Kathy Byrd | Distributor Management / Sales

Kathy started in the Wine Industry in 1995 in Chicago working for a medium sized fine wine wholesaler – Direct Import Wine Company.  From 1997 to 2012, she worked for small and medium sized wineries (King Estate, Francis Coppola Presents, and Gundlach Bundschu), managing regional and national distributor networks.

For the last several years, Kathy has been dedicated to managing distributors directly in the Pacific Northwest – first as the VP of Sales for the Estates Group (Young’s Market Company – WA and OR), and most recently as VP – General Manager for Noble Wines, A Member of The Winebow Group (WA and OR). In these roles, her primary focus has been to work in tandem with suppliers to create their message, and sell more wine in a manner that is mutually beneficial.

Clearly, the wine industry is in a great state of flux.  Distributors and accounts are inundated with choices, and sometimes they have a hard time deciphering which brands have relevance, and which brands will resonate with their customers.

Wine consumers are engaged and want to learn more, but it’s often difficult for wineries to deliver their message strategically through the three tiered system. Wine brands (small and big) often struggle to find the best way to go to market.  Small wineries and suppliers struggle to be heard, and large wineries and suppliers struggle to deliver an authentic story.

Kathy’s greatest passion is to help wineries and suppliers find messaging that resonates inside of the distributor, and all of the way to the consumer. Once the vision and strategic plans are laid out, sales success and distributor accountability develops organically.  Every brand has its own unique identity and requires its own unique sales strategy.  Differentiation is the key to success.

Short/Mid/Long Term Winery Opportunities

• Establish or improve a powerful distributor network (Regional and/or National)
• Develop “go to market” distribution plan
• Work directly with existing distributor network to maximize sales in a way that coincides with the winery’s vision
• Work directly with the chains particularly in the Northwest to maximize sale opportunities
• Advise and guide on such practical concerns regarding inventory management, bill backs, etc.
• Create distributor messaging that promotes brand differentiation and relevance
• Lay out a comprehensive wholesale pricing strategy and plan for implementation
• Develop and design impactful power point presentations for distributor and chain account presentations
• Develop practical marketing materials that resonate with your distributor network (different distributors require different plans)
• Provide relevant data category analysis based on IRI and Nielsen, and convert to usable sales tools
• Provide distributor planning meeting presentations and support
• Build a distributor plan that targets specific distribution and volume objectives
• Build creative action plans that overcome challenges and objections presented by your distributor network
• Establish long term sales forecast based on category analysis and specific market knowledge

Your distributors and the trade need to know what’s special about you and about your brand.  It’s all about differentiation, and developing a compelling message and sticking to it strategically.  In addition, suppliers need to add value and build partnerships with their distributors.