On-boarding Sales Tools Checklist
Questions that should be asking your manager are:
Where and how do you obtain samples of your product?
What is your sample budget, and is this in addition to your T&E? You will need bottles of product to taste people on the product, to create cocktails & to give to accounts for R&D.
- Where do you pick them up? Some companies prefer you support a local liquor store and buy products directly from them. With other companies, you might need to put in a request with the Distributor, and for others, you put the request in with the Brand Manager who has the product delivered to the office.
What type of POS (point of sale) merchandise is available?
- Insider secret- Only take the items you think people will want. (brands make a lot of crap, and just because they make it does not mean you have to use it)
What are the brand's signature cocktails?
- Find out what your brand's signature cocktails are
- Create them and taste them to make sure the specs are correct
Classic Cocktails:
- Discover what classic cocktails your brand works well in and what nuances it brings to that cocktail
* Insider Tip: Calculate the "pour cost" and the cocktail price needed to be charged by account for them to hit their desired profit margin. Check out https://jeffreymorgenthaler.com/how-to-price-a-cocktail-menu/ Morgenthaler is a great resource for all things happening behind the bar.
PRODUCT PRICING & SALES
Depending on your role, you may be told that you should not discuss pricing with buyers. Unfortunately, buyers will expect you to know it anyhow.
So be prepared to discuss pricing & deals, but always let them know that their sales rep will have more updated information because they are always the first to hear.
YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE FOLLOWING:
1) Sizes
- What sizes do your product come in
- How many are available in a shipping box or case pack out?
2) Ordering
- Distributors: Which one carries your product, and how can someone place an order
- Consumers: Where can they buy it? It is advisable to be aware of 2 or 3 liquor stores or online websites
3) Distributor Pricing
- Front Line (FL) price - the price the buyer pays if they only purchase one bottle and there is no discount.
- Two-three bottle price - generally a small discount for increasing from 1 to 2-3 bottles
- Case deals - the bottle price will be slightly lower when a customer purchases 1 case. Know what the cost of the bottle goes down to.
- Large Case Deals or Bottle Size Deals - Some months, the brand team will arrange for a significant discount on the product if the buyer purchases a specific # of cases or certain sizes.
4) Fees charged for breaking a case or the minimum order fee – If you have never been a buyer, you may not be aware that if a buyer only purchases 1-2 bottles and only places a small order, the Distributor will charge a minimum order fee.
*Industry Tip 1: This fee can be avoided if they combine this order with the next big order they place. So make sure to let the sales rep know if they want to add these bottles to their next order.
*Industry Tip 2: Always try to get the buyer to take in at least 2-3 bottles; 1 bottle orders don't tend to make it into the inventory system, and if it is consumed or sold, they will forget to reorder.
*Industry Tip 3: If you do not know the contact details of the sales reps and you feel comfortable asking the buyer, do so. The more reps you can work with, the faster you can achieve your goals.
If you achieved something in an account, inform the sales rep about what was agreed to. This is an excellent way to build a relationship with them & the more they see you as someone who brings value to the table and makes them money, the more they will want to work with you.
SAMPLE BOTTLES
You will need bottles of product to
- taste people on the product
- to create cocktails
- to give to accounts for R&D.
You should never be out and about without them.
*Industry Tips:
- Invest in 4-6 oz easy-to-seal bottles & a label maker
- Carry a few with you when you are visiting accounts so you can leave them behind with the buyer to play around with
- Bring "product sheets" to go with the bottles. The product sheet should include core brand facts, pricing and 2-3 suggested cocktails.
- Bottled cocktails- these are an easy way to sample accounts
Other Important facts to be aware of:
Retailer Price Deals:
At certain times of the year, your brand may offer a substantial discount to retailers if they buy specific sizes or a # of cases.
Be aware of the dates for these deals, so you can offer them to your accounts and help them make the best deals around these dates.
(*Remember your sales manager or market mgr needs to be the person who has the actual discussion about any deals in pricing)
Competitor Price Deals:
Be aware of the competitor's deal dates so you can get ahead of them. Once the deal is in place, the account prefers to choose its brand because it is cheaper.
Some things you can do to combat this is:
- Get your product on the menu ( before the competitor's deal is going in place)
- Set up support programs so accounts feel it is worthwhile to continue working on your product either instead of or in addition to our competitor.
Sales Tools
This video applies to everyone and discusses insider tips about tools & resources that can help you in the field and how to use them to gain placements behind the bar and on the menu.
