COURSE

Winery Hospitality Sales Training

A Hands-On, Interactive, One-or Half-Day Workshop

Featuring practical, step-by-step exercises, group activities and coaching, participants learn how to maximize the revenue potential of each tasting room visitor while building strong bonds with them. Using the structured techniques of relationship sales, skills taught in this workshop lead to greater customer satisfaction and sales. Attendees receive worksheets and practice sessions throughout the class to lock-in new skill-sets immediately. Having cemented the lessons in workshop, they apply their newfound skills in their own tasting rooms, restaurants or hotels. Past graduates have doubled wine club signups and revenues.

Watch Lynda Paulson advise on the 3 top tips she’d give tasting room hospitality staff:

I am happy to report that we doubled our wine club sign up goal after the workshop.  We are off to a great start!

Nicole Pattalochi, Director of Hospitality, Archery Summit Winery

Lynda’s energy and confidence in sales is conveyed through her various examples and exercises. She really challenges you to examine your sales approach and hone the skills that are lacking at any sales level experience. These skills are not just about the sales delivery, but how to observe the non-verbal cues of a buyer. Her coaching also focuses on improving the hospitality of a tasting room by creating a richer experience for the guest. Our multi-bottle and case sales have increased 3-fold since the seminar – we definitely see a difference in our tasting room!

Tracy Hart, Owner, Le Mulet Rouge Vineyard and Winery

Course Details

Attendees receive worksheets and practice sessions throughout the day to lock-in new skill-sets immediately. Having cemented the lessons in workshop, they apply their newfound skills in their own tasting rooms, restaurants or hotels. Past graduates have doubled wine club signups and revenues.

Takeaways

  • Apply your unique personality to the art of relationship selling
  • Understand the various verbal and non-verbal buying signals and how to respond to them
  • Learn how to deal with difficult people with poise and (and turn them around)!
  • Go beyond being a wine “educator”—sell the benefits!
  • Perfect the art of asking questions
  • Become masterful at creative “up-selling”
  • Use trial closes to learn readiness to buy
  • Learn to be a master at closing the sale smoothly
  • Sharpen your phone selling habits
  • Respond to stress and challenges with calm, self-control
  • (Optional) Lynda Paulson’s book, Romancing the Grape, Relationship Selling for Hospitality Professionals

Winery Hospitality Sales Training Content

Our workshop covers a lot of ground in a short amount of time. Click on any of the subjects below for details.

You are the message and the star of the show. The importance of greeting every guest, every time to make the connection. Asking the right questions in order to get to know your clients.
Enthusiasm sells. Learn how your body talks
Words that sell, evoke and enhance. Becoming memorable through stories.
Jargon confuses. Bridges nail down connections. Learn to stand out in your field. Food, wine and the seasons.
Techniques to close the sale with conversation, including trial closes, direct closes, visionary closes, recommendation closes, assumptive closes, and reminder closes.
Things to deal with: Where is the gift shop? Making phone sales. Tuning up your voice
Working with big groups to build relationships and make the sale. Responding to customers at the tasting bar. When to employ teamwork to close the sale. Speaking at special events, separate tables, and hosting Winemaker Dinners.
How to relax and listen. Handling tough customer questions and objections. Managing grumbles and complaints.
Welcome to the family! How to improve retention.
Reinforcing the sale. When you have to say good-bye and thank you.

Questions on the course content? Give Lynda Paulson a call at 775.530.6119 to learn more.

Tasting Room Hospitality Staff. Wine Club Managers. Beverage Program Directors. Bartenders. Sommeliers.

  • Direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales channel managers
  • Restaurant beverage managers
  • Recent graduates looking to secure a tasting room hospitality position
  • Hospitality staff seeking to move up
  • Winemakers who run their own tasting room
Public workshops are held in Napa Valley, CA. Private classes are wherever the client wants them.

The classes are offered once a month September-May.

People want to buy; they do not want to be sold. Dale Carnegie taught people how to build trusted relationships; and I taught his course. I added his philosophy about relationship-building to the basic fundamentals of selling. It is all about seeing where the other person is thinking from. You may want to learn more in my book: Romancing The Grape.

Absolutely. In-house workshops are personalized to the winery, the participants and to the expectations of the management team.

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