For brewery sales reps used to dropping in unannounced at bars and restaurants to shoot the breeze over a pint, COVID-19 erased everything overnight. Two years later, aspects of the beer business are beginning to resemble pre-pandemic normalcy—however, breweries and accounts alike say that the nature of the sales call has changed in ways that aren’t likely to be undone.
“COVID has been a great excuse for people to be more indulgent of who they want to be,” says Josh Allard, director of sales for Cruz Blanca Brewery in Chicago. “If [a buyer] was slightly reclusive before, they’re really reclusive now. If they were somebody who wanted to hang out with people and trade jokes, they’re more of that now.”
In today’s competitive sales environment, reps must be chameleons, adapting to some buyers’ preferences for weekly in-person visits and others’ reliance on sporadic text, phone, or email communication. They also must be more strategic and efficient in that communication because many breweries and accounts alike remain short-staffed. In essence, supplier reps need to be more attuned than ever to accounts’ needs, and they must make sure that both the format and content of their sales pitches are geared toward each specific buyer.