Are You Ready for OND? Top 5 Strategies to Crush It

Anyone who has worked in retail will quickly recognize OND as October/November/December—that three-month period where your sales will either make or break your year’s profits. Consider both your in-person sales and your DtC shipping orders.

What are you doing to ensure a good OND?

  • wine club events?
  • specials?
  • gift packs?

How are you promoting these events and specials?

  • online marketing?
  • direct mail?
  • phone calls?

Top 5 Strategies for OND

  1. Send all former wine club members and tasting room visitors a special offer such as free shipping and a 10% discount on all case purchases or gift packs for the holidays.
  2. Send members a gift (e.g., a branded dishtowel, calendar, wine key, or silicone wine cap). For your top buyers, consider something more substantial yet still branded, like an insulated wine growler. Include the offer for free shipping and the discount above.
  3. Hold a holiday tasting event for the top 30 wine buyers in your wine club. If you have a large number living in a region outside a 60-mile radius of your tasting room, consider a remote event as well—bring your wines to them.
  4. Hold a holiday tasting event for your top 30 wine buyers who are not in the wine club. These are your unofficial members and ambassadors.
  5. Send out a calendar of your major events for 2019 so people can plan ahead.

Get Started Now

Yes, OND is critical, but so is September. After the slower volume-shipping months of July and August, it’s time to get your customer base revved up again.

2017 Percent of Total Volume and Value by Month Report

The fall season represented 38% of the value of wine shipments during the entire 2017 year. (2018 Direct to Consumer Wine Shipping Report by SOVOS and Wines & Vines)

When selling wine, your two most profitable channels are DtC shipping and in-person sales. Events get people to your tasting room.

Here in Southern Oregon, wineries are getting creative when it comes to September. We are headed to the Illinois Valley and Augustino Estate Vineyard’s Rockin’ R Ranch Tree-loon for a grape stomp and Western barbeque. Just days later, Upper Five Vineyard is hosting its annual Pig & Paella event featuring a preview of fall releases—and it sells out every year. Medford’s EdenVale Winery got the party started earlier this month with live(ly) music and salsa and bachata lessons.

And I can’t count the number of free shipping offers I’ve received from out-of-the-area wineries!

Getting some ideas?

Good! Just remember that whatever you do, it’s important that everything—from the event/shipping offer itself to how you promote it—is true to your brand. This means messaging, photography, graphics, and promotions. Have fun with it and crush last year’s numbers.

Happy harvest!

OND is critical, but so is September. It’s time to get your customer base revved up again. Click To Tweet

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