FOCUS ON THE
SECOND W
hen people come to us looking for information and
BOTTLE
advice about starting a distillery, we always start the conversation with
WRITTEN BY JOHN MCKEE
some tough love. We’ve got the talking points down: production capacity vs. debt service and the cost of undersizing equipment or
move to the background. If a rising tide lifts all ships, then surely the inverse is true as well. A receding tide may strand all ships. The importance of this concept is
not limited to your brand but crosses through a customer’s impression of micro distilling as an industry.
square footage. Then we move into the joy of the job and why
Giving a customer a poor or unremarkable experience with your
it resonates so greatly with us, and we end with the advice that
brand can carry through to their next spirits purchase. I can’t
we feel is most critical: In all aspects of the company, focus on
count the number of transactions Headframe Spirits has had in
selling the customer a second bottle.
the last two years where the first question from the bar manager,
One of the things we, and other players in the micro distilling
liquor store owner, distributor or retail consumer is, “It doesn’t
industry, consistently observe is the critical need for strong
taste like that stuff from (insert other micro distillery name here)
production controls. Consumers expect that they’ll have a
does it?” or “You’re not charging more than this great 12 year
consistent experience between their first bottle of Maker’s Mark
Irish for something aged 6 months are you?” The ripple effects of
Whiskey, Absolut Vodka or Beefeater Gin and the second, even
customer perception extend much further than the pebble drop
when purchased years apart. The standards of identity were
your brand left on their minds and palates.
developed in support of this very concept. Micro distilleries have so many details to worry about – did
Exacting standards, attention to detail, a strong focus on quality control and the knowledge that it may be ultimately
the closures show up, will the bottling party put the labels on
less expensive to dump a batch down the drain than it is to put
the right way, can we get product into bottles – and sold – in
underwhelming or just plain bad product out in the market are
time to finish paying for those bottles – that they often wind up
things we learn along the way. Some of those lessons are learned
taking the customer for granted. Here’s the caution: If you’re
easier than others. More importantly, some are more recoverable
not concentrating on the reason the customer will be a repeat
than others. Unfortunately, the lessons each of us have to learn
customer, it may be the last bottle you sell to that consumer or
are repeated by damn near all of the players in our industry.
that account.
Selling the second bottle is a sign of a job well done, by you
Reasons for failing to achieve that second sale include quality, and by your competition. It raises the profile not only of your price, brand recognition, market saturation, pressure from larger
distillery but of the industry as a whole. It’s a demonstration of
brands, trends and a host of others. Those of us in distilling
quality, of hitting an appropriate price point, of great storytelling
have all seen examples of the above and if you track online
and often of local pride as well. For the larger players in our newly
forums where industry players discuss topics like this one, you’ll
emerging national industry, these sales are often of national or
find detailed discussions about all of these issues. In the end, international significance. And the best part, to my mind, is that there are components of a missed sale which cannot be entirely
the strength of your brand helps pave the way for my brand to
controlled. The best advice is to keep the focus on how to sell
be taken seriously, and vice versa. When each of us opens an
the second bottle and allow the noise of other distractions to
account with a quality product, we make that account that much
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