Gains For Wholesalers That Extend Services Online

Posted on | September 1, 2006  
Writen by | Ian Griffith

Story by Ian Griffith on 9/1/2006
With the current boom in the use of ecommerce for selling wine by retailers, it is somewhat surprising that wholesalers in this industry aren't doing more to take advantage of the efficiencies of the Internet. Just as in other industries there is competitive advantage to be gained by highlighting a wholesaler's strengths and offering additional service online.

Part of the resistance has to do with attitudes related to the prominence of the salesperson as the sales instrument of choice. Some salespeople feel threatened by the ability of a website to collect orders which could be used to deny them commissions. Also, sales managers argue that they are spending money on their sales force and want to make sure they get value from that investment. The opportunity however is to use a website to support salespeople to add greater value to an account, rather than acting as a glorified order taker.

Typically it is the smaller boutique wine wholesalers that have recognized the advantages of this model. Wine education has always been a priority for these operations and with less market penetration on the ground some have done well by promoting their brands online. Current and prospective accounts can search the Internet for a product and by finding the wholesaler website can place an order by calling, or by applying for trade access to their ecommerce site. In some cases savvy consumers use these sites to gather information they can relay to their retailer of choice. This can result in sales and sometimes new customers for a salesperson to approach.

If a salesperson can be freed from the endless task of visiting every account to collect orders, there is more time in the day to add value which generates greater market share. While there will always be accounts that aren't confident with computers, the cost of processing an order can be reduced by directing retailers and restaurants online for transactions that don't require an intervention. A salesperson can be more effective when reviewing a day's orders and making sure accounts are buying effectively.

A wholesaler website that makes point-of-sale POS material widely available to salespeople and their accounts ensures these selling tools are more widely distributed. If the order board closes at 5pm on Friday, having a password protected ecommerce site can allow salespeople to deliver orders after hours.

Indeed there are wholesalers with more ambitious technical goals that have begun to offer account services online so that both salespeople and their customers have better tools to manage the account. At some wholesalers, salespeople can track their quotas and bonuses online, and order custom wine lists for restaurants or promotional posters, this also allows the sales department to track these marketing costs effectively.

Beverage Media offers B2B ecommerce through the bevnetwork.com website, but has also made this ecommerce engine available to wholesalers for use on their own websites. Given that product listings are already maintained for the printed book, maintaining them on a website Powered by the Beverage Network doesn't require any additional integration. Adding ecommerce to a wholesaler website is a great first step to getting a better understanding of the advantages of using the Internet to support your salespeople and your customers.

To learn more about how the Beverage Media can help you Sell Wine Online with a website for your store, contact Ian Griffith at 212 571-3232 x318….

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