If your job is to travel the country, meet with wholesalers, and most importantly get into the car with sales reps to see accounts in their territory, then you better be good at what you do. It’s one of the hardest jobs out there.

You have to add to their conversations.

You have to give a reason for the buyers to bring in your wine.

You have to support everything that sales rep is doing that day, including selling your competitor’s wines.

You have to be positive, and never say anything bad about other wineries, other distributors, or especially the wholesaler you are working with.

If you don’t add, you subtract. And everybody you work with will talk badly about you once you leave the room. If you’re dead weight, it will pull your reputation down but also the brand you are representing.

The upside? Most winery reps don’t seem to realize these things. That makes for clear sailing for those that do.