Champagne Savvy Networking

I’m working on my new book and thought you’d find this section helpful: You might know her as the author of the bestseller, French Women Don’t Get Fat, but Mireille Guiliano was also the president and CEO of Clicquot Inc, the American subsidiary of the French Champagne house Veuve Clicquot. During her tenure in that position she guided Veuve Clicquot in America through double-digit growth annually and from start-up to 23% market share. Insiders attribute much of her success to her savvy networking skills.

Now, networking about champagne presents some luscious possibilities that networking about widgets might not, but – hey – there’s still a lot to learn from Mireille.

• Be Strategic: Before she went to Veuve Clicquot, she represented the French Champagne industry for a PR firm. There she made connections with key industry insiders by launching a program of Champagne dinners and tastings at cooking schools. What industry or professional insiders should you be connecting with?

• Use Creative Social Events: Once at Veuve Clicquot, Mireille spread the word about the champagne by word of mouth (pun intended). She held a dozen or more parties each year to get the word out… and to feature Veuve Clicquot. Creative social events aren’t only possible if you represent a Champagne company – PINK recently featured women who take key clients on jaunts to great places. Lisa Bergeron, president of Leading Women of Southeastern New England favors meetings at area spas. Golf courses are men’s favorites. What other opportunities to gather people together can you create?

• Nurture Your Network: Mireille explains, “When I read about a woman in business or the arts achieving an honor, I send a personal letter of congratulations and a bottle of La Grande Dame.” And she adds the woman’s name to her database for invitations to consumer events in that city. At a tasting event, she heard that Mrs. Getty preferred Veuve Clicquot. She immediately sent a bottle with a note. The Getty family made the Champagne fashionable among friends and featured when their children opened a restaurant. How do you nurture your network?

Network ON!
By Susan Colantuono