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WISE Academy Brings Tasting Room Professional Course to Paso Robles, Just in Time for Wineries’ High Season

12 April, 2012

Paso Robles, CA—  The WISE Academy, the only wine industry education, training and certification program dedicated solely to direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales, just announced that it will be offering its Tasting Room Professional Certification Course in Paso Robles on Monday, April 30th, Tuesday, May 1st and Thursday, May 3rd.

The 3-day course focuses on providing professional skills and service training to tasting room managers, employees, and prospective employees by covering best practices in customer service, sales, and other skills critical to creating the best possible tasting room experience. Successful course completion results in earning WISE Level 1 Certification as a Tasting Room Professional, laying the foundation for future WISE coursework in Tasting Room Management, WISE #211.

Specific skill sets the course will focus on include how to positively profile customers to determine their propensity to purchase, as well how to assess buying signals and appropriately cross or up sell. An additional focus will be on wine tasting with food pairing, in order to build wine fluency among tasting room employees. Mystery shopping opportunities at other winery tasting rooms will also be offered for course participants.

“We are excited to bring our tasting room professional course to Paso Robles, and support the Central Coast in further building its reputation as a top wine country destination,” says Lesley Berglund, WISE Academy Chairman and Co-Founder. The WISE #111 Tasting Room Professional Course is the first class that WISE Academy has offered in Paso Robles, which was done at the request of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance (PRWCA). Berglund and the WISE Academy team hope to bring more Direct-to-Consumer focused courses to the Central Coast in the coming months.

Until April 20th, WISE Academy is extending a discount introductory offer of 25% off the cost of the introductory Tasting Room Professional Course in Paso Robles with the use of coupon code PASO25 before April 20th. To register for the course or find out more information about WISE Academy and its offerings, please visit http://www.wineindustrysaleseducation.com.

About WISE AcademyTM

WISE - which stands for Wine Industry Sales Education - offers a comprehensive curriculum for wine industry professionals. It is the only wine industry education, training and certification program dedicated solely to direct-to-consumer sales and marketing. Developed by more than forty vintners and industry experts, all classes are geared to increasing the expertise of direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales and marketing professionals while also igniting their passion for the role they play in a winery's success. WISE courses are divided into three levels, plus an executive series, so they can meet the needs of everyone in the wine industry - from new industry enthusiasts to seasoned direct sales managers to winery CEOs. Founded in 2008, the WISE Academy is led by Chairman Lesley P. Berglund, a wine industry DTC pioneer and serial entrepreneur.

For more information please contact media relations representative Katie Hunter at Charles Communications Associates atKatie@charlescomm.com, 415-701-9463 or Lesley P. Berglund, Co-Founder and Chairman, WISE Academy, 707-246-6827.

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