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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Imagine if you could connect with your passion for travel, work with your ideal clients, know where you want to go and how to get there, and make more money in your travel business. Would you make the active decision to take your business and your life to where you’ve always dreamed of?
For many travel business owners, transforming their dream into a reality can seem frightening and exhausting. But the truth is, with the right tools, strategies, and advice, you can accomplish your greatest goals and implement your vision for success. Just ask Melissa McKinley, owner and travel advisor of Want to Go Travel.
Melissa joined my Safari2Success mastermind group earlier this year and made a major transformation, accomplishing goals she never thought possible. (CLICK HERE for Safari2Success Mastermind Program Details and Application.)
In the below interview, Melissa shares her success story in hopes of offering other travel agents worldwide the inspiration to take their business to the next level:
1. What transformation has happened since you began the Safari2Success mastermind?
Below is a list of accomplishments and efforts that illustrates my transformation:
- I started a twice-per-week blog, a biweekly newsletter, and created a free offer for prospects.
- I have also become very active on social media including YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
- I held a grand opening event for one of Want to Go Travel’s upcoming tours at the Mansion on Turtle Creek that 65 people attended.
- I hosted a webinar for 400 people with world-renowned author, Jonathan Ellerby.
- I am a mentor for three people.
- I discovered my new fine-tuned message and target market, which led me to rework my website design and logo to create a cohesive branding across all my marketing materials.
- I created a process manual to delegate tasks as needed to a Virtual Assistant.
- I have been approached by several businesses and people for joint venture opportunities.
2. If only you knew then what you know now, what would that bit of information be?
What I wish I had known earlier on is that to be successful I really needed to market more than any other activity in my business and to narrow my focus to a very specific niche of travel. I feel these are true for all types of businesses.
Meredith really gave me the tools and direction I needed to set up a well-rounded marketing process, and she helped peel back the layers of the onion to narrow my niche. But the biggest thing I think I learned was that this process is not a single step and then you are done. Rather, it’s a journey of continuing discovery and fine-tuning.
3. Was there a specific benefit you received from participating in the mastermind that you weren’t expecting?
I wasn’t expecting to meet such a GREAT group of travel professionals, all with unique gifts, talents, and experiences to draw from. I had not thought about how valuable the group would be, in addition to Meredith’s program. I have some of the best new friends that I never expected to find.
4. After all that you’ve learned during the mastermind, what advice would you give other travel entrepreneurs who are struggling with running a successful travel business?
If you are serious about being successful as an advisor in the travel business, then I recommend Safari2Success to help you strengthen your business. It is an investment that pays you back in more ways than you realize at the time. Not everyone joins with the same set of issues for improvement, but everyone who completes the program has a foundation to build success on and gets the support they needed. Meredith gives you the tools, direction, and guidance to be the best you can be; all you have to do is take action.
If you are interested in applying for the Safari2Success Mastermind Program, just CLICK HERE for Safari2Success Mastermind Program Details and Application.
Melissa McKinley
About Melissa and Want to Go Travel
My mission is to help people maximize their vacation by reconnecting with friends and family, recharging their soul, and creating memories. My goal is not to be a “big” business but to be one of high impact. Recent research on happiness found people gain their greatest source of happiness and satisfaction from experiences. I am in the business of fun and dreams!
My true passion is taking small groups of people to experience destinations as they have not before. I am not a Jill of all trades travel advisor. What that means for you is that I am very focused. I help my clients save time and increase their experience without overscheduling their vacation. Because my focus is so narrow, what you get from me is undiluted expertise on what you are seeking from a luxury vacation. My firsthand experience, expertise, and personal relationships are why my clients get great vacations.
