Robin Robinson has built small brands for most of his working life and is currently working with small spirit brands across the US as a “brand sherpa” to help them enter and endure a volatile and competitive marketplace. See Clients here.

Contact me for a free consultation:

201-263-1141

robin@robinrobinsonllc.com

Previously, he helped build the Compass Box Whisky Co. as its US Sales and Brand Manager and Brand Ambassador, responsible for sales, retail and consumer education; managing distributor, retail and consumer relationships; driving field sales across all markets; and promoting the brand through field marketing events such as tastings, pairing dinners, seminars, festivals and social networks.

To succeed, you educate and persist, systematize your approach and create evangelists.

Prior to that, Robin was in sales in the tech industry, working primarily with small Silicon Valley technology startups, ranging from CRM to ERP to eCommerce, selling mission critical enterprise-level technology systems to Fortune 1000 companies.

To win, listen intently to your client and promote solutions that ease their pain and they will trust you to gently lead the conversation; then, you must under promise and over deliver.

Robin got a taste for the salesman’s life with Shaw-Walker, the 20th C leader in office furniture and open office modular systems.

Talking about 1 chair for seven minutes is about linking fact to benefit to value to need.

And in the beginning, he plied the streets of small towns, the avenues of New York and boulevards of LA as an actor with credits in theatre, film, TV and radio: the ultimate small brand experience. Create, market, sell, deliver, service and repeat.

To succeed, to just survive, you have to master process - whether its your technique, your marketing, or your street time. You are carrying the wing of a butterfly wrapped in the hide of a rhinoceros through a battlefield of broken dreams.

Throughout, he developed a life long love of all whiskies and as such he is in demand as a lecturer on that subject.

His “Whiskey Smackdown” series at the renowned Astor Center in New York is the longest running whiskey class in the US, currently 16 years since 2009. It is now being rebranded as “The History of Whiskey” in honor of his new book of the same name. Robin also teaches a 2 day Route-to-Market class for nascent brands at Moonshine University, focusing on distribution relationships and sales methodology.
He has lectured at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), French Culinary Institute, Institute of Culinary Excellence (ICE), and The Flatiron Room; BarConventBerlin, Tales of the Cocktail and various USBG chapters across the country.
Robin has lectured on various sales and marketing topics for American Distilling Institute and American Craft Spirits Association.

Robin is the proud author of two books: “The Complete Whiskey Course” published by Hachette; and “The History of Whiskey in 100 Bottles, Barrels and More” published by Countryman Press

Robin is a spirits judge for two renowned competitions:

Kevin Bemel of “The Way to Wow Show” interviews me on the path of authenticity:

Robin has been featured in publications such as 201 Magazine, the Chicago Sun Times, New York Times, AskMen.com, Heritage Network, Las Vegas Weekly, VinePair and was awarded “Highest Commendation” from Whisky Magazine’s 2014 Icons of Whisky.

Here’s Robin’s personal blog for things other than whiskey: Bile

He writes whiskey lifestyle articles for The Whiskey Wash

Robin lives in the Metro NYC area.