Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/47881
For a selected list of top premium and superpremium spirits brands in all the categories mentioned in this story — including brief descriptions and histories of the products as well as product profiles and characteristics — please go to our website at beveragedynamics.com and click on the "Selling Superpremium Spirits" story. American alembic brandy, or a 750 ml of tequila retail- ing for $250 is a warranted and informed purchase requires technique and ready information. Considering that your staff will have little time to close the sale necessitates providing them with a viable strategy. Whether selling spirits behind a swank bar or off your retail shelves, an important first step is for the staff to appreciate each product's singular claim to fame. It's safe to presume that the prod- ucts commanding these elevated prices have sufficient attributes that lift them heads and shoulders above the pack. Knowing what makes a particular brand a brilliant player is crucial. As any sales veteran will attest, the key to effective sales is to "sell the sizzle, not the steak." That's what pushes people's hot buttons and these products are loaded with sizzle. This advice doesn't include reciting the medals they've won, or what ratings they've received. It entails talking plainly about what makes the certain brand singular and different from the rest. Better than talking, conduct tastings for the staff and let them experience first- hand how magnificent these spirits truly are. Combine insight and a sense of appreciation into a person and you've set the stage for success. They say passion is contagious. SCOTCH hen it comes to marketing Scotch, intrigue sells. A superior malt with a compelling story line sells better than one draped in medals. Consumers have become jaded to marketing superlatives such as oldest, rarest, or most expensive. Most people would rather be intrigued than impressed. Tempting clients with some engaging insights into a particular whisky and the decision to purchase is a foregone conclusion. W Chivas Regal Gold Signature (18 Years) is a special reserve blend of more than 40 whiskies, all of which were barrel-aged at least 18 years. It's all tied-up with the sense of discovery, of which intrigue is an essential element. Sharing insider information with a whisky aficionado is an irresistible hook, instilling the person with a sense of ownership in the brand that won't soon be forgotten. In fact, there are few things more gratify- ing to one's ego than passing along insider information about a whisky to friends and associates. Offering your clientele a discriminat- ing selection of blends and single malts requires that you market a balanced offering, one that best represents the varieties of styles of each Scotch-produc- ing region. Johnnie Walker Gold Label is made according to a 1920 recipe created for the company's 100th anniversary. It contains fifteen different 18-year- old single malt whiskies. First, a little background information. The term single malt Scotch is often mis- construed. It is a whisky, produced in Scotland, at a single distillery using only malted barley, and no other grain or fer- mentable material. Blended Scotches are comprised of various whiskies from an unspecified number of distilleries. The heart of any premium blended Scotch is a collection of single malt whiskies. For instance, Johnnie Walker Gold Label is made according to a 1920 recipe created for the company's 100th anniversary. It contains fifteen dif- ferent 18-year-old single malt whiskies. • Game Plan. Recommending a classy bottle of Scotch first requires a vital piece of information from the client, namely what brand or type of Scotch the person typical- ly enjoys. From there you can easily begin suggesting brands that don't require the person to make a radical departure in taste profile. Second, ask if the person is looking for an accessible whisky, or one with a The Balvenie Caribbean Cask is a 14-year-old malt finished in Caribbean rum barrels. 14 • Beverage Dynamics • www.beveragedynamics.com • November/December 2011