Understanding them, Anticipating their Needs and Following Up will Bring them Back

Let’s look at a successful company and see if there are clues for you to be successful.

Toyota is a very successful automobile company.  It starts with the customer and works back to create a product. You can do the same by paying close attention to your customer. Toyota employees even go to junkyards to see what car parts last the longest. They know that reliability is important to their customers, so they do that to find ideas about how to make their parts last longer.

Find out what is important to your customers. I suggest that you survey or interview every customer after you sell the first cruise to find out what would be important for the next cruise. You will show them that you care for your clients by listening to them. When someone thinks about you, it leaves a strong impression. You will be doing the same when you take extra steps for your clients. Here are some steps you should take:

1. Anticipate
There is a progression that cruisers follow: The first cruise is usually a Caribbean cruise. After that, Alaska comes into the picture. It then goes to the Panama Canal and Europe. Cruisers will then look to Canada/New England, South America, Australia and so on. If you know this, you can try to anticipate your customer’s next cruise. If you suggest the right cruise at the right time, your chance for a sale greatly improves. On average, agents retain only one in five customers. The reason is that, once the customer returns from the cruise and never hears from the booking agent, there is a perceived indifference. Do not let your customers think you are indifferent. Show you care and follow up regularly with your clients.

2. Target
It makes sense to send information about Alaska cruises to all of your clients who have cruised the Caribbean. You can also send information about Panama Canal cruises to all of your clients who have cruised Alaska. The best way is via direct mail and email. Let your clients know about opportunities for their next cruises. The cruise lines offer postcards at no charge, so order them. Cruise lines have travel agent sections on their websites, where you can customize an email. I know that the Travel Agent Headquarters section of the Holland American Line website is an excellent source in providing emails already written. You can customize them and send on. Sending the right email that fits the progression will help you close more sales.

3. Check
Now that wave season is winding down, it would be a good time to contact every one of your clients. If they are currently booked, I suggest that you communicate information about the ports they will visit. It is easy to Google and get interesting facts for them. If they are not booked, make suggestions that fit the progression above. The key is that you are taking action that will show your clients you do care and want their future business.

Here are some other ideas you might consider that have a powerful impact on your customers:

• Recognize birthdays and anniversaries. Send a cruise postcard, so they will think about a cruise for their next big celebration.
• Give welcome-home gifts. Send flowers or a gift when your client returns home from the cruise. Take them to breakfast that first day back, and they will remember you forever.
• Send cards to your clients while you are on vacation. They will tell others you were thinking of them.
• Tie balloons on mailboxes to welcome back your clients after the cruise. It tells others in the neighborhood that they have cruised.

I hope you get the idea that remembering your customers any way you can will put you ahead of your competition. Customers will be loyal to the agents who take time to know and anticipate their needs.