Is luxury cruising a tough sell? For Seabourn UK and Ireland MD Lynn Narraway it all comes down to creating loyalty and connecting guests to their passions.

Loyalty is an allegiance. In the same way that people are loyal to a sports team or a restaurant, people will have loyalty to their travel consultant. The most successful advisors are the ones who can create the type of relationship with clients that will make them return again and again. Attracting a new client could cost five times as much as keeping an existing one – so increasing retention rates by 5 per cent can increase profits by more than 25 per cent. What’s important is to keep surprising clients and be willing to go that extra mile.

The Seabourn Moments concept can be anything from surprising a guest with their favourite dessert to helping another find a lost engagement ring – now, that is a good story. For homeworkers, this could be as simple as taking a Seabourn Cruise Collection brochure to a client, or meeting them for coffee to learn more about them and their perfect holiday.

Feel the passion

Cruising is also about passion, particularly when trying to attract luxury clients from other sectors of travel, most notably converting luxury land-lovers. Connecting to the things that drive their interests, passions and decisions will all help. Agents should discover whether they are foodies or interested in wellness, for example.

Agents should also learn what their primary interest in travelling is, then fill in the gaps. Storytelling is a powerful tool: be ready to regale a client with the wonders of cruising. However, don’t be too rehearsed – instead, speak from your personal knowledge and research.

Furthermore, understanding a client comes down to knowing their buying habits. If an agent knows who their most profitable clients are and what stage of the purchasing cycle they are at, the better served they will be. Identify what lifetime events they will be celebrating now and into the future, for instance, milestone anniversaries. If agents can identify that a client will have their 50th birthday in four years’ time, start sowing the seeds – celebrate with a Seabourn cruise – and propose they start planning and saving.

Attachment rates can also be improved by enhancing cruise holidays. Adding a pre or post-cruise hotel stay, or even an immersive Seabourn Journey, not only increases commission but will also enhance the experience for the client and help to drive loyalty.

For some clients, agents should consider talking about the benefits they will receive if they book a Penthouse and Premium Suite. Seabourn’s promotions often include valuable upgrade incentives, including up to $1,000 extra on-board spending money to help clinch the sale.

Top tips

• Take time to understand what makes clients tick – learn their passions and it will help when it comes to finding the right cruise for them
• Consider adding a pre or post-cruise option to a luxury holiday
• Become an expert and clients will feed off your knowledge and enthusiasm