Problems, solutions, and the blame game in wine sales

Problems between sales reps and buyers come up naturally. Sometimes small, sometimes big.

And sometimes opportunities are simply problems with a costume on.

And sometimes problems are simply problems.

But it’s the job of a good sales rep to always present solutions. Better yet, present two. Maybe even three. That’s part of the job.

Telling a buyer there’s a problem without giving a solution is a problem in itself. And that’s when the blame game happens. Behind each other’s backs, each accuses the other of ‘not understanding’ or ‘not respecting’ and it leads to a downward spiral.

Here’s the catch: it’s not the buyer’s job to stop this spiral. They know it’s there, but they have the freedom to simply choose to work with other distributors and other sales reps. The harsh reality: they don’t need you.

So if there is a problem or even a blame game, and most definitely if there’s a downward spiral, then there is only one person who can turn that ship around: the sales rep. It starts with “I’m sorry about the misunderstanding, here’s what I’ve learned, here are my solutions, and here is my promise going forward.”

That’s the only answer.