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 a fine wine specialist looking to advance in your career, land that job with the company that you really really really want to work for?

Point one to think about: The secret to recruiting or being recruited is all about your brand. Your own personal brand, if you’re a manager, sales rep, sommelier, buyer, or server. Your company’s brand if it’s about finding the best in the sales world who will bring more value to your company. Of course you have to start by learning what is a brand, and think long and hard on that. A brand is the experience that people have as a result of what you do. A brand is a power to distinguish you from others. More info here.

Point two to think about: Average employees, average sales reps, average managers, and average people in general are dead weight when it comes to building a dynamic company. As an individual, you can’t be average. You have to be exceptional. As a company, you can’t hire average people and keep them on the payroll forever. They will slow you down until you toss the weight overboard. More info here.

When you combine those two points and really think about them, you begin to see what’s involved in hiring great wine people. Up the game, expect greatness, and be very clear about your branding. Then it all starts to come together.