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| MTips
– M is for Mary, M is for Mayflower, M is for Mimi... |
October,
2014 |
| The most effective tool for closing group travel sales is the travel presentation.
Get 50 qualified travelers together, talk travel, offer a savings to those who make their reservation at the presentation and you will have at least 25 travelers going out on tour together! |
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| Sounds easy right? Here's how you get there: |
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Have around 100 good leads in your funnel. Now you are asking what's a funnel? A funnel is that gadget which has a wide mouth at the top and a skinny cylinder at the bottom for the item to flow through. Put 100 leads into the funnel for 50 qualified travelers to funnel down into 25 tour reservations. |
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Choose a tour and departure date that gives you lots of lead time - at least 12 months prior for North America and 18 months for World destinations. |
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Schedule the themed travel presentation date as soon as you have secured your tour. |
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Contact the tour operator to confirm with your sales manager the proposed travel presentation date. The tour operator will produce a PowerPoint and/or video on the destination, conduct the tour selling and offer the savings for attending and reserving their tour at the event. |
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Send out a SAVE THE DATE with the tour, departure and themed travel presentation date. |
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Create your customized marketing tour flyer with the travel presentation date and tour particulars. This is your best tool for communication and begins the process
of setting the stage for RSVPs to the event and making reservations. |
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Begin the distribution process. |
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The first major goal is to get 50 qualified tour takers at the travel presentation. The more qualified travelers at the event, the more reservations! Ask your best travelers to spread the word and invite their friends. Many tour operators have referral rewards program for new travelers. Everyone wins! |
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Send out your travel presentation invite at least five weeks prior to the actual date and request an RSVP 10 days prior and remind them that space is limited. |
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Call your prospects as you get closer to the event; re-invite them and ask if they have qualified friends to bring. Focus on getting 50 or more qualified tour takers. |
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It's here...the travel presentation! Make the room festive and serve refreshments. Walk the room and introduce yourself, personally thanking everyone in the room for coming. Make sure that everyone has their own tour flyer and have them sign in. |
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The presentation should last about an hour, yet encourage everyone to stay longer to mingle and ask questions. |
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The key to the event is getting enough qualified prospects to attend, getting them excited about the destination, offering a savings for their reservation at the event and letting them mingle with their future traveling companions!
I see you smiling out there. I guarantee this does work...yet it is work and a process that I have seen successfully done for 35 years. Remember - group travel is fun and oh so rewarding. |
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PS. Come to the Home-Based Travel Agent Forum held in Chicago on November 10 to
hear more from me on the Secrets of Selling Group Travel.
www.chicagohbforum.com |
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