Here is one thing I know about leading a tasting and selling wine: it is simply easier to run a tasting for people you don’t know, or people with whom you share a professional relationship, than it is with your close friends and family.
Personal relationships tend to get tricky, and when you’re just starting out as a WineShop at Home consultant it can be a challenge if you’re kicking off your business by leading tastings for friends and family.
Don’t get me wrong – it is definitely doable! And leading tastings for your close friends and family can build a fantastic foundation for a very successful business.
But sometimes it’s tough to get up in front of the people who know you intimately and put on the shiny, professional, wine consultant personality that you need to have to lead tastings. So, this week I’ve put together some tips to help you do just that!
Host Coach Them Like CRAZY!
Close family and friend hosts are the perfect people to practice good tasting prep and host coaching skills. It’s so easy to just say “Well, so and so friend knows to invite people, I don’t want to check in and have her think I’m pushy”. Nope, it’s your job to host coach and practice. Heck, throw me under the bus. Say “I know you’re the most awesome host ever Aunt Susan and I am thrilled you’re hosting a tasting in my training window, I want to make sure I you have the best tasting possible so I’m going to touch base with you, help you and give you all the host tips and ideas so I can work with my leader to learn the best practices.”
Take it from me, you know who needs the most support before a tasting? Friends, family and other people in direct sales! Yep, you read that right, it’s off topic but when you book with another person in direct sales, don’t assume they know what to do, use your full bag of tricks to work with them, we need it the MOST! ?
Tell Them What to Expect
When you’re giving your introduction at the beginning of the tasting, give them a little heads up about what to expect from the evening. This can be really fun and playful! You might say something like…
“Now, before we get started I want to add a disclaimer. We’re going to have a lot of fun tonight AND it’s my job to make sure we get through all these wines and have fun. So if it at times it seems like I need to reign you in, just know that it’s because I want to give you the full WineShop at Home experience…”
Of course, make this personal to you – but find a fun way to let them know that you’re running the show!
Wear a Uniform
I’ve spoken before about how important I think it is to wear a uniform when you lead a tasting. I’ve found that it definitely helps differentiate me from the group and establish my authority. This is a wine buying event, not a party after all.
Good ideas for uniforms might be a shirt with the WineShop logo, a cute apron, a WineShop at Home name tag or something else that says, “I’m in charge here.”
Once you’re done leading the tasting, you can change your clothes, become the friend/family member once again and enjoy some delicious WineShop at Home wine with your people!
Recruit a Helper
It can sometimes be helpful to pull aside one special family member beforehand and tell them your concerns. Say you pull aside your sister, who’s really supportive of what you’re doing, and ask her for a little help.
Say something like, “Hey, Allison, I’m a little nervous about this event because I’m worried that people won’t take me seriously. Do you think you could help me out during the tasting?”
If she agrees, then she might help you by really listening to your presentation, asking serious questions about the wine to establish you as the leader, and helping to keep the room focused when they might be tempted to get chatty. Just asking one person to lead by example can guide others to treat you similarly.
As you kick off your WineShop at Home journey, there will be bumps along the way. Don’t allow little challenges like performing for your family and friends deter you from the bigger goal: this work can make a huge difference in your life! Keep working toward your dreams – they are certainly within reach.
Are you thinking about joining WineShop at Home as an independent consultant? Click HERE if you’d like to chat with me directly about what it’s like and how WineShop can work in your life.