Everyone does wine tastings on Friday and Saturday afternoons because they’re still solid sales tools. But you can do better. [level-members]
I wouldn’t recommend replacing tastings, but you might consider supplementing them with contests and quizzes. They can be done in person as part of a tasting and online via social media on their own.
You can also weave a number of separate quizzes or contests into a series. For example, you could do a series on stemware and why there are different shapes for reds, whites, sparkling, etc. Or you can do a series on varietals or California wines or anything else that fits with the theme of your shop.
Give out prizes along the way and grand prizes at the end and you’ll keep people’s interest over an extended period of time.
Be cautious about how challenging you make your questions. At the very least you should build up from easier to harder and step the rewards. (Get questions 1 – 3 right and you get 10% discount. Get #4 right too, and your discount is 20%. Get all 5 questions right and you’re entered into a drawing for a free bottle.)
Remember to balance what you do live in the shop with what you do online. Live is tougher for introverts but much more engaging on a personal level.
Make it fun, educational, and challenging but not intimidating and you’ll gain an eager and engaged audience.
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