Tapped In Sales and Strategy for Beer Distributors

110: The Shelf Control Myth

What do we really control?  In this episode, Bud, Moneyball Ross, and Data Mike break down the difference between true control, store-level influence, and the excuses reps sometimes hide behind. They dig into chain accounts, planograms, local flex space, C-stores, independent retailers, and why the best reps still find ways to create opportunity even when the account looks locked down. They also explore how scan data may be making beer shelves too predictable — creating a “desert of variety” that pushes consumers toward RTDs, wine, spirits, or nothing at all. What We Cover 🍺 Why “we don’t control the shelf” is often only half true 📊 How scan data can make beer shelves boring 🛒 Where reps can still find flex in chain accounts 🤝 Why trust with the retailer matters more than force 🔥 The Davey Dave story: becoming the rep the store manager trusts ⚔️ How top reps use data and confidence to win space 🤖 Why AI should help improve the shelf not reinforce the same old set Key Takeaway The shelf may be more controlled than it used to be, but great reps are not powerless. They find the flex.They build trust.They use data.They make the retailer’s life easier. And that’s how they win. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Shelf Control Dynamics 02:30 Understanding Control Points in Retail 05:22 The Impact of Homogenization on Consumer Choice 08:41 Data-Driven Decisions and Their Consequences 11:19 Flexibility in Shelf Space Management 14:25 Building Relationships for Shelf Control 17:17 E-commerce and Its Influence on Shelf Dynamics 20:24 Navigating Command and Control in Sales 23:36 Conclusion and Future Considerations 24:56 Navigating Control in Distribution 30:15 The Importance of Relationships in Sales 32:17 Adapting to Market Changes 37:58 Building Trust with Retailers 43:18 The Zero-Sum Mindset in Distribution 43:56 Leveraging AI for Better Outcomes =============== YouTube: Watch on YouTube: Tapped In Sales [http://www.youtube.com/@TappedInBeveragePodcast] Spotify Podcast: Listen & Watch on Spotify Podcasts Tapped In Sales [https://open.spotify.com/show/1AuQiKjRrHy0JmwwvTAzAJ?si=7189540cc7e344c9] Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcast Tapped In Sales [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/26-how-to-make-your-pfp-a-guaranteed-monthly-bonus/id1744836870?i=1000673130206] =============== Connect with Us:   Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest episodes, industry news, and insights from the beer distribution world. About Tapped In Sales:   Tapped In Sales is a podcast dedicated to beer distributors and beverage industry professionals who are looking to elevate their sales strategies and drive profitability. Hosted by industry experts Bud Dunn and Mike Hall, we dive deep into real-world stories, actionable insights, and the latest trends to help sales teams and managers unlock their full potential. Each episode blends data, strategy, and motivation, making complex topics easy to understand and implement. This podcast is powered by VXP Tech – the leading Sales Strategy Management system designed for beer distributors. VXP simplifies the complexities of goal setting, variable compensation, and sales team performance, helping you master your market and grow profits, case by case. Stay tuned for expert advice, fresh perspectives, and tools to sharpen your sales approach! If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend!

109: The Making of Moneyball Ross

This week on the Tapped In Sales Podcast, we take a detour from the normal strategy talk for our next origin story this time with Moneyball Ross. Ross walks through how he went from a finance and economics kid in St. Louis to cutting his teeth inside wine, spirits, beer, operations, purchasing, technology, forecasting, and eventually building the original idea behind VXP. Along the way, we get into the good stuff: internships, warehouse systems, craft beer in Oregon, near-bankruptcy moments, big customer losses, acquisitions, GP per case, and what it really takes to keep building when the easy answer is to quit. In this episode, we talk about: 🍻 How Ross forced his way into the beverage business 🛠️ Why he became the “grab the problem and fix it” guy 📈 The moment he realized GP growth beats cost cutting 💻 Building Craft Portal, OrderStream, and the early vision for VXP 😅 The scary side of entrepreneurship 🤝 How Bud and Ross first connected 🔥 Why failure shaped the way Ross thinks today Big takeaway Ross’s story is a reminder that success in this business usually comes from curiosity, grit, and being willing to solve the problem in front of you — even when nobody asked you to. Have questions for Ross, Bud, or the VXP team after listening? Shoot us a note at info@vxptech.com — we’d love to hear what stood out, what you’re wrestling with, or what topics you want us to dig into next. Chapters 00:00 Navigating Early Career Challenges and Opportunities 02:00 Education and the Balancing Act of Work and Study 05:02 Operational Efficiency: The Foundation of Success 07:56 The Transition to Oregon: New Challenges and Opportunities 10:18 Craft Beer Revolution: Embracing Change in Distribution 11:34 Acquisitions and Career Decisions: A Fork in the Road 23:45 The Entrepreneurial Journey Begins 29:12 Navigating Challenges and Building Relationships 33:01 Lessons from Running Two Businesses 38:17 The Impact of Acquisitions on Business 44:29 The Evolution of OrderStream 51:07 Finding Purpose and Passion in Business =============== YouTube: Watch on YouTube: Tapped In Sales [http://www.youtube.com/@TappedInBeveragePodcast] Spotify Podcast: Listen & Watch on Spotify Podcasts Tapped In Sales [https://open.spotify.com/show/1AuQiKjRrHy0JmwwvTAzAJ?si=7189540cc7e344c9] Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcast Tapped In Sales [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/26-how-to-make-your-pfp-a-guaranteed-monthly-bonus/id1744836870?i=1000673130206] =============== Connect with Us:   Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest episodes, industry news, and insights from the beer distribution world. About Tapped In Sales:   Tapped In Sales is a podcast dedicated to beer distributors and beverage industry professionals who are looking to elevate their sales strategies and drive profitability. Hosted by industry experts Bud Dunn and Mike Hall, we dive deep into real-world stories, actionable insights, and the latest trends to help sales teams and managers unlock their full potential. Each episode blends data, strategy, and motivation, making complex topics easy to understand and implement. This podcast is powered by VXP Tech – the leading Sales Strategy Management system designed for beer distributors. VXP simplifies the complexities of goal setting, variable compensation, and sales team performance, helping you master your market and grow profits, case by case. Stay tuned for expert advice, fresh perspectives, and tools to sharpen your sales approach! If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend!

108: Surviving April: Beer’s Hot Start Hits a Gas-Price Gut Check

Q1 had a lot of beer distributors feeling pretty good. Then April showed up. In this episode, Bud, Moneyball Ross, and Data Mike break down what they are seeing across the beer industry after a strong first quarter, a choppy April, and a May planning cycle that has teams rethinking expectations heading into summer. The crew talks through the impact of gas prices, weather, tourist markets, Memorial Day travel, selling-day shifts, and whether the early-year optimism still holds as distributors look toward June and the Fourth of July build. They also get into Bush Light Apple, Keystone Light Apple, pickle beer, vodka-aid drinks, World Cup logistics, and whether delivery surcharges are starting to show up as fuel costs rise. In this episode: 🍺 Why Q1 felt like a strong start for beer distributors ⛽ How gas prices may be hitting tourist-driven markets 📉 Why April missed expectations for some teams 📊 How distributors are adjusting May goals and expectations 🗽Why June could still be a strong setup with the Fourth of July build 🍏 What’s happening with Bush Light Apple and Keystone Light Apple 🥒 Why pickle beer might be more real than anyone expected 🚚 Whether fuel costs are pushing distributors toward delivery fees The big takeaway: April may have been a gut check, but the summer story is not written yet. 🎧 Listen, learn, and enjoy what you do. Also… share with a friend if you love it!📩 Have a question for the show? Reach out at info@vxptech.com. Chapters 00:00 VXP Q1 & April Sales Update 07:27 World Cup Impact 15:28 Expectations for May and June 21:09 Innovations in Beverage Industry 26:47 Market Trends and Consumer Behavior =============== YouTube: Watch on YouTube: Tapped In Sales [http://www.youtube.com/@TappedInBeveragePodcast] Spotify Podcast: Listen & Watch on Spotify Podcasts Tapped In Sales [https://open.spotify.com/show/1AuQiKjRrHy0JmwwvTAzAJ?si=7189540cc7e344c9] Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcast Tapped In Sales [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/26-how-to-make-your-pfp-a-guaranteed-monthly-bonus/id1744836870?i=1000673130206] =============== Connect with Us:   Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest episodes, industry news, and insights from the beer distribution world. About Tapped In Sales:   Tapped In Sales is a podcast dedicated to beer distributors and beverage industry professionals who are looking to elevate their sales strategies and drive profitability. Hosted by industry experts Bud Dunn and Mike Hall, we dive deep into real-world stories, actionable insights, and the latest trends to help sales teams and managers unlock their full potential. Each episode blends data, strategy, and motivation, making complex topics easy to understand and implement. This podcast is powered by VXP Tech – the leading Sales Strategy Management system designed for beer distributors. VXP simplifies the complexities of goal setting, variable compensation, and sales team performance, helping you master your market and grow profits, case by case. Stay tuned for expert advice, fresh perspectives, and tools to sharpen your sales approach! If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend!

107: NBWA Recap: Politics Cares About You

Bud is joined by Moneyball Ross and George “The Silver Fox” for a recap of the NBWA Legislative Conference and a conversation about why Washington matters to beer distributors. The big theme: even if you don’t care about politics, politics cares about you. In this episode, the guys break down the mood coming out of NBWA, the shift from Q1 cautious optimism to a slower April, and how fuel prices, consumer pressure, and economic uncertainty are showing up in the market. They also dig into one of the biggest topics in D.C.: hemp and Delta-9 beverages. Are these products a distraction from beer, a threat to volume, or an opportunity for distributors to capture more discretionary dollars? From there, the conversation moves into GLP drugs, AI shopping agents, the future of convenience stores, live events, redistricting, and the 2026 midterm math. For beer distributors, this episode is a reminder that the business does not operate in a vacuum. Politics, regulation, technology, and consumer behavior all find their way back to the route. Key Topics 🏛️ NBWA Legislative Conference recap 📉 Cautious optimism vs. April reality ⛽ Fuel prices and consumer pressure 🌿 Hemp, Delta-9, and distributor strategy 💊 GLP drugs and changing consumption 🤖 AI shopping agents and human curation 🏪 Convenience stores and the future shopper 🗳️ Midterm math, redistricting, and why politics matters Subscribe to the Tapped In Sales Podcast, share it with a friend in the beer business, and send us your questions at info@vxptech.com. Listen, learn, and enjoy what you do. Cheers! Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Context Setting 01:36 Cautious Optimism in the Industry 04:51 Impact of Fuel Prices on Consumer Behavior 07:28 The Role of Cannabis in Beverage Alcohol 10:19 GLP-3s and Their Potential Impact on Consumption 13:13 Shifts in Consumer Shopping Behavior 16:29 Cultural Differences in Convenience Store Experiences 20:47 The Future of Shopping and AI Influence 26:46 Navigating the Hemp Industry and Legislative Changes 32:07 Political Dynamics and Midterm Predictions 48:18 Industry Trends and Future Opportunities =============== YouTube: Watch on YouTube: Tapped In Sales [http://www.youtube.com/@TappedInBeveragePodcast] Spotify Podcast: Listen & Watch on Spotify Podcasts Tapped In Sales [https://open.spotify.com/show/1AuQiKjRrHy0JmwwvTAzAJ?si=7189540cc7e344c9] Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcast Tapped In Sales [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/26-how-to-make-your-pfp-a-guaranteed-monthly-bonus/id1744836870?i=1000673130206] =============== Connect with Us:   Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest episodes, industry news, and insights from the beer distribution world. About Tapped In Sales:   Tapped In Sales is a podcast dedicated to beer distributors and beverage industry professionals who are looking to elevate their sales strategies and drive profitability. Hosted by industry experts Bud Dunn and Mike Hall, we dive deep into real-world stories, actionable insights, and the latest trends to help sales teams and managers unlock their full potential. Each episode blends data, strategy, and motivation, making complex topics easy to understand and implement. This podcast is powered by VXP Tech – the leading Sales Strategy Management system designed for beer distributors. VXP simplifies the complexities of goal setting, variable compensation, and sales team performance, helping you master your market and grow profits, case by case. Stay tuned for expert advice, fresh perspectives, and tools to sharpen your sales approach! If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend!

106: The Beer Consumer Isn’t Dead, They’re Just Out to Dinner

Bud, Mike, and Ross are joined by Lester Jones, Chief Economist and Vice President of Data Analytics at the National Beer Wholesalers Association, for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of the beer industry, the consumer, and where opportunity still exists for distributors. The episode opens with the breaking news around medical marijuana moving to Schedule III and the ongoing confusion around hemp, THC, and beverage alcohol policy. From there, Lester digs into the bigger story: the beer consumer is not gone — they are just behaving differently. Consumers are still spending. They are still going out. They are still drinking. But more of that spending is happening away from home, which changes how beer volume shows up in the data. In this episode, we cover: 🍺 Why consumer sentiment and behavior do not always match 📊 How away-from-home spending is changing the beer volume story 🏪 Why the on-premise still matters for brand building📈 What the Beer Purchasers Index says about distributor confidence 👥 Why more beer drinkers can still mean lower per-capita consumption 🎯 Why distributors need to rethink accounts, channels, occasions, and retailer value 💡 What FinTech data is showing about on-premise and off-premise brand performance Key takeaway: The consumer did not quit beer. The occasion changed. If distributors only look at grocery store velocity or off-premise volume, they may miss where the consumer is actually spending. The opportunity is still there, but the old playbook may not be enough. As Lester puts it, the goal is not fewer people drinking more. It is more people drinking less. Listen now: If you like what we’re doing, please like, subscribe, and share the episode with a friend in the industry. Have a question for the show? Email us at info@vxptech.com. Chapters: 00:00 The Impact of Marijuana Reclassification 07:21 Exploring the Economy and Consumer Behavior 18:10 Understanding the Beer Purchaser's Index (BPI) 21:30 Industry Equilibrium and Consumer Spending 24:47 Gas Prices and Consumer Behavior 28:15 Shifts in Beer Consumption Patterns 29:37 The Growing Number of Beer Drinkers 31:19 On-Premise vs Off-Premise Dynamics 37:55 The Future of Beer Distribution 43:37 Leveraging Data for Market Insights 54:17 How We Roll =============== YouTube: Watch on YouTube: Tapped In Sales [http://www.youtube.com/@TappedInBeveragePodcast] Spotify Podcast: Listen & Watch on Spotify Podcasts Tapped In Sales [https://open.spotify.com/show/1AuQiKjRrHy0JmwwvTAzAJ?si=7189540cc7e344c9] Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcast Tapped In Sales [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/26-how-to-make-your-pfp-a-guaranteed-monthly-bonus/id1744836870?i=1000673130206] =============== Connect with Us:   Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest episodes, industry news, and insights from the beer distribution world. About Tapped In Sales:   Tapped In Sales is a podcast dedicated to beer distributors and beverage industry professionals who are looking to elevate their sales strategies and drive profitability. Hosted by industry experts Bud Dunn and Mike Hall, we dive deep into real-world stories, actionable insights, and the latest trends to help sales teams and managers unlock their full potential. Each episode blends data, strategy, and motivation, making complex topics easy to understand and implement. This podcast is powered by VXP Tech – the leading Sales Strategy Management system designed for beer distributors. VXP simplifies the complexities of goal setting, variable compensation, and sales team performance, helping you master your market and grow profits, case by case. Stay tuned for expert advice, fresh perspectives, and tools to sharpen your sales approach! If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend!