Over a decade ago when Laurie Forster was working as a sales executive for a software company, traveling all over the country and working with some amazing people. One aspect of her job, which she enjoyed the most, was entertaining prospective clients-typically taking them out to dinner at the finest restaurants around the country for great food and wine. Sampling great wines was always a joy for her, but ordering from a wine list was another story.
The first time she was handed a wine list that was as thick as a phone book, Laurie panicked! Everyone at the table was looking to her to choose the perfect wine selection to accompany our meal. She scanned the list for anything familiar and hoped the client (and her boss) would not see how nervous she was. “I asked the waiter for help, but was greeted with a healthy dose of attitude”.
Learning about Wine
To ensure this embarrassment would NEVER happen again, Laurie began studying wine. She wanted to navigate a wine list and dazzle her clients unassisted. “I began taking wine classes, attending wine dinners and reading as much as I could about wine”. She thought if she could sell complex software to Fortune 500 corporations, there had to be a way to understand the world of wine. As a salesperson, her role was to explain high tech products in a way that was easy to understand and highlight what value it could bring to her clients. Laurie found she could use this same skill set to simplify what she learned about wine, too.
As her knowledge and confidence grew, Laurie began to look forward to taking charge of the wine list. Ordering a great wine became a tool to impress key customers and to close deals. In working with her life coach, she decided to take a sabbatical to study her two passions-people and wine. In 2002, she studied with the Manhattan chapter of the American Sommelier Association to earn a certificate in Viticulture and Vinification. One night Laurie was asked to host a wine tasting for an alumni group. It was at this tasting that everything clicked – she enjoyed teaching everyone about wine in her down to earth, attitude-free style and could see the light bulb going on for many of them.
Laurie also noticed that, after the formal tasting, people felt more at ease to connect and talk about life. It was then that she realized that she could blend her knowledge of wine with her experience as a life coach to create unique wine events as The Wine Coach®. She has since made a commitment to creating events that help people connect with wine in a way that is approachable and fun, while creating opportunities for them to bond with each other. “The most rewarding part of my job is that I can save my customers from the awkward moments I suffered with the wine list back in my software days”.
As The Wine Coach® Laurie has armed thousands of corporations, associations and wine lovers with the knowledge and confidence to take charge of the wine list. In the process, they have the opportunity to connect with their team members and their customers which results in higher productivity, more sales and added visibility. The old proverb stating, ‘Over a bottle of wine, many a friend is made,’ is proven time and time again at her events. www.TheWineCoach.com
Want to find out more?You can receive Laurie’s FREE AUDIO CD (normally $24.95) where she reveal the_ 7 SECRETS TO FLAWLESSLY ORDERING WINE OFF ANY WINE LIST.
Click here to get yours delivered right to your door:http://www.thewinecoachsecrets.com
