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[COVER STORY]
Pique Their Appetites
Cigar tastings bring in more sales and new customers
By Cora Weisenberger 
In these times of crippling cigarette taxes and the decline of places where one can legally smoke, cigars can be a way of increasing a retailer’s revenue. The problem is, the world of cigars can be as confusing as the latest piece of anti-tobacco legislation. There are over 1,200 cigar brands out there, and within each brand you’ll find a variety of shapes, sizes and potencies. There are machine-made and hand-rolled; cigarillos and Churchills; ones that taste of fruit and others “with a hint of leather.”
Just like in the world of wine, sometimes a simple pleasure is overwhelmed by terminology and the abundance of choices. But tobacco retailers can also follow the example of vintners by hosting cigar tastings. These events can provide a sales boost, sometimes lasting several months, and increase a store’s customer base.
“It’s a really good way to grow your business,” says Mike Smith. “You not only have a blip in sales that night, but for (six months or more) after. There’s a lingering effect.” Smith is the writer of Tobacco Retailer’s new cigar column, “Smoke Screenings,” and the owner of the Redington Shores, Fla., cigar store, Cigarista.
The typical wine tasting involves taking small sips of a large selection of vintages, but a cigar tasting, sometimes called a “smoker,” shouldn’t be like that.
“Wine tastings and cigar tastings are distinctly different,” says Humberto Gonzalez, owner and president of Cigahs, an independent cigar consulting firm. “You can’t get the full benefit of a cigar by taking just a puff or two.”
Photo courtesy of Cigarista
and Mike Smith |
Tips for a successful cigar tasting
- Don’t expect a big turnout the first time. It will take awhile for the word to spread.
- Concentrate on one brand at a time.
- Thursdays are good nights for a tasting. Limit the event to three or four hours.
- Make it an event by serving food or liquor. Consider providing entertainment and raffle prizes. The manufacturer might provide the prizes.
- Get a well-known manufacturer to sponsor the event. They will run the tasting, provide gifts, specials, raffle prizes and valuable customer information.
- Send out invitations two weeks to 10 days before the event and then follow up a few days before.
- Use the event to gather information and increase your customer base.
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A cigar tasting is typically arranged through the manufacturers of cigars that retailers already carry in their stores. The retailer may want to spotlight a new brand that’s being carried or promote one whose sales have sagged. Manufacturers will often run the entire event, leaving the store owner little to do but run the cash register. The requirements for sponsoring a tasting may differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. Sara Cline, event coordinator for Heavenly Cigars, says one of her company’s requirements is that the store must carry their full line.
“Our main goal is to increase sales for (our) customers,” says Cline. “It’s 100 percent (about) customer service and sales.”
Manufacturers are eager to help a retailer host a smoker. They will typically provide free cigars for customers, a sales rep to discuss the products with customers (Heavenly Cigars will supply two or three of their divine “angel” spokeswomen, Cline says) and sometimes a raffle prize.
“It becomes an event,” says Ralph Montero, head of operations for the Alec Bradley Cigar Co. in Dania, Fla. “It helps the retailer, because it shows (the manufacturer is) backing him.”
Most manufacturers will sponsor a tasting free of charge to the retailer. In addition to providing freebies and specials, many will also physically set up the event. Catering and entertainment is arranged by the store. However, depending on the company, there may be some cost involved. Cline says that Heavenly Cigars requires retailers to pay for at least one night’s stay at a hotel for their angel spokeswomen who attend an event.
Smith has hosted a number of tastings and says the cigar brand he centers the event around is usually one of his best-sellers. Occasionally, however, it will be one that is not selling well. “People are sometimes hesitant to try something new, but they’re at a smoker and say, ‘What the hell?’” he says. “My guys (customers) love parties. It’s an excuse to smoke cigars,” he says.
“A savvy retailer will think, ‘I have this on the shelf, and I’ll do anything to move it,’” Gonzalez says. 
The first step towards a successful cigar tasting is good promotion. “The most important thing is to get the word out to customers,” Smith says. This can be accomplished through in-store signage, a flier placed in a bag, e-mails and postcards sent to your customer list. Smith says that one of the main reasons he hosts tastings is to add to his customer list. Being located in a resort area near Tampa, Fla., he says a lot of his business comes from tourists. He keeps a clipboard near the cash register and asks customers to provide contact information that’s used only for inviting them to tastings.
“It’s important to announce the event in the best way possible (for your customers),” says Erik Stokkebye of Villiger Stokkebye International of Charlotte, N.C. “For some stores that may be e-mails, (for) others it may be postcards.” He recommends sending out invitations 10 days to two weeks before the tasting, and then following up just before the event.
 Montero recommends limiting tastings to just one brand, although you can offer different sizes within a line. Do more than one only if the cigars are very different, he says. Manufacturers will arrange for giveaways and special deals, such as “buy 3 cigars, get 1 free.” The sales representative attending the event will also serve as an information source for customers, guiding them to new cigars or back to old favorites. “I want to make sure they walk away with something they’re happy with, whether I make a sale or not,” Gonzalez says.
The day of the week chosen for a tasting can be instrumental in determining its success. Montero says Mondays are bad because they’re “too hectic.” Wednesdays and Fridays are good, but he says Thursdays can be an excellent choice for these events. “Thursday is that awkward day,” he says. “The weekend is coming up and you’re getting antsy.”
Weekday tastings can work well, particularly for retailers located in downtown business areas where the events can attract people leaving work and who may stop by for a smoke on the way home. For shops that are more suburban or rural, Stokkebye says one may want to consider a Saturday tasting. He also says weather can play a factor in the success of such events. “I’ve been to some events where attendance wasn’t high because of the weather,” he says, adding that spring and fall are good seasons to host smokers.
The amount of time dedicated to tastings does not have to be long. Three or four hours was the recommended length, with the event kicking off at 5 p.m. With these early evening events, offering something like cheese or hors d’oeuvres, liquor and entertainment at the smoker is also recommended. Smith says Torano cigars brought a cigar roller to one of his smokers and “people loved it.”
One can also consider live music, salsa lessons or anything else that might attract smokers and non-smokers. “It makes it a little more exciting,” Stokkebye says.
Although these events are called “smokers,” the smoking is actually optional. Customers can be encouraged to light up on the premises, or they can take their purchase home to enjoy. To smoke or not to smoke may also depend on city ordinances and the size of the store. If the space is small, the smoke cloud caused by a large group of people all puffing away on a new stogie may be more than even the most devoted cigar aficionado can stand.
Manufacturers can provide invaluable support for tastings, but that doesn’t mean that retailers cannot host one on their own. This can be more expensive, however, since the store must provide the gifts and specials a manufacturer would supply. An independent event, though, would give a retailer an opportunity to have a tasting with many different cigars rather than one featuring a single company. Montero says that retailers may want to consider having both manufacturer-sponsored events and independent ones for times when business is slow. “The worst thing you can do is be rigid,” says Montero. “Vary on what you can do. You have to be creative.”
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