The Export Manager Bushido Code

"Your job is to travel and drink wine with foreigners!"

Not totally untrue indeed!

It is very challenging to explain what an Export Manager does on a daily basis. Putting aside the COVID (neverending) home office period, the job can be very different considering the company you work with or the way you organize yourself.

When I look back, I worked for

1. A big global company on a domestic market (FREIXENET in Mexico)

1. A big French négociant on designated markets (Patriarche Père & fils for Scandic monopolies, Russia, Eastern Europe).

And finally

3. A family-sized domaine in a premium market, Champagne

3 very different sides of the wine industry.

With n°1, I concentrated on sales & trade marketing. With n°2, I answered some big tenders from huge wine players and stick to the production possibilities. With n°3, I'm doing some "haute couture" wine distribution. Working with fine wine merchants, looking to open new markets, proposing targeted trade marketing for every client & being a premium ambassador for the House

Eventhough these positions are different, I always stick to my "Bushido Export Manager Code". It worked for me so far and I guess I'll keep on that way. Here you go:

1. I SET MY STRATEGY and I stick to it: I collect information everywhere I can (wine magazines, trade revues, general newspapers, studies, clients talk, internal talks etc.) and I put down numbers to refer to every step of the way.

2. From POINT 1, I SET MY AGENDA for the year, noting down big compulsory events (Shows, tastings, annual meetings etc) and filling the gaps, always refering to POINT 1.

3. From POINT 2, I SET MY AGENDA for the trimestre > month > week. The daily work is a succession of hundreds of small & big tasks. If any doubt, I refer to POINT 1 & 2

4. BE ELEGANT & PLEASANT.

It's not about myself, it's about the company I represent. I'm the visible extention of it.Even if I have a 9-hours jetlag or I'm sick, I force myself to deliver the best of myself.

5. (OPTIONAL... but it helps) TAKE CARE OF MY HEALTH. In our industry, it's easy to fall into excess and lack of sleep. I force myself to keep some time to go for a run or to the gym once in a while. I try to set some limits to my drinking. Not always easy! I feel it's quite pathetic to identify (and smell) heavy drinkers the next morning in a fair. I treat people like I'd like to be treated, not with a Tequila burp at 9:30AM!

6. BE TRUE & COMMUNICATE. Trust is so comforting when you're working 500 to 10000 km apart. Distance & emailing tends to formalize & stiffen a relation (especially with tension rising). Trust makes it easy.

Here you go!

If you have any saying on that, if you're a Wine Export Samoura? like me, give me some feedback. I'd be happy to know how you work.

Cheers