My View: Attracting new talent

The UK grocery sector continues to mature at a rate that will undoubtedly leave "old school" wine enthusiast selling techniques in the cold.

As much as passion about the product is vital, this alone will not lever favour with retailers such as Asda or Tesco for long.

Persuading consumers to trade up is as much about product placement, market research and category management as it is about year, grape variety and vineyard. Retailers want to employ people with a passion for wine, but this has to be matched with commercial awareness and business planning skills.

The spirits market is more advanced in mixing product experience with wider FMCG commercial principles.

Many spirits companies have diverse sales structures made up of industry specialists and wider FMCG companies, resulting in more flexible sales forces. What can the spirits sector learn from someone who sells toothpaste to Sainsbury's?

Not much you may think, but sectors like personal care have generated an army of commercially astute, hard-nosed sales professionals who make the difference between being a winner and an also-ran.

With levels of classically trained alcohol personnel at an all-time low, just when demand for this level of expertise is at an all-time high, the UK wine industry must look to other sectors to fulfil its needs.

Lee Young is principal consultant for specialist FMCG recruiter Ellis Fairbank

• Harpers Says...