
How to Boost your Wine Sales
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Overview
When discussing successful wine businesses, relationship-building abilities are a logical starting point. Wine sales, after all, are heavily reliant on personal connections. Decisions on whether or not to buy a new bottle of wine can be heavily affected by the relationship quality between buyer and seller. A history of delivering high-quality wine to a business and paying attention to their specific demands increases your chances of closing a deal. Buyers want to feel that you are there to assist them in any way they can. Because of this, they want to believe that you are a supporter of their business and that the wines you are exhibiting will enable them to grow their revenue. Keep in mind, though, that there are a variety of personalities in the wine industry, and you'll need to tailor your approach to each one. Building strong bonds with others is an essential element of life.
To be a successful wine trader, buyer, or seller, you must have a deep appreciation for the product and a willingness to constantly learn and improve your social skills. Contrary to popular belief, wine does not go out of style. As a result, a wine merchant must draw from a vast reservoir of experience while remaining up to date on the latest trends, innovations, and advancements in the world of wine. Careers in the wine industry are prevalent among people transitioning from one profession or career path to another. With this eBook, we aim to discuss several aspects of business associated with Wine Producers, Wine Buyers, and Wine Sellers (Hotels, Restaurants, Wine Shops, etc.). The primary goal is to level up and gain more numbers. Make more sales and earn more profits.
For Hotels, Restaurants & Wine Shops
Beverages are the most profitable item for restaurants. Between 300 and 500 percent is added to the price of a standard drink. Alcoholic beverages typically have a markup of 500 to 600%. In addition, tables with wine are more likely to order desserts and appetizers, resulting in a higher profit per bite for the eatery. As a result, bars and restaurants that serve alcohol typically have higher profit margins.
There is some evidence that adults are paying greater attention to their wallets at the dinner table, according to many studies. Great staff becomes your most important asset when they learn how to sell. Teach your servers the fundamentals of wine selection and handling so they can confidently pick, present, open, and pour wine. An excellent wine salesman doesn't need to be an expert in the field; they need to be confident and persuasive. Servers are less likely to provide wine if they are apprehensive or hesitant. To keep your staff up to date and optimistic about wine sales, provide them with frequent wine training.
How to Improve Listed Wines Selection
In many restaurants or wine shops, the wine list is viewed as an afterthought, which can hurt the whole experience for your guests. A well-chosen bottle of wine can enhance your guests' experience.
Understand who you are
Make sure your wine list reflects the atmosphere and personality of your establishment. If your restaurant specializes in Central and Southern Italian cuisine, serving a lot of Australian wine doesn't make sense. In the same way, if your kitchen adheres to a set of standards, so should your wine list. For example, a vegetarian restaurant should always have a selection of vegan and vegetarian wines. It's essential to have a wide variety of wines on your wine list, even if you don't serve food. Wines worldwide can be sampled, with a fair mix of old and new-world varieties and styles.
Let your food choose
When deciding on a wine, think about what you'll be serving. As a general rule, you'll want various easy-drinking options on hand, but you'll also need to think about dishes that require a specific combination. What kind of wine would go well with your seafood? What about a full-bodied red wine to accompany a succulent piece of lamb? Ideally, you'd work with your chef to find the perfect pairing for each meal and fill in any gaps.
Keep it simple and easy
Keep things simple unless you're trying to make a statement with your extensive wine collection. You'll end up with an overstocked bar if you include too many wines; attempt to offer a wide variety of wines, including some light whites, some in-betweeners, a few reds, and rosé and bubbly, so that customers may choose what they prefer. Don't forget to include a wide range of prices.
Have wines available by the Glass
Because they don't choose to buy an entire bottle of wine, guests may choose not to drink wine at all if that is the only option. Keep a few selections that can be purchased by the Glass so that you never miss a discount.
Create a menu that encourages guests
Even if your guests don't know much about wine, give them all the information they need to make an informed decision. Include a short line or remarks on the wine's style, area, and grape variety.
Tips for Boosting Website Traffic
Many meal delivery services are available to consumers today, including UberEats, Postmates, and Instacart. However, alcohol is consistently absent from the list of things available for purchase. It's reasonable that ordinary wine store is sluggish in adopting D2C sales because of the laws they have to deal with. The fact that only a few wine merchants are embracing eCommerce does not mean that all wine merchants are doing the same—quite the contrary. As evidenced by the number of wine e-commerce brands, there is a lot of interest in this new selling channel.
Selling products online allows you to reach a much larger audience. Additionally, wine e-commerce might aid businesses in retaining their current customers. It's difficult to sell to many wine drinkers via traditional advertising methods, such as TV commercials, print ads, and on-site events. Consumers within driving distance are the only ones you can often reach. Wine retailers can use e-commerce software to collect data on wine buyers and use it to produce hyper-targeted, personalized emails and adverts on many web channels.
Tailored marketing is far more effective than generic information when it comes to attracting new clients. As with new customers, tailored marketing can re-energize clients who have previously purchased from you. You can acquire a complete profile of every customer when you link customer relationship management software with an e-commerce platform. As a result of this profile, you can promote products and give special discounts based on the precise bottles of wine that each consumer has purchased before.
SEO for the website
When someone searches for a relevant keyword or phrase, you want them to locate your firm. Be specific when you're brainstorming terms and subjects that are relevant to your industry. "Wine" is an excellent example of a Key Word that is relevant and not too wide. That's going to be a tough one to rank for! "Long-tail keywords," or four words or longer, such as "best merlot winery in Melbourne," are becoming increasingly popular. Suppose you can think of as many keywords as possible—the better. Google's keyword search tool and SEMrush may be used to determine the keywords you should be targeting. Look for phrases with a lot of monthly searches or high volume. These terms are more likely to bring in visitors than those rarely searched for by the general public.
Using keyword research can not only help you rank higher in search results, but it will also reveal the type of content your clients are seeking for. You'll benefit much from this in the next phase. There is a lot of competition in the wine market, so you must do everything possible to succeed. A well-executed SEO plan can give you a leg up.
Unlike other online marketing strategies, clients come to you, not the other way around with SEO! You don't have to persuade them to buy your wines because they are already interested in your offer. Customers may identify your business, learn about your products and services, and then get in touch if they want more information. You won't make money directly from Google's search results, but you'll get many more visitors to your site. Customers are more likely to click on your website than your competitors if you have a higher ranking (particularly the coveted first position). It is more likely that a sale will be made if you obtain a lot of clicks.
Focus on backlinks
"backlinks" are incoming links from one web page to the next. Include a link to relevant pages on your website, like your wine list, in a social media post. Add links to your website's About Us page, contact page, and events calendar to your email newsletters. Ensure you provide links to other posts or pages on your site that support your story and provide more information when writing a new blog post. If there are other companies in the neighborhood, such as a B&B, ask them to link to your restaurant and offer to do the same for them in return.
Business listings for better digital ranking
With basic information like a phone number and address, you can get the most out of your listing by adding photos of your wine business, its owners, their wines (if applicable), and any food that may be served there. In addition, take the time to develop "about us" and "what sets us distinct" descriptions. It's also good to link to your social media accounts like Facebook and Twitter.
Additional advice: Keep an eye on your internet business listings and keep an eye on where your firm is mentioned. Keep a record of all the websites where you've entered your username and password. Then, set aside a time each quarter or once a year to evaluate all of your listings. Hours of operation may vary. New options are available, and renovations are taking place. Ensure the potential information clients are seeing about your wine business online is correct.
2 Ways to Improve Social Media
Marketing through social media has emerged as one of the most effective and simple ways for a business to expand its customer base, whether it is just starting or is well-established. There are no exceptions for wine sellers, which can captivate returning and new customers with captivating internet material featuring stunning photos of their finest wines and breathtaking surroundings. Using them is the most effective method to stay on top of the ever-changing wine marketing trends. While hard effort is essential to the success of any new business, social media may also be an important part of the equation.
Provide details that grab their attention
The most common blunder made by restaurants is disclosing either too much or too little information right at the start of the process. Many things may be done at estates, so it's necessary to explain them in social media posts. The first step is to build a relationship with the potential consumer, and thus it's critical to include posts about the many activities available that are lighthearted and quirky. Attendees will want to know what sets this business distinct from the rest when they visit for tastings, estate tours, or supper for two. Attracting a new customer's attention via social media, such as Facebook or Instagram, is an effective way to increase foot traffic at the vineyard while educating visitors on what it offers.
Ask them to join you
For wine sellers, data collection is vital, even though experiential marketing has taken off in all industries. To gather the information you need from each trip to your restaurant/shop, ERMs like AnyRoad provide businesses with the necessary resources. With this information, your vineyard can better understand its clients and increase its wine sales by customizing the messages it sends to them and their whole experience when they visit. It's critical to learn as much as possible about your visitors before they arrive, so you can better anticipate the effects of their in-person experience on their purchasing decisions. AnyRoad, for example, makes it possible to import visitor data directly into your CRM, allowing you to stay in touch with every one of your site visitors throughout time.
Strategies for Optimizing Wine Sourcing
Price spikes worldwide have resulted in a shift from where crucial grape varietals are brought from, as there is not enough juice to go around. Barney Davis, head of commercial operations at Lanchester Wines, which creates unique wine brands for retailers, third parties, and itself, says that instead of going to Australia for Pinot Grigio, discerning buyers are going to Eastern Europe and nations like Moldova. Eastern Europe is profiting extraordinarily from the absence of wine at critical price points from Chile, South Africa, and Australia.
A large provider is often the most convenient and cost-effective option and may be the best choice for some locations. Working directly with vineyards could be a great approach to provide exclusivity and exclusivity to your restaurant's atmosphere. To create an exclusive experience for you and your guests, you should use labels that aren't readily available at your local liquor store. Wine tastings are an excellent way to get to know winemakers and their wines, and it's also a terrific way to get first dibs on new releases from boutique vineyards.
Plan it ahead
You must first select where you want your wine to be distributed before choosing the best distributor. Do you want your wine to be available at petrol stations, convenience stores, fine restaurants, and other mom-and-pop establishments across the country? Alternatively, are you simply seeking a place to live?
A larger distribution company, like Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits or Republic National, would be better if you want your wine to be available everywhere and have an impact. Although working with huge distributors comes at a premium price, remember that those distributors will order a palate and expect you to conduct the sales. As a result, be prepared to freely communicate with them to learn what you'll need to sell a thousand units. Some examples include the need to constantly engage in market activity with them. Because the more prominent distributors have an excellent relationship with the clients, you can use their introduction to gain the upper hand in sales by using their contacts.
Make sure you both are making money
It's essential to locate someone prepared to strike a contract that benefits everyone in the chain when choosing a wine distributor. To put it another way, if your wine costs $8.99, a decent strategy would be to raise the price by one dollar to ensure everyone profits. In contrast to a brand that only wants to earn money for itself and offers a tiny profit margin to distributors and retailers alike, this will keep everyone pleased, including you, your distributor, and the store.
Match it up
Knowing where your wines will appear on store shelves or restaurant wine menus is helpful when preparing to meet with distributors. It's a good idea to visit a range of on-premise and off-premise accounts when first getting started. Is there a similar brand they now carry? How much cheaper or more expensive is it now? Become familiar with the prices of wines of the same type as yours. Benchmarking is the term for this. I perform this task when I deal with distributors and on my own. Wine lists and retail accounts should be scoured for notable labels. Make sure your wine's retail pricing follows your chosen benchmark brands. Make sure your wine will bring in a reasonable profit for distributors. The bigger your wholesalers' profit margins, the better!
Ask your sources specific questions to know them better:
● Ask about their long-term and short-term goals and match them with yours
● See what markets they're serving and understand if they're a good fit for you
● Does their increase in production impact the quality and your relationship?
Tips to Boost Marketing Efforts
If a business wants to capture consumers' attention, it must create engaging content. To interact effectively with your customers, you need to ensure your websites and other platforms have all the necessary material and appearance. You may use it to build your brand's visibility, increase customer interaction, and boost sales. Online marketing strategies are constantly evolving, and wineries need to keep up with the current trends as soon as possible. To keep people coming back, you need to surmount these requirements. After reading and understanding your content, a positive brand image can be built when customers feel confident in your organization.
Call them to your restaurant/shop for tasting sessions
Consumers are becoming increasingly interested in unique opportunities. In addition to the wine tastings, which are usually free, there are also blending seminars and food-pairing lessons (such as Scotch with oysters and chocolate with whiskey), which cost about $10 per person on average. Invite wine writers and bloggers for free; they'll likely post about the event on social media. It doesn't matter how many individuals are unable to attend. They regard your establishment as a hub of activity.
Host parties
As of June 2018, New York City wine shop owner Chris Leon has created a monthly wine club called Leon Circle at Leon & Son in Brooklyn. For one thing, the wine club expanded the scope of the shop's offerings, allowing Leon & Son to offer new wines to walk-in customers who might not have otherwise known about them. With the help of the club, "we can bring in some great wines at the correct price," he says, "with a guaranteed client base and minimum shelf space."
On the second Sunday of every month, Moore hosts a release party for the shop's several wine clubs. Non-member traffic and revenues are boosted, he says, noting that many non-members go as guests of members, resulting in future memberships. Monthly wine club parties are another way for Verve Wine customers to sample the wines part of its Grand Tour wine club, established in April this year. The samples usually are free, but they are a great way to sign up new members.
Make the best of your store layout
Creative layouts are essential, especially in retail settings where space is premium. Leon's store's entire length and height are devoted to bottle sales, with wooden cubbies and shelving filling the void. His advice is to work with an experienced interior designer who can see the possibilities in your home. An Anacortes wine shop has been purposefully constructed with a perplexing little layout so that owner Doug Charles may connect more with consumers. We don't have to fill precise shelf positions because we don't have wall signage, so things are slightly different every time a consumer walks in. It uses a mobile merchandiser with wine keys and two-liter Erlenmeyer flasks as decanters to maximize space and sales. He explains that when putting up tables for big meals, "the merchandiser is on wheels, and we can move it to one side of the shop to clear a large space."
Best Practices in Human Resources
While dining out is frequently about the cuisine, you can increase your sales and distinguish your establishment from the competition by giving equal attention to your drinks and pairing them with them thoughtfully. You can empower your team to take advantage of upselling chances by adding more beverages to your menu and investing in employee training. We've looked at what customers desire regarding meal and drink pairings.
Training the team
84% of visitors believe that knowledgeable bartenders are critical to the success of a restaurant's beverage program. Because they are the public face of your business, members of your staff who don't know everything about your food and beverage offerings may make guests feel uncomfortable. 96% of customers believe that well-trained personnel can influence how much they spend on a meal out, and a staff member's familiarity with the menu is a sure sign of this claim being valid
Investing in your team's training is crucial regarding food and drink pairing. Adding more high-end beverages to your menu is a smart move if you want to keep customers coming back. 71% of visitors are likely to purchase a premium alcoholic beverage, and 47% are likely to buy a premium non-alcoholic beverage, so it's a no-brainer to go with the more expensive options. But how can you promote the premium? To increase sales of high-end drinks, restaurants should combine them with food rather than offer them on the bar. Guests will gladly spend a little more if the personnel is well-trained and can guarantee that the premium will go well with their chosen cuisine.
Help them understand how this can work better
Traditional recipes from well-established cuisines function best with this method. Cassoulet, for example, hails from southwest France. Therefore a wine from that region is likely to pair well with it. What's a Venetian veal stew-like? Check out a light Italian red or white from the northern part of the country. This can also be applied to areas and countries that do not produce wine, like the Caribbean Islands. It's unclear what the locals are drinking there—beer and rum punches. Pick one of these to accompany your Jerk Chicken. This strategy fails in countries without enough time to develop a traditional cuisine and the typical beverage pairings attending it. Even though we have a wide variety of cuisines and wine styles to choose from, we haven't yet formed a set of established patterns. Determine which traditional food you most like, and select a wine that will go well with that dish.
Match it up wisely
This isn't only a dessert-related topic. Take note of how much sweetness we put into our savory dishes and how much we do to make them even more so. To bring out the sweetness of the ingredients, we caramelize onions, sear scallops, and sauté mushrooms. After cleaning your teeth with orange juice, you receive a taste of wine that isn't as sweet as the food. After eating anything sweet, a bottle of acidic wine with no fruit (or sweetness) will taste even sourer. To that end, a New World-inspired dish like grilled scallops with tropical fruit salsa would be an ideal pairing.
Conclusion
Don't forget to put this effective instrument to use in pursuit of your most important goals. As we just chewed over, it's a learning mechanism. And while you work on Facebook to generate traffic, you keep gaining knowledge about how to leverage the functionalities to get more traffic with Facebook. This eBook aims to help you understand the benefits of Facebook and how you can utilize the power of organic and inorganic strategies to make the best of your time and effort.
Building and executing strategies that work best for your business is the only thing that will fuel your growth. You may only see a positive shift when your goal is definitive, and a plan is on point. But this may take a lot of time and effort and can be a risk to save yourself time and set forth efficient strategies; our agency is here to help you render the best results
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