Yes, you read that right, that is the title, and\u2014even if it isn\u2019t mine\u2014I completely agree with it. And so, as the Strofilia blog is read not only by consumers but also by professionals, I believe that a Greek translation of Ben Salisbury’s article offers a great opportunity to learn how the wine market works. Below, I present to you (most) of the original article:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m sure to draw some fire for uttering such blasphemy, but if you take a very hard, very honest look at what\u2019s really going on in the wine business today, you\u2019ll see that wine knowledge, while very necessary, is no longer sufficient to compete and win. And, that\u2019s my whole point. No matter how much you know or what levels of certification you\u2019ve achieved, it\u2019s not enough to overcome the intense competition for wine menus and shelf space. Too many wines, too few distributors, and a generational shift in buying habits have changed the rules of the wine-selling game so dramatically, most wine companies who operate in \u201ctraditional\u201d ways are struggling. A quick look at the latest US Nielsen data shows that of the 67 manufacturers who produce and sell 84% of all wine in the Nielsen universe, 55% of them are down in volume over the last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It should be no surprise that focusing on the where, how and by whom each wine is produced would be first and foremost in our minds. With the possible exceptions of cheese and child-rearing, wine is the most complicated and difficult subject on the planet to master. And this fascinates us because in addition to being complex, it\u2019s also intensely pleasurable. For most of us, wine is literally essential to joyous living. But, wine is also a business. And being successful in business requires skills and knowledge that are as far less stimulating to our base instincts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Take for example the chore of selling wine. For whatever reason, our industry is stuck on the notion that if salespeople just knew more about the product, they\u2019d be able to sell it much better. I can\u2019t tell you how many times I\u2019ve showed up at the annual national sales meeting of a wine company, saw \u201ctraining\u201d on the agenda, and knew exactly what that meant: we\u2019ll be tasting a lot of wine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
[\u2026] The key to successfully selling wine (or anything, for that matter) has very little to do with product, presentation or persuasion and far more to do with solid business acumen and strategy. This is so difficult for most wine sales people to grasp because they didn\u2019t join this industry to be \u201cbusiness people.\u201d They want to learn and teach and pair stuff and feel superior and memorize as much as their brains will allow. Now, hear me out, please. There is nothing inherently wrong with these things. The problem comes when there\u2019s too much of the former and not enough of the latter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The scales are tilting. It\u2019s a dog fight. New abilities are needed. It\u2019s about margins, not mid-palate. It\u2019s about segmenting, not seamlessness. It\u2019s about prioritization, not phenolics. While most are left-banking it and right-banking it, the REAL bank wants their money! I am not exaggerating when I say there are salespeople on the street today that can rattle off all the Crus of Beaujolais but don\u2019t know the difference between markup and margin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even the measurements of success have changed but very few are paying attention. We think because (after 90 minutes of talking and tasting) we sold a case or two of wine that we\u2019re doing our job. Distribution is one thing, but QUALITY distribution is something altogether different*. Business savvy wine companies today measure the \u201cstickiness\u201d of high quality placements and the \u201cvelocity\u201d that each point of distribution generates**. There is rigor and discipline in their ground game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wineries today (especially those who are not profitably and consistently meeting their business objectives) need to take a hard look at their sales strategy and sales process. It is too skewed towards product knowledge? A solid foundational mastery of the product we sell is compulsory. But, it\u2019s not enough. Let me just rewind that for emphasis: it is not enough. It\u2019s time to start weaving in the disciplined best practices so essential to the business [\u2026]<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ben Salisbury is the Founder and President of Salisbury Creative Group, Inc. which specializes in helping wineries and craft distilleries achieve high levels of sales effectiveness [\u2026] Prior to starting his own company in May of 2014, Ben spent 17 years as VP of On Premise National Accounts for both Ste Michelle Wine Estates and Constellation Brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n