How to Write Emails That Sell Barrels of Wine

The economy’s splintering.

Kids are running amock in our homes.

And, it’s taking too damn long to get our favorite bottles of alcohol at the store. Staying sane is tough.

So, what’s the solution?

People are going straight to the source. AKA, they’re checking if their favorite wineries are selling online.

If you’re one of those wineries, congrats. You have an advantage. You’re solving a problem for hundreds of thousands of consumers.

But you also have a problem.

With so many other wineries taking their wines online and learning how to acquire an online audience, you have to learn how to stand out. Not just amongst other retailers in the inbox, but amongst your competitors.

Whereas before you could send promotional offers and get thousands of dollars from those, now that won’t work. Because the new kids on the block are doing it.

And if you keep doing it too, your subscribers will start to choose based on price, not based on quality.

That’s a dangerous path to take, especially with wine, because the people who genuinely love wine for its taste rather than to “get litty” are going to start to wonder…

“But why should I buy this other than the good price?”

When you focus on price, you’re reminding people of the money they’re giving away, instead of the experiences they’re about to get.

Remember that people aren’t just buying wine. They’re not even focusing on the “buying” aspect of it. They’re focusing on what they’re getting. Especially now, that means a sense of escape: culturally and mentally. It’s a way to be adventurous. And it’s a way to show others that you’re adventurous.

So how do you wrap that up and sell it in an email?

Focus on your strengths

There are thousands of wineries. Okay, only maybe hundreds that someone in a certain state or province could access. Why, out of the hundreds, should your subscriber buy from your winery?

What type of wine is your biggest best-seller? What’s your #1? What does your terroir allow you to produce best?

Let your subscribers know.

Talk about shipping transparently

How easy is it going to be to order your wine and get it shipped?

A lot of would-be customers get squeamish about

Mention the limited edition bottles

What don’t you sell in physical locations? Emphasize those bad boys (or girls) in your emails! People love finding out about exclusive offers. Talk about why they’re limited edition. What’s the story behind them?

A lot of marketers say that emails should be short, but wine-tasting is built on conversation, tasting flavors, and figuring out if something’s right for you. Right now especially, people are looking to their inboxes for anything but ads. Your stories about wines will give them that.

Ask subscribers what they like

A person walks into a store, any store. Which salesperson is more likely to hit their goals this month? The one who says:

Salesperson A: “Just to let you know, we’re having a BOGO 50% off sale storewide!”

or

Salesperson B: “Hey, what are you looking to get today?”

Usually the latter. Why?

Salesperson A informs you of something.

Salesperson B invites you into a conversation, enticing you to answer.

Aim for being like Salesperson B with your emails. It can be as simple as:

“Hey there!

We’ve got a large selection of wines. Is there a certain type of wine you’re looking for in particular?

Red? White? Rose?

Are you looking for a nice, light wine? Or, maybe a heavier wine to go with pasta or steak?

Just reply back to me and I’ll give you some suggestions!

[Your Name]”

You don’t have to be the best writer in the world. You just have to be better at understanding your customers than your competition.

Squash remaining objections

There will be loads of reasons why someone would STILL not pull out their credit card after all those types of emails.

Write down every objection a subscriber would have before they’d buy your wine. Literally, open up a Google Doc or take a piece of paper and start writing down reasons why people would hesitate to buy from you.

If you opened up the last email that your winery sent out, what do you think would make a subscriber say, “Yeah but…[BIG FAT OBJECTION]”.

Step 1. Write down those objections.

Step 2. Use them as emails.

Here’s an example:

A big reason why I’ve pulled back from drinking wine is that I’ve noticed I’m getting headaches. Then I read up more about it and it turns out I just need to drink wine with fewer tannins. I could also solve the problem by trying out organic and sustainable wineries.

If you offer those solutions, I’d make the subject line something like:

[Type of] Wines without the headaches

Then I’d be like, OOou, must inspect!

Above all…

Don’t be afraid to get personal. Don’t be afraid to tell stories.

We’re dying for some adventure over here. Give it to us in our inboxes, at least.