Suppliers Tool Kits

At the sake of sounding old, I wish we had websites like Beverage Trade Network or LinkedIn coming out of wine school and heading into my first management jobs at wineries. If it's you're working in wine sales or marketing this handy MUST list is very appropriate.

http://beveragetradenetwork.com/en/btn-academy/articles/suppliers-tool-kit-must-have-support-tools-for-your-importers-and-distributors--512.html

Don't be disheartened by the few naysayers or the perceived cost for these type of tools. Everyone, at some point or another, will be under-prepared during a sales call and will come forward to request a 'tool'. However, not all are necessary or viable.

It's hard to know what will be used and where to spend your marketing dollars. Creation of tasting notes, brand decks and pricing charts takes TIME and (design) money. Should you go for it and have all things prepared ahead of time, or should you wait until you are asked?

As a hybrid sales/marketer... I would say it is IMPERATIVE that the sales and marketing teams discuss which of these products are necessary to the business, for what time of the year and they must meet pre-budget planning. (oh, yeah, and just because it's never been done before doesn't mean it is a bad idea... said every marketer EVER!)

Why talking to your marketing team is so important.

Do you like to cook your dinner while being watched? Often time constraints and poorly thought thru requests to the marketing team can end up feeling like being on Iron Chef. It stifles creativity and thoughtfulness; the more typos and the more adjustments to the final piece can be costly when working with a design team.

So think it through. Do you really intend to use this? Is this for one partner or multiple? What is the value of the sale against the cost of the creation of the material? Let these questions guide you in your timing and your expectations.

A base of marketing materials should be available to the sales team and easily accessible and editable. A good marketing person knows that to be effective in the sales world is to be efficient, so work with them on edits. Appreciate that they might also have logic and rationality for a particular piece (as in your boss! or another sales person) and edits may not be straightforward or cheap. Branding is the essence of story telling, so manipulating text or editing 'out' part of the material on your own should be approached carefully. All marketers choose their words carefully and laboriously. Some are better at grammar than others. But all would appreciate having a meeting to discuss why this piece is effective or not effective.

Why talking to your sales team is so important.

Aside from the obvious of weighing a sales person down with too much luggage and too many physical pieces that litter the car; sales people genuinely like to have something to talk about at a call. Placing something generic and boring will not get play time. The only people who are truly ok with a heavy suitcase are lying.... or very fit.

Sales people notice body language and level of comfort with their buyers. They may trust the first time to try a technique or a tool, but if they are telling a marketing team that the 'tool' is too long, too involved, or too complicated; it's time to take heed. Like all relationships, it can take time to build this trust and feedback. But it is worth the time to hash things out.

Sales people will utilize things that they have input and investment into. They will appreciate something that is tailor made to their business deal. They will also learn from the process, One MAIN goal of every marketing team is 'How can I ensure we are all telling the same brand story, that is engaging, true and stimulating sales?'. Why does anyone care... ummm.. go back to the 'stimulating sales' part. The worst stories sound something like this...

"I'm not really sure what this is...marketing gave it to me."

"This wine/offering is cheap and a good deal. You should get it while it lasts."

"We are out of stock of that product" or "we don't do that wine anymore"... then silence.

"This is my favorite product. I buy it all the time."

"We don't do that anymore. Budget cuts."

While some of these techniques may work on a one-on-one situation at your tasting bar; they are not advisable for major deals. They lack assertiveness and are not telling the buyer anything about the brand that might encourage a second buy.

For example, a new product... or budget cuts

"We loved the (product name) too, but we've found such wonderful reviews and excitement about (new product)." It has "these" features that make it exceptional or superior to the old product.

a promotion....

This promotion is dear to our owner, (or to the sales person)... because it is all about his dad.

out of stock...

I'm terribly sorry to say that we've messed up our inventory this month, and I've come to sort this out with you by providing [this deal, this alternative product]. Things will be on track by (X).

Note that these are not just sales techniques, but details informed by knowing the brand, the promotions and the products. And the intersection of sales and marketing is where all these details are found.

Why face to face time is always best.

While I recognize that the digital world has become more prominent as a sales tool, we are still in a face-to-face sales business that requires relationships and negotiations. I can't end this article without making a few points, lest we all go and blow your marketing spend on creative.

We as humans, thrive on connection. So while a marketing piece, whether print or digital, conveys a message or story and may have incredible effects and imagery; the magic of marketing is in the conversation that follows. Did you see? Do you know about? Did you like this? Have you tried? What do you think about?

Most buyers appreciate followup in person from time to time. A marketing tool like a pamphlet, brochure or flyer might be filed or left in the bin, but the story and the phrasing that the sales person uses during that interaction is key. It is more important than the tool itself.

Therefore, spend time integrating sales and marketing. Tell the brand stories to each other, host people at your winery, BE HOSTED at your winery by someone who knows the story. Go stand in the winery or at vineyard with the winemaker or the owner. Because learning and being able to tell the story, in person, is the best and most effective tool of all.