I recently had a rep who came in and I am now so turned off my his portfolio. He was disrespectful, in the way of my coworkers and customers, and stayed for 30 mins to show a single wine that I had already said I wasn't interested in.
So, wine buyers, what are you looking for in your reps? What makes you want to buy from them?
How do you feel about cold call visits? Do you actually respond to random emails?
For me, I'm looking for 4-5 bottles as a show, and a quick 15 max min visit! I also was a rep, so I try to explain asap what I'm looking for and what my store has room for.
I have dealt with crappy reps, never show your face reps, and amazing ones. It’s like a lottery, unfortunately. They all have different ideals and goals. The good ones listen, still tell you about the new stuff but understand when you cannot buy the wines. Some are very generous with samples, others stingy... keep the good ones close, that’s all I can say.