By using your contacts and creatively developing more, you can boost your cruise sales.

As always, every wave season seems to have its peaks and valleys. Whether you had a lift in cruise sales or not, it’s time to make things happen for the rest of the year. How do you do that?

1. Ask for referrals. I know you have heard that using satisfied customers to find new business is a great idea. There are several ways to do that:

• Direct mail: Send postcards, letters or personal notes to clients who have cruised at any time. Let them know that you are willing to offer incentives if they can give you a referral. If you’re able to get names, you will have very good leads to follow. Better yet, if your clients are ready to book again, ask if they have friends or family who might want to join them.
• Email: Make sure your clients are willing to receive email. If you have done that, you are now ready to send emails letting clients know about your incentive for referrals. If you have a digital camera, attach low-res pictures to an email or embed them in the message. This personalizes the correspondence. You can use a picture of yourself or a picture of you with satisfied clients, or you could include a picture of a cruise ship or cruise destination. Anything that will personalize your message will have good results.
• Phone calls: This is the best method for some clients. If you can reach your clients by phone, you will be able to find out if they are ready to cruise again and let them know that you would like to receive referrals. Your friendly voice shows that you care about your clients and that you would like to help their friends and family find cruises.
• Advertisements: One agent I know ran an ad in the classified section asking for people looking for a good time in Europe to call the agent’s phone number. Another idea is to advertise a get-together for anyone who has sailed on a certain ship or with a particular company. At the gathering, they can share pictures and talk about the good times they had on a past cruise. Getting alumni of a certain ship or cruise line together makes for a fun cruise night and creates huge potential for you to generate new business.

2. Seek out contacts. A good way to find leads is to be involved in any kind of organization. If you haven’t thought about it, take out a pen and piece of paper and write down any organization to which you belong. You may even be able to use these organizations to develop business. You may be able to offer a future meeting on a cruise, whether for the board of directors or the entire organization. To help you brainstorm, let’s look at actual situations that your fellow agents have used in order to find new business. Consider the following:

• Professionals: Promote cruising to your doctors, lawyers and accountants. Where you do business can in turn be a source of business for you. Ask for business wherever you spend money.
• Rotary groups: Find groups by participating in Rotary Clubs, including Elks, Lions and Masons.
• Charities: Business can be found through local charities. Bookings can be for groups or simply individuals who also support your favorite charitable organization.
• Local businesses: One agent made a booking with a grocery store clerk. Try it: If they ask, “Paper or plastic?” you respond, “Cruise or tour?”
• Spreading the word: Place materials in waiting rooms at auto repair shops, hospitals and jury rooms.
• Six degrees: Set up a group around the talents of friends and friends of friends. Try building a theme cruise around an aerobics instructor, a wine and/or cooking expert, college professor or financial planner.
• Fellow travelers: Promote your services to the person sitting next to you on an airplane.
• Reunions: Consider alumni of your high school and/or college for reunion cruises.

Write down all the contacts you have. You will be surprised at how many contacts you already have at your fingertips. One good lead leads to another, so any contact you have can be a lead for new business. Good luck. I hope you can turn your referrals and contacts into cruise sales.