How will you do in 2012?  I think the key to your business’s success is pretty simple.  It all comes down to execution.

For many, this is easier said than done.  You’re either  going to dig deep inside and turn the switch from pilot light to ON or you will move through 2012 with a lot of talk about what you need to do.

Step 1:  Ignite the pilot light

Step 2:  Turn the switch to on

Step 3:  Prepare for lift off

Step 4:  Set your sights on immediate short-term success

Step 5:  Move quickly to get your first win

Step 6:  Celebrate each victory with your team

Step 7:  Implement your next strategy

Step 8:  Repeat steps 4-7!

With each success, you will find the fire building within.  Capitalize on this momentum.  Plan on less talking about “it” and more doing “it” as you walk down the path you desire.

Until next time…soar to new heights with your flame aglow and leave the hot air behind.

What direction are you sailing?  The wine industry is showing positive signs that the storm has passed and a bright future is just beyond the horizon.  However, I don’t think the industry can fall into a false sense of security that it is going to be the good old days again.  I have heard a lot of chatter that the customer has changed.  They are looking for a deal or not purchasing.  I think there is something else at play.

The day of order-taking is over!  The perception of value lies in the impression that you give your guest and nowhere else.  What can you do to improve their impression?  Based upon the typical tasting room experience, there is plenty to be done.

I recently visited two tasting rooms one afternon in the Napa Valley.  The first was a famous destination where I was part of a private tasting.  The grounds were beautiful!  The tasting? Well it was so so.  The wines were pretty good, but I was looking for more…not wine, but an experience.  So, down the road I went.

My next stop was at a small family-owned winery.  The grounds were nothing special.  The tasting room consisted of a folding table with the barrel room just beyond the wall.  The tasting…awesome!  Why?  An employee who loved his job and the family he worked for!  It showed in everything he did.  The surprise for me was to see the owner/vintner in the tasting room the entire time I was there.  He met the guests and chatted with them.  Here was someone who knew how to separate his winery from so many others.  It wasn’t an over the top facility…just the opposite.  The wines…incredible.  But most of all, it was people who loved building relationships with others.

As the wine industry continues to move forward, I hope that many will step up and improve their guest experience.  It truly is the value consumers are looking for.  Just remember that each person coming in contact with your winery is a guest first!  Customer second! Wine Club member third! Ambassador for life!

Until next time…which way will you sail?

Why is it that young pups believe the next big customer lies just around the corner?  What’s not to love about this optimism?  For in it exists the creative drive often needed to reach people. 

I just read a report that said social media had no impact on retail sales.  Does this mean we should all abandon SM?  Of course not.  SM is still very young and there is a lot to be learned.  I would argue that SM is a unique platform for connecting with people.  More importantly, it is a place for those who share a common interest to stay connected with you.  Strengthening your relationship with existing customers is going to be more profitable than trying to lure the next guest to your website to purchase wine. 

We have all seen the impact television can have on influencing consumers with one-way communication.  Imagine the impact your winery can have when a dialog is formed.  This is where I believe the real power of SM lies for the small business.  Learning how to keep this channel open and active with interesting conversations will be the challenge.  What do you think?

Until next time…make sure you know what you’re hunting.

It was sunrise the day after Christmas when I captured the picture above from my son’s kitchen window.  How appropriate that the morning began with a fresh layer of snow.  There is something peaceful about seeing the snow drape the trees. For me, there is no better way to close out 2010. 

With 2011 just getting underway, I can’t think of a better time to clear the slate and have a fresh start.  This past year has been challenging for the wine industry but there are many positive signs that the economy is moving forward. 

I expect to see Napa Valley 2010 wine sales up at least 10% over 2009 but we have a long way to go before we are back to the highs of 2007.  Wineries will continue to focus on depleting older vintages as they try to get back to a normal release schedule.  With the short harvest in 2008 I expect that many wineries will be able to get back on track by 2012. 

Challenges still abound in the California market as wine sales continue to struggle to grow.  Like past recessions, California is usually the last to enter the slow down and the last to recover.  With the looming state budget deficit and double digit unemployment it may take 3 to 5 years for our economic engine to fire on all cylinders. 

Strategies should be focused on boosting your presence in local markets to help support your distributor.  The more you can do to help educate the restaurant staff about your wines, the better.  The market is crowded with a lot of great choices so getting your wine at the top of a server’s mind is going to take some effort.

Renewed focus on your direct to consumer sales will continue to be an important strategy.  As your customers regain confidence and increase their wine purchases, you want to make sure they remember you.  Keep your contact with them fresh all year long.  It’s time to be creative and to push your hospitality to the next level. 

For those folks visiting your winery for the first time what will be their impression?  We often forget that many people are visiting the Napa Valley for the first time.  Make sure your hospitality team is fresh and go out of their way to help serve your guests.  Even if a sale doesn’t happen on that first visit your team is planting impression seeds that have the potential to bear fruit down the road.

Until next time…let this month be your chance for a fresh start to a properous 2011.

On a recent fieldtrip into a Carneros vineyard I got to experience first-hand the pruning process.  It was a chilly morning and some vineyards had the wind machines running.  It was time to test them before the upcoming frost season.  As the sun’s rays began to warm me up I was anxious to discover more about the tasks before us.

Dubbed as the most important activity of the year, pruning requires a focus on each vine.  Understanding the life stage of the vine and what you are trying to accomplish with positioning the wood and bud spurs can have a significant impact on future fruit productivity.  

As I watched the fabulous tasting room team from Robert Sinskey Vineyards try their hand at pruning, I was surprised at the amount of effort and concentration it took to prune each vine.  Granted, for many this was their first time pruning a vine but they were focused and wanted to get it right! 

After the fresh vine had been cut, I was surprised to see the “juices” flowing.  Even though it had been near freezing the night before the roots beneath the soil were waking up and sending nourishment upward.  In just a few weeks those tight closed buds would burst open with new life and the cycle would begin again.

As March goes out with a roar many of the vineyards are springing forth with new life.  The small green leaves will soon become vines and the once quiet gnarly vines will turn the Napa Valley into a bounty of beauty.

With all of the signs of Spring around us, it is time to take advantage of all that life has put before you.  Be sure to celebrate every success you or an employees has.  No matter how small the win, it is important to recognize that it is a step forward which sure beats the alternative.

Until next time…just like the life that returns to a vineyard each spring you too can grow when you focus on what is important.

Growing up in the Sacramento Valley I had plenty of opportunity to experience  fog so thick you couldn’t see the house across the street.  In the Napa Valley, we only experience ribbons of  fog that lace a vineyard together or tuck into a hillside.  I captured the picture above on my way to work this week.  It struck me how quickly the fog formed and meandered amongst the vines and trees.  Unlike the tule fog that sticks low to the ground and makes it impossible to see, these floating banks of moisture provided another scenic moment, like those that appear before me each and every day in the Napa Valley.

As I look at the picture closely, beyond the mustard and vines and before mountains, there are  two very distinct images.  The timeless beauty and strength of the oak and the zealous eucalyptus pushing itself above the fog layer.  That sounds familiar.  The optimistic Aussie (i.e. native eucalyptus) always looking for a new way to push through the challenges of the day, to find the bright light beyond the fog.  Here in wine country this has been especially true over the years as I have watched the flood of Australian wines land on the store shelves and wine lists.  Sure they’re a clever bunch when it comes to marketing their wines.  But what happened when the economy slowed? Those cute labels didn’t  fool the US wine  consumer.  Instead our pocketbooks closed and only opened for the long-time, well known, and strong  brands. 

Just like the sturdy oak, our local brands that have proven themselves over decades have not faltered.  Why? Because the consumer knows they can count on these wineries to deliver consistently high quality wines every year.  Now the packaging may not have a cute animal but wine buyers have  learned that you can’t judge a book by its cover. 

What we can learn from our Aussie friends is that their creativity allowed them to gain market share rather quickly in the U.S. 

So what does this have to do with U.S. wineries struggling through this recession?  Well, it might just be time to set aside your ego.  Some serious out-of-the-box thinking needs to take place so that you can capture the opportunities that are just beyond the horizon.  You are not only competing with domestic brands but those from the likes of Chile and Spain that have their sights on the U.S. consumer.  These imports could take serious market share when our  economy improves.

It is never too late to plan.  Get your team together and unleash those creative juices before someone else beats you to the marketplace.

Until next time…when the fog clears will you be headed in the right direction?

Unlike most commuters, I enjoy my drive to the office each day.  It’s no surprise since rather than being stuck in traffic watching motorcyclists zip by my mirror, I get to drive by vineyards, between hills, and some days under hot air balloons.  One of the benefits of life in the Napa Valley is the ever-changing scenery. 

Earlier this week, I was traveling the back roads to work when I saw the clouds tucking into the hills.  I tried stopping in the middle of the road to get a picture but wouldn’t you know, just then someone decided to join me on my usually private drive.  But I was determined to get this shot.  Just around the next bend I found a  road leading into a vineyard.  I pulled off and made my way down the side of a ditch to find an opening between the trees.  It was sprinkling, so I moved quickly, since digital cameras seem to have a thing against water. After a few shots, I was satisfied with the image so I jumped back into my SUV and was off.

So this was my story of  how I captured the picture above,  but here’s the thing. The result of my effort was satisfaction. I was only satisfied with this image. And satisfied is just not good enough when it comes to my photos. 

So often I hear businesses sharing their latest survey results which show that their customers are satisfied. 

Big deal!  Being satisfied is just a polite way of saying “I haven’t found anything better yet”.  The bar for customer service is so low that we have accepted the rude clerk talking with a co-worker about her plans, – it’s just the way it is.  Well I say enough!  It’s time business owners pay attention and focus on real customer service. 

 Many are struggling to succeed in this recession – it’s a perfect opportunity for each retailer and service provider to go out of their way to show their appreciation.  This means training their employees in the art of putting the customer first.  I don’t mean that corporate requirement that they greet everyone in the store.  I mean something more. Caring about people.  This means some employees may have to switch seats on the bus or get off.  Not everyone’s behavioral style is conducive to dealing with people all day long.  Believe me, I have met plenty of  front line people who would be happier stocking shelves than interacting with customers. That’s okay, but let’s recognize where they belong and make the changes necessary to improve service for all.

Customer service is so bad in most places that even modest improvements will be noticed.  But just think, if you could change the culture in your business so that your customers go from being  just “satisfied” to being raving fans, how much loyalty you would create.  Not to  mention the new customers you would gain.  This is the time to invest in your employees. 

Until next time…satisfied customers will come and go but raving fans are yours forever.

Frankly, I have not been one to spend much time focusing on the night sky but I could hear the passion in Gary’s voice as he shared many stories of his discoveries.  It was refreshing to see someone love something so different from their day job.

So what is your passion?  It has often been said that the greatest discoveries, accomplishments, and contributions to society have come from those who were passionate about their cause. 

Beyond my passion for the wine industry is giving our local youth an insight into their future through Junior Achievement.  This powerful economic education is delivered by volunteers from the business community.  I have volunteered in the classroom for the past 12 years helping elementary, middle and high school kids understand how they can control their financial future with proper choices. 

Our current economic crisis can be traced to greed at all levels including consumers who did not understand the impact of their decisions of buying what they could not afford.  No matter how someone spins it, very few of us can afford what we want.  Our responsibility is recognize that what we want and need are not always the same.  JA teaches the fundamentals of economics while delivering the message of how important an education is to their future.   We start in Kindergarten and continue until they graduate from high school.  Each step along the way our volunteers share their real world experiences while delivering the the lessons with hands-on activities to reinforce the ideas being shared.  Learning the importance of communities, role of local government, manufacturing processes, advertising, marketing, role and repsonsibility of employees, doing business domestically and globally, managing credit, avoiding identity theft, saving, best uses of insurance and the list goes on…The point being JA delivers real life skills thanks to our passionate volunteers.

Here in Napa County we are on-track to reach over 5,500 students this school year.  Unfortunately their are over 17,000 students here.   So that means there is plenty of work ahead.   My vision is to reach every child from K-12th grade each year with JA education.  That is big a goal but my passion is strong and I know we will get there.  It won’t be next year or 5 years from now.   So I take it one student at a time because I know within each child there lies a passion to do something I just want to make sure they get a chance to find it and then reach for it.  Kids are like those distant stars that are just a twinkle in the sky until you look through a telescope and discover there is so much more.

Until next time, find your passion.

As a participant in my first pinot harvest last year, I had to learn not to aim for the plump juicy grapes but to seek the more shriveled, seasoned ones for best flavor. While also remembering to keep my fingers out of the way of the clippers.

As a tasting room visitor, I marvel at the different qualities that make each winery unique, while doing my best not to say the wrong thing or to mispronounce the name of the wine I’m sipping. But I am fortunate to work amongst a team of seasoned professionals who understand the nuances of this industry and how they relate to accounting.  They have taken me in and led me to wineries and helped me to apply what I know in new ways.  And I find in Napa, as everywhere I go, that people are not so different, and they enjoy sharing their passion with others who ask questions, no matter how basic they might be. 

I recently spent some time with the tasting room team at a local Napa Valley winery learning what was in their 2008 barrels.  The winemaker described how the wine’s flavor is impacted by the soils, lighting, temperature and water drainage.  Hearing all the variables that impact the flavor of the wine was interesting.  However, it was amazing to taste the difference these items had on the wine.  The Pinots we were tasting from the barrel had sometimes subtle differences while others were distinctly different.  How could vines just 300 feet apart produce such different flavors?  The differences are obvious to the winemaker since he knows the vineyard block like the back of his hand.  The first barrel we tasted came from the top of the hill where the grapes received plenty of sun and had good drainage.  The next barrel’s juice came from the bottom of the hill were there is a lot of shade from the giant oaks and the soil is dense and is recipient of water flowing downhill.

The more wines we sampled and the more data that was shared it became quite apparent that being a winemaker was a blend of science, art and passion.  Being a winemaker is a very complex job. 

Oh yeah, what type of barrel would you use for the juice?  French, American, light, medium, or dark toasted each will impact the flavor of the wine.   There are many variables in winemaking and they start in the vineyard which even the best winemaker has a tough time predicting the impact the weather will have over the course of the growing season. 

I realize that what’s in that barrel is years of planning, hard labor, significant investment, understanding the vines that produced the grapes and a desire to produce the best tasting wine possible.  Like anything in life the closer you are to the activity, the clearer your vision will be of it.  As I get closer to winemaking I am discovering there is a lot more in that barrel than juice.

Until next time…pull a cork and enjoy!