Build Your Network of Sales Agents
Paid on Commission Only.
(Who Actually Sell!!!)

The question of commission rates (should you offer 8%, 10% or 15%?) is actually completely beside the point. There is no debate: you should always align with whatever the agent asks for.

Why? Because an elite agent knows their value and the cost of their network. If you try to negotiate their commission down, they won't sell your products — they'll prioritise a competitor's more rewarding offer instead.

The financial trick: It's up to you to adapt your pricing structure. If the agent asks for 15% commission, simply build those 15% directly into your standard Ex-Works price for that market. The agent stays motivated, and your margins are protected.

In export, there are only two types of network strategy: the one that happens to you, and the one you drive.

The passive strategy is what most producers do: exhibit at ProWein, Vinexpo or ProWein Hong Kong, pay €8,000–€25,000 for a three-day stand, smile at hundreds of visitors — 90% of whom will never contact you again — and hope that by chance a serious buyer walks past your table. This is not a strategy. It's organised hope.

The proactive strategy, by contrast, means deciding precisely who you target, how you approach them, and when. In practice, this means having a structured CRM with:

The difference between the two is not a question of budget — it's a question of method. A trade show can cost you €20,000 and return 5 lukewarm contacts. A well-activated elite agent network can bring you 50 qualified buyers at zero fixed cost.

The smartest starting point is to surround yourself with the best available agents in each market. Here's why this approach is structurally superior to all others:

In export, information and relationships are the two keys to revenue. To know who is actually selling in a market — beyond the LinkedIn profiles and standard directories — you need to be connected to the global ecosystem. You can try to build this network alone, but it takes years and costly mistakes. The key is to rely on structures that already hold this mapped data.

When a producer decides to enter a new market, two options always come head to head. On the surface, the Country Manager seems like the "serious" choice — a dedicated employee, a job description, a structure. In reality, it's often the most expensive and risky option. Here's why, with numbers to back it up.

Costs are one thing. But what really matters is the net result at year end. Here is the real case of Yoan, an Alsatian winemaker selling his Riesling and Pinot Blanc in Taiwan.

And that's just Taiwan. Multiply this model across 5, 10, 20 markets with elite local agents, and you'll understand why the world's best-exporting brands often have no export employees at all — just dozens of carefully selected agents.

The Country Manager isn't useless — but their place comes only once the market is open and generating enough volume to justify a fixed role. The sales agent is the right tool to open a market at zero risk. Think in this order: agent first, employee later if volumes justify it.

The math is relentless: 100 sales agents generating just €5,000 in sales each per month means €500,000 in monthly revenue — €6 million per year — with not a single euro of fixed cost for your business.

The top 20% of agents who generate 80% of sales in their market are approached by producers from all over the world. When you (or our platform) contact them, their very first instinct is to analyse your online presence.

If they land on a standard, untranslated website built purely for a local consumer audience, they will ignore your proposition.

To attract an elite agent, you need to create a landing page or website dedicated exclusively to export and B2B professionals in their region. This page must immediately highlight your available volumes, your logistics terms (clear Ex-Works pricing), your international awards and medals, and your product visuals. This is your number-one seduction tool.

A high-performing sales agent spends their days on the road, back-to-back with buyer meetings. If they're in the middle of negotiating with a restaurant owner or distributor and have an immediate technical question (stock availability, updated freight cost, spec sheet details), they don't have time to send an email and wait 24 to 48 hours for a reply. If the doubt lingers, the sale is lost.

The modern solution is to integrate a custom AI chatbot, trained specifically on your company's data (pricing, tech sheets, logistics). The agent can ask it any question via direct message from their phone in the field, and get an ultra-precise answer in 3 seconds.

You instantly become the easiest and most responsive producer to sell on the market.

Most producers make the mistake of emailing a standard 50-page PDF catalogue to their agents with a simple "Good luck." The top 20% of agents don't have time to figure out your pitch for you.

For them to prioritise selling your products, you need to do the work for them — with a punchy, condensed Sales Kit. This kit must be ultra-short (ideally accessible on mobile or tablet) and contain:

• The 3 key objections buyers in their country raise, and the exact responses to give.
• A 30-second pitch script to capture a buyer's interest immediately.
• Clean, impactful product visuals in real-world settings.

The more polished and simple your sales tools, the more agents will enjoy presenting your offer over your competitors'.

Sending samples or bottles internationally carries significant logistical, customs and financial costs. Sending samples to unqualified agents or without a strict protocol is the fastest way to lose money.

To optimise your return on investment, follow two absolute rules:

• Only provide samples to pre-qualified, connected agents (such as those sourced through our network).
• Put in place a rigorous follow-up protocol: the sample should only be shipped once the agent has confirmed a genuine buyer interest or a firm appointment with a targeted account. The shipment must trigger an automatic follow-up sequence to obtain feedback within 7 days.