Have you noticed that your life seems to be getting busier? Most of us have, and the most of us includes your customers.
When you are promoting your events, create a flyer or email that not only tells your customers about your products, but also tell them how they will benefit from coming to your event.
It is important that in our promotional pieces (whether they are sent via mail, text, email or via pony express) let your customers know that you are doing this event because you appreciate them, not just to sell wine.
Before you start writing your press releases or promotion pieces think about how your event benefits your attendees? You know why you are putting on the event, however, do your guests know what is in it for them?
- Will they get to taste wines that are not usually available to them?
- Will they be giving information about the company, wines or people?
- Little known facts with which they can impress their friends.
- Is it a chance for guests to talk to the winemaker or other cellar staff?
- Is it an opportunity for them to bring some of their friends with them?
Your customers have lots of things they could be doing rather than come to your winery for an event. Reminding your guests of what they should expect from the event, most times results in more attendees, and if you interact with your guests and make them feel welcome and special, will result in more sales.
In addition to making your guests feel special (because after all, they are special), make it easy for them to buy your wine.
- Create procedures that make the purchasing process easy and quick.
- Print out order forms and present them to the guests with any event information.
- The guests complete the order before they get to the cash register, which saves a lot of time and the lines to buy stay shorter.
- The cashier hands back the order form that has been stamped paid along with a receipt.
- The guests hand the order form to the people packing the wines.
- After the wine is packed the customers take the wine and their receipt, while the order form stays with the packers. Not only does this save time; it also gives you a printed record of everything you have sold in case there is a problem.
A tip of the glass from me to you.
E Column
by Elizabeth “E” Slater, In Short Direct Marketing
A 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.
