Providing a good experience for guests takes time and attention and may not be easy on busy days. However, when you have the opportunity to connect personally with guests, which you should do as many times as possible, it’s a great time to ask for an endorsement or testimonial.
If the guest agree to do so, ask them if they have the time to do it before they leave and you will post it or you can offer to send them an email reminder if they wish to write the endorsement later.
Asking for the endorsement also gives you a reason for you to collect their email address and more importantly, it gives them a reason to give you their email address. They may wish to provide the testimonial online through a post on Yelp, Facebook, a picture on Instagram or video on YouTube.
If you can get a short testimonial while they are there, however, you have a better chance of it happening.
Some guests may be intimidated by the idea of writing a testimonial. If this is so, give them ideas on the topic or topics they may wish to touch on. It may be something as simple as: “We had a great time.” Or…
The excellence of the wine,
- What they most liked about the wine?
- Which wine was their favorite and why they liked it so much?
The excellence of the service
- How they were treated?
- What made an impression on them?
- Did they feel that the hospitality staff were pleased to see them?
The winery and hospitality center itself
- Were they comfortable in the winery?
- Were staff members friendly and helpful?
- Was the information they received easy to understand?
- Did they receive all the information they needed?
Endorsements from your guests that you can promote on your website, on social media pages and in the tasting room will help your sales grow.
Keep a page or book of endorsements available for guests to read when they visit the winery. Continually add new testimonials to your social media and website if the guests have not already posted their comments. New information will bring people back to your page.
If guests have posted to one social media platform, put it on the others and add it to the list you keep in the tasting room. Thank guests and customers who provide testimonials on social media pages. For example, “Sue & Bob, Glad you enjoyed your visit to the winery Look forward to seeing you again soon.”
Thanking them publicly makes the guests feel more connected to your winery and your wines. If the person who served them believes they made a connection, you can also add, “Sue says hi.”
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.
