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OCT OBER NEWS Tasting Room Focus Analysis, Best Practices & Trends: A newsletter for managers of tasting rooms, wine clubs and DTC wine sales. WISE Bites Does your tasting room team measure up? Based on more than 500 mystery shops in the past two years, we know that: • Only 21% of tasting room professionals are telling a compelling brand story. • Less than 16% of tasting room pro- fessionals are profiling customers' buying needs. • Only 17% of staff people are effectively selling wine club memberships. Your team might be wonderfully enter- taining as performers, but if they aren't selling, are they really succeeding in their role at your winery? The number of tast- ing room professionals who ask for the sale has increased in the past two years from 2009's astounding low of 22% to 30% in 2010 and 40% so far this year (as of June 30), but as an industry, we're still leaving 60% of our sales on the table. It's time to get that figure to zero. How much revenue will you lose this week due to lack of sales training? Source: WISE Academy, wineindustrysaleseducation.com Tasting Room Trends Local items move like express trains Local products are always best sellers in tasting rooms. That's because people love to pick up things they can't get anywhere else. But it's not just what you are selling that matters, it's how you are selling and maintaining your merchandise. Tricks of display that encourage sales • Make merchandise look abundant. • Thin stock is a turn-off. Take away message: How do you feel when you are in a clothing store where it seems like everything is picked over? Chances are good that you are going to walk away. Do monthly inventory analysis of non-wine items Classify items into three groups: • Stars are continuous sellers. • Middlers are items that sell, but not as swiftly. • Dogs (no explanation required.) For Star items, it might be worth raising the price a buck. Dogs should be moved out by discounting in a separate location. A good display is a speed bump If your tasting room has a middle island, that's a good example of a speed bump. • It does not stop the customers, but slows them down and catches their attention. • People tend to walk right by items on the sidewalls. • Good lighting helps (items in the shadows stay in the shadows). Source: Wine Business Monthly Featured Tasting Room Advertisers Wine Barrel Designs— unique, handcrafted wine barrel decor Fine furniture and decor made from retired wine barrels. Unique conver- sation pieces for your tasting room or wine cellar. Made in the USA. (609) 374-0201, winebarreldesigns.com Idea Mia—sell more wine, get publicity from doing it JetBags are padded, reusable, absorbent bags. Guaranteed to bring belongings safe home. Personalize with your brand. (248) 891-5441, thejetbag.com G3 Enterprises specialized bottle and glass decorating Commemorative bottles, replica lo- gos, labels, portraits and unique etched signage for any occasion. (800) 321-8747, g3enterprises.com Unique wine art from Beyond Wow signature collection Full line of Gérard Puvis wine art re- produced by Susan Moore on stone tile for decorative murals. Ideal for tasting rooms, wine cellars and outdoor areas. (770) 639-1488, beyondwowtileart.com PakSource—reinventing wine club packaging Environmentally responsible (100% recycled and recyclable), superior pro- tection, space-saving DtC shippers. (916) 804-9540, paksource.com BottleHood—repurposed glassware made from reclaimed wine bottles BottleHood offers 12-20-ounce tumblers and 6-8-ounce juice glasses made from recycled wine, liquor, beer, soda and water bottles. (619) 562-0135, bottlehood.com Bufkor has satisfied customers for more than 100 years Printed cartons, cardboard tube packag- ing, luxury bags, custom wood boxes, la- bels, decals, point-of-purchase displays and creative design. (800) 365-9991, bufkor.com Salina Glass factory direct custom-printed glassware Eco-friendly and lead-free inks, or- der our quality stemware now and save 40%-50% off retail prices. (866) 632-2188, salinaglass.com Wines & Vines OCTOBeR 2011 25