Promote & Sell Profitable Products

Promote & Sell Profitable Products
By Phil & Doris Davidoff, CTCs, CTIEs, MCCs

It is just common sense – promote and sell profitable products. Avoid selling a travel product that costs more to service and sell than the money your clients will pay for it. Sometimes you may have to do this because a good client or prospect requests a low-cost, low-profit travel product, but DO NOT waste precious promotional dollars promoting unprofitable products.
It is amazing how many agents are promoting the least expensive cruises and tours because “that’s what is in the newspapers,” or because they believe that a client who buys a cheap trip today will buy a more expensive one tomorrow. Believe us, this rarely happens. The client who buys a cheap trip today will probably buy another cheap one next year.

But, what is profitable and what is not? Only you know your costs (or, at least, you should). By promoting the most inclusive products such as cruises, all-inclusive resorts and escorted tours, you earn commission on the greatest percentage of your client’s travel budget and your profits will increase. Make sure your clients understand why the program you are recommending costs more than a barebones trip, and the great value of the included features.

Promoting the profitable does not mean that we should try to sell the most expensive trip, providing the highest commission to all of our clients. Luxury cruises, for example, require travelers who seek and are comfortable with a luxury lifestyle. You will not succeed if you are trying to sell Regent or Seabourn to a contemporary (mass-market) target audience.
A current controversy concerns the sale of short, three to five day, cruises. Should agents promote or sell them when it is difficult (perhaps impossible) to make a profit on a product only providing a $60 to $150 commission per couple.

There is one way to promote and sell short cruises profitably – through group sales. Even five or ten couples traveling together multiply your earnings. If you can add special functions to the cruise, you can increase your price to cover the cost of the special features and added profit.
With respect to individual sales of short cruises, take the order if you are sure that it is what your client wants – but don’t promote them.