Tapped In Sales and Strategy for Beer Distributors

Is more money at risk the key to better performance? Or is it just creating pressure without payoff? In this episode of Tapped In Sales , Bud, Mike, and Ross break down one of the most common (and misunderstood) topics in beverage sales: how much pay should really be “at risk”? We tackle real-world experiences—from reps climbing trees to managers misaligning incentives—and get into the math, psych...

In this episode, Bud, Mike, and Ross break down a major shift in the THC beverage landscape— Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s surprise veto of the Delta 9 ban , signaling a new era of regulation over prohibition. What does that mean for distributors? Opportunity. But only if you’re ready. The crew unpacks: 🔁 Texas’ surprising reversal on Delta 9 and what it means for national regulation 📜 Why regula...

What happens when your sales team hits their goals… and then you change the rules? In this episode, Bud, Mike, and Ross break down the real consequences of mid-month goal changes and stretch targets that were never meant to be hit. From trust erosion to disengaged reps, the crew shares field-tested insights on how to set smarter, more effective goals—and when not to touch them. You'll also get: 🎯...

In this episode, Bud, Mike, and “Professor” Ross take the red pill and dive into the uncomfortable truth behind supplier discounts. You may have crushed your volume goals, but are you actually making more money? The team breaks down price elasticity in plain terms, exposes the math behind margin erosion, and explains why a 50% increase in volume might not even be enough to break even. Whether you'...

Why do reps chase some objectives and ghost others? Why do some supplier incentives hit while others flop? In this episode, Bud, Mike, and Ross finally tackle a topic that’s long been part of the conversation but never had a spotlight: Return on Effort . We break down the real-life decisions reps and team leads make every day—from choosing whether to build a 150-case display, to deciding if that d...

Welcome back to Tapped In Sales ! In this episode, Bud, Data Mike, and Moneyball Ross tackle one of the most frustrating (and expensive) realities in beverage distribution: bad supplier incentives. Whether you're a supplier trying to move volume or a distributor juggling ten competing programs at once, this one’s for you. We break down: 🎯 Why complex incentives kill execution 🚫 The hidden danger...

In this episode, Bud, Ross, and Mike sit down with Charlie Brown (yes, that’s his real name), President of Missouri Eagle — a fourth-generation Anheuser-Busch wholesaler serving the Ozarks. Charlie walks us through the bold, all-in reorg that reshaped everything from sales structure to delivery routes to compensation. What followed was a full-on transformation: 🏗️ A complete company reorg — from s...

This week’s episode flips the script with a beer industry news roundup full of hot takes, industry insights, and a little friendly wagering. 🔹 Warren Buffett doubles his stake in Constellation — what does the Oracle of Omaha see in beer while the rest of the world screams “Bev Alc is dead”? 🔹 Busch Light Apple returns and flies off the shelves… but can Lime live up to the hype? Mikey and Ross ma...

Non-alcoholic beer isn’t just a trend—it’s a strategic growth lane that’s changing how distributors think about assortment, margin, and consumer occasions. In this episode, Bud, Mike, and Ross sit down with Matt Steinke , Head of Sales at Go Brewing , to talk about the real state of non-alc in 2025—from the sales floor to supplier strategy. With a background at Atlas, AB, and Rheingeist, Matt brin...

In this episode, Bud, Mike, and Ross dig into one rep’s creative cooler reset that turned a low-priority deli into a high-profit NA account — and use it to explore the bigger playbook changes happening in beverage sales. From navigating the shifting loyalty landscape of NA suppliers to exposing the shortcomings of “shadow commissions,” this episode is packed with real-world insights and strategy f...

What really matters: margin percentage or gross profit dollars ? In this episode, Bud, Mike, and Ross tackle one of the most misunderstood metrics in the beer business—GP per CE (Gross Profit per Case Equivalent)—and explain why chasing percentages can cost you real money. With real-world stories from supplier negotiations, listener questions, and a few spicy email exchanges, the team lays out the...

In today’s episode, Bud, Mike, and Ross dive into one of the toughest balancing acts for beverage distributors today: managing your supplier and brand portfolio.  Are you growing smarter — or just growing busier? They break down the real challenges of supplier proliferation, SKU overload, and the "doom loop" of slowing sales without strategic pruning. Learn how to expand into new categor...

What happens when your steady salary isn’t so steady anymore? In this episode, Bud, Mike, and Ross unpack the emotional rollercoaster of shifting from base-heavy compensation to a more variable, performance-based pay structure. Mike shares the raw story of losing part of his base salary after 18 years—and how it ended up transforming his leadership style, earnings, and motivation. Ross breaks down...

The Kool-Aid is flowing. The drying rack Peloton is back. And Ross Ackermann — the original architect of VXP — returns to the pod for our 1-year anniversary episode. This week, Bud, Mikey, and Ross dig into the battle between top-down sales control and rep-driven autonomy — and why old-school incentives might be killing your results. Whether you’re a beer wholesaler, supplier, or industry leader,...

In this episode of Tapped In Sales , Bud and Mike dive into the latest market shakeups beer distributors are navigating—from Delta 9 THC beverages gaining steam to new aluminum tariffs disrupting supplier strategy. Whether you're in a growing THC state like Florida or fighting for more GP in Q1, this episode is about how to adapt and win with what the market gives you. 🔍 In This Episode: 🍃 Delta...

In this milestone 50th episode, Bud and Magic Mike dive into one of the most important (and underrated) tools in a sales leader’s toolkit: autonomy . Fresh off Michigan’s Oberon Day — the unofficial start of spring — the guys talk about why beer brings people together even when it’s snowing , and how that same energy is showing up in the field. From reps texting GP-driven displays on a Saturday to...

This week, Bud and Magic Mike take you behind the scenes of their recent ride-alongs in the Northeast — where they found high-GP wins, nostalgic furniture, and yes… a bodega cat guarding the shelf. From spotting real-time Beatbox opportunities in the wild to creatively reworking cooler space (hello, shelf theft from the NA section), this episode is packed with field-ready insights. We also talk di...

Finished Product Loss (FPL) is an unavoidable reality in beer distribution, but how much of it is truly unavoidable ? In this episode of Tapped In Sales , Bud and Mikey break down the key drivers behind FPL, from breakage and out-of-code returns to inefficient tracking processes. They share real-world insights on how wholesalers can tighten up their operations, reduce waste, and ultimately protect...

The beer industry is facing some serious turbulence, and we're here to break it all down. In this episode, Bud and Mikey tackle the latest market shifts, from tariffs shaking up imports to energy drink drama and distributors navigating unpredictable trends . What’s Inside This Episode? 🍺 Tariffs & Their Impact – What do the new 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports mean for the industry...

🍻 Listen up and welcome back! This week, Bud and Mikey sit down with Hunter Jerome , Capitan of Culture at Jerome Distributing, to explore the power of beer as a social connector . From the tradition of Bock Poking 🔥 to the growing issue of social disconnection, they dive into how beer can help bring people together in an increasingly digital world. What’s on Tap in This Episode? ✅ Bock Poking...

On this episode of Tapped In Sales , Bud and Mikey sit down with Lester Jones , Chief Economist and VP of Analytics at the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) , to break down the latest economic and demographic trends shaping the beer industry. Lester shares why beer remains a staple in American culture despite shifting consumption patterns, how population migration is impacting distribut...

🚨 Big News at VXP! 🚨 In this episode of Tapped In Sales , we’re excited to introduce George Kossl as the new Vice President of Sales at VXP ! 🎉 Many of you in the industry already know George—from his years of experience in beverage distribution tech, his leadership in sales strategy, or maybe even from his Jeep obsession. Now, he’s bringing that expertise to help distributors unlock profitabil...

Super Bowl Monday might hit hard, but this episode is packed with big wins—both on and off the field. Bud and Mike dive into the biggest takeaways from Super Bowl LVIII, including the beer commercials that had distributors talking, a $1.4 billion gambling frenzy, and whether the real winner was the ads or the game itself. But the real MVP? A Chicago-area sales rep named Jon, who turned a simple VX...

In this episode of Tapped In Sales , Bud and Mikey sit down with Joe Marcantel , COO of Daniel L. Jacob Distributing (DLJ) in Michigan. Joe shares DLJ's journey from struggling with internal profit tracking to transforming their sales strategy using VXP . We dive into how shifting the focus from volume to profitability empowered Joe’s team, sparked meaningful conversations, and boosted their b...

🎙️ Episode Overview Welcome back to Tapped In Sales , the podcast for beer distributors, by beer distributors! This week, Bud’s holding down the fort while Mikey’s been sidelined with a little snowboarding mishap —and by little, we mean a full-speed, helmet-tested, memory-erasing wipeout. 🏂💥 But don't worry, he's back (kind of), and we're diving into some big industry moves while kee...