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It is somewhat ironic that less than a month ago I wrote an article about how careful we must be when it comes to the words we use. The wrong word can hurt. Well, two weeks ago I shared my experience about visiting a wonderful winery, Hunt Country Vineyards, located in the Finger Lakes Region. The vineyard has won more awards in international competitions than you could ever imagine.

If you recall the article was about how important it is to sell our products by sharing the story behind the product. This vineyard introduced me to Ice Wine, which is made through a process of waiting until the grape is completely frozen. The grapes are then harvested and pressed while they are still frozen. It creates an exceptionally sweet taste. I tried it and it was too sweet for my taste.

Here comes the Booboo. I said that I hated the taste but went on to purchase a bottle which I have served  to my guests many times now. The story was so captivating ( I have abbreviated it here).Well, when describing a wine you should never use the word hate. I found out the hard way when I received an email from the winery as they shared their disappointment with me. This wine had just won a major award in Europe; it is the pride of the vineyard and one of the most popular wines they sell regardless of the premier pricing.

I thought it was a harmless statement considering that I bought the bottle. Well, it wasn’t. It is as bad as telling a parent that their child is ugly, the car dealer that their cars look cheap, or telling a writer that their book was a waste of time. (I wouldn’t like that one.)  I think you get the picture.

So this is an official apology to everyone at Hunt Country Vineyards for my use of that (I won’t say it again) inappropriate verb.

There is one other lesson we can learn from my error. When negotiating with a vendor for off price merchandise, NEVER EVER insult the merchandise you are trying to buy. It is that vendor’s livelihood and you will never get what you want because you will have insulted them the same I did at Hunt Country.

Session #1 covering the always popular topic of Ecommerce opportunity is just weeks away.