was a great success: a Cabernet Riserva Robert Mondavi.
So it was time to figure out how to get customers. We knew accurate cleaned numbers list from frist database we had to find a balance between taking care of existing customers and finding new ones.
So we reached out to them to get some PR.
We have developed our social media.
We have made some collaborations and tried to create word of mouth.
And while we were pushing to get new clients, we also invested heavily in customer service for our existing clients. We did this mostly with our own time because, well, we didn’t really have any money.
We have included a handwritten note in each box.
For each wine we include tasting notes, including recommended food pairings.
We included a postcard with each shipment asking people to spread the word about CellarThief.
It was a labor of love and we earned incredible customer loyalty. We still call some of our early customers friends today.
We got some initial traction and some initial a most ordinary story sales. And then it was time to try to grow the business to the next level.
Like many small, self-funded businesses, we had little money and some big competition. There were big online wine retailers and some new entrants into the market fresh list offering a deal a day on great wines. So, we had to figure out how to stand out, and we had to figure out the math of our business quickly.
Ultimately, no matter how passionate
you are about a business idea, you need to figure out how to drive customers. And, with so much competition in nearly every industry on earth, you need to find a channel that you can win and own.
At the time, we simply couldn’t afford paid acquisition channels. Those channels were much more accessible back then, but our margins were slim… and, well, did I mention we were self-funded?! So, we had to find a channel that would allow us to build relationships with our customers and lead to regular, consistent sales.
We got great press, even being named a “Hot 100” retailer by Internet Retailer (a big deal at the time). That press was great, but it was fleeting.
