Selling Holiday, Vacation, Tours & Packages

By GERARD ASSEY

'Selling Holiday, Vacation Tours & Packages ' is a must read for anyone in the Travel & Tour business- on how to Sell Professionally,  Increase Revenues and Profits and take the business forward by helping you:

1. Sell Yourselves (Customers go by what they see in you first- the way you carry & conduct yourself)
2. Prospect, Win and Sell Your Services.
3. Up-Sell & Cross-Sell
4. Expand your markets and market share
5. Personalize your customer's journey and experience, by tailoring packages to suit their needs
6. Deliver extra for the customer every step of their journey
7. Help gain a continuous flow of Referrals
8. Win back previous customers who have defected to a competitor
9. Benchmark your position and establish your brand/ name as a market influencer in the Travel industry
10. Build Glorious Experiences and Memories for your Customers!
11. Retain Customers for Life
12. Stand out from the Competition
13. Project the Right Image thro' Professionalism and Credibility in the Market!

It covers in detail, each step required for the Sales & Service Process- the skills sets, behavior & attitude, and is aimed at all who are keen on creating a memorable experience that is enjoyable by encouraging customers to return again!

• Language: English
• Publisher: GERARD ASSEY
• Release date: May 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223130017

Book preview

Gerard Assey

Selling

Holiday, Vacation, Tours & Packages

By

Gerard Assey

© Copyright 2023 by Author

Published by:

Gerard Assey

19/18, Palli Arasan Street

Anna Nagar East

Chennai - 600 102

All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means- electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the author.

(Image courtesy by: www.Pixabay.com- Thank You)

Table of Contents

✓  Introduction

✓  Key Attributes of a Top Travel Advisor/ Consultant

✓  12 Good Reasons why Customer’s must use you as their Travel Advisor/ Consultant

✓  The Master 12 Keys to Equip & Enable You Standout as T.H.E. G.R.E.A.T. S.T.A.R.

✓  T-Trust-The Foundation Pillar

✓  H-Habits, Attitude and Mindset

✓  E-Ethics, Esteem, Etiquette & Grooming

✓  G-Gather Information (Preparation and Planning)

✓  The Itinerary- A Great Sales Tool!

✓  R-Revealing Questions (Understanding their Needs)

✓  E-Explain, Enlighten, Engage, Enthuse & Excite Customers

✓  A-Answer Customer’s Concerns and Objections

✓  T-Techniques to help customer’s ‘buy’...as people, hate being sold!

✓  S-Service Exemplary

✓  T-Testimonials and the Power of it!

✓  A-Action Post-sale: Your Promises and Credibility to Promote Advocacy

✓  R-Relationships leading to Referrals

✓  Servicing the MICE Sector

✓  Tips to Negotiate Deals Effectively

✓  Building Your Networking Skills

✓  Handling Turn-downs/ Rejections and Keeping Yourself Motivated!

✓  Taking this Forward- The Final Word!

✓  About the Author

Introduction

‘S elling Holiday, Vacation , Tours & Packages’ is exclusively designed for the Travel and Tour Operating companies and sector desirous of creating Magical, Incredible, Captivating, Unforgettable Experiences & Memories for Customers.

Tourism being a major economic activity for many nations in the world and continuing to witness a phenomenal growth of interest in how people spend their holidays, spare time, especially their leisure and non-work time- its vital for you as the tour operator to work on understanding what customers really want and going beyond-as this alone is crucial to any successful business. The success or failure within this industry ultimately rests on the ability to win service and retain customers!

The population is forecast to reach 9.6bn by 2050 according to the United Nations and by 2030 there will be an extra billion people in the world, of which 20% will be travelling, with the global passenger and freighter fleet doubling.

Added to this is something much more significant- the MICE industry, which has emerged over recent decades as an important contributor to national economies, with MICE travel continuing to be a high growth segment. The next significant growth engine for the global tourist industry is MICE, which is the future of business travel. If you are in this sector, you know the immense potential of MICE Tourism and the indelible impact it delivers on the economy both directly and indirectly, in addition to the broad spectrum of stakeholders who are all an integral part of this system. With the continued significant growth in International tourism worldwide, this translates into job creation and several other opportunities in many economies. This growth encourages the travel sector with the need to increase its capacity to develop and manage tourism in a sustainable way. And in this current, yet, fastest changing era of business environment that we find ourselves in, it is critical that we maximize our key business asset- the one who gives us the business- our clients.

When it comes to the traveler- our asset, who is the client; ‘the product’ covers the entire experience from the time he departs from home to the time he returns to it. In light of this, ‘the final tourist product’ is to be considered as an amalgam of five main tangible and intangible components: the accessibility to the destination, facilities, amenities and services at the destination, surroundings and attractions at the destination and how he is able to capture and carry back memories of this, and finally the cost involved . The tourist product is, in other words, not just hotel room, or being on a beautiful sunny beach, but rather an amalgam of the experience of many components the client goes through as part of the package.

The perceived performance of the product in relation to the expectations and perceived value to the buyer determines the ultimate customer happiness and retention factor. When the performance goes over and above-beyond his expectations, the client is ecstatic, and now becomes your advocate, promoting your business and services. Therefore understanding what customers really want and going beyond is crucial to any successful business. The success or failure within this industry ultimately rests on the ability to win, service and retain customers!

This book: ‘Selling Holiday, Vacation, Tours & Packages’ is therefore a must-have for anyone in the Travel and Tour business- on how to Sell Professionally,  Increase Revenues and Profits and take the business forward by helping:

✓  Sell Yourselves (Customers go by what they see in you first- the way you Carry & Conduct Yourself)

✓  Prospect, Win and Sell Your Services.- Up-Sell & Cross-Sell

✓  Expand your Markets and Market Share

✓  Personalize your Customer's Journey and Experience, by Tailoring Packages to suit their Needs

✓  Deliver extra for the Customer every step of their Journey

✓  Help gain a continuous flow of Referrals

✓  Win back previous Customers who have defected to a Competitor

✓  Benchmark your Position and Establish your Brand/ Name as a Market Influencer in the Travel industry

✓  Build Glorious Experiences and Memories for your Customers!

✓  Retain Customers for Life

✓  Stand out from the Competition

✓  Project the Right Image thro’ Professionalism and Credibility in the Market!

It covers in detail, each step required for the Sales & Service Process- the Skills sets, Behaviour & Attitude, and is aimed at all who are keen on creating a Memorable Experience that is Enjoyable by Encouraging Customers to Return Again! And hopefully by the time you complete this entire program, it will benefit you in several ways...

Firstly, to ensure that you are equipped with the Professional Skills, that will not only help you in the business world, but on the Personal side as well, especially with your relationships. It will provide a step by step professional approach that will enable you take your customers through, to help them deal with you in ways, as you will see later, using a Consultative or Relationship building approach, thus leading to a lasting relationship. This in turn will help you and the organization you work for to obtain repeat business and referrals which is vital in this business.

You will also be able to better manage yourself as well as be able to better manage your customers-both external as well as internal! You will gain a full understanding of the psychology of both the buying and selling processes, including the importance of being well organized, and over the period, you will notice that you would have worked through 12 Master Keys that will Equip and Enable you Standout as: ‘T.H.E. G.R.E.A.T. S.T.A.R.’ while practicing and mastering the skills at each stage, so that your selling skills are developed and reinforced.

As a Travel Professional, you are the person that brings ’JOY’ since you hold the Master KEY to many people's travel dreams. But for that key to work, you personally need these 12 Master keys that can open the door to your business success!

Before you move forward on this exciting journey that I am about to take you through, I would recommend that you have a note pad and pen to make notes of important points that you can start using immediately. So are you ready to embark on this exciting journey with me? Take your time, sit back and enjoy these learning’s!

Key Attributes of a

Top Travel Advisor/ Consultant

BEFORE WE REALLY GET into the intricacies of the selling process let us first look at the key attributes of this profession, as the Travel Advisor/ Consultant must be able to wear appropriate hats- that of a salesperson, a tour guide, a business manager, a consultant, an advisor, and a negotiator- just to name a few depending on situations. Therefore there are a number of attributes and traits that stand out in the most successful Travel Advisor/ Consultants.

Here is a good list of them:

✓  Honesty and integrity: Without a doubt this must run in the blood, as professional reputation is crucial to a long and successful career or for customer referrals and retention. To maintain the trust with clients and score the all-important referral, you’ll need to hold yourself to a high ethical standard. You may be working with someone’s life savings and for this reason alone, it’s important that you’re principled and committed to doing what’s right. Honest advisors will tell it like it is, even when they know it’s not necessarily what the client wants to hear (such as bringing attention to some not-so-nice aspects of a trip)

✓  Domain Interest and Knowledge: If the knowledge and interest level is apparent in conversations, clients will see that the person cares about the travel industry they are in. Staying up-to-date on the latest in this sector and in the domains/ markets operated in will allow you to service clients more effectively. At the end of the day, you get out of it what you put into it. There is a certain level of investment needed (time, energy, and money) to make any business venture successful.

✓  Client-first mentality and ability to listen: A top performing advisor understands that they have a fiduciary duty to the client, and to put the client’s needs and wants BEFORE the commission check (cheque). At the end of the day, the client wants someone that is honest, has integrity, and listens to what they really want and need.

✓  Provides knowledge and value: A great travel advisor/ consultant must be a valuable resource, and help to make the travel process enjoyable and exciting, less stressful with a positive memorable experience. They should be able to educate customers at each step  and tell them things the customer did not know

✓  Problem solving mindset: While the problem may be the same, there are different variations that you’ll need to tackle, such as the client’s budget or meeting a timeline, or just handling everything from beginning to end. You’ll need to feel comfortable with constantly solving problems - sometimes in ways that aren’t the most obvious or conventional. Therefore this will need you to come up with creative solutions to problems or issues. 

✓  Self-motivated and hardworking: To be successful in the travel sector, requires a high degree of self-motivation, drive, and smart decision making- a keen desire to control your own professional destinies- and for this you have to be motivated and hard-working. This will often be reflected in your systems, the amount of clients you help achieve their travel plans, your communication and being a real go-getter.

✓  Hustle and tenacity: It is not just about putting in a lot of time- it’s about working smart, having the tenacity to pursue every lead, knowing priorities, and putting in the right amount of time on each- ensuring whatever is necessary to keep customers happy by adhering to great work ethics

✓  An engaging and winning personality: Before one sells anything, they sell themselves. Attitude matters. People will respond if you have a great attitude, are personable and honest, have confidence in your abilities, and are interested in helping them and others. Personable is one of the most essential traits for any travel professional. The bottom line is this: people want to work with people they like, and they want to buy from people they like. Being friendly and agreeable isn’t an option for a travel advisor; it’s part of the job. Travel is a people-oriented business. You need a personality that can woo prospective clients and ultimately gain their confidence, through your high energies and enthusiasm. People will want to work with you simply because you have an amiable demeanor. And this can be your plus point.

✓  Attention to Detail: A professional advisor must have sharp eyes and pay close attention to details, by being highly organized-especially when organizing plans and itineraries, to the unique needs of clients, or following up meticulously, you’ve got to be comfortable and thorough with the little stuff. The little stuff is what makes the big picture possible.

✓  Great at Networking: Is someone who works and builds on a network of connections. Successful travel advisors often have a vast network of contacts, who are eager to assist one another- and it is all about whom you know and who knows you. Without connections, you’ll never be a successful travel professional. The ability to network isn’t optional - it’s a required skill

✓  Determined to Succeed: As a travel advisor/ consultant, you must be determined to succeed. Defeat can never be an option. Every deal is important. Every client must get what they want. If you’re driven to win, no matter how many obstacles are thrown in your way (and some of those obstacles will come from your clients), you’ll do well.

✓  A Good Negotiator: A big part of your job will require negotiation skills. Negotiation is important in this business because you’ll need to most times handle various other vendors/ suppliers that will fit in the chain. You must come into every negotiation well-prepared and stay cool under pressure, examining all angles.

✓  Professional Appearance: As a travel advisor, before you sell anything, you are selling yourself first. You must therefore care about how you look because others will. They’ll buy your image before they buy your pitch, so dress appropriately.

✓  Good Professional Reputation: Your customers should be raving about their experience with you with great reviews. Are you well liked amongst your peers? Are you considered professional to work with? What are your past clients saying about you? A strong