Paul Wagner Napa Valley College/Balzac Communications WHAT WE DO WRONG 

WE DON’T HAVE A KEY MESSAGE, AND WE DON’T COMMUNICATE IT, EITHER What’s different about our winery or region? Who knows? 

WE ARE A SMALL FAMILY WINERY… Yadda yadda yadda WE MAKE GREAT WINE... Yadda yadda yadda 

WE LECTURE OUR CUSTOMERS Because they NEED to learn! 

WE TEACH GEOLOGY 

6 ▪ 33 Different Soil Series ▪Over 100 Soil Variations ▪ Half of the Soil Orders on Earth exist in the Napa Valley Napa Valley Soil Diversity Soils 

WE TEACH VITICULTURE 

8 BORDEAUX: CLIMATE – Maritime climate – Moderating influences from the Atlantic and Gironde Estuary – Coastal pine forests protect Médoc from harsh winds – Rain – a worry at harvest – Wet Spring and humidity – Varied climate creates vintage variation 8 

WE TEACH ENOLOGY 

SHERRY TYPES: 

WE TEACH SENSORY ANALYSIS 

TASTE 

WE PROVIDE TASTING NOTES For every wine 

WHAT DOES IT MEAN? Scents of bacon; fresh cherry and red raspberry shadowed by their distilled counterparts; violet, honeysuckle, and acacia; musk; lavender and other resinous herbs; along with pungently bittersweet citrus oils, all capture one’s attention. Their counterparts on an infectiously juicy, fine-grained and strikingly buoyant palate are mingled with veal stock and mouthwateringly savory pan drippings. Cardamom and black pepper add yet greater complexity. The clean, marrow-like meatiness that extends all the way through this Syrah’s lusciously long finish is anything but gamey. 

OUR STAFF IS VERY WINE KNOWLEDGEABLE But they don’t know to talk to people 

WE DON’T KNOW HOW TO SELL Who Teaches Sales Techniques? WSET NO Court of Master Sommeliers NO Society of Wine Educators NO Sonoma State NO UC Davis NO 

WE “TALK” TO THE TARGET MARKET Propaganda ends where dialogue begins. 

WE ALWAYS GIVE THE SAME DAMN PRESENTATION No matter who the audience is 

WE TRY TO IMPRESS PEOPLE But do we seduce them? 

WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HER? 

SHE IS: • Oxygen 61% • Carbon 23% • Hydrogen 10% • Nitrogen 2.6% • Calcium 1.4% • Phosphorus 1.1% • Trace elements .9% 

MERITXELL FALGUERAS • Journalist • Top sommelier of Catalunya • Third best sommelier in Spain • Author • Television commentator • Firth generation owner of Celler de Gelida 

NO QUESTIONS, PLEASE! Propaganda ends where dialogue begins. 

WE DON’T WANT TO LISTEN • Who are our customers? • What do they want? 

WHY DO THEY ASK THOSE TECHNICAL QUESTIONS? Because they want to belong. We need to make that easier, not harder. 

WHAT’S THE BENEFIT? • Why do consumers buy wine? • Is wine a luxury or a commodity? • “We don’t sell watches to tell the time” • “People buy luxury articles to be recognized” Alain-Dominique Perrin, Cartier, Paris 

FIVE STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION Solutions! 

#1: BENCHMARK How do you compare? First Impressions Customer Service Staff Training: What is your Curriculum? 

#2: HIRE PROFESSIONALS WHO WRITES YOUR MESSAGING? WHO DELIVERS IT? 

#3: DON’T JUST SERVE YOUR CUSTOMERS: CREATE MISSIONARIES 

#4: COMMUNICATE! We don’t follow up We think our customers don’t want to hear from us. And why isn’t your WIFI free? 

#5: CREATE A HUMAN CONNECTION • Sell wine with joy • And humanity! 

• Don’t tell me you’re passionate. Talk about what you love. • Don’t convince me with facts, seduce me with stories. • Don’t educate me, make me your friend. • Don’t tell me; show me. Don’t show me; let me participate. 

WE LOVE MUSIC • We love it • We embrace it • We share it 

WE LOVE WINE • We are intimidated by it • We worry about it • We fear sharing it 

WINE AND MUSIC • Each winemaker dances to the rhythm that nature plays for us. • And each winemaker adds a melody. • But no winemaker works alone. • Wine is the communal expression of joy. • Share that joy