SUCCESS STORIES:

Fearlessly Sell Up - Patti Edwards, Kansas City, Mo., is never afraid to sell up. "If you've got a person who has been purchasing suites and balconies on a mass-market product, you have the potential for moving them up to a premium luxury product," she says. If they can't afford it, they'll tell you. And they won't be offended, Edwards says, they'll be flattered. Her advice: "You have to get completely out of your own checking account. Remove that mentality and say "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these people. I'm going to help facilitate that and put the pricing out of your mind.

"Work Your Customer List - Dennis Schepps, Houston, Tx, advertises in upscale magazines and in newspapers. Once he gets a query, he adds the person to his mailing list and then he uses that list aggressively. One thing leads to another, so our biggest single area for upscale is Philadelphia, not Houston," he says. About 40 households there buy Crystal, Silversea and Seabourn cruises from his agency. He spends a few days of every year in Philadelphia meeting with clients so they know more than just a voice on the phone. For repeat business Schepps capitalizes on the incentives that cruise lines such as Seabourn give past passengers, incentives agents can exploit to keep a customer. "You'd like to pat yourself on the back and say 'Hey, you're great,' but the cruise lines do a lot for us; if we get them on there the first time, they'll get back on.

"Give Them What They Want - Diane Sehler, Long Beach, Calif., has two rules for selling upscale cruises. Her first: know the product. Her second: recognize that people will pay more to get exactly what they want. Agent's biggest problem in selling upscale cruises is underestimating what customers are actually willing to spend.

"People say they want the least expensive, but that's not really what they want. They want a really nice experience," she says. Also, "It is important to match the clients, to put them on the right ship. Are they formal, do they like to get dressed up? Will they be interested in ports, or just other cruises? These are all factors, and each cruise line, be it large or small, does definitely market to a certain type of clientele," she says, adding that is important to know which cruise line is upscale and sporty and which is upscale and formal.

"The key with me is to match the right clients with the right cruise ship and give them very, very good service and listen to what they want," she says. Another point: "I don't jump into budget; usually, that comes right at the end," she says. She knows the budgets of established clients and can often determine the budget of new clients based on their past vacations. When she does broach the subject, she simply asks clients what their budget is and, even if it's low, she always sells up. If they can't afford it, she figures, they'll tell her.