Why it's So Hard to Pick Up the Phone ... but Do it Anyways!
Just before this week’s article, I wanted to share a very special invitation! My book Flying Colors: The Travel Advisors Guide to Breakthrough, is hitting Amazon in less than two weeks! This book is dedicated to the thousands of travel advisors who have been through the devastation of the century, AND you are STILL here. My deepest hope is that this book will help you come back better and stronger than before. I’m celebrating with an interview with my dear friend Cathy Denroche, Regional Sales Director, Oceania Cruises, along with many wonderful industry friends! Please join us as we chat about the book, how we can rebuild together, and help one another grow! Thursday, April 1st at 1:00 pm PST, 4 pm EST Register here! … and now for today's main event! The Warmest Call You'll Ever Make
The last thing that anyone wants to be is a pushy salesperson. You do not want to BE that person you’ve never met, who calls you to sell you something you don’t need! Now, mix in the sensitivity around the pandemic. The fact that some people are not going to be comfortable traveling until there is a 100% guarantee of safety (which we know there will never be), gives you another reason to pause. I get it. I understand the resistance. It is never easy to push past your comfort zone. Yet if you do not check in with your past customers, ask them how they are coping, how will they know you care? Let’s unpack what checking in right now really means.
First, you don’t have to reach out to everyone. In fact, it's not realistic. However, connect with your raving fans, past customers, and “friendomers” (clients who’ve become friends, or friends who’ve become clients). It is the warmest call you'll ever make!
2. Next, you do not have to sell anything. Instead, ask: “How are you coping”? People are lonely, isolated, and deluged with negative news. Your call will not only be appreciated, but it may also just make someone’s day. As one advisor said,
“My clients absolutely love my calls. The only downside is that they take a little longer than I first anticipated. Then again, it’s not a bad thing when I hear, “this call made my day”. In fact, it makes MY day.
How great is that?
Lastly, share some good news! Your clients are in an isolated bubble. They do not know that travel for 2022 is booming and that the destinations they’re considering may be the most popular of all!
Oceania 2023 World Cruise sold out in a day, Holy Land Cruises and Iceland Cruises in 2022 are wait listed in every category.
AMAs longest River Cruise in the world sold so fast they are considering a second.
Celebrity makes Its Return to Caribbean Voyages in June. Check out the TMR article here!
Customers want to know that they are not alone in their thinking. What will people say or think if I book a trip now? … What are other people doing? … These thoughts run like a windmill through a customers’ mind. Tick all those boxes in one phone call sharing the good news that others are booking in significant numbers!
"Beliefs we hold are strengthened when we are around others who hold similar views."
- Psychology Today
It is the perfect time to reach out b
ecause it is the right thing for the customer! After all, the customer is always right. 😊
Happy Selling!
Geraldine
PS If you know someone who is struggling to "bounce back" or is looking for fresh ideas to re-start, please share a link to this newsletter here!
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