To Sell More Luxury, Go for the Upsell

Panelists at cruise3sixty last month encouraged agents to go for the upsell – even with clients who don’t usually buy luxury vacations.

“You can’t be afraid to offer the premium experience,” said Ken Muskat of MSC Cruises. “You never know when the customer who wants the inside cabin will take the yacht club room.”

Clients may be willing to pay more for premium product, but you’ll never know if you don’t ask, said consultant Nolan Burris. “People are often surprised at how affordable a luxury cruise can be.”

Break the habit
Panelists concurred that it’s vital to focus on the travel experience, instead of on saving money for clients.

Muskat warned against advising clients based on agents’ own financial circumstances. “So often we think with our own wallets about what we would do.”

Even when the client hasn’t asked for a deal, “the habit is to immediately say you’ll get the best deal if you do certain things,” said Burris.

“They don’t want to experience a price, they want to experience a cruise,” he said.

An open mind
Travel sellers need to keep an open mind and not make assumptions based on a client’s previous travel choices, agents on the panel said.

“When we start a conversation with a client, it’s about what they expect to experience,” said Scott Caddow, owner of Legendary World in Tucson, Ariz. “You really try not to pigeonhole because some may take Carnival every summer but want something special this year.”
 
Rita Cherniak of Expedia CruiseShipCenters in Alberta, Canada, shared this advice: “You want to navigate them in the direction that is the best value for them. You want to ask thoughtful questions.”

Take it slow
While you may be focused initially on making the sale, it is helpful to adjust your strategy and delve into your client’s desires.

“The travel agents who get the luxury sale started developing relationships before selling the product,” said Mark Kamerer, senior vice president of North American sales and marketing for Holland America Line. “They build up the recipe so then they can build it up to a vacation.”

Finding the right fit for your client should take precedence over making the sale.

“The theme in this is slowing them down – slow them down enough to really get answers and stop processing all the info in front of them,” said Kamerer.

“Get to some place where the connection you need to make can be created.”

Shift gears
Burris urged agents to “shift that gear into advisor mode, because you are doing something the machines can’t.”

“You are also seen as a luxury,” he added. “They don’t think they need you, and that is what defines a luxury.”