Over the past few weeks, we’ve explored several ideas to help breweries grow wholesale sales.
We discussed the importance of building a targeted growth strategy instead of chasing more accounts.
We looked at why your greatest growth opportunity may already exist with your current customers.
And we talked about partnering with your wholesaler to build your brands at retail.
While each of these ideas can improve results on its own, the greatest impact comes when they’re connected into a repeatable system.
Introducing the Wholesale Sales Operating System.
The framework is outlined below:
1. Build an Annual Sales Plan
Identify where you’ll sell, what you’ll sell, and establish clear targets for the year.
2. Set Monthly Priorities
Break the annual plan into manageable initiatives that keep the team focused on the most important opportunities.
3. Measure Leading Indicators
Don’t just track sales. Track the activities that create sales.
Examples include:
- New account presentations
- Current account visits
- Sampling events
- Distributor ride-alongs
4. Meet Weekly and Take Action
Review results, celebrate wins, identify obstacles, and create action items.
The objective is to create focus.
When your sales team knows where to spend their time, what success looks like, and how progress will be measured, wholesale growth becomes much more predictable.
That’s what great operating systems do. They replace guesswork with priorities, accountability and execution.
And that’s why the Wholesale Sales Operating System is an important part of the broader Financial Operating System.
Because growing sales isn’t just about selling more beer. It’s about building a business that grows profitably, and sustainably.
P.S. The Beer Business Finance Association helps breweries install practical operating systems for every part of the business – from financial planning and cash flow to wholesale sales, taproom performance, KPIs, and leadership development.
Ready to build a brewery that grows with intention? Learn how the Beer Business Finance Association can help you install the systems that create sustainable, profitable growth.
