Recently, many WineShop at Home consultants have been talking about the challenge of presenting shipping costs to the customers. It seems like a lot of people who purchase wine from us are used to paying very little in shipping – if anything at all for the stuff they buy online!
And believe me, from a consumer’s point of view, I get it. I’m thrifty, too, and I love saving money (heck, I’m an Amazon Prime member because I love getting free shipping and I placed 137 orders in 2016!).
But I also understand that there are times when paying for services is important because if you don’t pay a little extra, things just won’t be done the way you need them to be done.
Making sure that your wine is properly shipped is one of those times.
From the Consumer’s Perspective
It’s easy to understand where the WineShop at Home customer is coming from. If they’re purchasing 1-5 bottles of wine the shipping rates can sting, especially since the base shipping rate on one bottle of wine is over $10. If you’re buying 3 bottles of wine and paying $20 in shipping… that can be a tough pill to swallow but it costs what it costs and we don’t want to up the price of the wine simply to “hide” shipping.
So, as a consultant, how do you deal with this and overcome the obstacle?
Encourage the customer to increase her order. If the customer is purchasing 4 or 5 bottles of wine, it’s easy to mention that she’ll get a discount on shipping when she ups her order to 6 bottles. Most people will take that option and it makes the shipping a great deal.
Put the costs into perspective. If wine isn’t shipped correctly, it may break or spoil. Those bottles are heavy – and breakable! So, yes, making sure they arrive safely is really important. WineShop at Home has done everything they can to ensure that the wine will arrive on time and in great condition. Legally, all alcohol needs a signature (it’s like checking ID’s at the bar) and that adds cost too.
Explain that we don’t make money on shipping. This isn’t a scenario where WineShop has jacked up the shipping price so our CEO can refuel her jet! (though Jane, if you get a jet, can I be the first to ride?) The truth is, any business that offers free shipping is simply burying the cost somewhere else… WineShop doesn’t do this, because if we did it would mean that our consultants would earn lower commissions or we would make lower-quality wine. No one wants that!
Demonstrate how the rate per bottle drops with larger orders. If you look at the price breakdown, ordering a case of wine makes the most sense when it comes to shipping. With a case shipment, the rate drops to a couple bucks per bottle (when you compare that to $15 for a single bottle, it’s a pretty big difference!). When customers know this, they may be incentivized to order more wine or pool together with a friend or two to save on shipping.
Ask them to book a tasting. Don’t forget that when customers book a tasting, they get a $10 discount coupon which can seriously cut down on the shipping rate. Place an order and book a tasting for the BEST deal we have!
Shipping is just part of our business, so the better handle you can get on ways to reframe it and approach the topic with customers, the more successful your business will become!
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