4.1 Why Do People Come to the Winery  (Matching Expectations with Experience)

There are many reasons guests come to visit a winery and tasting room. We have discussed some of these reasons in Module 1 (for more information refer back to Describing various profiles and motives of winery visitors. Remember Paul (The Wine Expert); Karen (The Socializer); George (The Dinner Host); Lee (The Tourist); and Rose (The Shopper). Again, each one approaches the winery visit in a unique personal way. In general, some of the most common reasons to visit a winery include: 

The reasons above are just a few of the many reasons why someone is at your winery. These reasons can be thought of as the guest’s motivation to visit your winery. There are two main factors that motivate a guest to visit and ultimately make a purchase;

wants and needs.mp4

Internal & External Factors

So, let's review what was just covered. Internal motivation factors are those needs, wants, desires that an individual holds within themselves and instills a desire to visit your winery. The most basic need is, a state or feeling of lacking something. Needs range from the most fundamental (food, clothing, safety) to knowledge and self-expression. Maslow (1943) explained this in the form of a hierarchy of needs (see figure 4.1). Maslow suggests that lower level of needs must be addressed before a guest can satisfy any higher level need. This comes from you being professional, handling equipment and product in a safe manner, having clean facilities (such as restrooms) for their use, and water for them to drink.

Needs are often expressed by guests in the form of wants; objects/ things that will satisfy needs. In the tasting room you will hear guests speak in terms of their wants – “I want to taste a full bodied red," “I want a sweet wine," “I want to buy a nice wine as a gift," "I like fruit wines." Wants are based on the individual guest’s tastes, personality, knowledge, experience and culture. Therefore, it is important to remember that you cannot assume that all (or even some) guests want the same things. This is why each tasting should be unique to the guests who are participating in the tasting.

When an individual wants a product enough to spend money on it we call this demand. Your guests have infinite wants, but limited resources. They choose products that they believe will best meet their wants and give them the most satisfaction for their money. Demand (i.e., the guest's willingness to spend money at your winery) for wine and all that is a part of the winery experience is what leads your guest to visit your location. Your job is to identify and meet these wants and needs, in other words – Help guests spend their money (make the sale) by identifying the products that will best meet their demand (wants).  As stated earlier, every guest will have different wants. Therefore, it is vital that you watch, listen, and ask questions of the guest (this is covered later in this session).

External factors are the areas where the winery has the most control. As the term implies, external factors are aspects that pull guests to your tasting room. These include your location, type of wines you produce, winery reputation, marketing material, etc.  These external factors demonstrate (promise) how your winery can meet the internal factors (needs and wants) of your guests.

Now let's pause for a minute to review the ideas we have just covered. Read each question below and select what you believe is the correct answer. When finished, look below the last question for the correct answers.

1. What are common reasons why someone would visit a winery?

a. taste wine

b. relax

c. socialize

d. all the above

2. ________________ are wants, needs, desires that an individual holds within themselves and instills a desire to visit your winery.

a. internal motivation factors

b. external motivation factors

c. awareness factors

d. demands

3. When an individual wants a product enough to spend money on it, it is called ___________.

a. internal motivation factors

b. external motivation factors

c. awareness factors

d. demand

Did you get them all? The answers are: 1. d; 2. a; and 3. d.

This is the end of the first section in Module 4. When you feel ready, move on to the next section by clicking the following link. 4.2 How Do Guests Make a Purchase Decision