Sales Strategy?

[BooneValleyBrew]

For those of you that self distribute...
What is your sales strategy (angle) to get into a place where the distributors occupy all of the tap space?
How do you get in? I know that every client is different but Im just looking for examples.

[v2comp]

For those of you that self distribute...
What is your sales strategy (angle) to get into a place where the distributors occupy all of the tap space?
How do you get in? I know that every client is different but Im just looking for examples.

I really think it depends on the person doing the selling/story telling, its been my experience that most bar owners really only focus on big distributors because of the added value that any good distro. brings to the table.

just because we brew beer doesnt always mean that we can sell it correctly, service the accounts (line cleaning), or follow up like we should.

down here, the distributors install the taps for the customers and clean and maintain their draft lines as well as sell them beer. we are a 3 tier state and we must use a distributor.

I have spoken with several brewers from other states that are self distributing and several have hired sales people simply because they werent sales people themselves and learned that the hard way.

[einhorn]

There has to be a mix of push & pull - you push your beers and consumers pull the brand. You should try to get people interested in what you are doing and they should let their bartenders know that they want Beer XYZ. Also, depending on the area & beers being offered, filling a niche that might be open always helps. You must also offer at least the same level of good service (line cleaning, short-notice beer orders, etc) he/she is getting from the big boys.

It's a tough one, though.

[lbc llc]

Our sales strategy has been focused on identifying what the needs of the client really are. In many cases, they are happy to tell you which beers they are happy with, which ones they feel like are underperforming, and which beers they would like to add. Additionally, many bars and restaurants are happy to see the owner be involved in the sales process as it helps them make a personal connection to the business. The local angle is also pretty powerful. Once we understand their business and business needs, we try to pick off their weaklings with comparable style beers and promote our local ownership and service. This doesn't work everytime, but we have managed to pick up a few accounts by taking this approach when entering bars that are served exclusively by a big distributor. The two advantages that we have on the big guys is the ability to provide personalized service and attention and good beer.

[South County]

Our sales strategy has been focused on identifying what the needs of the client really are. In many cases, they are happy to tell you which beers they are happy with, which ones they feel like are underperforming, and which beers they would like to add. Additionally, many bars and restaurants are happy to see the owner be involved in the sales process as it helps them make a personal connection to the business. The local angle is also pretty powerful. Once we understand their business and business needs, we try to pick off their weaklings with comparable style beers and promote our local ownership and service. This doesn't work everytime, but we have managed to pick up a few accounts by taking this approach when entering bars that are served exclusively by a big distributor. The two advantages that we have on the big guys is the ability to provide personalized service and attention and good beer.

Couldn't agree more!