Personal
selling
Face
to face selling is one of the best ways of promoting any
product. Because it is so personalised, the sales presentation
can be adapted to suit the audience and people are far more
persuasive than paper promotions. Selling means actually
taking an order or booking so sales activities are relatively
easy to monitor.
In the past only businesses like attractions and hotels undertook
sales activities. Destinations restricted their direct sales
efforts to exhibitions. Now some destinations are beginning to
find that by actually visiting tour and coach operators and making
a sales presentation they can directly influence operators to
feature their destination. They can then go back to hoteliers
and attractions in their area with details of prime contacts
who are ready to make bookings.
Personal sales are very effective, but they must be planned
and targeted like any other promotion. The good news is that
almost any one can develop sales skills.
Developing sales skills
A good sales person isn't just good at selling. They need to
have a sound understanding of the tourism industry and excellent
product knowledge. If you are going to undertake sales calls
you will need to develop a detailed understanding of not just
your own product but also your competitors. It's important to
know the relative strengths and weaknesses of competitor's products
and services.
You can find sales leads and ideas for new product development
by visiting exhibitions, reading the trade press and being aware
of other aspects of the tourism industry outside your own area.
A friendly, enthusiastic personality will help you sell, but
there is no substitute for carefully researched information and
a structured approach to sales activities.
Sources of business
The main target for your sales activities will probably be members
of the travel trade. You will need to develop a list of potential
'prospects' using which ever sources are most relevant for you.
You should be able to develop a list of people to call on from
the following:
• by
keeping lists of previous clients. If they have visited once
they may come back again or send
other visitors to you.
Just because some one has enjoyed your product once don't rely
on them to come back - they will need to be reminded. Existing
clients could also refer other business to you;
• trade associations;
• the trade press, especially using information about new companies
and staff moves;
• exhibitions;
• mailing lists, particularly those supplied by your regional
tourist board or VisitBritain.
When you develop your list of sales prospects make sure they
fit in with your target markets. Prioritise markets and contacts
and set targets for when you will visit them. Decide in advance
which products or packages you will promote to them. This will
help you to integrate sales activities into your promotional
programme.
Planning
a sales call
Don't just take along a handful of brochures and photographs
and turn up at the sales meeting. Plan it so you can really get
something out of it, even if it's information instead of a sale.
Before you go to the meeting:
• think
what you already know about the potential client. What can
you find out about them? Consider
what they need and
how you can satisfy that need. You will have to tailor your sales
presentation to suit different types of client. For example,
a mainstream tour operator may wish to know that you can handle
large groups efficiently whereas some-one booking educational
travel may be more concerned about safety and educational value.
• make sure you have defined your Unique Selling Proposition
and developed a list of real benefits for that client. Consider
what those benefits will mean to your potential client and
the best way of presenting them.
• think about the possible objections which the client might
raise, and consider how you can overcome them. If you do this
in advance it will boost your confidence and you'll find it much easier to face
potentially daunting clients.
Reasons why people buy
It is worth considering some of the reasons people buy products.
If you are aware of these and can identify which are important
to your client, you will be able to give appropriate sales messages.
As many as 85 per cent of all decisions are said to be based
on emotion, not logic. We don't always buy products for obvious
reasons. We buy products for/out of:
• prestige
• greed
• pride
• ego
• ambition
• status
• fun
• security
• fear
Take a look at some of the advertisements in glossy magazines
and on television. Consider the products which are being promoted
and the messages they use. Few of them even mention the advantages
of the product. They focus on benefits and other reasons for
buying, implying for example that if we buy that lipstick we
will look as good as the model wearing it, and our life will
be so much better.
Make
sure you know why people buy and what makes them "tick" and
you'll find it much easier to sell...
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