We are always happy to talk to new people, taste products, and have discussions. This philosophy comes from the following thoughts/facts:
When PM was started 12 years ago, very few cared to respond to an email or a call. It leaves a bad taste in one’s mouth, one I can still taste now. The absence of a response communicates 'you’re so not worth it that I am not even going to take 7 seconds out of my busy day to write a ‘thanks for reaching out and sorry, but we are not interested’,' and it hurts. Hence, as much as we can, we want to respond, be helpful if we can, and consider a product/supplier if we feel it makes sense for both parties.
The business is always changing: one who worked here yesterday works there now, brands get bought, distilleries find funding, someone new is hired...and because everything is constantly flowing, being set in one’s ways, not being willing to see what is out there, and being shut off to the world can only hurt the business.
That said, we are also never really looking to add any items, because our aim is to constantly do better by the people/suppliers who are entrusting us with their business. We want to grow by increasing the sales of our existing portfolio, as opposed to growing by adding a ton of brands. The latter way only results in a decline in the sales of the brands one has been working with for a long time, which does not feel like the right thing to do.
Do we manage to always grow the sales of the suppliers we have been working with for years? Of course not. We are not magic. Like any company, we will fail at stuff, we try to learn and do better. Also, the market has a say: it is not all about what the supplier and her importer/wholesalers think or want to make happen.
Now, are we putting time and energy into constantly trying to figure out how we can do better? Yes, we do, because our portfolio is actually curated, every supplier has been vetted, and we decided to represent her for a reason. Because as a team, we measure our success by the success of those who entrust us with their products.
That said, we are always open and potentially interested when a cool/good opportunity comes along.
We also aspire to be mindful of one’s time and not let one think that because we are having a meet & greet conversation or a preliminary meeting, we are signaling that we are going to do business. We want to be straightforward so as not to give false hopes as a sign of respect.
We rarely(*) say 'no' right away; doing so would mean we feel entitled and complacent.
(*): though we do in the following instances:
It’s obvious the product is not a good fit. Our portfolio, values, and ethos are available on www.pmspirits.com; should one have done minimal research, one would have realized we are the wrong people for one’s groundbreaking 'F$CKFF' shimmering cinnamon-infused glow-in-the-dark sparkling rum or 'TequiLot,' that sensational merlot tequila liquor.
The people and/or values behind the product(s) do not align with ours. We thrive to work with honest, genuine, and good people that we feel good being the spokespersons for.