Our Articles
Covering topics from public speaking and presentation skills to sales skills and winery hospitality.
Relationship Sales Success: Telling Stories to Sell More Wine
Romancing the Grape, Stories and Words that Sell, Evoke and Enhance We're all hardwired to remember stories, particularly simple, well-told ones. On the other hand, when was the last time you remembered the details about a wine "with 30% malolactic fermentation, 3 daily punchdowns, aged in 50% new French oak barrels, unfined and unfiltered"? Huh? Those words may mean [...]
Corporate Leader, Polished Speaker
10 Most Common Pitfalls of Public Speaking We truly "make or break" ourselves by what we say, and more importantly, how we say it. For example, a young salesman rose to speak at a regional meeting of the Conoco Oil Company some years ago and did so with confidence, clarity and vigor. I happened to be [...]
Relationship Sales Success: Handling Objections and Tough Situations
Handling Objections and Tough Situations “We’re just tasting,” is the most common objection tasting room professionals hear to trial close inquiries. The reason(s) for the objection may be many: Your guests may truly be only tasting to enjoy ambiance with no intention to sign up for clubs or make any purchases. But they may also be giving you [...]
Relationship Sales Success: Selling Wine on Busy Weekends, During Special Events, and with Big Groups
Selling Wine on Busy Weekends Making wine sales during busy periods and special events can be more challenging than during your regular tasting experiences and appointments: Guests may be less patient for responses. You may have limited or no access to POS systems to easily ring up sales. And your attention may be split in ten directions simultaneously! [...]
Coaching an All-Star Staff
8 Ways to Develop Motivated People "An effective leader skillfully blends the first three roles but doesn't actually have to be superhuman," says Lynda Paulson, president of Success Strategies, Inc. Instead, aspiring leaders and team builders need to learn how to guide employees to the path of productivity and positive attitudes by discovering their motives [...]
Relationship Sales Success: Facts, Benefits and Bridges
Wine Facts, Benefits and the Bridges Between Them People don’t buy wine because it was aged in barrels for 24 months; they buy because it tastes exceptionally smooth to them. People don’t buy wine because it’s a blend of 50% cabernet sauvignon, 20% cabernet franc, 18% merlot, 6% petite Verdot and 6% Viognier; they buy because the unique [...]
Relationship Sales Success: Handling Objections and Tough Situations
Handling Objections and Tough Situations “We’re just tasting,” is the most common objection tasting room professionals hear to trial close inquiries. The reason(s) for the objection may be many: Your guests may truly be only tasting to enjoy ambiance with no intention to sign up for clubs or make any purchases. But they may also be giving you [...]
Relationship Sales Success: Creative Selling
Getting Creative in Wine Sales These days wineries can no longer rely solely upon tasting rooms for all their direct-to-consumer (DtC) sales. It’s simply impossible to generate enough sales volume with the restrictions that may exist on visitor volume and tourism traffic. In the 21st century, there are now numerous opportunities for making direct-to-consumer sales in and out [...]
Is the Romance Over?
On the Romance with Wine Country Is the romance over between wine country and its visitors? This question was posited last week by Rob McMillan, of Silicon Valley Bank, as he posted an email he’d received from wine country visitors. Despite being long-time, repeat-visitors over many years, the guests expressed a desire not to return in the future [...]
