Passion Alone Won’t Pay the Bills: Avoid These 10 Costly Sales Mistakes and Start Closing More Deals
Contributed By: Scott Koepf, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO)– Cruise Planners
We all love travel who sell travel (and if not you are not in the right business). However, your passion for travel is simply not enough. The only way to really make money in travel is to admit and know that you are in sales. Every other skill set is not going to help your income unless you can sell. The good news is that selling can be learned and practiced by anyone. Unfortunately, there are many reasons travel advisors don’t make the sale and here are the top ten reasons customers don’t buy.
- Not understanding the customer’s needs: It’s important to take the time to really understand the customer’s needs and pain points before trying to sell to them. This will help you tailor your pitch and address their concerns more effectively.
- Failing to build relationships: Building relationships with customers is key to successful sales. Take the time to get to know your customers, establish trust, and build rapport.
- Not listening: It’s important to listen carefully to the customer and really understand what they’re saying. This will help you tailor your response and address their concerns more effectively.
- Not following up: Follow-up is crucial to the sales process. Make sure to follow up with leads and customers to keep the conversation going and keep your business top of mind.
- Being pushy or aggressive: no one likes to be pressured or hustled. Be respectful and let the customers make their own decision at their own pace.
- Not being prepared: Make sure you are well-prepared for customer interactions and presentations. Know your products or services inside and out and have relevant materials or information ready to go.
- Failing to handle objections: Objections are a natural part of the sales process. Make sure you have strategies in place to handle objections effectively and address the customer’s concerns.
- Being too focused on the sale: Rember that the sales process is about more than just closing the deal. Take the time to build relationships and create a positive experience for the customer so they will return to you and tell their friends.
- Not setting clear expectations: Make sure you set clear expectations with the customer from the beginning. This will help you avoid misunderstandings and ensure that both parties are on the same page.
- Not following through: Make sure you follow through on any commitments you make to the customer. This includes delivering on any promises, meeting deadlines, and providing excellent customer service.
You offer amazing experiences at sea or on land but closing the sale is the only thing that puts food on the table. Be honest with yourself and determine which of these ten mistakes you may be making and set your plan to fix that problem. Adjusting your process to eliminate these mistakes will be hard to do, but the result will be well worth it.