RE RYAN LOOPER
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  • Blog
    • THE REORDER (Sales)
      the salesperson experience
    • SPLASH DECANT (Market)
      streetwise stories of the beverage marketplace
    • FIVE QUESTIONS (People)
      insider questions and answers
    • TASTE (Gastronomy)
      a view from the table
  • About Ryan
  • Contact
THE REORDER 09/28/18

When in doubt, look at the Wine List

When in doubt, look at the Wine list.

Salespeople get into real trouble when they are too attached/focused on their own portfolio…too self-involved with regard to their portfolio.

When you have no idea what to do and are searching for empathy, or you can’t get attention, the answers you need are almost always right in front of you on the wine list.

When you are trying to decide if you are wasting energy, and before you make any moves, just look at the list.

List Questions

What are they missing? And are they missing it on purpose?

Who are they buying from?

Can you change their world with something?

If you were in their shoes, what would you want?

How could you make it easier for them?

Who is the wine list for?

“ If you truly think they don’t need wine from you, you are either wrong or you MUST move on.

It takes a lot of practice to look at a wine list and translate it in a minute or two. If you aren’t already, I would be practicing this skill now.

Here is what I know:

If you truly think they don’t need anything, you are either wrong or you MUST move on.

THE REORDER 09/14/18

Change the Goal

I was speaking to a very talented salesperson recently and they asked me about a plateau. They were concerned about the tension between the “gaming” customers and how it doesn’t feel good – but the numbers are up.

He was in tune with himself enough to know that the numerical goal didn’t feel sustainable and that gaming customers is never a good move.

I asked him a simple question: what if you changed the goal? What if DIALOGUE is the goal and not NUMBERS?

His whole body changed. His eyes cleared and his voice became more resonant.

“That makes sense.”

Reality Check

I am not downplaying the pressure of number performance. It will always be there. But the fact is that a number is easy to judge but it can also lie “bigly.”

A great month looks nice and comes out clearly on a year over year comparison — But what if meeting your numbers this month just damaged your potential for dialogue forever?

Is it worth it?

“ I go to zero in number every month, but I never go to zero dialogue.

A wine sales career demands dialogue. You want those who you seek to serve to want to engage with you for a real reason.

Don’t just pour some stuff in a glass. Pour it for the person you are sharing with.

Don’t just take that order. Listen to them.

Change the goal.