detailing a wine is all too common. I see it all the time when reps are trying to train the servers at a restaurant, and Read More…
Ideas, Connections, and Ownership (i.e. Throw away the box)
This one is for the wine wholesale reps out there, especially those feeling down or disenfranchised. With the rise of the gig economy and the proliferation of freelancers, certain aspects of the wine sales game have changed tremendously. Two things to ponder, plus one radical idea: You own your contacts and relationships. Your boss might disagree, but in my Read More…
Polo, Sailboats, and Top Level Wine
Briefly think about these three worlds: professional polo, recreational sailboat racing, and the upper crust of the wine world (I’m talking Grand Cru Burgundy, first growth Bordeaux, Cult California Cabernets). What do they have in common? They have a tiny audience. I’m not just talking about a small audience. This is not the 1%. This is Read More…
Percentage growth, Exponential growth, and a cool little math trick
“I’m going to help you grow your business 6% per year!” Okay, honestly, how many of us can do the math on that one? And what does it really mean in the end? If your business is bringing in $100,000 a year it’s relatively easy math for the next two or three cycles. $106K, then $113K or so, Read More…
Are you selling a commodity? Probably not.
Commodities are products that are driven first by price. Charles Shaw, i.e. Two Buck Chuck, is a commodity. Barefoot, YellowTail, Franzia box wines, Beringer White Zin, and many other wines such as those are commodities as well. Yes, they have brand recognition, but the driving force of the sale of those wines is first and Read More…
Quiz: What are you selling?
Really, what are you selling? Think about this. I’ll give you a hint: it’s not wine. Honestly. It’s also not service. It’s also not your expert advice. So what are you selling? You’re selling the emotion attached to the sale, not the final product. The product is secondary. You’re selling satisfaction. If you approach your day Read More…
Happy Labor Day 2016 … on your mark, get set …
We’ve reached the end of another summer and the SOND selling season is just about to kick off. Over half of the wine sold in the United States is sold in the upcoming four months. A couple of weeks ago I urged you to take your foot off the gas. Now it’s time to do Read More…
The three types of vacation time
Vacation time is something more and more important as you have deeper commitments in the world, especially if you work in a creative industry or in sales. The battery recharge truly helps your performance when you return. But it does beg the question: what does “vacation time” mean? To me there are three types of Read More…
New sales rep, old territory
If you’re a sales rep for a wine wholesaler, and you are taking over an established territory or getting somebody else’s old accounts, there are three scenarios you’ll run into. No more, no less. “She didn’t show up much.” The person you’re replacing didn’t do a good job, didn’t show up, didn’t deliver, stained the Read More…
And what if the wine sucks?
If you’re in the position of wine sales (which does not just mean wholesale or winery level, but also restaurant and retail … anywhere in the chain of movement toward the end consumer), how do you handle the wine that truly sucks? I’m not talking about a single bottle that is chemically flawed. I’m talking Read More…
Monday Challenge: Take your foot off the gas
Every Monday I throw out a challenge to the readers of this blog. Often it’s about focusing on the right work, making lists, managing your time, learning more about a particular wine regions, etc. This week it’s the opposite: Take your foot off the gas. We are entering the last weeks of August, a slow Read More…