You’re quite ready to export your wine, even if you don’t really know where to start. You have already explored legal and administrative fields: international regulations, customs formalities, procedures, incoterms, logistical constraints and labeling obligations. However, I’m afraid all this is not enough to be successful exporting your wines. I too often see some mistakes penalizing winegrowers when they try to sell their production abroad.
Error # 1: A featureless commercial presentation
When building their commercial presentation, winegrowers tend to provide their potential customers with a bunch of local information: description of micro-terroirs, data related to the parcels, origin, appellation, etc.
It’s a good start, but they miss the most important element: an effective pitch.
Before foreign customers buy a wine they don’t necessarily know, they first need to be convinced how unique it is. Want to differentiate yourself? Then work on your speech, synthetize the values held by your identity. Adopt a high-end positioning. Present your premium wine in a strong, timeless and authentic way.
Error # 2: a one-way approach
To make a deal, there must be at least two parties. A common mistake is to forget about the end consumer and neglect his expectations. Your target must be able to imagine and visualize all that your wine can bring to them.
On what occasions can they enjoy it with maximum pleasure? What about their consumption habits? Try to know more about the country you are aiming for. Is this a mature market, whose consumers are connoisseurs and know how to recognize premium wines? Are they rather novices, reassured by an appellation? Are they fond of French tradition?
So many elements to integrate into your communication to build a relationship and create value.
Error # 3: Wrong Beliefs
When it comes to nationalities, stereotypes are legion. Keep away from false beliefs such as: “English women love the Chardonnay”, “the Japanese are fan of Beaujolais”. The reality is sometimes very different and tastes more varied than what you think. It would be a shame to miss a large part of your target area because of wrong assumptions.
On top of this you shouldn’t limit yourself to traditional markets. When talking about exports, Germany or China usually come to people’s mind. But there are other countries where your competitors are not yet positioned and where you could get great results!
Are you ready to act differently in order to export your wine successfully? Do you want to find out about winning strategies and better sell your premium wines abroad? If so, join the Talent Winegrowers Club. I will show you how to use the power of the Internet to send your message across borders!
Galatée