Hello Canada,
Thank you for all your comments on my last blog. Many of you raised some interesting points and there was one comment that I want to open up for discussion. Cheryl from Ottawa wrote that “people are starting to realize the value of what we are offering versus the cheap deal”. What is your definition of value? When a client asks you for a “deal” do you automatically offer them the lowest priced vacation you can find or do you offer them something that offers value along with quality?
Sandals and Beaches Resorts are LUXURY INCLUDED. There are so many factors that make up the Luxury Included concept. Here are just a few:
All Meals, Drinks & Snacks
Golf Green Fees (Ocho Rios, Jamaica and St. Lucia)
Luxurious Accommodations
Scuba Diving & Water Sports
Weddings Included
Gourmet Dining
Premium Brand Drinks
Stay at one play at ALL
Gratuities
Airport Transfers
Now why would anyone want to sell something that is just considered cheap and not sell something that has value to it? If you add up everything that Sandals and Beaches Resorts offer it is an easy sell. I don’t understand why someone would want to sell something “cheap” because there is no money to be made from “cheap” and chances are you are not selling a quality product.
Have you seen all of our sales and our promotions that are on our resorts right now? The savings are incredible and you are still making money by selling our resorts not to mention the free nights you earn. Another really important factor about selling value and quality is the repeat business you will get; once a customer experiences our resorts they will come back to you because you recommended a quality vacation to them.
I believe that anyone who is involved in selling travel should consider themselves to be a sales person not a consultant because at the end of the day we do not make any money consulting, we make money when we close a sale. I also believe a sales person should have the skills to influence their customers’ decision as they are the experts who have the education and the product knowledge and this is why a customer will go to them.
The other day I read an interesting article by Tom Hopkins and I love his statement:
“If you believe in your product or service, if you have qualified your customer and believe that they have the resources to buy from you, and your product or service is a good fit, then it is your responsibility to help them make a decision to buy from you.”
On that note, don’t be afraid to spend your customers’ money because if they didn’t want to spend it they would not come to you to seek your expertise. When they ask you for a deal don’t assume they want the lowest priced resort but use your sales skills to sell them something that offers quality and value.
Please send me your comments and remember that every comment you send me and it is posted you will automatically be entered to win a 4 night trip to Sandals or Beaches Resorts. There will be one lucky winner a month and the draw will take place the first week of the month. Save my blog address in your favourites or read it on the Sandals News Network.
Below you will see a few pictures of what luxury is...Enjoy!
Wishing you all a great day!!
Gina
Quote Of The Day
“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”
Will Rogers
Beaches Turks & Caicos - Italian Village - Kids Room
Keep up the good work and keep us posted.
Cathy
You have really helped me to explain to our office the point in selling value vacations as opposed to the media and walk in customer's perception of "deal". The majority of travel agents in this area sell the cheapest all inclusive they can find, rather then selling to the client a good value vacation where we don't have to be concerned that they'll get food poisoning or bad service. When Sandals and Beaches came out with their savings of up to 60% I said "now that is a good deal". With the knowledge and training on resorts and destinations that I have and when I see the sales flyers or promos that come up I can understand when something is actually a good price for what they offer. They only all inclusive type vacations I take are to a Sandals or Beaches, hopefully Royal Plantations or Rio Chico one day!
Your blogs have been very informative for me and our office as to how to handle those walk in costumers who see last minute deals or cheap getaways!
Keep your blogs coming, I look forward to them!
Deborah, I am happy to hear that this blog has helped you and the agents(I mean sales agents) in your office.
Fiona, I agree with your comment 100% ,selling from the top and working your way down is the best way to sell. It is much easier to start high and work down but it is very difficult to start low and go up in the sales process.
I agree - value is what we want our clients want to experience, and value is what we, as travel agents,
should be offering them!
I think that people nowadays are really looking to get the most "bang for their buck" and in terms of an All-Inclusive
resort, I honestly don't think any other chain can really compare to the luxury value offered by Sandals resorts.
I plan to sell my clients on the concept of all the points Gina listed above, and really focus on the fact that the client
can stay at one and play at all. Ive heard feedback in the past where friends/family/clients have mentioned they loved
the resort they stayed at; however... they would say that after 1wk at the same place, they were tired of the food,
entertainment...etc...and by having the possibility to play at all is a wonderful selling feature!
I am a true believer of Sandals properties and I look forward to bringing as much business as I can!
Yes we all want the booking - times are hard right now - every agency wants the sale - but we can not always book the "deals" that are out there - most passengers that travel year after year know what they want and will not even ask for certain resorts - but it's the new client that i must take some time and work with. These clients will come back year after year if we take the time to show them the difference. You have good ideas and the selling points add an extra value to clients vacation. The gourmet dining, the luxurious accommodations and the Premium drinks says it all!
Your blogs are very informative. I have used your ideas and information to handle walk in clients this week.
Keep your blogs coming, my office and I look forward to them!
Speaking from experience, you would be surprised as to how many guests would prefer to spend their money on something much more worth its value. We are the experts so we must educate our guests!
Sincerely,
Maricel Manzano at Odenza Vacations
You do get what you pay for and more and more people are willing to pay for quality and as you said it is our job to sell it to them. Someone had posted a comment that 60% of people do not ask for the sale, I wonder how they stay employed.You are a true sales professional and I think you should hold classes to train people to sell! Keep the blogs coming and keep up the good work!
Luxury included for sure!!! this statement is the absolute truth....I usually have no problem closing a
Sandals sale when my clients walk into my office and see my lifetime gold memeber plague , the sandals/beaches brochures and the many wedding photos of clients who I've booked to Sandals for their weddings/honeymoon they know what Im talking about..also wehn i pull out my CDs and show them pictures of all the Sandals of been too and they see what their getting down to pictures of my meals they are convinced... it not hard for me to compare cost of certain things with other resorts and how they have it included at no c ost with the Sandals/Beaches resorts ..when the clietns start adding things up they see the luxury included name explians itself clearly.. Oh yeah agents have to get out to see as many resorts as they can! Sell Sell Sell and it cost barely nothing to get to enjoy the resorts and pass valuable info on ot the clients ..experience first hand is the best selling tool..I think I need the SUV next!!!
thanks again for listening me
You need the vehicle!!! It is such a great marketing tool, I get approached everywhere I go. A few weeks ago I was in Pickering going to do a sales call and someone stopped me to ask me about our resorts and I gave him the info and I told him to go inside to the travel agency and I just found out they booked him and his wife to Sandals Dunns River, this booking came directly from the vehicle. Did you submit many entries for the "We love travel agents" contest? I am keeping my fingers crossed for you.
I know you have no problems selling Luxury as you are one of our top agents and your dedication and loyalty to our brands is much appreciated. Janice, you are great!!!!!!!
loved the resort. I don't like to sell cheap hotels I don't even know what that means. I have found that if you explain to your clients what the value added bonuses that are included with Sandals compared to other hotels it is easy to make a switch to a Sandals booking. I also agree that you have to experience Sandals in order to sell it. It makes it that much easier. To be able to tell your clients how you can wake up and go for a cappuccino and crêpes at the SWH or how you can eat at an a la cart restaurant every night not like most resorts that only let you have 2 or 3 nights at an a la cart. Just being able to explain to a client what it is like to walk down the beach at a Sandals and no loiters or pushy locals trying to sell you something while you are on the beach. Even the difference in what a drink tastes like. I remember going to the Sandals Royal Bahamian and having my favorite drink, Tequila Sunrise, and then in the same week going to another big brand name hotel chain that I will not mention, and ordering the same drink. I almost spit it out!!! It was water downed and did not taste anything like the drinks they make at Sandals. I have spoiled my husband by taking him to Sandals because now even he can’t stop telling his friends about it. He is like my own walking talking advertisement!! We can’t go to any other hotel chain now because he refuses to go to anything but Sandals!! My husband it living proof that if you can just send someone once to Sandals you will automatically have a repeat client.
Deborah
what we need is reliable product, with inclusions, accommodations and foodie features that meet or exceed the clients expectations.
and the competition. Keep us with the innovations (and there are plenty as Sandals/beaches is the front runner in that regard.
Keep up with the renovations and keep on loving your travel agents. We will keep on loving you..... see you soon Gina
Deb
Sales Manager for a Canadian Tour Operator, it's great to g
to get first hand information from you. Keep up the
great work!
"We believe in Travel Agents"
Have a Royal Day!
Speaking from experience as someone who had spent a fabulous vacation at Sandals Negril, I have to say that it is an experience that nothing can compare with. The service was beyond anything I've ever experienced. It was amazing. My husband and I took this trip in May of 2003 and we still talk about it like it was yesterday. Speaking as a travel consultant, Sandals/Beaches is one product I NEVER had anyone coming back remotely disappointed with. In fact it was beyond THEIR expectations. We had die hard clients that did not vacation at any other resort other than Sandals, year after year. That in itself has a lot to say.
We are talking about another vacation, this time with the 2 kids (been a busy 3 years). And Beaches Turks is the one we will go with for sure. Just the WOW factor when you think of what is offered as a family with 2 young kids is driving us to go for that resort.