Episode Details

The warm summer months attract tourists and locals alike to the beautiful wineries and tasting rooms of popular winegrowing regions. With this predictable increase in consumer traffic in mind, it's a good idea to educate your consumer-facing staff about your sustainable practices so they are prepared to share your brand's values with new and returning patrons while serving up your latest creations.

Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. Today we bring your tools to teach your team about sustainability.

Training your staff to talk about your brand's value of sustainability is just as important as training them to talk about your wine selection. Consumers today are becoming more interested in companies and products that protect the health of the planet and the people who inhabit it, and are even willing to pay more for a product that has a certification to back up these claims! It's clear that sustainability sells, and plain and simple, you can't sell something you know nothing about.

Having staff that is well educated and prepared to answer your customers' questions will also help to uphold your brand's good reputation. Customer service can make or break a winetasting experience. If your customer-facing staff is educated and prepared to engage in conversation with your customers, there is a greater chance of garnering positive reviews, earning return customers, and attracting new ones through word-of-mouth.

Let's go over a few good topics for your consumer-facing staff to become familiar with in order to increase their confidence in talking about your brand's sustainability efforts.

If you've been around for a while, you're probably already familiar with our 6 SIP Buzzwords for Your Consumer-Facing Staff. In case you haven't or if you're new to the world of SIP Certified, here's a recap:

1. The 3 P's

People: practices protecting human resources and employee well-being

Planet: stewardship of natural resources and the environment

Prosperity: a solid business plan with long-term goals, and dedication to ensuring future generations are protected through all business practices

2. Always Evolving

SIP Certified standards and members' business practices improve as new science, technology, and research becomes available

3. Sound Business Practices

The company employs ethical practices that treat employees and the community with care and respect

4. Continuing Education

Company staff strive to stay up to date with the latest laws and regulations, as well as science, technology, and research

5. Integrated Pest Management

Using beneficial insects, raptors, and plant-enriching cover crops to mitigate pests and other harmful organisms

6. Wildlife Corridors

Providing safe passage for wildlife through vineyards in order to not compromise their natural habitat

Print the Infographic below to post in your staff area, or send it directly to your customer-facing staff so they can familiarize themselves with the terms!

When consumers see evidence of sustainable practices such as solar panels, owl