Building a small field sales team for a craft brewery

Decide what the person is there to do

Field sales for a brewery means visiting outlets, getting listings, training staff on the product and making sure the beer is cold and fresh. It is different from taking orders. Order taking can be done by phone or a distributor. A field person builds the relationship that makes the order repeat.

Before you hire, write the job in one sentence. A job written in one sentence can be measured. For example: win and keep twenty active on-trade accounts in one city. Keep beer fresh in every one. If you cannot write it, you are not ready.

On-trade, off-trade and distributors

On-trade means bars, restaurants and hotels where beer is served. Off-trade means shops where it is sold to take away. In many Indian states the rules on who can sell to whom differ. Some states route alcohol retail through state systems. Excise is a state matter, so check how your state works with a licensing adviser before you plan a route to market.

Each channel needs a different skill. On-trade is about relationship and training. Off-trade is about listing, shelf position and stock rotation. Distributors need clear terms and regular review. Start with one channel in one city.

Territory and beat plan

A territory is a set of outlets one person visits on a planned loop, called a beat. Draw it so the travel between outlets is short. A rep who spends half the day in traffic is half a rep.

Rank outlets by potential, not by who is friendliest. Visit the best outlets most often and the small ones less. Write a weekly beat plan and review it monthly. If a rep covers the same outlet every week and orders do not move, change the plan.

The numbers to track

Keep a short list. Count active accounts, meaning outlets that ordered in the last 30 days. Track repeat orders, because a first order proves little. Watch the days it takes to collect payment, since slow payers drain a small brewery. Note the stock age at each outlet, because stale beer harms the brand.

Add one quality measure. On every visit the rep checks the beer temperature and the tap lines. Warm beer and dirty lines are the commonest reasons a good brewery loses an account. Our guide on brewery safety culture shows how to build habits like this into a small team.

Does the hire pay for itself?

Here is a simple check using made up round numbers. A rep costs 100 units a month in pay, travel and phone. Your contribution is 2 units per case after the cost of beer and packaging. The rep must sell 50 cases a month more than you would have sold without them just to break even. Add a margin of safety and aim for 80.

Be honest about what is truly extra. If an outlet would have ordered anyway, the rep did not earn that case. Use your own costs and contributions. Do not copy these numbers.

Pay, training and review

Most small teams use a fixed salary plus a variable part linked to active accounts and repeat orders, not just volume. Volume-only pay tempts reps to push stock into outlets that cannot sell it.

Train on the product first: ingredients, styles, serving temperature, glassware and line cleaning. A rep who can answer a bartender's question earns a listing. Review performance regularly and fairly. Our guide on performance reviews in a small brewery team covers the method. For who else you need, read brewery staffing.

The first ninety days

Spend the first two weeks in the brewery. The new hire should help in the brewhouse, taste every beer, watch a keg being filled and learn how long a beer stays at its best. Then ride along with the founder on the best accounts to see how the relationship works.

From week three, give the rep a short list of target outlets and a weekly visit target. Review the list every Friday for the first month. By day ninety you should know which outlets reorder, which need more support and whether the territory is the right size. If the answers are unclear, fix the plan before you hire a second person.

Selling responsibly

Alcohol sales have rules. Never sell to or promote to minors. Follow your state's rules on discounts, gifts and promotions to the trade. Brief your rep and keep it in writing. A single careless inducement can threaten a licence.

Common questions

When should a craft brewery hire its first sales person?

When the founder can no longer cover the best outlets personally and there is a repeatable pattern of orders to build on. Hiring too early adds cost without a process.

How many outlets can one field rep cover?

It depends on the city, the travel time and the type of outlet. Build a beat plan around your own map and test it for a month.

Should a brewery use a distributor or its own sales team?

Many use both. A distributor adds reach where rules allow. A small own team protects the brand in the best outlets. Rules vary by state.