Are You Using Your Best Sales Asset?

HIGHLIGHTS 
During a sales visit, no one brings as much knowledge to the table as a 
winemaker. 
Booking back-to-back appointments can be beneficial, but be prepared for 
scheduling trouble, and try not to get lost. 

Making personal connections goes a long way toward selling your wine.
Given the nature of our current economy, it's no exaggeration to say that sales
are of primary importance. Those proprietors who keep their winemakers buried in
the cellar should have their heads examined, because no one can sell wine more
effectively than a winemaker.

That said, if you're a winemaker with no personality, you're impossibly boring,
you suffer from lack of self esteem--or you stutter uncontrollably, can't smile
or look people in the eye--then you might consider staying close to your
barrels. But the rest of you (and that means most everyone we know) should get
your sales mojo into gear. While sales managers and wine reps are very valuable
members of any winery team, they can't do what a winemaker can do in the
marketplace.

The winemaker has the answer to all the secrets. How many barrels? How many
acres? What clones? What yeast? What makes the wine taste as good as it does?
Because you are the consummate expert, many buyers will give you the power and
the time they hesitate to give to any other representative from the winery.

Much of our business is about perception of quality. And the general perception
is that if you can turn grape juice into good wine, you are someone special. So
don't fight it. Embrace the concept and use it to your advantage. Sometimes
you'll be working alone, and sometimes you'll be working with a rep. In either
case, if you take advantage of your perceived power, you'll probably sell more
wine than anyone else can.

Timing is everything

On any given sales day, you might start off on schedule. Yet all it takes is one
buyer who's backed up, or one traffic jam, or one really great sales call that
lasts longer than you expected, and you'll be running late. It happens to
everyone. So when it happens to you, use your cell phone to let your appointment
know you're delayed. Sometimes you might have to reschedule, but that's not so
bad if you've made good connections or sales during the day. If you're working
alone--that is, without the benefit of a sales rep who knows the
territory--don't leave home without your GPS. It's amazing how really late and
stressed out you can become when you're lost.

Let's assume, for the moment, you're working with a distributor sales rep. The
point of your work-with is two-fold: 1. To sell wine, of course; and, 2. To bond
with your sales reps, thus making them bigger fans of the brand than they were
before. The bonding is your ticket to potential sales growth in the market after
you have left it.

No sales rep can take every wine out on the road every day. Remember that your
wine will find a spot in the sales rep's wine bag more often than not if your
rep has good memories of your time together.

How do you make this happen? Start by helping your rep better understand what
makes you and your wine distinctive. Try to communicate some of the inside
information that will help someone better understand your wine. This could be
anything from your own exciting experiences to winemaking tidbits that no one
else knows about. We recommend avoiding a recitation of platitudes regarding
unfiltered wines and good vineyard drainage. It may be important, but it's dull.

The art of the work-with: Make it personal

Through no fault of your rep, a sales day can quickly go bad. Solid appointments
evaporate the day before, and others will cancel while your day is in progress.
When this happens, make sure you put the sales rep at ease. It might be a good
time to do a nice long lunch. Lunchtime is a good opportunity to take a break
and spend some valuable time with your rep. Try to dine at a politically correct
stop where you might get some face time with the wine buyer. Whether stroking an
existing account or fishing for a new one, it's simply good to see or be seen.

Whether it's over a long lunch or a quick snack, you need to talk about things
other than wine, or your sales day will be a very long one. And at the end of
the day, if you still share little in common, but you're scheduled to have
dinner together, ask your rep to invite his or her significant other. At least
one of them should have something of interest to say. Don't worry about the
extra expense: Sometimes you have to spend money to make money. There are
occasions when an expensive meal and a 50% tip can net far larger sales in the
long run.

Where have all the good buyers gone?

Good buyers come in many forms and fall into some pretty basic categories:

1. Those accounts that treat you well and also buy your wine.

These buyers usually buy soon after the sales call. They will also tell you,
"No, not interested," to your face. It's better than listening to every lame
excuse in the book every time you try to follow up.

2. Those accounts that treat you like crap, but buy your wine anyway.

Some buyers have become so "important" that they may offer you a fairly brusque
tasting experience. Don't take it personally; just take the order when you can
get it.

3. Those accounts that give you an order before you leave.

This is the Mecca of sales calls. Simply say, "Thank you," and enjoy it.

Beware of tire kickers.

They'll taste your wine, waste your time and then send you packing over and over
again. Ultimately you can let your sales force make return visits to such
individuals. And sometimes the tire kickers actually purchase something. But
once you've identified them, you can wait in the car while your rep makes a
quick visit. It's a good time to return phone calls on your cell.

Do winemakers go home after a day in the marketplace?

If there's still wine in the bag, there's always another account to call on. You
can still do business from 5:30 until 10 p.m. We've had excellent results moving
from account to account for a glass of wine and an appetizer at the bar.
Sometimes you'll succeed at nothing more than being seen patronizing a
restaurant, which is money well spent. But more often than not, you'll be
rewarded by a quick visit from the sommelier, who just might have a moment to
taste a wine or two. Once you've mastered this barhopping technique, you'll know
which accounts merit a visit during their busy service. There are accounts like
this in every city across the nation.

What should a winemaker wear on a visit?

American winemakers rarely wear suits and ties (or the ladies' equivalent) to
work. Unless you normally do, it's silly to dress up in such a manner to sell
wine. No one expects it of you. But dressing like a slob won't get you far
either. The good news is that you have a lot of leeway here.

Jeff suggests you dress smartly, in a style that suits you. Baggy blue jeans and
an old shirt are not advisable. Crisp jeans with a snazzy shirt and cowboy
boots--absolutely! If you like wearing a jacket, then wear it, but leave your
tie at home. However, Daniel travels to New York, Chicago and other major urban
centers with at least two ties in his suitcase. He doesn't subscribe to the
tieless technique. We both suggest you dress for success with your own sense of
style. It's another visual cue that sets you apart from your competitors.

Winemakers…go forth…sell wine.…Have fun out there!