#26 We Find a Winemaker
I relied on some earlier training, first as a journalist and then as a salesperson.
My first attempt at making a living was as a newspaper reporter. It felt awkward to call strangers on the phone and ask them questions. I was not very good at it. I did not last long enough in that profession to learn how to get comfortable with it.
I got better at it when I went into sales. More was at stake. I learned to call anyone with a phone number. There was no one too important or famous. I learned to be respectful, and above all, not to waste anyone’s time.
When it came time to find a winemaker, I read as much as I could about winemakers in the Finger Lakes. Who was mentioned most often. Who was asked to speak at conferences. I settled on some names and called the first one on the list.
“I can do it,” he said, “but in the end, it is not my decision. You have to talk with the owner.”
Our vineyard manager, Kees Stapel, came with me to meet the owner. It was another cold call, this one in person. I was respectful, and I did not waste his time. He said that he would agree to make the wine, but I would have to supply the tanks. This seemed fair.
Kees and I thanked him, and before he could change his mind, we got up and left.
The next cold call went to Vance Metal, not far away in Geneva, NY. They make the stainless steel tanks used to ferment wine.
I am not a fan of cold calls either. About one out of 25 takes the right approach. "Hi," they should say, "I know this is a cold call, so if you are busy, I will end the call now."
So you have tanks somewhere waiting to go into your production facility?
On the topic of the post, I admire and am annoyed by people who can make cold calls. I ran a survey call center for five or so years and the cold call surveys were much, much harder. We would burn through hundreds of phone number for one interview. Which gives you an idea of what the selection bias is in survey data.