5 ways to improve your sales technique and attract more visitors to your destination
Like it or not, sales is part of running any successful business, including a destination. You may have a dedicated sales team or it’s the role of all of those employed at your destination, either way your team need to be able to convert leads into sales and increase visitors.
To begin with, let’s stop thinking of sales as tactics to push people into buying and forcing your destination down their throat. Sales is about helping people to see that your destination is going to give them a wonderful day out or experience they don’t want to miss.
5 ways to improve your sales technique and attract visitors
Listen to your target audience
Rather than focusing on how you’re going to get them through the door, take a step back and listen to your target audience. Focus on what their pain is, think about how your destination is going to offer a solution to that pain - e.g. a great day out, family memories, a break from work. Not only will you help them see why they want to visit, but it builds trust you understand their needs.
2. Build on visitor relationships
Once they’ve booked, don’t just celebrate the sale, your relationship has just begun. Now is the time to nurture the relationship and continue to build trust. Regularly checking in on them, updating them on things to think about before their visit, tips on how to make it even more special, e.g. Why is that so important? Repeat bookings and reviews will do the selling for you, they’ll build the bridge between you and other potential visitors. Plus, if you have news and updates about your destination, your existing visitor base is a great audience to sell these to.
3. Be a valuable resource
Selling tickets to your destination doesn’t have to be your only goal. You can be a source of information and add even more value for your visitors to absorb. Rather than plastering “Buy tickets” over your marketing material, blogs and social media platforms, offer valuable content such as tips for days out, packing lists, other things to do in the area... help them see that you care beyond their visit. When you add value people will are more likely to buy from you. It may not be instant, but when they are ready you’ll be top of the list.
4. Connect with emotions
Emotion-led marketing is huge, especially when it comes to our precious leisure time. Take a look at your destination and ask yourself, what emotion will people feel when they visit? Will it relax them? Will it make them feel joy? Will it bond them as a family? What emotion can you connect to your destination? Once you know that, you’ll be able to build on that emotional trigger in your marketing and sales.
5. Learn from lost sales
No matter how amazing your destination or how good your sales team are, inevitably someone will slip through the net. But even a “No” can be turned into a positive. Ask yourself why they said no, and if you can, ask them. Knowing why they decided not to visit could be a valuable lesson to take onto the next potential visitor. Learn a lesson from it and use it to improve your sales technique moving forward.