From Bloomberg Magazine
In 1996, he took a $500 advance on his VISA card to start a wine business that generates $25 to $30 million a year from his 23,000-square-foot (2,136 square meter) temperature- and humidity-controlled Seattle warehouse. He doesn’t advertise, has no partners and says he’s never had a business loan.I first came across his story in a New York Times article and I have looked around to learn how Jon Rimmerman built a successful business of selling wine online via email.
I share my discoveries.
Tips for Selling Wine Online
Trust
His 136,000 email subscribers are faithful fans around the world who include old friends, and plenty of people in the wine industry.
Best business is referral
He has never advertised and he never had a website. He set up http://www.garagistewine.com/ in 2009. The only way to subscribe to his email list was someone recommending you.
Even today, the Garagiste Web site — through which you can now sign up for the e-mail list — has no e-commerce function nor even a blog post of Rimmerman’s daily offers. You get the memo or you don’t, and Rimmerman rarely offers the same wine twice.
Avoid anything that might turn off a reader
Such as not including photographs in his daily emails. This might sound bizarre but this is how explains it “Psychologically, it’s very important,” he says. “If I told you that story but you didn’t like the look of the label” — Animale’s cat, say — you might doubt the pitch.
I think his thinking is "my taste my not be their taste."
Keep Reinventing
He takes notice of emerging competition from such sites like gilt taste. His response, "I have to stay ahead; I have to offer things no one else has,” says Rimmerman.
Offer a Mix of Cheap and Expensive
To break even he he sells plenty of wine for under $10 a bottle and pricey ones, like his recent offer of 2009 Romanée Conti at $25,821 per 12-bottle case.
Be passionate
Rimmerman says he has spent about half of the last 15 years on the road, hunting wine and story in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South America, Turkey, Israel, three Canadian provinces, northern Mexico and 13 American states.
Be Fearless Stay Fearless
His father was a serial entrepreneur and he laernt from him. “He made millions and he lost millions and he was never afraid to go for it,” Rimmerman said. “That’s definitely my personality and the impetus for Garagiste — no fear, believing in yourself.”
The last one was my favorite. It is the fear of failure and ridicule that stops us from trying.
To your success!
