Know Your Audience (and Listen to them)
In terms of getting to know an audience, craft brewers have a leg up on nearly every other industry. We can actually invite people into our taprooms or tasting rooms, experiment and be creative with beers and experiences, share beers with people, and then go sit down next to the bar and talk to customers and get feedback. What an amazing opportunity!
I know that in our industry, everything is moving so rapidly that sometimes you get caught up in the business side of things or in pushing your system to brew more batches. You don’t think you can take the time to sit at the bar and listen to the beer drinkers. But that needs to be a focus. Get up from the desk or away from the brewhouse, take a deep breath, and listen. Take advantage of the feedback. If you don’t know your beer drinkers and aren’t listening to their feedback, you have the potential of doing the wrong things or things that don’t resonate.
But if you listen to and resonate with your customers, it can re-energize you and help you stay true to what you got into the business for. It can help you stay authentic and stay true to your mission. It can help you sell more beer.