It's not just the wine in the glass that you judge and assess when you are on a buying visit, it is the company supplying the wine and the people that work for it too. Do we share the same values? Can I trust them to supply the wine I actually select to me? Will they support the business through customer tastings and staff training? Are they competent enough to keep the wine tasting as fresh as it does now for the whole year? Are they safety and hygiene conscious? Can they bottle and label wines to the standards we require? And so the list goes on.
Today I had visits that were at opposite ends of this checklist of requirements. I won't delve into details on the bad side, except to say you need the occasional shocker to put the good ones into context. Now let me explain why the good visit was so very good.
One supplier who we don't currently work with really came up with the goods. He had done his research. He had been on our website and had spotted gaps in our range. He had looked at the types of labels we use. He had spoken with people in the UK, knew our way of working and what our requirements were. He also had his crack team of winemakers prepare a tasting that was full of delicious tasting wines that filled gaps in our current range.
It was pretty close to the perfect tasting, when it got even better! He produced an artist's sketch book filled with label ideas and brand names. Some ideas he has even sent to a designer to
be properly produced. "This is for you" he said. "Please keep this and look through it. Hopefully you will find something you like, but if not, we can create something else for you."
I was blown away! Great wines at decent prices and my marketing almost done! What more could a buyer want? Well actually, part of my job is to ask for more and so I did. "Make me a South African El Bombero" I said. And because he had done his research, he knew exactly what I meant. I want South Africa to have a 'hero brand' that is exclusive to us and that can be enjoyed by you for years to come.
Only time will tell if this supplier can come up with the goods, but you know what? I rather think he will.
Today I had visits that were at opposite ends of this checklist of requirements. I won't delve into details on the bad side, except to say you need the occasional shocker to put the good ones into context. Now let me explain why the good visit was so very good.
One supplier who we don't currently work with really came up with the goods. He had done his research. He had been on our website and had spotted gaps in our range. He had looked at the types of labels we use. He had spoken with people in the UK, knew our way of working and what our requirements were. He also had his crack team of winemakers prepare a tasting that was full of delicious tasting wines that filled gaps in our current range.
It was pretty close to the perfect tasting, when it got even better! He produced an artist's sketch book filled with label ideas and brand names. Some ideas he has even sent to a designer to
be properly produced. "This is for you" he said. "Please keep this and look through it. Hopefully you will find something you like, but if not, we can create something else for you."I was blown away! Great wines at decent prices and my marketing almost done! What more could a buyer want? Well actually, part of my job is to ask for more and so I did. "Make me a South African El Bombero" I said. And because he had done his research, he knew exactly what I meant. I want South Africa to have a 'hero brand' that is exclusive to us and that can be enjoyed by you for years to come.
Only time will tell if this supplier can come up with the goods, but you know what? I rather think he will.
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