THE REORDER 10/01/18

House Style Needed

Do you have a house style?

To all the wine reps trying to make waves: figure it out and you will find gold. No, I am not talking about the house style of your portfolio (which you better be fluent in). I am asking what makes you different? Are you a meaningful specific or just a wine selling drone that could be replaced?

Let me be even more specific: you better be selling something other than wine in your portfolio.

EX.

Before you say “small growers, organic farming, native ferment, natural, clean, infusion over extraction, allocated, low alc., fresh, new, zero zero, ethical, minimal work in the cellar, Glou, etc.,” please realize that someone else is saying the exact same thing in front of the same buyers. Literally. Is this the dynamic you want?

“ You have to have a hook beside the wine that everyone wants or the buzzwords that every one of your competitors is parroting.

If you are just running around selling brands and aren’t using your own house style, you will plateau or even worse, perish.

Figure out what really differentiates you that isn’t about the portfolio you rep.

Is it you? Is it the company you work for? What makes a difference?

Find your personal house style and you can actually make waves. Without it, the wines make the waves and you can be easily replaced.

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.

THE REORDER 08/27/18

The Dark Side Part II – The Start-Up Account Run

Want to know how to begin with a start-up account run as a wine sales rep? Read this.

Fresh Start-up

So you got the job. You know which accounts you have, so now all you have to do is go sell. Sounds easy, right? Nope – stop for a moment.

What does success look like as a sales rep? What does it feel like? What are you doing this for? Really picture it. Now write it down and put a date.

The goal may evolve, but put it in writing and have it handy. And don’t just put a random sales number…in this case, numbers are often empty.

Key #1

You are going to have immense challenges at the beginning and are going to have to remind yourself of your personal goal.

Ready. Set…

The tendency for startup salespeople is to either throw a grenade in a lake, run around like a chicken with your head cut off and rush it, or just sit in front of a computer, plan all day – and then never do anything.
Hopefully, after reading the below, you won’t do either.

When I was starting out and the economy was tanking, a manager told me that a certain account was a “colossal waste of time.”
Thankfully, I didn’t listen. That single account opened me up to a whole neighborhood and group of buyers that thrived through the economic meltdown.
People in our business hold onto old stories. Further, most people who are going to give you advice about this haven’t done what you have to do. And if they did, it has been awhile…it ain’t current.

Take all advice with a grain of salt.

Now, take the run and get it organized. If you “goose it” to organize it by number in excel, so be it. These numbers lie and they don’t hold answers, only hints at the picture of the account at one time.
Separate all the bad payer accounts, you should know them from the interview process.

Key #2

Your job is to connect.

I just called, to say…

Get to know the buyers.
Pick up the phone, email, show up, reach out a hand, whatever you have to do.
You must to go out, look in their eyes, or at the very least, you want to hear their voice.

Go with an introduction over an “appointment.” I have a strong opinion: avoid the word appointment. It is a normal, overused and barely decent meaning word that actually means “waste of my time” to most buyers.

DO NOT CHEAT THE CONNECTION PROCESS.

Connecting with buyers is an imperfect science, so don’t think of it any other way. If you email once and then complain and call them a shithead for not emailing back, you are acting like a poser. Don’t do this, but do notice the reps that act like this and approach mimicking their tactics with extreme caution.

My point on the connection goal: Stay in it…everyone is short on time. Keep showin’ up.

My Simple Run Building Rhyme:

When in doubt,
go to the account.

Nothing is better than being in an account. There is no substitute. When you do meet buyers, look at what they do with the list and imagine why. Watch them taste wine, put yourself in their shoes, and have something to offer. Not just some random wine…a question – something to say or do that is worth remembering.

I once shook a prominent Somms’ hand several times so they would remember me as the “handshake guy.” Sales Reps all look the same to buyers focused on wine, don’t be the forgettable one.

As to offering something: In this market, many times wine “brands” lead buyers. If you have one you think fits into the “they would want this” bucket, have it ready and give it a shot.

“ Sales Reps all look the same to buyers that are focused on wine, don’t be the forgettable one.

Adding accounts

I would consider adding new accounts with every extra minute while you are attending to your given run.
You must keep infusing with new leads and accounts. Get to know this process now like it is your job because guess what…it is your job, and in this volatile market that is NYC, new business searching will never end for you. This is one of the only true constants. Hang your hat on it now.

NOTE: I have to keep repeating this. Ignore trolling Eater for new accounts (the press for them is mostly bought and paid for). Walk neighborhoods at the end of the day and on weekends, i.e. the busy times. Pay attention to Eater, but don’t use it as the Bible. You will find gold, I promise.

The Selling Part

This is the toughest piece because it is impossible to not feel the pressure. Look to make little waves of sales, do it drip by drip, and allow yourself to make mistakes. Ignore other reps account runs (this is a jealousy trap) but learn from what they do. Some of my best accounts are accounts that were dead because no one looked at them seriously. They were not on any heatmap.

Anyone can get a big sale, but it takes grit and vision to get consistent sales.
You may get some one-night stand type sales, or you may get a Hail Mary touchdown – which will feel good – just don’t get addicted to it. That isn’t the game.

Keep making waves.

*big sidenote: if you don’t know the book of wines you are selling well, you need to solve that yesterday. I don’t mean knowing the tech sheets and being able to spout facts. I mean know why your book exists, what the producers have to say and the comparison in the market. Where do producers stack up in buyers’ eyes?

THE REORDER 05/21/18

The Dark Side Part I – The Wine Sales Interview

Are you coming to the dark side*?

With the proliferation of import/distribution companies in NYC, there are more sales positions and opportunities available than ever, but little clarity on what it takes to put yourself in the best position for success as a salesperson at a good company.

I am hoping you will let me throw you a little inside baseball. Let me ‘leak’ some advice…

Below are some key points to consider when you are interviewing for a sales position in the city. As obvious as they may seem, it is exceedingly rare that anyone thinks this through enough to do them.

And just in case it bears repeating: There are many roads to Rome. What is below is not a one size fits all perspective. The market you are in, the standard practices of the distribution companies and the character and scope of the portfolio you sell will impact the below.

#1 Know the props and players

Ideally, you should walk into an interview knowing the company portfolio well. The history, who is behind it, where it is going. Take the reins and do more than a little research. Who are the props and players and who has which producer? The better you have a handle on the market you are interviewing in will directly impact the choice (and level) of companies you interview with. Essentially, the more you know the import/distribution scene, the higher the echelon of company you can go, and in turn, the better choice in companies to work for you will have. No viable company sleeps on someone that really knows a market.

#1a – curveball question: Why didn’t you buy from us?

If you are a buyer (or were) and never really bought from** the company you are interviewing with, you should be ready to answer why, and you better be convincing if you want the job. Also, have you considered that who you are buying from currently could be your most connected contact for a new job?

#2 The playbook no one thinks of…

Inventory is one of the most misunderstood and least talked about elements of a company in sales positions across the city, and yet, it is a vital ingredient to success.

Think of it like this: the inventory, open availability and producers will be your wine list. If you only have a few cases to sell of that sexy Beaujolais customers ask you for – you need to know that you have other options to take them to when that is gone. You need a spectrum of choice in your figurative bag. If not, you are going to run into problems once you really start selling wine (from an availability/volume point of view) – and these problems can be crippling and create a concrete ceiling. I speak from experience and this dynamic isn’t pretty.

Once talks get real (real enough to feel comfortable), ask to see the full inventory with associated availabilities (limited availability wines and their allocations, wines that sell out in a day, etc.) over several months. Ask what the seasonal flow is like. Do they DI offer their Rosé, for instance, or do they stock Rosé?

I guarantee you that most companies will be shocked that you are asking about inventory because most potential salespeople never think of this. Bottom line: You need to know what the inventory looks like and how it functions to make waves. You must have inventory/supply to sell to succeed.
The companies that are serious about hiring you and aren’t transparent about inventory are giving you a hint about what it will be like to work for them. If there is some concern on their side about transparency with you then tell them that you understand that inventory + accounts + passion + thoughtful work + connection = sales.

If you are missing the inventory piece, it is extremely difficult to find lasting success. And don’t forget that the more you sell, the better for the company.

#2a The small ball game

Imagine that portfolio that everyone says is “on fire” with the owner/partner who is also a salesperson. There is a very good reason that the owner is selling. I bet you that there isn’t a good spectrum of wine to sell with inventory behind it. There are exceptions, of course, but this is generally the rule. And this is not to take away from the strength of these types of portfolios, some of my favorites in the city are these portfolio models and I would bet on a few of them, but that doesn’t mean it would be great for you to work for them today.

#3 Culture Club

I would argue that the culture of a company has just as much to do with the quality of the portfolio as the wines in it. It has a massive impact. But, it is difficult to interpret and understand the culture of a company from the outside. I always advise talking to reps in the market about what it is like to work at the company, both current and former. An importer/distributor with a “good” portfolio may come with owners/managers that are not good to work with. No one says when they are hiring: look, we are shitty to work with, but the wines in our portfolio are great.
Insider tip: if they have a portfolio of note, but a regular turnover in prime sales positions, I would be very aware of what that says about the company culture before interviewing — and if the vibe is right during the interview, I might even ask why they have had the turnover.

It is easy to be hypnotized by the wines in a portfolio and not understand that the culture within the company impacts how it will be to work with those wines.

#4 And…the account goes to…

Always ask what type of accounts will be available to you.

No matter what your level of experience, importer/distributors are generally cagey about which accounts are available, and every once and a while for understandable reasons. Figure out which type of accounts you will have access to as a rep and how the company decides who gets assigned to which account.

And if they say “we have house accounts and dead accounts for you with a lot of potential,” I would ask to see the list. I might even request ahead of time that they note all accounts that have trouble paying or have had recent buyer turnover. Generally, dead accounts are dead for a reason. Pulling blood from a run of dead account stones is a really hard game.

Now, the hard part that is basically unheard of:

#4a The Bait and Switch

Once it has been decided and you are getting an offer that includes accounts, mention casually that you have heard that companies switch runs on new sales reps and ask for some sort of assurance.

Why? I have seen the bait and switch NUMEROUS times at high-level companies. As in – here is your run, and when you show up on the first day it is different than what was promised. If they are committing to you, they should be open to it. But also keep in mind that you will have to feel out this moment, and trust in the outcome – just make sure you feel comfortable with what you are walking into.

“ You need to know what the inventory looks like and how it functions to really make waves.

#5 Understanding commission and expectations

The way reps earn money varies wildly. Some are on a draw, some are 100 percent commission (in which you need to know the average commission), some are on salary with bonus opportunities, and there are variants of all of the above. If you have the inventory and know the accounts you will get – you must have a handle on the commission or payment structure you to project how you can support yourself.

Most companies do give 6-12+ months of salary as support when someone starts. This is “fairly” standard, but can vary as wildly as the pay structures.

Question is: what happens when you are off the support? Can you handle it? Look ahead and be realistic.

The Final Decision

If you have a good handle on the people you are working for, the portfolio and inventory available, the accounts you will have, and the way you will support yourself, you should be able to make an exceptionally good decision on whether to take the job, run quickly away and/or keep looking.

Once you have the job, your world changes quickly…This is where the tough part starts. Getting things rolling as a sales rep is a little more complex.

Part 2. Coming soon.

*the dark side is a common term used to describe beverage sales

**there seems to be some general confusion about what “buying from someone” means. It means you bought regularly, you gave a BTG or two, and always kept them in the game. Why would you want to work for a company that you put in the low, non-existent slot in your rotation as a buyer?

THE REORDER 04/16/18

Wine Sales – A top 5 don’t do list

Wine sales can be tricky. Unlike other sales jobs, there are few “constants” and the sales cycle is shorter and more unpredictable. But I am seeing a lot of mistakes repeatedly made on the street that can be easily remedied. Below are the classic top five mistakes and some thoughts on how to avoid them.

I hope this helps.

#1. Fetishizing the appointment

It is romantic to think that sitting and tasting wine with someone will solve all sales problems and make everyone understand, but I can tell you with confidence that the moment you start fetishizing the “appointment,” you are lost. It is over. Finito.

You must find another way. The answer is in this question: Why would they ask YOU to sit/taste and not the other way around?

#2. Account Hunting on Eater

Trying to find new accounts? Eater should never be your primary source. Do pay attention to it, because it CAN give you a heads up, but keep in mind that everyone else sees it – and therein lies the problem.

Best way to find accounts in NYC? Take a walk. I know, it is a lot less sexy and requires much more time, but you will find much more gold. Many worthwhile accounts in the city never appear on a Heatmap.

#3. Preparation and the Bag full of “everything”

I used to sit at a bar in midtown waiting to taste behind a line of reps and watch them open twelve bottles of wine for a buyer that was rarely going to buy one case from them. Contrastingly, I would roll in with less than 4 bottles and the buyer would take a few cases. There was no genius in this, I had done my work before I got there. I knew what the gent liked and what in my portfolio had a chance.

Never open bottles for a closed mind – and do whatever work you can ahead of time to know what you have that is actually worth showing. Also, (and most importantly) avoid the trap of trying to have a bag full of wine that has something perfect for everyone. It can really lock you up. This bag of wine doesn’t exist, and you will always be missing something. Don’t worry – this is a good thing.

“ Many worthwhile accounts in the city never appear on a Heatmap.

#4. ‘Over Talking’ the Wines

Don’t over talk the wines. Want to have connective conversations with some of the best wine professionals in the world that buy wine in NYC? Stop ‘over explaining’ the technical, mundane, google-able aspects of the wine and get to what is true about it. If you actually know something deeper, artfully share it.

And while you are at it, ask a question and just listen. Watch how someone tastes. Learn from them. Then think about how you present wine to them.

#5. It ain’t surgery, it’s the wine biz

In 2007, a superstar veteran salesperson said something to me that changed my career. He told me that I shouldn’t take this job too seriously. Even though I was struggling at the time just to get by, he was right. I smelled of fear, and no one wants to work with that. Faint desperation is not a good look.

Stay as light as you can with the job of selling wine. If you have to have that sale, you need to re-evaluate what you are doing so it isn’t that serious.

THE REORDER 03/05/18

Reading the Tea Leaves – Classic Wine Buyer responses

Let me read the tea leaves of some classic buyer responses below. All of these interactions can be overcome but can take time and serious investment. It is always going to be nuanced from buyer to buyer, but if you see the meaning, it gets easier.

So, below are translations of some common buyer sayings. Think about this: maybe that the buyer may just not be into you and you need to find another? What you have to offer may not be for her (or him)…don’t be afraid to move on.

Translations

I don’t know your book

I don’t want to know your book, or more likely, you need to entice me. Go for the top producer in your book that you can think of and watch the reaction.

I work a lot with consignment

They like historical prestige labels and will like to play with traditional over new finds. They also tend to dislike most import/distribution operations. Look for the producer connection.

I like recognizability

I like big, established brands and my list could have been written in the 90’s. Have you had Staglin? Super tough one to win with unless you have a book filled with big brands.

I can’t take any more distributors on right now

I have my chosen people. This one is VERY HARD to get past. Choose to spend your time wisely.

“ Email me...

I need to think about this and I want to see your email game. Email them like you know what a buyer wants/needs but without arrogance.

I don’t do appointments

Every buyer does some form of appointment…Every one of them. You just need to figure out what that means for that buyer and be there. Sometimes the email offer is more viable.

What do you have that is on closeout

We look for pricing deals, not quality deals. Question for you: Do you want to play ball with this type of customer?

Most of the time buyers have “tells,” and it is your job to be a good listener and an even better observer.

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