Good Grape Wine Company

Who is Going to Step up?

January
8
2009

When fear, uncertainty and doubt grips us, for whatever reason, in whatever circumstance, it is the bold few who step up and take the leadership mantle.

In my opinion, the difference between bravado and leadership is the ability to stare adversity in the eye and tell him to take a hike based on a belief system.

I read a nice interview today with Bill George, former CEO of Medtronic, and author of two books on leadership.

His distilled wisdom on leadership includes five key essentials to the authentic leader:

1)  Lead with a purpose

2)  Have and practice your values

3)  Lead with passion and heart

4)  Build relationships

5)  Have self-discipline to get results

Ironically, it is each of these five items that domestic wineries need to execute—now more than ever.

Tom Wark had a fun post today about wineries doing some attention-getting marketing, but the real challenge for our wine business climate today is wineries need top-down leadership, in addition to the marketing.

And wineries are doing plenty of marketing with social media being the du jour project of the day, even if the execution is so, so wrong. 

Instead of seeing wineries spamming me on Facebook, I would like to see a General Manager of a small to Mid-size winery do the following:

1)  Write a letter or do a video to stakeholders outlining your challenges to sales, cash flow and business health – give it to me straight, post it on your web site and politely use your communication channels to get the word out about the letter.  I do not want to wallow in your misery, but at the same time, I do want to know that you and your business are fallible.  Bonus points if it has a touch of humor, alongside the humility.

2)  Tell me what is most important to you in this tough business climate – it could be anything. Again, what is important to you?  You will not compromise quality, you will not curtail your winery hospitality, your employees are sacrosanct, etc.

3) Give me the message like you are a human being, talking to another human being. 

4) Talk to me about successes or failures in wine club sign-ups, new distribution in xyz state, or the new placement you just received that is a positive aspect in an otherwise dreary time.  Don’t give me bravado, give me a straight shot of information

5) Make an appeal to me – ask me for my business in supporting a small business.  Ask me to buy a bottle or sign up for the wine club.

6)    Pay it forward, sign off your appeal with the notion that while times are tough, there are people that are in grave circumstances and suffering.  For every dollar you earn in a finite period, say, now until Valentine’s Day, you will do a 15% match that will be donated to a specific charity that serves the impoverished.

You know what, if you give me the straight skinny, do not overtly market to me, but treat me like a human and appeal to me to buy some of your wine, you will probably earn me as a customer.

In the times that we are experiencing, it is the tapestry of relationships, of the very quality of being human, that binds us together.  It is leadership in the face of adversity that earns my respect, and my business.

I want to deal with people that pay more than marketing lip service to transparency and authenticity, and I will reward those that do with my hard-earned dollars.

Who is going to step up?

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