COMMENT ,ƇŬ )ƃ ŭ KIRKER HOLIDAYS


Entice clients to push their ‘What the hell!’ button


There is no doubt that the current market has been a little tricky to predict. From an economic, political or geopolitical perspective, disruption seems to be the order of the day – and our new not- best-friend Mr Trump seems to delight in making an Olympic sport of the art of Disruption with a capital ‘D’. When running a business, we like


stability. It enables us to plan our strategy, create marketing campaigns, invest in people and, crucially, it helps Ì LÕ` VÃÕiÀ Vw`iVi° What can we do to persuade our beloved clients that they should remain Vw`iÌ >` VÌÕi Ì ÌÀ>Ûi¶ ÀÃÌ] we need to rejoice in the fact that every client has a ‘What the hell!’ button. However unpredictable the market may be, given the right sales techniques, you and your sales teams will be able to help clients reach for their ‘What the hell!’ button. We all have one – be it for ÃiÃ] wi Üi] v>ÃÌ V>ÀÃ À «iÀ>«Ã travel experiences. Once your team realises that we are all vulnerable to an occasional indulgence (especially on special occasions) it will be much easier


40 ASPIRE SEPTEMBER 2019


Ted joined Kirker Holidays in 1987 and is the tailor-made specialist’s joint managing director and sales and marketing director. He is also an Aito panel member.


Older clients find it easier to grasp that life’s too short not to have the occasional indulgence


to advise clients that they should invest in a tailor-made ‘What the hell!’ experience. We also need to devise strategies that will attract the right type of customer, and my top tip is to focus on older clients. I have nothing against younger customers, but they have Ãi y>Üð ÀÃÌ] ÌiÞ Ìi` Ì >Ûi more-onerous borrowing commitments, still-dependent children and less disposable income. They are also less risk averse and don’t yet fully appreciate the consequences of DIY `>Þà ­ÀiiLiÀ Ìi >Ã VÕ`¶®° ÛiÀÃiÞ] `iÀ ViÌà w` Ì i>ÃiÀ to grasp that life’s too short not to have the occasional indulgence; one of my favourite independent agents has a «ÀiÌ ÌVi  ÌiÀ vwVi ÜV reads ‘If you don’t travel Club Class, ÞÕÀ V`Ài Ü½° ƂÌiÀ LiiwÌ v older clients: they tend to be very loyal. Finally, try to avoid using the term ‘luxury’ when promoting holidays. It could be my personal prejudice, but I strongly believe that consumers are suffering from ‘luxury fatigue’. Luxury is a much over-used and outdated term which won’t help you to stand out from the crowd. Instead, focus on personal service, take time to listen to your clients’ needs, and then use the expert advice of a specialist tour operator to tailor-make the perfect itinerary. Now that really is a priceless luxury that clients cannot buy online.


aspiretravelclub.co.uk


"


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136