Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor

This specialist unit has been developed for the cellar door sales stream of the wine sector. It covers the skills and knowledge required to sell. It encompasses the key selling skills of approaching the customer, advising on products and services, and conducting and closing a sale.

This unit is based on the national cross-sector sales units of competency SIRXSLS001A Sell products and services, and SIRXSLS002A Advise on products and services.

Application of the unit

This unit applies to cellar door sales personnel who are required to sell wine and other products and services to cellar door visitors. Products sold may include wine and other produce grown at the cellar door site, from other company sites, and from external suppliers.

The unit covers the skills to sell cellar door products and services through evaluation of customer needs and requirements using communication skills and detailed and specialised product knowledge of wines and other cellar door products and services, including winery tours, private tastings and facilities available to visitors.

Prerequisite units

SIRXCCS002A

Interact with customers

FDFCD2003A

Evaluate wines (standard)

SITHFAB009A

Provide responsible service of alcohol

Employability skills

This unit contains employability skills.

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

• Develop product and service knowledge

• Knowledge of the use, purpose and application of products and services is developed and maintained
• Knowledge of products and services is conveyed to other team members as required
• Comparisons between available products and services are researched and applied, including brand options, features and price
• Knowledge is developed of competitors’ product and service range and pricing structure
• Experienced sales staff are consulted or product information researched to increase product and service knowledge

• Approach customer

• Timing of customer approach is determined and applied
• Effective sales approach is identified and applied
• Positive impression is conveyed to arouse customer interest
• Knowledge of customer buying behaviour is demonstrated

• Gather information

• Questioning techniques are applied to determine customer buying motives
• Listening skills are used to determine customer requirements
• Non-verbal communication cues are interpreted and clarified
• Customers are guided to a product range that matches their identified buying motives and requirements
• Customers are identified by name where possible

• Sell benefits

• Customer needs are matched to appropriate products and services
• Knowledge of product or service features and benefits are communicated clearly to customers
• Specific requirements relating to products or services are described to customers
• Routine customer questions about products are answered accurately and honestly
• Customers are referred to more experienced, senior sales staff or to appropriate product specialists as required

• Overcome objections

• Customer objections are identified and accepted
• Objections are categorised into price, time and product or service characteristics
• Solutions or alternatives are offered to customers according to workplace policy
• Problem solving is applied to overcome customer objections

• Close sale

• Customer buying signals are monitored, identified and responded to appropriately
• Customers are encouraged to make purchase decisions
• Appropriate method of closing sale is selected and applied

• Maximise sales opportunities

• Opportunities for making additional sales are recognised and applied
• Customers are advised of complementary products or services according to identified customer needs
• Personal sales outcomes are reviewed to maximise future sales

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills

Note: The following required skills should be applied as appropriate to the equipment and processes that are used in the particular winery or workplace.

Ability to: 

• Access workplace information to identify products and services, selling requirements and develop product and service knowledge
• Confirm supply of necessary products and services
• Liaise with other work areas
• Prepare products and services as required
• Identify out-of-specification products and services or non-compliance with workplace or legal requirements
• Take corrective action in response to out-of-specification products or services or non-compliance with workplace or legal requirements
• Report and/or record corrective action
• Consistently apply appropriate and effective sales approaches. This should take into account workplace policy and procedures, customer behaviour or buying signals and other cellar door activity. The approach should include appropriate and effective:
• timing
• comments and questions
• style, image and interest
• listening techniques
• starting point for product focus
• Accurately determine customer needs and buying motives. This may include:
• questioning techniques
• active listening skills
• product tasting strategy
• observation of customer behaviour or details
• Identify appropriate product or service features and match associated benefits to customer’s needs
• Consistently apply detailed and specialised product knowledge to provide accurate advice according to the needs of the customer. This should demonstrate consideration of the amount of detail required and appropriate terminology
• Seek information from product or service resources as appropriate (e.g. specialist or experienced colleagues, other enterprise departments, product manufacturer or service provider)
• Overcome customer objections. This will include:
• accurately identifying objections (e.g. taste, style, price and delivery)
• applying problem-solving techniques and product or services knowledge to identify possible solutions or alternatives
• offering solutions or alternatives for customer consideration
• Close sale effectively and appropriately. This should include:
• recognising and responding to customer buying signals
• providing advice and encouragement to facilitate the customer’s decision to buy
• recognising when a sale is inappropriate and using alternative techniques to ensure customer leaves with a positive image of the brand or enterprise
• Maximise sales opportunities. The sales opportunities should be of the brand or enterprise products in this or other retail outlets. Activity may include:
• recognising opportunities for additional sales through effective listening, questioning and observation techniques
• identifying relevant complementary products or services and informing the customers when appropriate
• conveying the appropriate brand or enterprise image at all times through presentation and behaviour
• evaluating and proactively improving customer service and sales techniques
• Handle difficult customers
• Consistently apply workplace policy and procedures and industry codes of practice in regard to customer service and selling products and services
• Develop, maintain and convey product and service knowledge to customers and other staff members as required
• Research and make comparisons between products and services. This should include:
• own products and services
• products and services of appropriate competitors
• local and regional variations
• price
• characteristics or style (e.g. vintage variation)
• comparisons with key international products, if required
• Record workplace information
• Maintain work area to meet housekeeping standards
• Use oral communication skills/language to fulfil the job role as specified by the organisation, including questioning, active listening, asking for clarification and seeking advice from supervisor
• Work cooperatively within a culturally diverse workforce

Required knowledge

Note: The following required knowledge should be applied as appropriate to the equipment and processes that are used in the particular winery or workplace.

Knowledge of: 

• Range of products and services available from the sales outlet or enterprise
• Wine product features. These may include:
• product style and taste characteristics
• product awards
• vintage features or variations
• ready to drink or cellaring requirements
• appropriate food and/or occasions
• optimum serving requirements
• appropriate alternatives at varying price points
• stock availability
• comparable product of competitors
• Workplace customer service features. These may include:
• hospitality or private tastings
• winery tours
• facilities
• ordering process
• payment method and processes
• delivery and freight options or procedures and price, including international services
• opening times
• Promotional and brand objectives of the enterprise’s cellar door
• Allocated duties and responsibilities
• Information sources (e.g. product lists, colleagues’ expertise and promotional documents)
• customer types and needs, including:
• customer buying motives (e.g. functional and psychological)
• buying occasions (e.g. dinner party, barbeque and/or celebration)
• buying behaviour and clues
• individual and cultural differences
• demographics, lifestyle and/or income
• Selling techniques, including:
• questioning and active listening techniques
• sales approaches
• identifying customer needs
• features and benefits
• identify and overcoming objections
• closing sales
• maximising sales and add-on products and services
• communication (e.g. body language, questioning and listening)
• problem solving
• legislation and statutory requirements as they apply in the workplace, including:
• serving or selling liquor
• industry codes of practice
• consumer law
• customer occupational health and safety (OHS)
• Procedures and responsibility for reporting problems
• Housekeeping requirements and procedures
• Recording requirements and procedures
• OHS hazards and controls

EVIDENCE GUIDE

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Assessment must be carried out in a manner that recognises the cultural and literacy requirements of the assessee and is appropriate to the work performed. Competency in this unit must be achieved in accordance with food safety standards and regulations.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of ability to:

• demonstrate knowledge of range of wine, other products and services sold through cellar door
• demonstrate sufficient knowledge of competitors’ products and services to allow effective and positive comparison to a customer of own products and services
• gather information on customer requirements
• match customer requirements to appropriate type and price range of wine, other product or service
• correct identification of support personnel and product specialists
• close sales.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must occur in a real or simulated workplace where the assessee has access to:

• personal protective clothing and equipment as required
• work procedures, including advice on company practices, safe work practices, food safety, quality and environmental requirements
• instructions, information, specifications and schedules as required
• equipment, services and corresponding information as required
• products and materials as required
• internal and external customers and suppliers as required
• cleaning procedures, materials and equipment as required
• documentation and recording requirements and procedures.

Method of assessment

This unit should be assessed together with other units of competency relevant to the function or work role.

Guidance information for assessment

To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances, cases and responsibilities, and where possible, over a number of assessment activities.

RANGE STATEMENT

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Policies and procedures 

Work is carried out in accordance with workplace procedures, licensing requirements and legislative requirements

Workplace information 

Workplace information can include:

• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• workplace policy and procedures in regard to selling products and services
• specifications
• work notes
• instructions or verbal direction from manager, supervisor or senior staff

Products 

Products may include:

• wines and spirits and associated merchandise (e.g. corkscrews and glasses)
• a range of enterprise promotional merchandise (e.g. clothing and souvenirs)
• a range of regional tourism merchandise (e.g. maps, postcards, art and craft objects)

Product knowledge 

Product knowledge may include:

• product style and characteristics
• optimum serving condition
• cellaring potential
• storage requirements
• stock availability
• food and occasion matches
• vintage characteristics
• production techniques
• price
• discounts
• special offers
• sizes

Services knowledge 

Services knowledge may include:

• winery tours
• opening hours
• delivery or freight services
• payment methods
• winery newsletter and mail order facility
• functions
• hospitality and conference facilities

Specific requirements relating to products or services 

Specific requirements relating to products or services may include:

• serving
• storage
• safety
• tour schedules
• delivery costs

Team members 

Team members may include:

• people from a range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and physical and mental abilities

Customers 

Customers may include:

• random visitors
• regular clients,
• organised groups
• enterprise personnel
• people from a range of social, cultural or ethnic backgrounds and physical and mental abilities. English may not be their first language. Buying or ordering experience and expertise may vary.

Customer service and sales 

Customer service and sales may include:

• face-to-face interaction
• telephone
• mail order
• internet

Equipment 

Equipment may be electronic or manual and should include that which is required to sell products and services according to workplace policies and procedures, and may include:

• registers
• point-of-sale terminals
• scanners
• EFTPOS and credit card processors

Materials 

Materials may vary and should include that which is required to sell products and services according to workplace policies and procedures, and may include:

• wine lists
• promotional materials
• tasting notes

Cellar door 

Cellar door may vary according to:

• size
• type
• location
• distribution
• function

Cellar door staff 

Staff may:

• be full time, part time or casual
• work in other areas of the enterprise

Trading or working conditions 

Trading or working conditions may be:

• routine, busy or quiet

Information systems 

Information systems may be:

• print or screen based

Unit sector

Wine operations