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Only a few summer months left to get ‘em talking
Where have the summer months gone?
We’re almost in the middle of July and before you know it, it will be time to roll out the fall specials. I ask you, what have you done this summer season to get your family travelers talking?
I’m tuned into family travel blogs, Twitter and Facebook, and I have not seen any raving fans (parents) talking about how great their travels have been. I’ll continue my search. Don’t be discouraged. There’s still time to roll out the “Wow” factor for your family travelers.
In fact, now is the perfect time to reconsider what programs and specials you have in place and tweak them a little. Summer is ALWAYS a great time to experiment. Get families raving about you during their social media time. Disney Cruises has the idea. Just last night I saw their new “end of summer” commercial campaign, where they are encouraging families to book a cruise now before school starts. I must admit, although we’ve already planned our summer vacation, which is in a few weeks, I was feeling tempted to at least pick up the phone and inquire.
I do realize that Disney is in a breed of their own. I used that example to show you that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Just get your family travelers talking about their grand experience with your brand. From there, have a plan in place to have them come back for more.
The risk is in fully relying on the training manual
I highly recommend a college education.
However, I know for sure, that my true experience as a journalist and now a thriving business woman has stemmed from my “real world” experience. This thought leads me to today’s post.
As a part of my hospitality training programs, I always leave my students with a nice manual that captures the essence of everything that I have shared with them about how to serve family travelers, smarter. I consider it a good gesture, a way to make it “official” if you will.
My technique is to share with the hospitality team the importance of every word and how when in doubt, look it up and be in the know.
After experiencing heartfelt appreciation for having penned two or three days of information for them, I have them sign off on a pledge stating that they WILL NOT rely on this manual to improve their guest relations, instead, that they will get OUT THERE in the REAL WORLD and treat family travelers with kindness, day in day out. And that they understand the experience expressed in this manual is only based on proven market research facts and should not be relied on or used as a crutch. Tried and true hospitality stems from the heart, not in this manual.
Surprisingly, the staff is taken back each time. Just when silence can seem so loud, it’s then that they realize that changing the way families travel, forever, begins with them and no one else. Does your team know this?
Do they know that it’s only by getting out there and actually DOING the work that they gain sharper insight and skills in how to treat guests no matter what form of travel they are in. While I highly recommend having an education in the world of hospitality, I like to leave my students knowing that they ARE the change that I want to see for family travel. It gets them every time!
Use what you already have to boost the bottom line
Not a day goes by where I fail to witness a travel brand or business creating “new” strategies to increase their sales. Usually, it’s by way of new promotional programs, or a huge ad campaign geared toward enticing a new demographic in the marketplace.
As a hospitality marketing consultant and trainer, I highly encourage proactivity in the marketplace. In fact, it is my belief that your brand should be out there, communicating from the rooftops how great you are, especially if you cater to family travelers. There’s always room to tweak and upgrade programs that you offer, but most brands get lost and forget how already fabulous they are.
Using what you already have takes skill. Starting over is easy, but picking up where you left off to create something greater is pure comittment. Instead of targeting new customers, take a look at your current customer base and find out what’s wooing them, then, do it better. Check your stock room or basement for items that may make fun giveways and create a contest to clean out the storage. Those items are just waiting to make a customer’s day.
When it’s all said and done, it’s not about a new creation. It’s more about being aware and in tune to what your brand does best, who your true customers are, and what you can easily implement to communicate to them, that they matter to you. Give it a try.
