WISE Training on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail

The first-ever WISE Academy sales training hosted in the Finger Lakes Region took place April 28 and 29 in Watkins Glen, and then in Geneva, New York. Sponsored by the Seneca Lake Wine Trail, over twenty different member wineries sent owners and font line staff alike to help improve the tasting room experience and increase sales per customer.Unlike conventional customer service training, WISE (Wine Industry Sales and Education) focuses specifically on improving the approach wineries utilize to help not only enhance the customer’s experience, but also measurably increase sales in the tasting room. “While our member wineries have terrific, knowledgeable and passionate staff, we knew that bringing in the professionals from the WISE Academy could help refine their tactics and approach to interactions with customers helping those visitors not only have a more enjoyable visit to our regional wineries, but also opt to purchase more wine during their visit, increasing taxable revenues and enhancing the communities in which our wineries reside. Feedback from the participants has been universally positive, and we are already planning on developing another similar series of training sessions in the future.” Stated Paul Thomas, Executive Director of the Seneca Lake Wine Trail.The decision to bring WISE Academy to the Finger Lakes Region was led by Marti Macinski, co-owner of Standing Stone Vineyards, who observed “The Seneca Lake Wine Trail, and our state industry in general, continues to receive terrific accolades for our award-winning wines, and excellent tasting rooms, and we believe that the WISE training will prove to be a crucial component in making sure we are best leveraging all the terrific recognition the Finger Lakes continues to enjoy.”For details on the recent WISE Academy Training, call 877-536-2717. The Seneca Lake Wine Trail… A Tasteful ExperienceAbout the Seneca Lake Wine TrailSurrounding the sapphire waters of Seneca Lake, our 35 member wineries invite you to experience a destination rich in history, beauty, and the production of world-class wines. Located in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes Region, our climate supports not only the growth of hardy native grapes and premium hybrids, but also more delicate varieties such as Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir. Along the Seneca Lake Wine Trail you will truly find a wine to suit every taste. Request Information or contact us if you have questions. More information on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail can be found at www.senecalakewine.com or by calling 877-536-2717. About the WISE AcademyThe WISE Academy provides education, training and certification for wine industry professionals who deal directly with consumers. The company was created in 2008 to address a core challenge in the wine industry: an urgent need for more, well educated, direct marketing proficient staff, managers and leaders in all aspects related to consumer direct sales programs (i.e., tasting room, customer service, events, wine club, online, etc.). WISE which stands for Wine Industry Sales and Education, was co-founded by Lesley Berglund and Mack Schwing, two wine industry leaders; well respected in the areas of consumer direct and executive education. For more information on the WISE Academy visit their website at www.wineindustrysaleseducation.com