MARKETING MIX | LEEANN FROESE
Tips and Tricks For Working With a Wine Agent
T
his is a marketing column, so you might think “does sales come under marketing?” and the answer is… sort of. If you’re a new reader to this column, marketing is the process of getting people interested in the goods being sold. Sales are all activities that lead to the selling of goods and services. But we can dig into that another time. Here, I’m going with the idea that a sales article belongs (as many people think of sales and marketing synonymously), as the end objective for both sales and marketing is to move the merchandise! So, how and where are you selling your beverage alcohol? Most BC wineries, cideries, and breweries (suppliers) have the same channels: onsite, to clubs or subscription lists, on your website, to retail stores, and
on-premise outlets (restaurants, pubs, and hotels).
then determine which agencies match that goal.
Depending on the size of your organization, those responsible for sales on the team can handle onsite sales and customer service, and a team member or department may be dedicated to look after the direct-to-consumer and mailing list sales.
There is no industry standard, but if you want to sell 1,000 cases for example, an agency with five or six sales reps who service around 1,000 retail accounts could be a better choice compared to an agency who has two reps who service around 300 accounts.
When it comes to B2B (business-to-business) sales in the trade, some suppliers have owners or staff that work on their own sales in the market, and the rest hire a sales agency. There are advantages to working with a sales agent and we have helped some of our BC winery clients secure agents. As specialists, these companies know how to navigate the different channels, and have established relationships with the buyers and managers. With their strong contacts, they can open doors for you. But, how to choose the agency that is right for you?
If you are a small to midsize supplier with limited production, then you need to decide if your business would be a good match to a similarly small, boutique distributor who can better identify with growing brands, or whether a large agency may have the resources and multiple-geography footprint to
streamline logistics. Smaller wineries may find that smaller agencies tend to focus mainly on smaller accounts, where small producers can thrive. That’s a lot of “small,” but sometimes the small, top tier on-premise accounts can really build a brand through exposure to the right kind of consumer. Larger agencies are not always in the business of growing something, so larger may be a better fit once you are a bit more established and will be an asset to them. There are other pros and cons to the agency size: with a larger agency you might not be able
Determine your Distribution Objectives and Agency Size Set your sales goals. How many cases do you want to sell? Know your maximum case goal and
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