Your customer needs new ideas, fresh thoughts,  new information, and a sense of confidence from you. In other words, new challenges.

A server at a restaurant should be able to explain a strange ingredient on the menu, or talk for at least a few seconds about the Godello vs. the Garganega.

A wine retailer should be able to see the mediocre Pinot Noir in the customer’s cart, then be able to introduce her to Cru Beaujolais that happens to be less expensive but works just as well, if not better, for her dinner that night.

A wholesale wine rep needs to bring new ideas and energy into every call, challenging their customer to grow in ways they didn’t think was possible. New shelf sets. New categories. Industry news. Bigger and creative thoughts about business structure.

Anything short of bringing new challenges to customers puts you in the role of an order taker, the lowest level on the sales chain.