Feature: sell More... Cruising

10 Jan 2018

The Naked Agent

TNW’s Naked Agent is back, with a new look and

feel. Our mystery shopper has hit the streets, or

the telephone, to nd SA’s top agents – those

consultants who truly get to know the customer’s

needs in full and who are able to nail the sale

through their genuine interest, enthusiasm and

excitement in the customer’s enquiry.

Our sellingorientated criteria:

10% Engage the customer by making

an excellent rst impression – be

interested, excited and enthusiastic.

20% Prole the customer, getting to know

their needs in full, their likes, dislikes

and prior travels. Use consultative

sales techniques not transactional

questions only and provide advice

about the destination.

10% Hook the customer, preventing their

further shopping around, by sounding

like an expert.

10% Match the enquiry to the quote,

providing two or three options, ideally

within the same day of enquiry.

20% Sell your holiday ideas and bring them

to life. Don’t just attach a quote.

5% Close the sale when you spot buying

signals.

15% Convert the sale by creating a sense

of urgency and asking for the booking.

10% Persist if the customer provides a

reason why they can’t book – attempt

to overcome objections.

100% TOTAL

Agents are scored up to the maximum of the weighted

percentages above.

About TNW’s new monthly Sell More... series

ONLY those travel agents who add real value are going to prosper as automation takes over handling

transactions. A much more satisfying career awaits those that make the transition to master

consulting.

This is the rst in a new TNW ‘Sell More…’ series designed to ensure the future of travel agents by

helping them up their game.

1 We offer constructive advice after a frank assessment by our mystery shopper in The Naked Agent.

2 Keeping it simple, we try and reduce the selling features of the cruise operators to their main

distinguishing features.

3 News about cruise operators you should know.

4 Share your experience. Starting with ‘Sell More Thailand’ in the March 26 issue, we get input from

some 200 SA travel agents on what is hot in Thailand.

Forthcoming features in the series that will follow this format are:

Sell More Thailand – March

Sell More Mauritius – April

Sell More Skiing – May

For advertising, contact katen@nowmedia.co.za

We welcome comments and suggestions on this format. Contact Michelle at michellec@nowmedia.co.za

What the client wanted

This month, our mystery shopper contacted three consultants in the Cape Town area for a family cruise

to the Mediterranean during the school holidays. The customer’s key need was to satisfy her husband’s

hunger for history and architecture and to keep the children entertained and busy. The customer was

also interested in a pre- or post-stay of three nights.

Increase your profits with better sales skills

WHILE each of the agents was helpful, friendly

and interested in the enquiry, none attempted

to sell the holidays quoted. As travel agents,

we are expected to be knowledgeable about the

destinations and the products that we represent.

This includes making recommendations and

selling the holiday that meets the customer’s

needs. Selling is not providing quotes and

expecting the customer to make an uninformed

decision. Selling means bringing the holiday that

you have found to life, painting pictures with

words, comparing what the customer requested

against the holidays found, telling the customer

why this holiday is the right one for them and

asking for the booking.

Club Travel

Edgemead

I couldn’t have asked for a more excited

response and greeting. Brimming with

enthusiasm, interest and excitement, I was

instantly engaged. The agent asked the best rst

question, which is ‘Have you cruised before?’ and

when I said no she was so excited, telling me

that I would love it and that it was addictive. This

excitement was contagious and I couldn’t help

but respond and ask why. She then explained

how you see so many different locations and

that you pay one price and everything is included

except for your alcoholic drinks and that she

had been on three cruises. She really sounded

like an expert. Disappointingly she only asked

me where I wanted to cruise, for how long and

who with, as opposed to what we would like to

see and do. I didn’t have the opportunity to tell

her my kids were active and my husband was

interested in history. She set the scene for the

next steps brilliantly, assuring me she would be

working on it right then, would do the cruise rst

then would look at add-ons. I was hooked due

to her excitement, interest, obvious experience

and her utter enthusiasm. This is the type of

agent who prevents you from shopping around.

Within the hour she had mailed me a number

of options, all within my price range. It would

appear that, for her, my key need was to go

during the school summer holidays and to meet

the budget, which she did. However, had she

consulted in more detail she would have known

that history and entertaining the children would

be the main selling points. There was no attempt

to sell. The mystery shopper was emailed a

range of options to decide from herself. It was

a shame that somebody who sounded like an

expert didn’t use their expertise to get

to know the customer’s needs and

sell to them. After four days no

follow-up had been made. Had

this agent sold the options

available and contacted the

customer by phone she would

have been a winner.

Amazing Holidays

www.amazingholidays.co.za

This agent gave me a lovely friendly

greeting, was calm but showed genuine

interest, and projected himself as

extremely efcient. While the initial

questions were transactional they were

interspersed with good consultative

questions, getting to know our needs and

mentioning cruise destinations that could

be included and which would be suitable.

The re-cap was perfect, together with

setting expectations. A great touch was

the comment that he would send a blank

email with his contact details so that I

had them in case I needed to contact him.

I was certainly condent that I would get

good service and attention, as he was the

only agent who asked about our passports,

advising that we would need visas and that

he would help us with this. I was hooked.

Unfortunately the agent didn’t send the

initial blank email that was promised but

he did email timeously to advise me that

he couldn’t full my request and to ask if

I had an alternative holiday in mind. It is

a shame that he hid behind email instead

of calling as this type of discussion is a

disappointing one which, conveyed verbally,

can have a much more positive outcome.

As I had received quotes from other agents

based on the same cost and itinerary, I

acted as would any other customer and

didn’t respond. The agent didn’t follow up

with me and that was the last I heard.

Flight Centre

Gardens Shopping Centre

The agent was friendly and polite, not

over excited but nice and condent. She

got straight to work while getting to know

my basic needs, explaining that she had

brochures in front of her. She mainly used

transactional when, where, how long, who

with questions to guide her, however she did

ask if we had cruised before or if there was

anything that we would like to see or a place

we would like to include. When I explained

that my husband was a history buff she could

have got excited about this and matched it

to the cruises she was talking about. She

started to tell me that she had recently

booked one of the cruises but the discussion

ended there. It would have been great if she

had said what she had booked and to where

or included some information about her own

cruising experience or that of colleagues

or customers. She did re-cap and set the

scene and assured me that I would get a

quote within the day. While she was friendly,

there was nothing that would stop me from

shopping around. I didn’t feel that she was a

cruise expert and as I had explained that we

hadn’t cruised before she could have used

this opportunity to tell me about cruising and

the benets. Her consultation was focused

on pushing MSC based on children travelling

free. A budget cruise wasn’t my main need,

it was a happy hubby and happy kids. I was

pleased to receive a quote as promised

within the same day but disappointed that

no attempt to sell the holiday by phone or by

email was made. After four days no

follow-up had been made.

Sales tip

PROFILING is a number-one sales skill in

any industry. Your chances of converting any enquiry are

limited by the service you provide. If it is simply transactional, with

the client’s holiday likes and dislikes remaining a mystery, the chances are that you

will disappoint your traveller with a holiday that creates no wow or you will lose the booking to a travel

expert who takes the time and effort to prole the customer and who sells the quote either in person or by

phone as opposed to simply providing a quote. Ask yourself – would you buy from you – are you impressive

enough to impress yourself?

TNW’s Cruising Quick Guide

Amadeus River Cruises

 Five-star cruises at affordable prices.

Book excursions in advance at reduced

prices.

Excursions not included in European

river cruises. River cruise passengers

are usually seasoned travellers who

are quite familiar with European cities,

allowing pax to decide which excursions

to do on the spot.

Some ships have single cabins but

charge the same per person rate

in a double cabin (i.e. no single

supplement).

Azamara Club Cruises

Azamara Club Cruises provides

complimentary amenities that other

cruise lines charge extra for, such as

all gratuities for housekeeping, dining

and bar staff; bottled water; soft drinks;

speciality coffees and teas; selected

spirits, beers and wines at all ship bars;

and self-service laundry.

Special night tours, called AzAmazing

Evenings, are included. Passengers

experience local culture, from a romantic

evening on a hillside in Tuscany with a

live performance by three tenors, to red

carpet treatment before a ballet at the

Mikhailovsky Theatre in St Petersburg.

Azamara cruises arrive earlier and

stay later, giving passengers more time

in port.

Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises has 11 ships, ve in

the new Solstice Class. Vessels feature

manicured lawns, larger staterooms, a

theatre and multiple dining options.

Itineraries include Europe, Alaska, the

Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand,

Galapagos Islands and the Americas.

High modern luxury, with haute cuisine.

Crystal Cruises

A six-star service, all-inclusive option for the discerning traveller. Its mid-size ships

accommodate between 940 and 1 080 passengers.

 Complimentary beverages, including ne wines and premium spirits, plus various

non-alcoholic beverages.

Recognised as one of the best in the world and has won numerous awards by Travel

& Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler.

AmaWaterways

 Complimentary wine, beer and

soft drinks with dinner. Gold-medal

dining and special themed dinners.

Bites & Sites excursions available,

which offer a sample of European

avours.

Staterooms of between 16 and 58

square metres. Ships in Europe

feature French balcony staterooms

and twin balconies on selected

vessels, while those in Portugal,

Russia, Vietnam/Cambodia and

Africa feature balconies.

Speciality cruises include new wine

cruises and Jewish Heritage tours.

Christmas cruises explore Europe’s

Christmas Markets.

Carnival Cruise Lines

 Carnival’s eet annually carries

500 000 children and caters for

all ages, with the ‘Camp Carnival’

programme, ‘Club 02’ for teens and

‘Carnival WaterWorks’ aqua parks.

The line recently unveiled a

partnership with Dr. Seuss

Enterprises to bring on board

entertainment experiences.

The cruise line has launched a

programme of live music concerts,

while ships are docked in selected

ports, including Lady Antebellum,

Daughtry, Chicago, LeeAnn Rimes

and Jennifer Hudson.

Costa Cruises

Disney Cruises

Ideal trips for families with children of all ages, with accommodation in

spacious rooms.

 Firework displays, famous Disney characters on board, spectacular shows, deck

parties, outdoor movies, children’s and teen clubs along with adult facilities.

Rotation of restaurants on board.

Emerald Waterways

A river cruising operation. Features

a 360˚ Sun Deck and heated

swimming pool with retractable roof

that transforms into a cinema in the

evenings.

Custom-built ships offer more space

per guest than most river ship

operators.

With a guest capacity of 182, the

line is a good choice for an incentive

or corporate getaway. Inclusions

range from transfers and meals to

complimentary drinks, tours and tips.

Holland America

A specialist in Alaskan cruises.

Thompsons Holidays offers a total

cruise experience that includes

ights and pre- and post-cruise

accommodation.

Royal Caribbean International

Sails to Europe, the Caribbean, Alaska, Asia, Dubai, Mexico, Bahamas, Bermuda,

Panama Canal, Canada/New England, South America and Hawaii.

Children sail free on selected European cruises.

On-board adventures range from the Adventure Ocean Youth Programme to bungee

trampolines, rock climbing walls, ice skating and in-line skating. On the shore there

are unusual activities, such as heli-hiking and swimming with stingrays.

Scenic Cruises

 Fully inclusive river cruising, such as private

butlers, tours, complimentary drinks and

tipping (on board and on shore).

State-of-the-art technology converts private,

full-size balconies into a Scenic Sun Lounge.

Scenic Tailormade (GPS guided tours on

foot or cycle at guests’ leisure); Scenic

FreeChoice (optional excursions at each

port); Scenic Enrich (events giving access to

Europe’s historic and cultural highlights).

SeaDream Yacht Club

 For seasoned travellers, an excellent

yachting experience. Provides guests

with the feeling of owning a private yacht,

where they can do as much or as little as

they like. Still offers large-ship amenities

such as entertainment, boutiques and a

tness centre.

 Vessels visit intimate yachting harbours

and ports, which larger vessels aren’t

able to reach.

SeaDream accommodates a maximum

of 56 couples (112 guests), with a

crew of 95.

Oceania Cruises

Mid-size ships for just 684 or 1 250

guests. Offer a country-club-type

casual ambiance where tuxedos and

gowns are not required.

 Fine cuisine, served in open-seating

restaurants at no additional charge.

 Port-intensive itineraries that comprise

overnight visits and extended evening

port stays.

Regent Seven Seas

An all-inclusive product with savings of

up to $15 000 (R162 366) per suite.

Unlimited shore excursions, pre-paid

gratuities, and unlimited beverages,

including ne wines and selected

premium spirits.

Agents earn commission on all

on-board services, excluding items of a

personal nature.

Seabourn

Six intimate ships with all-suite

accommodation in just 104 or 229

suites. Many of the suites feature

verandas.

Unique itineraries visiting must-see

cities and hidden gems that larger

ships cannot access.

 Awarded Travel & Leisure's World’s

Best Small-Ship Cruise Line for the

past ve years.

Silversea Cruises

Silversea CruisesSmaller ships and fewer guests on

board (between 296 and 540), with

high levels of personal service.

 Early bookings enable passengers

to benet from an all-inclusive Silver

Privilege fare with price guarantee.

 Partners with the ‘Grands Chefs’ of

Relais & Châteaux and supports the

Slow Food Promozione. Also partners

with luxury brands – Bulgari, Ferragamo

and Davidoff – for amenities for

guests. Private butlers are on hand.

TNW’s Cruising Quick Guide

Silversea Expeditions

Adventure-type programmes for those with a scientic interest. The line has

partnered with the Royal Geographical Society.

A eet of Zodiac boats allows guests to visit off-the-beaten-path locations and an

expert Expedition Team provides insight and understanding to each port of call.

 Silversea Expeditions offers dishes inspired by Relais & Châteaux and

regional cuisine. Fine wines and spirits are served en suite and throughout

the ships.

Star Cruises

The original Oriental cruise company, with cruises to Far Eastern destinations.

Thompsons Holidays offers online access for instant conrmations.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection

All-inclusive European River Cruises, with fully escorted shore excursions, all meals and unlimited beverages.

Airport transfers on arrival and departure days and tipping and gratuities are included.

A ‘six-star’ product with a high guest-to-staff ratio.

Rand-price guarantee: once a deposit of R1 500pp is paid, the prices do not uctuate and are not dependent on

the rate of exchange. The price you quote your clients is the price they will pay.

Star Clippers

A combination of

traditional tall-ship

sailing and modern

pampering.

Tall-ship features

that are not found

on a conventional

cruiser include hidden

balconies on either

side of the bow.

Passengers can

also climb the mast

(with safety harness

provided) to a look-out

‘crow’s-nest’.

The ships are great

for events.

Variety Cruises

Itineraries specialise in the

Mediterranean.

Small ships sail off

the beaten track to

unfrequented destinations.

A combination of privateyacht

and small-ship

experiences, where

passengers can take a

dip from the ship in a

secluded bay.

Windstar Cruises

 Sleek, elegant sailing ships

and three power yachts

carrying 148-310 guests.

A private-yacht-style

atmosphere with

sophisticated pampering in

a smart-casual environment.

 Vessels have the size and

agility to visit exotic, smaller

ports, making for unusual

itineraries.

Visit the Aegean

THOMPSONS Holidays

offers a cruising package

on Louis Olympia from

R15 467, including ights

from Johannesburg, taxes,

transfers and accommodation

in a three-star hotel in Athens.

The four-day cruise includes

all meals and on-board

entertainment. The package

also includes a one-night

stay in a hotel in the Plaka

area of Athens, which is lled

with restaurants and just a

few minutes’ walk from the

Acropolis. The cruise out of

Piraeus calls at Mykonos,

Kusadasi in Turkey (with an

optional tour to Ephesus),

Patmos, Rhodes, Crete and

Santorini (pictured above).

Celebrity Cruises ups spa offering

CELEBRITY Cruises and

Canyon Ranch, one of the

world’s leading spa and

wellness brands, have

teamed up to feature

Canyon Ranch SpaClub

at Sea facilities on board

10 Celebrity ships. The

luxurious chain will feature

a spa menu that includes

indulgent facials and facial

enhancements, massage,

thermal, Asian touch

and Reiki healing energy

therapies. Hair care, nail,

and make-up services will

also be offered.

Fitness lovers can choose

from private consultations

to group classes, including

yoga, Pilates, cycling,

mind/body connection

and relaxation. Wellness

programmes such as

personal exercise and

nutritional consultations,

acupuncture and

chiropractic therapy will also

be available on selected

ships.

Seabourn and Oceania in SA waters

SEABOURN and Oceania will

have ships in South African

waters in December, offering

14- and 15-day round-trips

respectively. Seabourn

Sojourn departs Cape Town

on December 21 and calls

at Port Elizabeth, Durban,

Richards Bay, Maputo, East

London and Mossel Bay

before returning to Cape

Town. Fares start at

R7 999pp. Ocean Nautica,

with fares from R5 049pp,

calls at Cape Town, Mossel

Bay, Maputo, Richards Bay,

Durban, East London, Port

Elizabeth and Walvis Bay.

Asia, new territory for Amadeus

THE Mekong River between

Vietnam and Cambodia, and

the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar

join the Amadeus River Cruise

programme in September.

The Mekong cruise travels

via Phnom Penh to My Tho.

Shore excursions – included

in the price – visit national

monuments, oating villages

and a rice paper factory.

There are optional land tours

to Angkor Wat, Ho Chi Minh

City, Hanoi with Halong Bay, or

Bangkok. Irrawaddy adventurers

y into Yangon to board the

Irrawaddy Explorer, sailing to

Mandalay. Shore excursions

include Bagan with its 2 600

temples and pagodas. Optional

land packages cover Yangon,

Inle Lake or Bangkok.

Pay in full and save

UNIWORLD Boutique River

Cruise Collection is offering

pay-in-full savings on its holiday

season cruises. Clients can

save up to R20 000 per

couple on bookings made and

paid in full by March 31. Those

who book and pay a deposit by

April 30 can also save up to

R10 000 per couple.

...and don’t forget to sell up!

I would like to add my

comments on the article

“Upselling – a missed

opportunity?” published

in the January 29 issue

of TNW.

Upselling, in my opinion,

is benecial to both the

travel agent and the

client. It is benecial to

the travel agent, not only

because it is a great

source of additional

income but because it

actually improves the

relationship with the

client as well as his

retention! This happens

when the consultant

offers various additional

benets to the client in

a way that is perceived

as adding value to the

experience, showing

that the consultant

has a keen interest

in maximising the

clients’ benets and

peace of mind. Further,

consultants demonstrate

an in-depth knowledge

of the product they are

selling.

Of course upselling

extends way beyond a

ight or a hotel as the

article mentioned. It

can be applied to most,

if not all, the products

available. When it comes

to selling cruises, there

is the obvious upgrading

of a stateroom from an

inside to an ocean-view

or a balcony or even

to a suite. Very often

the cruise lines have

reasonable offers to

upgrade.

Other opportunities

are: selling a longer

cruise, selling preand

post-cruise hotel

accommodation and

transfers, the cruise

insurance, drinks and

spa packages, shore

excursions and extended

land tours of three nights

or longer. One can even

upsell to a premium or

luxury cruise line. If one

takes into account that

most luxury cruise lines

are inclusive of gratuities,

all drinks and beverages,

speciality restaurants

and many other services,

the client may even save

money by upgrading to a

premium or luxury cruise

line! At the same time

the consultant is earning

commission on all these

amenities and services

since they are included in

the price!

George Argyropoulos

Md Cruises International.

Top river routes

HE appeal of river

cruising lies in gentle,

leisurely sailing,

although some itineraries

are jam-packed, traversing

multiple cities and

countries. Each has its own

atmosphere and interest –

some rivers are steeped in

history, others are scenic

wonders and yet others are

journeys into exotic cultures.

Europe

European river cruising

itineraries generally last a

week, kicking off from major

ports that lend themselves

to pre- and post-cruise

exploration. The season runs

from April to October.

The Rhine: This river ows

through Germany, The

Netherlands, France and

Switzerland. Itineraries are

strong on history, culture and

landscapes, with castles,

cathedrals and fortresses

to be seen along the banks,

alongside vineyards and

villages. Trips may include the

Moselle and the Main rivers.

Most popular are trips from

Amsterdam to Basel and

Cologne – Heidelberg and

the 65km Rhine Gorge are

highlights.

The Danube: Germany,

Austria, Hungary, Slovakia

and Romania border this

river, giving passengers an

experience of both old imperial

Europe and former Iron Curtain

countries. A typical cruise

travels between Germany’s

Black Forest (leaving from

Passau) and Romania’s

Black Sea. Budapest, Vienna,

Bratislava and the Austrian

Lake Districts are popular

stops.

The Elbe: The river starts in

the Czech Republic and ows

through Germany into the

North Sea near Hamburg.

Cruises tend to ply the

waterways from Magdeburg in

the Czech Republic to Melnick

in Germany with stops in

places such as Wittenberg,

birthplace of the Reformation,

Meissen and Dresden, famous

for their porcelain products.

The Seine: France’s Seine is

reputed to be one of the most

romantic waterways. Monet’s

garden in Giverny is the stop

most in demand, while Rouen,

the ‘City of 100 Spires’, is

also popular as well as the

beaches of Normandy with

their D-Day Memorial Sites.

The Rhone/Saone: This is the

wine lover’s route, travelling

through the French winemaking

regions of Provence and

Burgundy. The Rhone starts

in Switzerland, makes its way

into France and down to the

Mediterranean, converging with

the Saone at Lyon. Most trips

travel between Lyon and Arles

or Avignon.

The Douro: Between Portugal

and Spain, the Douro offers

a landscape of steep, rocky

slopes covered in vines. Boats

travel from Oporto to Vega de

Terron, from where excursions

to the Spanish city of

Salamanca can be made. The

cruises pass through ve locks

and make stops at Regua,

from where tours are taken

to the Nossa Senhora dos

Remedios, an 18th-century

church at Lamego. Port wine

tastings are on offer at Pinhao.

The Volga: This Russian

waterway will delight history

and art buffs as it lets

passengers experience the

sights of both Moscow and St

Petersburg. Between the two

there are rural scenes to view

with forests and lakes.

Asia

The Yangtze: This major

lifeblood of China has given

rise to large urban clusters

such as Shanghai Yangzhou,

Nanjing, Chongging, and

Yichang.

The high point is the Three

Gorges, a long stretch of

exquisite scenery, and the

Three Gorges Dam. Most

cruises last from three to

six nights, routed between

Chongging and Shanghai

or Chongging and Yichang.

On the river banks, ancient

pagodas share the skyline with

tall skyscrapers.

The Mekong: This rural route

runs between Siem Reap

in Cambodia and Vietnam’s

Ho Chi Minh City. There’s a

fair share of climbing into

local panga boats to reach

the shore for sightseeing

and trips to oating sh

markets, villages, temples

and the Cambodian capital,

Phnom Penh.