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www.blueflamecigarsociety.com – Tried and True Tuesday’s. What the heck is that? Watch the video as Co-Founders, Koroun Butler and Granison Shines, smoke one at a local cigar lounge called Fox Cigar and Bar.
Video Rating: 3 / 5

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It’s perfectly understandable for you to be a bit intimidated by all the information out there about cigars. You might even be a little anxious if you’re trying to figure out which cigar is best for you.

But consider this: do you have to be an expert in the nuances and eccentricities of baseball in order to enjoy a game? Do you have to possess an encyclopedic knowledge of whiskey in order to enjoy a nice after dinner drink? Do you have to know the ins and outs of hops, barley, and wheat just to enjoy a cold beer?

You see the point: an in-depth familiarity with cigars is not necessary to enjoy them. All you need to know are a few basic attributes about cigars, and you’ll soon be smoking them like a true connoisseur.

Time of Day

The first thing you should know is that certain cigars generally go better with specific times of day. Conventional wisdom maintains that if you are planning to smoke in the morning, then smaller, milder cigars are the most appropriate. Cigars of medium flavor and size are usually preferred during the afternoon hours. And if you are lighting up a stogie at night, you should choose the longest and boldest-flavored cigars in your collection.

Cost

It’s easy to assume that the more expensive the cigar is, the better its quality will be. But you should know that this is not necessarily the case. As with wine or cars, you can certainly find high-quality cigars in any price range. When you are at a smoke shop, don’t be afraid to reveal your budget to the sales associate. He can probably pick out a few cigars which would meet your needs without sacrificing quality.

Color

If you do any cigar browsing at all, you will see that there are dozens of possible different colors associated with cigars. But they all generally fall somewhere within this scale:

Double Claro: light green wrapper, very mild flavor

Claro: light tan wrapper, smooth and mild flavor

Natural: light brown wrapper, full bodied flavor

Colorado: reddish dark brown wrapper, robust and rich flavor

Colorado Maduro: dark brown wrapper, aromatic and rich flavor

Maduro: very dark brown wrapper, sweet and strong flavor

Oscuro: nearly black wrapper, very strong flavor

if you see a wrapper shade with a hue is slightly between the colors mentioned above, you can extrapolate what the flavor will be accordingly.

Size

Does cigar size really matter? The answer is: it depends. Different-sized cigars lend themselves to different cigar-smoking experiences. As you might expect, longer cigars take more time to smoke – which could translate into more enjoyment while you smoke them. But the length of the stogie is not related to the cigar’s actual quality.

That being said, you should know how cigars are measured. The length of cigars is recorded in inches. But the width of the cigar is denoted in what is called ring gauge. The ring gauge is shown in increments of 64th of an inch. So for instance, a ring gauge of 56 would mean that the cigar is 7/8 (56/64) of an inch wide.

Both of these measurements will be denoted on the cigar’s packaging, usually in this format: Length X Ring Gauge.

So if you see a cigar with the denotation of 6X64, you know that the cigar is six inches long and 1 (64/64) inch wide.

Country of Origin

You’ve probably heard about the mystique of “a great Cuban cigar.” While Cuba is home to a long tradition of fine cigars, the nation does not have a corner on the market. Many other fantastic cigars are produced in places like Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. And unlike Cuba, these countries have trade agreements with the U.S. – which means they can legally be purchased in America.

Brand

You may hear other people bandy about specific cigar brands, such as Cohiba or Montecristo. While those are names of top-quality products, there are many lesser-known brands which are just as flavorful and enjoyable. Some of these brands include Davidoff, Macanudo, Ashton, Dunhill, or Arturo Fuente.

One major advantage to these lower-profile brands is that they are all legal for purchase in the United States, while Cohiba and Montecristo cigars are not. So if you happen to see a Cohiba or Montecristo cigar in an American cigar shop, be warned: they are probably fakes or knockoffs.

Manufacture

This one is easy: choose hand-rolled over machine-rolled. Every time. You’ll be able to tell the difference.

The biggest thing to keep in mind when making your cigar selection is this: you decide what you like. Don’t automatically choose what some cigar magazine or website tells you is the best cigar. Do some experimenting with different brands, colors, and flavors. Develop your tastes and preferences. Then smoke the cigars that taste the best to you.

The biggest part of smoking cigars like a connoisseur? Knowing what you like and being able to pick out a cigar that lets you enjoy it to its fullest!

When it comes down to the real term, the word ‘connoisseur’ should not be used lightly. A lot many people confess and say that they are just connoisseurs when they are really stuck somewhere between the positions of a novice and an expert. As with most of the people around, you too may be tired of being staying a novice, or a beginner. You may aspire for something more sophisticated, hoping to become an experienced and seasoned veteran, a title that gives you a sort of gusto and credence that let out the impression that you really are knowledgeable about what you are talking about. This can be particularly true when it comes to cigarette or cigar smoking. You could be fervently waiting for the moment when you can inform other people about your hey days as a ramp model. In addition to that you can also let them know that you are also a hard core cigar connoisseur.

You might have tried a variety of cigars since there is nothing like hands on experience to help people learn. This way, you not only get to learn what you like, but also learn what you do not like. Well, this is obviously based on an individual’s choice and opinion. A brand of cigar that you hate may be the one that is liked by another smoker. Even if you have a personal choice of a favourite cigar, and like to smoke it regularly, you should, once in a while, go out to smoke something different. And, whenever people with real cigar tastes suggest that you venture to try something new, take the call and appease them. You might be in for a surprise. Learning and educating oneself on the history, origin, and culture of cigarettes and cigars can go a long way in accomplishing the task. Several cigar books are available in the market, which discuss what each and every smoker needs to know to arrive at the status of a connoisseur. In addition to that, there are books you can read and company websites you can visit, which portray the history of smoking, and cigars.

You will be able to find a better cigar expert in the person standing behind the cigars counter in some nearby cigar store. Cigars are a part of them; it is a passion for such people. These people usually know more about tobacco cigars; even more than what a cigar knows about its very own ingredients. Cigar shop owners would only be glad to provide answers to your questions; in addition to that they will also make suggestions, or might provide some inside information as well. If you are hell bound on becoming a cigar connoisseur, join a cigar club. Not only will these clubs expose you to a variety of cigars, but also they choose the right kind of cigars for you, giving details about the finest selection of cigars around. Of course, you will be able to learn a lot if you are ready to put in a little effort.

To understand the concept behind the humidor, one must first be informed of the long-term effects of ageing on tobacco products. First, there is the effect of bloom. This is often mistaken for mold by less learned cigar smokers. Bloom will appear as a white powdery substance on the cigar. In all actuality, Bloom is a good aspect, as it is a sign of proper ageing. This actually intensifies the flavor of a good smoke. If you would rather, you can simply dust this off or, in some cases, simply blow it off, but most cigar aficionados would not.

Mold, on the other hand, does truly occur. Tobacco mold most often comes in the form of blue mold. It is a bluish colored fungus that grows on the outer wrapper of your cigar. If you find this, do not attempt to merely cut the mold off and smoke it anyway. This can be quite harmful to your health. As painful as it might be, simply throw that cigar away.

If properly aged, Mold will not occur, but Bloom will. A properly aged cigar is generally stronger and has a much more distinct flavor. Most people will only bother to age a high-profile smoke, such as a fine Cuban cigar.

Proper aging is done via the Humidor, the focus of this article. A humidor is a device designed solely for the purpose of creating the perfect environment in which to age a cigar. You see, aging a cigar in normal room environments leaves it prone to excessive temperatures, varying humidity’s and other environmental factors that can increase the possibility of the occurrence of mold.

A humidor allows the smoker to maintain a steady and ideal environment for the aging of the cigar. The ideal settings for your humidor are somewhere between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit with a humidity of 65 to 75 percent, roughly.

Do you need a humidor? This all depends. If smoking a cigar is nothing more to you than a quick distraction, if you are content to smoke a cigar that is simply aged between the point of manufacturer to distributor then the answer is no. However, if you consider yourself to be a true connoisseur of fine tobacco, then your life will not be complete without a good humidor to age your cigars to perfection.

Some people prefer to make their own humidors. However, if you do not have the know-how to attempt this, you can find them for sale online anywhere between the prices of $20.00 to $1000.00. The cheaper ones do work, but as with all products, you generally get what you pay for. In the long run, it would be best to pay a little more for the better product.

Overcoming objections is not hard. It is a simple matter of assuming the customer is going to buy and then solving their problem. In this article, I am going to give a true example of how a salesperson walked right past a sale they could have easily gotten using a some simple techniques for overcoming objections.

First, let’s set the scene for the true life example for overcoming objections.

Last Monday, which was the 31st day of August (I mention the date for a reason you will see) my wife and I decided to buy a new car and went to a dealership. The salesperson showed us three vehicles that would have been acceptable. One was the most luxurious model and we really liked it but said it was we couldn’t afford it. That left two vehicles. One of them had a bad order and we rejected it. But then…out of the blue…came the final crushing objection. My wife said that she doesn’t like the color of either of them. The salesperson tried to find other inventory in his computer and kind of lost our interest while he was lost in working the computer for a long time. Then, he brought his manager to see us. The manager was nice but also made no attempt to close us. When we left, my wife said she was disappointed that they didn’t try to sell us as she would have bought any of the three vehicles if they had made it easy for us to make the purchase. Let’s look at some of the approaches they could have taken that could have easily turned a disappointed hand shake into a sale.

It’s The Last Day Of The Month

As I mentioned, it happened to be the last day of the month. What if the salesperson had asked if we really liked the luxury model we thought was out of our budget? If we said yes, he could have said. “Look, today is the last day of the month. Our expenses for the month are all paid. Any money we make now is just gravy. Now is the time to make an offer and see if you can get the luxury model to fit in your budget. Pick a number in your heart that will make you happy and I’ll get the paperwork started.” You can also adapt this to the beginning of the month and the middle of the month, to Saturdays, evenings and mornings.

Let’s Talk About The Color

My wife didn’t like the color, but what if the salesperson had said, “I know you don’t like the color but let me ask. Is there a price that would make the color acceptable? I mean if you saved enough would you accept a color that is different than the one you were hoping for? How much would you have to save? I doubt it but let’s see if we can get it in that range. I’ll get the paperwork started.”

Let’s Talk About The Odor

One vehicle was rejected due to a string cigar odor. The salesperson just agreed with us that it was overpowering. What if he had said, “Carl, we have a great reconditioning department and we are great at odor control. In fact, we do all the police cars for the city. I am confident we can get that odor to completely disappear. I am going to write on the order that this purchase is subject to us getting the odor to you satisfaction or the purchase is null and void. I’ll’ get the paperwork started.”

The Loyalty Bonus

“Carl, normally you couldn’t get that luxury model in your price range but I see you bought your current vehicle here. I am going to try to get you a loyalty bonus that will make this vehicle affordable. I’ll get the paperwork started.”

Let’s Talk Paint

Carl, I understand that you wife dislikes the color, so I’m going to write here that the vehicle if to be repainted in the color of your choice at no additional charge. I’ll get the paperwork started”. Now this may or may not be possible but it will get the buyers to sign a contract and get the negotiations rolling.

The Coin Flip

A last ditch “Hail Mary” approach is to find out which one they are “leaning towards” and then say, “Tell you what, I’ll flip you for it. Heads you buy it, tails you walk away”. You flip a coin and you have a 50% chance.

If Your Daughter….?

“Carl, let me ask you, if your daughter was looking for a good vehicle from a good dealer and she saw the ones you saw today, what would you advise her to do?” Many customer will say, “I’d advise here to take the XXXX”

Would These Methods Work?

We have discussed seven ideas to get the sale. Would they work? They will work on some people and not on others. But we know for sure that they won’t work if they are not tried. In our true example, the salesperson and the manager failed to try and lost the sale. Be sure you have lots of ways to solve the customers’ problems and always assume that they are buying. It is easy to overcome objections if you just don’t give up and if you try to solve the customer’s problem.