Do unto others with your business reputation

Lately, I’ve been seeing the extremes of people in our industry. Maybe it’s the political season stirring the pot and making people squirrely. I don’t know what’s causing it, but many people in our industry (including wine shop owners and salespeople) fall into one of two categories. Either they are a fantastic force of positive Read More…

What is your end-of-year project?

I’m writing this in mid-December, which is unlike any other time of the year in the beverage sales cycle. Retailers and restaurants are too busy for long meetings with their sales reps. Their focus, as it should be, is the customer walking through the door. (Reactive, not proactive, work.) The sales reps are busy getting Read More…

The power of unmeasurable generosity

As we become more measurable in our jobs and lives, there is more room for unmeasurable generosity. If a friend works a job with unreasonable quotas and driving trackers so their boss can oversee their every movement, be the one that gives some love and an ear over a little happy hour bump. If you Read More…

What is your job?

Give me the one sentence answer to this questions: What is your job? “My job is to represent my brands to retailers and restaurants.” “My job is to grow my account base and increase company revenue.” “My job is to provide the ultimate in customer service.” “My job is to show what truly great hospitality Read More…

What happens if …

… you present ten Pinot Noirs to an account, they don’t find joy in any of them, then a competitor presents just one and that makes it on the list? … you own 95% of a wine list at a local restaurant, but the company that has the other 5% suddenly starts spending a lot Read More…

Your internal narrative

We tell ourselves stories. Stories of failure. Stories of hesitancy. Stories of contrast and scorekeeping. The tough part about our internal narrative is that it’s the driver of our actions. Our hesitation to make another call to an unopened account because of the look you got the last time you were there. Or the phone Read More…

Say thanks, now

We are on the cusp of the holiday seasons. Within the next ten weeks the stores will be packed with Halloween displays, followed closely by Christmas chaos. Our homes transform from bats and ghouls, to turkeys and leaves, to trees and lights. As we enter the holiday season, cards arrive in the mail and we Read More…

A simple question to ask

“Is what I’m doing today improving my life?” Be it personal (physical health, mental health, personal finances, relationships), or work (solving problems, having control over your day, saying yes when you need to and saying no when necessary), this is the simple question to ask. Have you written down what you plan to do today? Read More…

Problems

Every organization, wholesaler, winery, and sales rep has problems. They may be small, they may be hidden, but there is a 100% chance they exist. How are the problems recognized? By you? By others? Through analysis of data? By a gut instinct? And if problems abound, how does the company approach them, identify them, and Read More…

“What can I do to help?”

When delivered with honesty and empathy, is there a more powerful statement a person could possibly make? There are situations in life when simply offering help is not only the right thing to do but the only thing you can do. When you see someone who is injured. When you happen upon a person in Read More…

When it’s not working

When you know the uphill battle is not getting easier. When you know the problem account has no solutions and will never become better. When you know that stack of Hungarian Pinot Noir was a bad sell or a bad buy. When you know the organization you are working with or for is getting more Read More…

Tug of War

Watching a tug of war match is great fun. Two individuals or teams, if evenly matched, give it their all. Sweat, power, energy, and eventually a winner. But think about this: tug of war only works if both sides are trying hard. If one side didn’t pull, then what’s the point? If the other didn’t Read More…

A challenge for today

I have a challenge for you. It has to be done by the end of the day. You’re responsible for it yourself, and only yourself. No bosses or managers to report to. No spouse or significant other to check in with when complete. Ready? Here you go: today’s challenge is to develop a challenge for Read More…

Tools vs. Skills

The writer Neil Gaiman was on the Tim Ferris podcast. In the show, Tim asked Neil about his writing process and how he physically went about writing his wonderful books. It’s a common question for authors, photographers, painters, and musicians. Why kind of guitar does she use? What type of camera does Annie Leibovitz prefer? Read More…

Nothing is impossible

This was the great lesson of Apollo 11. Yes it may take 400,000 people. Yes it may take over $25 billion dollars. But the great lesson of late July 1969 is that we are allowed to think bigger than we ever thought possible. And this great lesson can pare down to each of us and Read More…

Is it really that bad?

Rejection is tough. Hearing NO is difficult for everyone, across all industries and cultures. And too many times hearing NO can wear down the best of us. But why did they say no? If they said no for a specific reason, that is okay. “We have twenty Malbecs right now, we really don’t need another Read More…

Faults vs. Problems

I used to say, rather sarcastically, that there is no such thing as a wine emergency. The idea being that far too many sales reps run around like chickens without heads solving emergencies that don’t qualify as emergencies. And in the big scope of world problems and social issues, a restaurant running out of a Read More…

More is, unfortunately, free

I’ll bring you more samples. I’ll pour more wine in your store. I’ll put up more shelf talkers. I’ll train your staff more than last year. I’ll spend more time in your account. When you offer more, you’re doing it because you don’t see the costs in dollars and cents. You’re not being billed for Read More…

You’ve made the choice

If you’re a wine retailer, you’ve made the choice to not have Memorial Day or Labor Day off. You made the choice to work weekends. You’ve made the choice to be in one spot, waiting for customers to come to you. You made the choice to know that every New Year’s Eve, the day before Read More…

Strategy solves problems

There are three types of problems for wine sales rep: short term, mid-term, and long term. Short term is tomorrow, the day after that, and the next selling week. It’s the immediacy of having to react. Having to run a will call. Having to correct an error on an invoice. Having to scramble for appointments Read More…

A Sales Rep’s Choices

A wine sales rep is in a marvelous and privileged position. You get to choose. Today, are you building a brand or building the market? Tomorrow, are you finding the unknown (wine or customer), or are you learning the known even better? Next week, are you showcasing the new or reinforcing the established? What are Read More…

The best things about wine sales

You get to talk about beautiful places. You get to talk about a delicious and historically important beverage. You get to talk about legendary families and fresh new upstarts. There is always something new. There is competition at all levels and price points (imagine the boredom if there was truly no competition). You get to Read More…

What doesn’t work

It doesn’t work to not show up at an account for weeks. It doesn’t work to forget to tell an account they are overdue on a bill and about to get posted. It doesn’t work to not show new wines during a sales call. It doesn’t work to bad mouth your competition. It doesn’t work Read More…

Can you measure it?

As a wine sales rep for a good retailer, you sometimes take your personal time and devote it to the store by standing behind a barrel pouring samples for anybody who wants them. Boring stuff, usually. You might not sell very much wine, but one person connected deeply with one of your wines, and she Read More…

Fiction perfection.

There is no such thing as a perfect wine. There is no such thing as a perfect sales call. There is no such thing as a perfect customer. And there’s no such thing as a perfect sales rep. Don’t aim for perfection. Aim instead for continuous improvement, personal development, refinement, and betterment. Be better today Read More…

Why did they say “no”?

There are so many reasons an account says no. They said no because they don’t like the wine.They said no because they already have 20 Pinot Grigios around $15.They said no because they read a report that wine of that category and price are slowing in sales.They said no because their budgets are tight that Read More…

Bowling and Wine Selling

Bowling is easy. If you can consistently deliver the ball, with the same energy, direction, spin, and accuracy, you can win big, and you can crush the competition. And it has to do with math. It’s the difference between a 90% success rate and a 100% success rate. When you’re winning at bowling (consistently throwing strikes) Read More…

Promises, promises

“I promise I’ll communicate better about out of stocks. Trust me.” “I promise I’ll visit that unsold account. I’m all over it.” “Have no fear boss, I promise I’ll get that invoice mess up cleaned by the end of the week.” “I promise I can run that will call on Monday.” “I promise you I Read More…

The extra hour

This morning, many of us woke up earlier than we normally do. We woke up with energy at a time that we normally slog. We went to bed a bit earlier last night than we normally would. Daylight savings time is one of the best magic tricks out there. And like any good magic trick, Read More…

The Paralysis of Analysis

I know several spreadsheet masters. These people work Excel like David Copperfield working an illusion. They know every twist, component, angle, and formula. They can plug in data along with a single variable and come up with years of projections. They can take the smallest of downturns in sales in a territory and analyze it Read More…

Milestone Dates

Happy October 1st. To most people, maybe all, it’s just another day. But for me, it’s October First, The Milestone Day. A milestone date is a marker. It’s a particular date when something eventful, positive, negative, traumatic, celebratory, life-shaping, or just plain big happened to you or because of you. It’s a date that as Read More…

Knowledge, experience, and hustle

Some wine sales reps are newbies to the business, without much experience with wine or sales. Some wine sales reps have incredibly deep wine knowledge, but little sales experience. Some wine sales reps are pros in sales, but not so much in wine. And some wine reps are pros in sales, lots of experience, plus Read More…

The list of quick improvements

This is a good exercise. Grab a piece of paper. Turn off the inputs and interruptions. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Namaste. Now answer the question: “What can I change, improve upon, upgrade, do, or fix in just one or two minutes, that will have a lasting impact on my work?” A Read More…

A seven year (payment) plan

How far forward do you plan? Some very smart people insist that five year and ten-year goal setting is not realistic. That there is no way to project that far and know what will happen with the economy, your industry, or even the state of the world. I see their point, but they are wrong. Read More…

Overwhelmed

Another sales call. More samples to pull. Who is the new buyer again? Oh yeah, that will call I have to run! The focus winery of the month. Do I have a sparkling wine stopper? OMG Thanksgiving and Christmas is around the corner! My phone is out of juice! Yet another sales call. I know Read More…

Passions vs. Skills

Two wine sales reps. Two different ways of doing business. Sales rep number one has a passion for what she does. She is so into wine! It’s her life. It’s all about the aromas, the flavors, the food, and the occasional travel. Wine is first and foremost the creator of her energy. A wine sales Read More…

The choice to complain

Private complaining and grumbling about accounts and your sales life, to friends or significant others, is part of a salesperson’s life. We all have to unpack a bit at the end of a tough day. It’s life. It’s normal. We all do it. Don’t worry too much about your daily or weekly grumbling about small Read More…

Looking backward …

… rarely helps. Yes, you can learn from the past. But you can also think too hard about it, too often. Try this: think about the past and the mistakes you or your company made (“We hired that lazy good for nothing that derailed the team and sucked down morale”). Make a full list. It’s Read More…

Seeing things with true clarity …

… is almost impossible. But doubly impossible when you’re starting from behind to begin with. How do you start from behind? Lack of sleep Lack of exercise Drinking too much wine and feeling the compounded impact on your brain and body Anxiety (fear of what might happen) Disorganization Poor diet Letting others usurp your time Being digitally Read More…

Recognizing sunk costs

It’s one of the most important lessons you can learn: All that matters is the future. That is the clearest way to describe sunk costs. What happened in the past, what occurred between you and your customers, the efforts and investments you put into your job, the brand building and analysis and yearly reviews, the Read More…

Broken locks

Embarrassing story, but a good lesson to be learned. I was recently at a restaurant. Not just any restaurant, but a well reviewed chef-driven hard to get into place of the moment kinda restaurant. I went to the restroom. Had to go. Happens to everybody. It was a small one room restroom with a crappy lock Read More…

Falling into a hole

You’re cruising. You’re doing great. Your work is firing on all cylinders. Then BAM, you find yourself tripped up. You fell into a hole and now you have to work your way out. First, are you injured? Can you stand back up? Can you shake your head and make a little goofy cartoon noise (with Read More…

You have permission …

… to take the simple path instead of the complicated path. … to take time off to rebalance and think big thoughts. … to find success while others struggle. … to put your own name and identity out there before your company. … to take a break after reaching goals. … to work smarter instead Read More…

Let’s talk email

Efficiency is talked about often, and email is definitely one of the most efficient ways to communicate (in many ways too efficient, which is why it gets overused). In the spirit of efficiency some people use email well. And others do not. And it’s painful to watch (and read). Rules: Learn what BCC: is all Read More…

The problem with being the first to say it

Sometimes the truth needs to be said. The problem is somebody has to say it first. “This brand really doesn’t fit our portfolio or our company style.” “That customer is not good for our business, even if they buy more and more wine.” “Your technique in selling is too abrasive and confrontational.” “The cigarettes you Read More…

Screwing up (gracefully)

You dropped the ball. Screwed up royally. There are no excuses. Somebody is going to be mad. The owner’s manual on screwing up gracefully reads pretty simply: Own it. Don’t make excuses. Don’t try to hide. Apologize. Hope for the best. Then apologize again. Too bad more people don’t have a copy of the owner’s Read More…

Overwhelmed

Too many commitments. Too many meetings. Too many things on the to do list. Too many emails in the inbox. Too many phone calls to make. Too many customers to see. Too many wines to sell. Too many things to organize. Too many, too many, too many! Many sales reps secretly (or subconsciously) see a Read More…

What work should you do today?

The answer is pretty simple, really. Do more of the work that proves to work well for you. Do less of the work that proves to not work well for you. More of what works, less of what doesn’t. Take the time to think about that as you make decisions on how to spend your Read More…

Bird Brains: Proof that there are always haters

If you try to appease everybody all the time you eventually spend an inordinate amount of time appeasing the lowest of the low. In the wine business, there are legendary thugs and bullies that own liquor stores around the country or buy wine for such shops. They harass, they intimidate, they threaten, they position themselves for Read More…

Simplifying networking

“Connection points” and “synergy” are terms often bantered about when it comes to networking. Heck, there are easily 12 other overused buzzwords I could list here. There are whole books, blogs, video series, and courses based on the Art of Networking. At its core networking sounds so easy: The idea that you can help them and they Read More…

The chemistry of learning something new

Let’s put brain chemistry to work for us in the wine sales industry. No, I’m not talking about even more sampling and drinking. I’m talking about learning. Turns out the release of dopamine in the brain — the trigger that happens when you have the first sip of a really great wine, or hear coins Read More…

What is focus?

The process of “focus” gets bantered about endlessly, especially at wine distributor sales meetings.  “You have to focus on this line of wines.” “We need focus on this important importer.” “You have to focus better on our number one account.” “We have to focus on getting that wine on that wine list.” In this light, Read More…

When do you ask for help?

Most experienced wine sales reps live an independent life during the day. See the right accounts, keep selling wine, keep the bosses happy (i.e. not being too involved in your sales business), then head home. That naturally leads to an assumption on both sides (management and sales): if the boss isn’t hearing of any problems from Read More…

Plus five percent

Teachers in West Virginia are back to work this week after a torturous nine day strike that grabbed media attention nationally. Traditionally one of the lowest pay states for teachers, they saw no option other than to walk out on the job to get the attention they deserved. Fighting tooth and nail, they got what Read More…

What are you selling? (Maybe it’s not wine)

A wine sales rep’s life, even with lunches, dinners, samples, winemakers, and travel all involved, can be isolating and lonely. When isolated feelings of “me against the competition” and “us vs. them” creep into the sales mindset, you may find yourself running from account to account to account, pulling bottles out of the bag, presenting everything to Read More…

Sometimes, there is no answer

“How can we sell more expensive wine to more retailers?” “How do we break into the hot new restaurant?” “How can I make my sales reps more efficient and responsive?” “How can we get more market share in this increasingly tight and competitive wine scene?” There is no answer to these questions. If there were Read More…

The simple way to do an annual review

With 99% certainty here is what every one of your retail and restaurant customers does NOT know. They don’t know how much wine they bought from you this past year (dollars and cases). They don’t know how much wine they bought from you the year before that (dollars and cases). They don’t know the percentage difference Read More…

What are you going to do next year?

This is an important question to ask, because next year is next week. Annual reviews of accounts, territories, personal strengths, personal weaknesses, planned development, goals, outlooks, and ideas are wonderful ways to take a longer view of your wine sales business. It’s also a great way to fall into the sticky mud of too many Read More…

Who pulled you up in 2017?

Who singlehandedly made the difference for you this past year? Was it a particular customer? Or a particular buyer? Maybe it was somebody outside of the industry that gave you particularly good advice. Or a winery rep who climbed into your car and made for the perfect day, full of sales, insight, and education? Was Read More…

A day to work ON, not be stuck IN

The day before Thanksgiving is a strange one indeed for wine sales reps. It’s kinda like Friday, except it’s not. No retailers want to see you today, they are too busy (unless you are pouring free wine and giving them free labor, then they are happy to see you). It’s a great day to visit Read More…

A simple gift

A simple, honest, no-strings-attached, inexpensive, and targeted gift might be one of the most valuable items in the world. A DVD of the last Rush tour for your customer that loves the band. A block of top grade watercolor paper for the restaurant manager who mentioned what she does on off days to relax. A pair Read More…

Leadership and Fear

This is a three part question. First: Do you fear the leaders of your organization? Do you tremble when you get called to the office, knowing that most interactions are going to be confrontational? Do you think those leaders were put in their position of power because they are good at heavy handed commanding? Second: Do you Read More…

What is your job?

Is your job a marathon, ala one person putting long distance effort forward to achieve? Or is your job a 100 meter sprint? One person bursting forth like Usain Bolt to set new records? Or is your job a team effort with many matches, ala the World Cup? Or is your job a single game Read More…

The importance of seeing sunk costs

As Seth Godin has reminded us, the value of your eclipse sunglasses as of today is zero. Not almost zero. Absolutely zero.  Sunk costs, in economic terms, is money that was spent in the past on projects/people/systems/software/materials/etc. that are no longer needed or have much faster/better/cheaper alternatives on the marketplace. It is money that was spent Read More…

The ifs and the thens

  IF … … your top account closes … your three leading brands move to another distributor. … your top import portfolio goes out of business. … your top salespeople or managers quit. … a recession hits and everybody suddenly buys less wine. … you get fired, or leave a job where you are not Read More…

The best thing about having a vision

Do you have a vision for your job? The ideal combination of customers, sales, and workflow that you can achieve? The ultimate situation you’d like to find yourself in twelve months from now? What is your ideal job vision? The best things about having a vision is that it’s contagious. When you have a vision and discuss it Read More…

Shooting straight

You can read endless customer management articles through Harvard Business Review. You can watch endless TED talks on motivation and how to motivate others. You can go to school for years to learn about sales techniques and buyer motivations. But in the end nothing is better than simply being a straight shooter. Tell it like Read More…

Turn off the dopamine loop

Remember the phrase “You’ve got mail?” It was one of the earliest internet dopamine loops created. America Online and their AOL mail service (remember when everybody had an AOL address?) programmed people to get a dose of excitement and anticipation every time they heard “You’ve got mail” in that manly authoritative voice. It triggered an Read More…

Where is the loyalty?

Is your customer’s loyalty with the brand? If so, you need to keep that loyalty carefully groomed, make sure they have knowledge and access to the gems within the brand, and make sure the brand reaches out to your customer on a regular basis. Is your customer’s loyalty to the importer or distributor? If so, you need to keep that Read More…

How did you get hired?

When you got your wine job, how did you get hired? Odds are good it wasn’t just your interview going well. Odds are good it wasn’t just the piece of paper you carefully organized to highlight your awesomeness. Odds are good it wasn’t just your enthusiasm for fermented grape juice. You got hired because of Read More…

Monday Challenge: Smarter, Faster, Better

This week’s Monday Challenge is as easy as can be. Buy a copy of Smarter, Faster, Better by Charles Duhigg and read it. This book is transformative, and every chapter has incredible relevance to all aspects of our industry. Broken into eight concepts that are discussed with surprising facts and entertaining stories to back up Read More…

When you’re down

It’s been a soft week of sales. Every sales pitch you’ve made lately falls flat. Your boss is not impressed with your work. You’re behind on your bills, and see dark clouds on the financial horizon. You question your choice of career and the future you have in it. Your confidence level has plummeted. You Read More…

Monday Challenge: Values Assesment

This week’s Monday Challenge is a doozy. It’s not quick, it’s not painless, and it’s not easy. Time to assess the values you hold versus the life you are living. It’s a myth that career paths travel in straight lines. Holes are in the road, diversions are necessary, and many people have experienced years or Read More…

Your to do list is too long

If you’re like most people (including me) you like to list what has to get done in a day. Your to do list might be in a planner, on an index card, in a Google Tasks file, in your head, or just scribbled on a Post it note. It probably starts with the obvious, dives Read More…

Success, and the people around you

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…