Inspiretec cruise relationship manager Gareth Arnold explains why engaging with clients and understanding their holiday preferences will provide “invaluable insights and help maximise conversion”.

It’s so nice to see so much positive news coming from the cruise industry. The sector was hit unbelievably hard by the pandemic but has shown its resilience and we are now seeing headlines about the UK cruises setting sail this summer and how demand for 2022/23 is exceeding expectations.

I have no doubt that as cruising opens up again the sector will be even more competitive than in previous years. I truly believe that as we emerge from the pandemic, how we engage with customers, both new and existing, will be more important than ever before.

It can be argued that in the past, many businesses have interacted with their customers in the way they wanted to, rather than how the customer wanted to interact. It’s a subtle difference, but can have a real impact.

Gaining and retaining customers is of paramount importance and this is where a CRM system can really help. This type of technology provides agents with an omni-channel customer view, so they can see all their customer engagement and preferences, across all the different channels in one place, from email and web to phone and in-store.

Every interaction an agency has with a customer influences whether or not they will come back, so getting it right is imperative. Understanding preferences and behaviours will provide invaluable insights and help maximise conversion.

Knowing what customers are doing when they engage with your business allows you to predict what they might do next. So when an existing customer makes contact, having their preferences and spending habits available is incredibly useful.

Agents are then able to pitch the right products and prices to match their expectations. If it’s a new customer, then agents can see what they’ve been searching for and softly target them with relevant ideas to start building a relationship.

With business budgets currently tighter than ever before and many businesses operating with fewer staff, driving efficiencies and managing workflow will be key moving forward. In short – every second counts.

Using a CRM solution will enable more repetitive everyday tasks such as pre-departure emails, upgrade promotion and welcome home surveys to be carried out by the system. This in turn frees up valuable agent time to focus on the areas where they can add the most value.

We all know that knowledge is power, so investing in a travel-specific CRM system will undoubtedly add value and help streamline the sales process.

Inspiretec is offering CLIA travel agent members the chance to sign up for a free, no obligation three-month trial of its CRM system.

CLIA members should visit https://www.inspiretec.com/crm-cruise-trial before 31 May to begin the trial. Non CLIA members receive a 30-day trial.