One way to personalize your client relationship - send handwritten notes by mail for that human touch.
This is the cruise for you! If you have qualified carefully, you should be able to narrow down just 1 or 2 cruise options for your clients.
Get online - social media is the way of the future for the next generation of travellers.
Think ahead and make a plan - it's your path to success.
This week we're wrapping up our series on how to grow
your cruise business
which was inspired by Adam Goldstein's keynote speech
at Cruise360.
Personalize the Relationship
This complements the point of owning the customer
mentioned in the
1st part of
this 3 part series. Clients are
loyal to those who have taken the time to get to know
them and have created
a meaningful relationship with them. If your clients
know that you
understand their needs and can cater to their
preferences, they will stay with you and book with you. In order to reach this
understanding, you need to engage with them on a regular basis, send them
pertinent information that appeals to their interest and demonstrate that they
are more than just a number in your database. Personalize your notes and
phone calls to say hello rather than rely on electronic messages.
Simplify
Often, we try to impress our clients by sharing all
the knowledge that we
have; after all we want to show that we are cruise
experts. But this could actually be very confusing and overwhelming to them,
and can cost you the sale. "Less is More" is truly applicable
when providing cruise quotes. Give no more than 2 options. In fact, if you have properly
qualified your clients, there should only be 1 choice that best suits
their needs. In the end, your expertise will come across in the few
recommendations that you make, because the client will realize that you truly
understand them and have used your knowledge to recommend the best cruise
for them.
In addition, avoid using industry jargon without a
proper explanation. Guest space ratio or gross registered tonnage mean nothing
if clients don't understand how it applies to their situation. Every
time you mention a point, ask yourself 1st: Is this point relevant and am
I explaining how it will affect their cruise experience?
There is no argument that we all need to be on social
media. Some agents say
their clients are older and don't use computers or
social media, so there is no need to have a presence online. Unfortunately this
is a very near-sighted statement. As business owners, we need to look ahead
to the future, to capture the next generation of travellers, who are all
online. Social media is where people are expressing their views, opinions
and passions, and there is no better place to express your passion for
cruising and pique their interest. Many agencies are employing millennials to
look after social media postings, and there are also social media gurus
available to teach the proper techniques.
Think Ahead
Adam Goldstein concluded his speech by asking all of
us to think ahead. We are often too busy processing the daily grind and few
take the time to list our long term business goals. He encouraged us to take
1/2 or a full day out of our schedule to think where we want to be by a
certain time, and make a plan on how to achieve that. Whether it's hitting a
sales target, achieving higher commission levels, growing the size of your
agency or increasing your database - write down your goals, and then implement
steps to make them a reality.
Thanks for following me on this journey and I hope you
will apply these
lessons to your business.
Ming Tappin is a cruise veteran with over 20 years
experience in the industry and has sailed on 38 cruises and counting.
Based in Vancouver, Ming
is Owner of www.yourcruisecoach.com.
