Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/63937
MARKETING Keep in mind that I know how stressful the busy season can be. When I started as a tour guide at Beaulieu Vineyard in the mid-1970s, we were handling more than 150,000 visitors per year. It was so overwhelming that we not only had to lock the front doors and post a doorperson to keep the visitors center from overcrowding, we actually had to block off the parking lot as well. 3. Physical appearance of facility Are your grounds well-kept and attractive? For example, flow- ers are always a great way to dress up your landscaping. Is your tasting counter uncluttered and inviting? Are your Highlights • Wineries with excellent wines and great hospitality staff have the chance to make an impression with visitors that will last for years. • The author explains 11 practical steps toward picking the right people, taking good care of visitors and encouraging sales. • Essential elements are staff training in wine and sales, good tasting room logistics and frequent tours. I do lots of mystery auditing of visitors centers, and I can usu- ally tell within a few minutes what the "vibe" is. Everyone from the top management to the tasting room manager to the staff has to be aware of how important it is to be "on"—putting out energy in a cheerful, friendly manner. restrooms neat all day—not just when you open? I used to work in restaurants: One way to judge a new place is to evaluate how the restrooms look when it's busy. Subcon- sciously, your visitor will notice these features and grade you accordingly. One tip for larger places is to use high school help on busy weekend and summer days. They can not only assist with the above tasks but also perform other duties such as stocking, helping customers carry purchases to their cars and working with shipping. In addition, they can also police the grounds regularly. You should also try to avoid clutter on your tasting counter. As soon as possible, remove empty glasses or brochures that people leave behind. Keep the amount of promotional material there to a minimum: Visitors are hesitant to approach a counter that is overrun with empty glasses and brochures. Speaking of tasting counters, do everything you can to elimi- nate second and third rows of visitors. If you are in the second row, you might as well be in Iowa. If you are in the third row, you might as well be in Siberia. If you are building a new facil- ity, you may wish to consider what I call an "island" counter (see photo on 74), which has 360° access to the customer. If you have an existing tasting counter that is accumulating second and third rows, create an overflow counter that can be used as-needed in another part of your facility. At the very least, train your staff to come out from behind the counter to pour so that you have more face-to-face interaction with all customers. Wines & Vines MAY 2012 77