Baltimore Market Visit Key Takeaways
Last week, we packed our bags and headed to the Mid-Atlantic with our sights set on Baltimore, MD for a joint market visit with the Mid-Atlantic region’s Heaven Hill and Samson & Surrey sales teams and leadership.
We kicked off the trip by visiting accounts – One exceptional account (affectionately nicknamed “the wildest liquor store in the world” by Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager Liz Townsend) really stood out. It started as a pharmacy and over time, evolved into an amazing liquor store, hard soda shop (we tried Boozy Bourbon Milkshakes at 10AM) and speakeasy tasting/event space. We were, of course, served crab cake egg rolls and sliders at lunch, with Old Bay seasoning everywhere. Continuing the momentum, we met with distributor partner Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits (SGWS) Trans-Atlantic team members and leadership to close out the day.
Below are three key takeaways that you might find interesting from our time in the Baltimore market:
1. QBR Shift from Volume to Revenue
As we focus on driving premium product growth as a core part of our strategy to Raise the Bar, one tangible way we are doing so is looking at where we can shift from a “volume” to a “revenue” mentality. Our sales organization is working on transitioning to this new mindset with a change in planning and goal structure through Joint Business Planning with SGWS and revenue-based goals, called Net Sales Value (NSV). While we were in Baltimore, we got to participate in the teams’ first FY24 Quarterly Business Review (QBR) that was focused on revenue vs. volume. While this is a big change for our organization, each group is truly Choosing Positivity and Making an Impact as they seek the benefits of the change individually and as a team.
2. Business is Healthy in the Mid-Atlantic
One general and exciting takeaway from the market visit was confirmation of what we previously knew to be true: Business in the Mid-Atlantic is very healthy and it’s on track to meet goals for the year. Knowing this fact is one thing, but seeing it come to life by visiting large accounts in both the on and off-premise was something special. Did you know? Heaven Hill is a top-performing supplier for SGWS in the Mid-Atlantic region.
3. Excellent Example of Working Together to Win
The Mid-Atlantic region is one where Heaven Hill Brands, Samson & Surrey and Deep Eddy Vodka sales teams have distinct resources spread throughout the Maryland, Washington DC and Delaware markets. Each of these markets has its own dynamics and requires different sales approaches. To achieve success for all of the brands, the Spirited Commitment core behavior “Work Together to Win” is on full display across our sales teams. Not only do these teams bounce ideas off of each other and support each other’s efforts to increase business, they have built authentic relationships that allow them to deepen understanding and collaborate in new ways.
We hope you enjoyed learning a bit more about the Mid-Atlantic market from our perspective. We certainly enjoyed our full and inspiring visit. Thank you to all sales team members who hosted us last week! Keep up the great work.
