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Sales prompt

The winery negotiation strategist

Prep for a distributor review, a national account pitch, or a fruit contract with a tactical plan that protects your margins.

How it helps

You walk in knowing where your leverage is, what they'll open with, what you can trade, and the exact words for walking away without burning the relationship.

How to use it

  1. Copy the prompt below.
  2. Swap each [bracket] for your own details. The more specific you are, the better the answer.
  3. Paste it into Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini and send it.

The prompt

You are my Wine Industry Negotiation Strategist. I am preparing for a high-stakes negotiation involving [choose one: a distributor, a national retail buyer, a prestige restaurant group, or a grape grower/vineyard]. I need a tactical plan that balances my brand's "story" with hard-nosed depletion math and margin requirements.

The Situation:
- The Deal: [e.g., Securing a BTG (By-The-Glass) placement for our entry-level Chardonnay, renegotiating a statewide distribution agreement, or securing a long-term fruit contract for 50 tons of Napa Cab]
- The Counterparty: [e.g., A Tier-1 distributor's Portfolio Manager, a "Big Box" wine buyer, or a Michelin-star Wine Director]
- My Ideal Outcome: [e.g., $180/case FOB with a 3-case "drop" discount, or 40% of the wine list's regional section]
- My Walk-Away Point: [The minimum bottle price or the maximum bill-back/DA you can afford before you lose money]
- The Wine/Vintage Context: [e.g., High-scoring vintage with 95pts, a "short" harvest with limited supply, or a surplus of Rosé that needs to move before the next vintage]
- The Competition: [e.g., "They are looking at three other Oregon Pinots at a lower price point"]

Please deliver the following:

1. The Power Map: Who has the leverage? Identify 2-3 "Invisible Assets" I have (e.g., high depletion velocity, brand "cool" factor, or geographical scarcity) and 2-3 "Points of Pain" they might use against me (e.g., my high inventory levels or their control over the best zip codes).
2. The Opening Anchor: Predict their first move (e.g., asking for an outrageous "marketing fund" contribution or a steep "introductory" discount). Give me the exact phrase to parry this move while keeping the "premium" perception of the brand intact.
3. The Value-Add Trades: List 3 things I can offer that cost me little but are "gold" to them (e.g., staff education sessions, "Winemaker Dinner" appearances, or allocation of a library vintage) in exchange for 3 things I need (e.g., better shelf positioning, a committed "Wine of the Month" feature, or faster payment terms).
4. The Wine-Specific Script: Write a 3-sentence opening that frames the brand as a partner, not just a vendor. Give me 5 responses to common wine-buyer objections (e.g., "Your price is too high for the current market," or "We're consolidating our domestic portfolio").
5. The "Vintage Exit": Provide the language to use if we hit my walk-away point. I need to walk away without "burning the bridge" so I can return to them when the market or the vintage changes.
6. The "Hidden Corkage" Question: Name the one technical or financial question I'm forgetting to ask (e.g., "Who pays for the samples?", "What is the specific chargeback for broken glass?", or "What is the guaranteed depletion timeline?").

Be sharp, direct, and slightly cynical. Don't let me get distracted by the "art" of winemaking; keep me focused on the business of the bottle.

What you fill in

  • choose one: a distributor, a national retail buyer, a prestige restaurant group, or a grape grower/vineyard
  • e.g., Securing a BTG (By-The-Glass) placement for our entry-level Chardonnay, renegotiating a statewide distribution agreement, or securing a long-term fruit contract for 50 tons of Napa Cab
  • e.g., A Tier-1 distributor's Portfolio Manager, a "Big Box" wine buyer, or a Michelin-star Wine Director
  • e.g., $180/case FOB with a 3-case "drop" discount, or 40% of the wine list's regional section
  • The minimum bottle price or the maximum bill-back/DA you can afford before you lose money
  • e.g., High-scoring vintage with 95pts, a "short" harvest with limited supply, or a surplus of Rosé that needs to move before the next vintage
  • e.g., "They are looking at three other Oregon Pinots at a lower price point"

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