VXP

Smarter Analytics For More Profitable Results

Tapped In Podcast Sales and Strategy for beer distributors

Tapped In – the podcast for Beverage Distributors that want to empower their sales team to drive business results

Hosted by Bud Dunn and Mike Hall of VXP

Tapped In Podcast is the ultimate resource on topics of interest to Sales Teams in the beverage distribution industry

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Listen On Spotify

Episodes

Ross breaks down how the K-shaped economy is reshaping beer sales. High-end and value are growing — the middle’s getting squeezed. What does that mean for your portfolio and pricing strategy? 🎧 Full Episode: Beer Isn’t Getting Dumber — It’s Getting Simpler #TappedInSales #BeerEconomics #vxptech @TappedInBeveragePodcast
The Middle’s Disappearing | The K-Shaped Economy in Beer #beersales
If that cooler space isn’t making you money, it’s costing you. Bud, Ross, and Mike from the Tapped In Sales Podcast break down how top distributors think about cooler strategy like real-estate investors — every facing should earn its rent. 🎧 Full Episode: Beer Isn’t Getting Dumber — It’s Getting Simpler #TappedInSales #VXPTech #beerindustry @TappedInBeveragePodcast
👉 Every Shelf Is Real Estate | Make Every SKU Pay Rent
The beer industry can learn a lot from wine. Mike explains how one simple idea made wine approachable again — and why beer needs the same shift now. Clarity beats clever every time. 🎧 Watch the full episode: Beer Isn’t Getting Dumber — It’s Getting Simpler #TappedInSales #VXPTech #beerbusiness @TappedInBeveragePodcast
Simple Beats Complex | Why Approachable Brands Win #beersales
The headlines say, “Make Beer Dumb Again.” But the truth? Beer isn’t getting dumber — it’s getting simpler. In this episode, Bud, Moneyball Ross, and Data Mike dig into a viral Business Insider article that claims craft’s complexity is dying and “cheap, chuggable beer” is back. The crew breaks it down through the lens of distributor reality — from the economics of a K-shaped economy to what’s actually happening in coolers across America. 🧩 In This Episode: 🎯 The Real Story Behind “Make Beer Dumb Again” — Why simplicity and approachability are driving the next wave of growth, not a race to the bottom. 📉 The K-Shaped Consumer — Ross explains how the middle-class squeeze is reshaping what shoppers buy, and why both value and premium are winning. 🍷 What Beer Can Learn from Yellow Tail Wine — Mike draws the line between over-complicated craft and how one simple wine label re-energized an entire category. 🧊 Cooler Space = Real Estate — Why reps need to think like landlords, not stockers. Optimize your high-earning space and stop wasting time on dead SKUs. 🧮 Execution Tip: The 80/20 Focus — Bud shares a way to chunk strategy into small wins — reviewing one section of your set per visit to drive incremental gains. 🧠 Key Takeaway: Consumers aren’t getting “dumber” — they’re exhausted. The brands (and sales teams) winning in 2025 are the ones making it easier to buy, sell, and drink. Simplify your message, simplify your shelf, and the sales will follow. Subscribe to Tapped In Sales wherever you get your podcasts, and send us your thoughts or questions at info@vxptech.com — we might feature them in an upcoming episode. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 03:29 Consumer Preferences: Cheap vs. Premium Beer 06:35 The Shift Towards Simplicity in Beer 09:10 The Role of Retro Brands in Today's Market 12:06 Conclusion and Future Trends in Beer Consumption 16:41 The Rise of Non-Alcoholic Brands 19:12 Navigating Market Complexity and Consumer Preferences 20:29 Optimizing Sales Strategies in a Changing Market 24:17 Breaking Complacency in Sales Approaches 28:31 Aligning Operations with Sales Strategies 33:04 Fostering a Culture of Innovation and Fun =============== YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@TappedInBeveragePodcast Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1AuQiKjRrHy0JmwwvTAzAJ?si=7189540cc7e344c9 Apple Podcasts: 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!
Beer Isn’t Getting Dumber — It’s Getting Simpler
Successful suppliers and distributors forecast like finance pros: Every brand. Every market. Every trend. Because Arizona isn’t Oregon — and Florida sure isn’t the Northeast. 🌴❄️ 🎧 Full episode: Trick or Treat 🎃👻 The Scary Truth About Budgets @TappedInBeveragePodcast
Forecast by Brand, by Market, by Reality 📊 | Tapped In Sales #beersales
Your suppliers use complex forecasting models — seasonality, brand mix, market data. Meanwhile, sales still sits in a room guessing next year’s numbers like it’s 1980. Ross Ackermann says it’s time to bring your forecasting into the same century as your business. 🎧 Full episode: Trick or Treat 🎃👻 The Scary Truth About Budgets #Forecasting #SalesLeadership #BeerDistribution #BudgetSeason #VXPTech
Stop Budgeting Like It’s 1980 💾 | Tapped In Sales #beersales
Too many distributors start the year chasing supplier forecasts that were never meant for their market. If you’re building your business off an ABP spreadsheet, you’re already behind. Bud, Ross, and Mike break down why real budgets start from the bottom up — not from supplier fantasy numbers. 🎧 Watch the full episode: Trick or Treat 🎃👻 The Scary Truth About Budgets #TappedInSales #BeerDistribution #SalesLeadership #ABPPlanning #BudgetSeason #VXPTech @TappedInBeveragePodcast
Don’t Start the Year Chasing Someone Else’s Math 💀 | Tapped In Sales #beersales
Bud Dunn drops a truth bomb for every leader managing family expectations: Don’t wait to explain a miss — fight for realistic goals early. Because happiness in business really is math: Expectations ÷ Reality = Happiness. Set them low. Beat them often. 🎧 Full episode → Trick or Treat 🎃👻 The Scary Truth About Budgets @TappedInBeveragePodcast
Expectations ÷ Reality = Happiness 💡 | Tapped In Sales #beersales
Budget season is here… and so are the tricks. This week, Bud, Ross, and Mike pull the mask off one of the biggest haunted houses in beer distribution: supplier ABPs becoming your distributor budget. It’s a scary pattern we see every fall — suppliers hand out pie-in-the-sky numbers, and wholesalers just roll them into their plan. Not this year. In this episode, the crew digs into: 🍺 Why your ABP is not your budget 📉 How to build forecasts that reflect your market reality, not supplier fantasy 📊 12-month vs 3-month moving totals – how to anchor your targets in data 💬 When to blend quantitative models with “Bud Bias” – the art and math of planning 💡 How the best distributors separate forecast, budget, and execution – and how that drives real GP per CE growth They also touch on the latest industry news — from layoffs at Molson Coors to the rise of sober-curious marketing — and what it means for your 2026 planning cycle. If you’ve ever sat through an ABP PowerPoint and thought, “there’s no way that number came from my market,” this episode’s for you. 💬 Got a question or want to challenge our process? Hit us at info@vxptech.com Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Halloween Banter 04:25 ABP Season vs. Real Budget Season 10:20 Forecasts, Not Fantasies 16:00 Building Budgets That Reflect Reality 21:10 Data, Bias, and the Happiness Equation 28:30 Supplier Forecasting and Partnerships 44:25 Industry News and Market Headwinds 51:00 The Future of Beer and Beyond =============== YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@TappedInBeveragePodcast Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1AuQiKjRrHy0JmwwvTAzAJ?si=7189540cc7e344c9 Apple Podcasts: 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!
Trick or Treat 🎃👻 The Scary Truth About Budgets
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