I was at the USBevX conference and trade show in Washington DC in February. It was a great conference with lots of valuable information on a host of topics pertinent to all facets of the beverage industry.
In one of my sessions this question was asked:
“When a visitor comes to your winery and gives you their email address so you may send them information, how do you create that first email to them to engage with them further?”
This was an excellent question as that first email is crucial in strengthening the connection between your business and the new customer. My answer was that you have to go back to the initial encounter. This person came first to your tasting room, and that is where the connection has to start. The staff members who interact with the visitors have to create the relationship from the beginning of the visit.
It is up to them to take the first steps in learning about these visitors:
- Their names
- Where they are from
- What brought them to you?
- Their wants and needs, likes and dislikes
- How much interest they have in the product
These questions sprinkled throughout the conversation (rather than being asked one after the other) will be the beginning of the visitors’ relationship with the company and with the individual staff members. The staff members should also offer information, not only on the product but a trade of information about themselves, starting with their names. As the visit progresses staff members can mention the things that they may have in common with the visitors as well as giving them information that the visitors will be interested in.
These are the things that will make visitors give you their email and may turn these (possibly one-time visitors) into long-term customers, even if they live far away.
So back to that first email? It should be sent within a day or two after the visitors’ first visit. The email should be signed by the person or people the visitors connected with during their visit. It will renew the personal contact and should have some of the information they learned from the visitors. Remind them of what they enjoyed about the visit. Let them know how much their visit meant to you and that you look forward to seeing or hearing from them again. There is plenty of time to sell to them in subsequent emails. Use the first one to engage emotions.
A tip of the glass from me to you
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E Column
by Elizabeth “E” Slater, In Short Direct MarketingA recognized expert in the fields of direct marketing and sales in the wine marketplace. Slater has taught more wineries and winery associations how to create and improve the effectiveness of their direct marketing programs and to make the most of each customer’s potential than anyone in the wine industry today.
Follow E on twitter @esavant and facebook.
