Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/299589
w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m M a y - J u n e 2 014 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 1 9 ple, the people who purchase the most from you (let's say the top 20%) receive a printed invitation to an event, while the next 20% receives a postcard. The remainder of your list receives an e-mail. So you develop relationships with your customers based on how important they are to you and their continued value to your profitability. Don't forget those people who, while they may not buy much from y o u t h e m s e l v e s , a l w a y s b r i n g friends and family to the tasting room. Remember that one-size-fits- all customer service doesn't work in the wine industry, or in most industries for that matter. DETERMINE WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW Before you evaluate your data- base of customer records, write down the demographics (the sta- tistical data of your audience, such as age, income, education, occu- pation, location, etc.) and psycho- graphics (the personality, attitudes, values and lifestyles of your cus- tomers, which will provide informa- tion on their wine knowledge and drinking habits). The more information you can gather, the more effective your marketing, advertising and contact with your customers will be, as you can tailor your messaging to match their preferences. As I men- tioned above, the "one-size-fits-all" approach to your customer base is not nearly as effective as dividing your customer base into subsets and tailoring the messaging specifi- cally to each subset. Obviously, you will already be collecting all the basics: name, address, e-mail and phone number. If the only contact information you your customers and presenting your products. Institute procedures that will help your staff members feel more comfortable with changing their interactions to suit the customer and the conversation. Change is not easily internalized, so it will take some time to become profi- cient in this new way of dealing with customers. CHOOSE A CRM SYSTE A customer-focused hospitality team needs the tools and informa- tion to do the job properly, which means investing in an integrated CRM system. There are several products on the market, so find the one that is right for your business, the one that can provide the infor- mation you need and want to bet- ter relate to your customers. This will take some research on your part. Start with a list of the tasks you need to be completed and the metrics you seek regarding your customers. You want a system that will give you a complete view of your cus- tomers. With this information, you can create marketing programs that are specifically targeted to your audience. You also should be looking for a system that can grow as your winery grows. Consider starting with a small CRM system that you can expand over time. Just because you don't have a wine club now doesn't mean you will never have one, so make sure that the system you choose can integrate programs you might add in the future, such as POS, e-commerce, and sales and wine club management. Selecting a system that gives you the metrics you need to track customer habits, buying patterns, etc., is also important. This informa- tion allows you to understand the lifetime value of your customers and to manage them according to their value. CUSTOMER LIFETIME VALUE By knowing the value of each customer, you have the option to treat each differently. For exam- have is customers' e-mail address- es, you are missing opportunities to contact them in different ways, such as by mail and phone. It also helps if you know their age and wine-drinking preferences, and of course, you should track their buy- ing habits (what, when and in what quantities); whether they attend events; and whether they are a potential member of the wine club. If you don't have the ability to sort your customer list by lifetime value, that's a field you should add to your CRM system. Be sure to get permission from customers to contact them, as some states have laws governing what can be sent, especially when alcohol, tobacco and firearms are involved. The more information you have, the easier it is to understand your customers, what they are looking for and what will encourage them to visit and purchase your products. Customer information also allows you to customize your marketing to reach those who fall into your tar- get audience. With the busy season about to begin, start now in turning your tasting room into a customer- centric space. Competition in the alcohol beverage sector is getting fiercer; the more you can match and exceed your customers' expec- tations, the more profitable and successful you will be. Elizabeth Slater is the owner of In Short Direct Marketing, a direct marketing company that works with individual wineries and winery associations. Comments? Please e-mail us at feedback@vwmmedia.com. Early Bird Deadline: August 8, 2014 Deadline: September 12, 2014 Judging: September 16-17, 2014 Questions: 707.577.7700 x109 Enter: winecompetitions.com WINE WISE MARKETING ELIZABETH SLATER