From Pitch to Pour: Integrating Wine Segments into Virtual Sales Meetings for Client Engagement
The days of sad pandemic wine tastings are long gone, however, it’s still not enough to just do a wine tasting in addition to your standard sales pitch. One of our clients at Acquire, who we work with on a quarterly basis, has absolutely nailed the process. It is such a repeatable case study for anyone looking to host high-impact virtual events. Here is what we are doing:
Know The Pipeline Up For Conversion- They have a clear dollar amount of associated pipeline in the “room” and they measure the conversion over the next 30, 60 & 90 days.
Give Attendees a Profound Takeaway- They bring in a thought leader who presents market research. This offers additional takeaways for attendees plus an incentive for an easy yes to drive attendance.
Inform the Sales Team- Events are often the brainchild of the marketing team, but it’s up to the sales team to utilize what happened at the event to convert. Making sure your sales team is well-versed about what the goal of the event is, along with a precise strategy for follow-up, is paramount for maximizing the impact of the engagement.
Keep It Casual- Keeping it fun and interactive takes the pressure off. Let’s be honest, no one likes being sold to. Keeping the focus on the thought leader and the wine is a great way to lighten the mood while building stronger relationships.
Wine Tastings Elevate Your Brand - This client especially sees the value added in having wine bookend their messaging.
Personalized Follow-Up is Key - We send a personalized follow-up video that they send out the morning after the engagement. We also take guest notes for the sales team to use to craft personalized touchpoints down the road.
In the era of remote work, virtual sales meetings have become a staple of the way we interact professionally. Overscheduling is a major problem and driving attendance to in-person events is one of the largest hurdles our clients currently have to overcome. Virtual events are a low-lift, high-impact opportunity to engage clients and prospects in the space in between in-person events. At Acquire, we use virtual events to keep our clients' prospects engaged in the sales process and moving down the funnel.