There’s nothing more frustrating than clients who price shop, waste your precious time getting quotes and then go and book online. While some people are driven to buy only by price, others who seem to be price shopping aren’t aware of what you offer and the benefits you provide.
The best way to avoid those who really are after the cheap deals, and attract and educate those who aren’t, is to recognize that people don’t buy products, they buy solutions. When you market the product, you get bargain hunters. When you market solutions, you get ideal clients.
Your marketing message needs to convey that you are a solution provider. Yes, even in the travel business, there are solutions you provide for your clients. Your marketing message should include what solutions you provide and to whom you provide them.
For example, instead of:
I am a travel agent with 16 years experience and I have traveled all over the world, blah, blah, blah….
Try something more like:
I work with busy, stressed out moms and dads who want to create rich moments with their children so they learn the value of treasured moments instead of treasured possessions.
One of the big differences between these two examples (there are many) is that the first one is all about you, and the second one is all about THEM. Remember, everyone is tuned into the station WIIFM: “What’s In It For Me?”
The language you use is vital. Your materials need to be well written with language that talks of the solutions you proved and appeals to your target audience you’re trying to reach. For example, you would speak to executives differently than you would to construction workers. For best results, consider using a professional copywriter to create your materials.
If your materials are written in a way that the focus is on the potential client, not on you, and are clear about the benefits, solutions and transformations your services provide, your target audience will be pulled towards you, while price shoppers will not—because the language you use won’t speak to them. In fact, they will know just by your language that you’re not the lowest priced travel consultant.
The design of your materials also plays a role in attracting the right clients. If your brochures, videos, and websites are professionally created to look and feel upscale, they will draw upscale clients. Using thin, inexpensive paper, relying on your cousin Susie to design your website, and asking your teenager to shoot videos with his new camera will bring in clients who want cheap rates. Pay for the best, look the best, and you’ll attract the best.
You can set yourself apart from the crowd with one simple technique. You offer intangible experiences and transformations that go above and beyond your tangible services, and your marketing materials need to paint that picture for prospects. How will they feel during and after the trip? What will they experience and how will their lives change? Show them the value, and the price shoppers will become fewer and farther between.
Avoiding price shoppers is a simple matter of elevating yourself and the benefits you provide to the highest level you can through careful creation and use of your marketing materials. The caliber of your clientele will follow suit.
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