Finding and Keeping Clients

Out of courtesy to others, please silence your cell phone.

Thanks.

FINDING AND KEEPING CLIENTS

Presented by:

Sherrie & Charlie Funk

Co-owners, Just Cruisin’ Plus

New clients are important…

• Not always the most desirable.

• Not always the most desirable.– Takes more money and time to obtain

• Decline in on-line bookings for leisure travel.

What type of client do you want to pursue?

• Those who:

• Those who:– Believe, regardless of the amount they are

spending, that their time is better spent not researching vacation travel.

• Those who:– Believe, regardless of the amount they are

spending, that their time is better spent not researching vacation travel.

– Don’t want to risk, regardless of the amount they spend, making a mistake and having problems with their vacation.

What type of client do you want to avoid?

• Those who:

• Those who:– Think they are as smart as, or smarter than

you, and can do it themselves.

• Those who:– Think they are as smart as, or smarter than

you, and can do it themselves.– Looking for the agency who will rebate the

most and give away profit.

Finding new clients can be expensive….

• Based on cost per converted lead

Purchased Leads

• Tripology

Purchased Leads

• Tripology– Potentially one of the more cost effective

Purchased Leads

tools• $5.00 for a lead

Purchased Leads

tools• $5.00 for a lead • Shared with two other agencies

Purchased Leads

• Tripology– Two distinct lead types

Purchased Leads

• Looking for agent who will rebate the most

Purchased Leads

• Looking for agent who will rebate the most• Looking for an expert for the trip they want to take

Purchased Leads

• Looking for agent who will rebate the most• Looking for an expert for the trip they want to take

– Drill down, drill down, drill down

Purchased Keywords

• “Carnival cruise” - $4.96

Purchased Keywords

• “Royal Caribbean cruise” - $8.90

Purchased Keywords

• “Caribbean cruise - $5.18 vs $2.38 two years ago

Purchased Keywords

• Click to book ratio

Purchased Keywords

• Click to book ratio

• Keyword ban by cruise lines

Electronic Media Ads

• Television

• Television– Shotgun approach

• Television– Shotgun approach – Cost in the $100 to several hundred dollars

per 1,000 impressions

• Radio

• Radio– Cost per thousand is also high

• Radio– Cost per thousand is also high– Not as high as TV

• Radio– Cost per thousand is also high– Not as high as TV– May be a sleeper

• Radio– Cost per thousand is also high– Not as high as TV– May be a sleeper– Use to drive web traffic

• Key – simple, easy url

Print Ads

• Cost per thousand is lower

Print Ads

• Effective in some markets, not in others

Print Ads

• Effective in some markets, not in others

• Cost per closed sale can be high.

Finding New Clients

• Regardless of method:

Finding New Clients

• Regardless of method:– Must get in front of contact 5 to 7 times before

they ever CONTACT you.

Finding New Clients

• Regardless of method:– Must get in front of contact 5 to 7 times before

they ever CONTACT you.– Then you must sell them.

Most Economical Methods for Finding New Clients

• Referrals from past clients (word-of-mouth)

Most Economical Methods for Finding New Clients

• Referrals from past clients (word-of-mouth)

• Social Media

Social Media

• What is it?

Social Media

• What is it?– A category of online media where people are:

Social Media

• Talking

Social Media

• Talking• Participating

Social Media

• Talking• Participating• Sharing

Social Media

• Talking• Participating• Sharing• Networking

Social Media

• Talking• Participating• Sharing• Networking• Bookmarking online

Social Media

• Has shot to the forefront of people’s attention because

Social Media

• Has shot to the forefront of people’s attention because– IT’S FUN!!!

Social Media

• Easy to share:

Social Media

• Easy to share:– Your ideas

Social Media

• Easy to share:– Your ideas– Your photos

Social Media

• Easy to share:– Your ideas– Your photos– Your videos

Social Media

• Easy to share:– Your ideas– Your photos– Your videos– Your likes and dislikes

Social Media

• You can:

Social Media

• You can:– Find friends and business contacts

Social Media

• You can:– Find friends and business contacts– Become part of a community or a bunch of

different communities

Social Media

• Social media gives you what TV never could

Social Media

• Social media gives you what TV never could– A chance to be engaged and engage

others

Social Media Venues

• Email

Social Media Venues

• Email

• Blogs

Social Media Venues

• Email

• Blogs

• Social sites

Social Media Venues

• Email

• Blogs

• Social sites– Facebook

Social Media Venues

• Email

• Blogs

• Social sites– Facebook– Twitter

Social Media Venues

• Email

• Blogs

• Social sites– Facebook– Twitter– You Tube

Social Media Venues

• Email

• Blogs

• Social sites– Facebook– Twitter– You Tube– MySpace

Social Media Venues

• Email

• Blogs

• Social sites– Facebook– Twitter– You Tube– MySpace– LinkedIn

Why is Social Media Important?

• 75% of Americans use social media

• Social site visiting is now the 4th most popular online activity

• 93% of social media users believe their company should have a social media presence

• IT LEVELS THE PLAYING FIELD WITH THE MEGAS

Who can you reach through Social Networking?

• World War II (Silent)

• Baby Boomers

• Gen X

• Baby Boomers

• Gen X

• Gen Y (Millennials)

World War II Silent Generation

• 52.5 million

• Born between 1925 and 1944

• 52.5 million

• 90% use Facebook

• 52.5 million

• 23% use MySpace

• 52.5 million

• 23% use MySpace

• 17% use Twitter

• 52.5 million

• 23% use MySpace

• 17% use Twitter

• 4% use LinkedIn

Baby Boomers

• 78.2 million

Baby Boomers

• 78.2 million

Baby Boomers

• 78.2 million

Baby Boomers

• 78.2 million

• 40% use MySpace

Baby Boomers

• 78.2 million

• 40% use MySpace

• 13% use Twitter

Baby Boomers

• 78.2 million

• 40% use MySpace

• 13% use Twitter

• 13% use LinkedIn

• 69.5 million

• 57% use MySpace

• 69.5 million

• 57% use MySpace

• 18% use Twitter

• 69.5 million

• 57% use MySpace

• 18% use Twitter

• 13% use LinkedIn

Gen Y (Millennials)

• 100 million (or more)

Gen Y (Millennials)

• 65% use MySpace

Gen Y (Millennials)

• 65% use MySpace

• 9% use Twitter

Gen Y (Millennials)

• 65% use MySpace

• 9% use Twitter

• 0% use LinkedIn

Facebook

How a Facebook Fan Page Can Help Your Agency

• Lets you interact with your customers

• Allows you to email updates to your fans

• ALLOWS YOU TO BRAND YOUR AGENCY at moderate cost (mostly your time)

• ALLOWS YOU TO BUILD BRAND IDEN-TITY at moderate cost (mostly your time)

• Network finds new potential customers who will become fans of your agency

Facebook Best Practices

• Create a story, not a sale!

• Appeal to your audience

• Post regularly

• Create groups

• Creating Groups

• Creating Groups– From your Home page

• Click on Groups on the left hand side of the page

• Click on Groups on the left hand side of the page• Then, click on “Create a Group” at the top of the

Twitter

Twitter Best Practices

• Don’t advertise blatantly!

• Post regularly, especially supplier sales

• Quality over Quantity

Bloggers’ Best Practices

• Grammar, punctuation and spelling!!!

• Scheduled blogging is not important.

• Make it entertaining to the reader.

• Make it YOU!!!

The Seven Deadly Sins of Social Media Used for Business

• Improper grammar and spelling

• Inappropriate language

• Repetitive promotional posts

• Sexual orientation

• Racism

• Racism• Religion

• Racism• Religion• Politics

How to Succeed with Social Media

• Think kindergarten

• Think kindergarten– Have fun

• Think kindergarten– Have fun– Be nice

• Think kindergarten– Have fun– Be nice– Share

Afraid to Jump into Social Media?

• www.socialgirlmarketing.com

Customer Retention

First Sale to Customer

• Is THE most expensive sale you’ll make to them.

• Is THE most expensive sale you’ll make to them.– Time to qualify the client

• Is THE most expensive sale you’ll make to them.– Time to qualify the client– Time to learn likes and dislikes

• Is THE most expensive sale you’ll make to them.– Time to qualify the client– Time to learn likes and dislikes– Time to answer the three dozen questions

that will arise

Repeat Business

• Gets progressively less expensive

Repeat Business

• Example: 18-day segment of world cruise– $23,000, takes longer to tell about it than to

book it

Repeat Business

• Example: 18-day segment of world cruise– $23,000, takes longer to tell about it than to

book it

• Example: Client is fan of one cruise line– Probably has a deck named after them. They

book onboard and monitor rates for drop

What is your client retention rate?

• Definition of “Client Retention Rate”

What is your client retention rate?

• Definition of “Client Retention Rate”– The percentage of customer relationships

that, once established, a travel agency is able to maintain on a long-term basis

Travel Agency Customer Retention Rates

• Royal Caribbean says 20%

• NCL says 25%

• Carnival says 30%

• NCL says 25%

• Carnival says 30%

• They KNOW because THEY book the same clients at times when you don’t.

Client Retention Threats

• Cruise line direct bookings

• Cruise line direct bookings– Remember which sale is the most expensive?

Client Retention Threat

• Cruise line direct bookings– Remember which sale is the most expensive?– Cruise lines know and are happy for you to

make the first sale for them

Client Retention Threat

• Cruise line direct bookings– Remember which sale is the most expensive?– Cruise lines know and are happy for you to

make the first sale for them– They then take the low-hanging fruit on the

second and succeeding sales.

• Data from sources we trust:

• Data from sources we trust:– Royal Caribbean is taking 16% direct

• Data from sources we trust:– Royal Caribbean is taking 16% direct– NCL is taking 33% direct

• Data from sources we trust:– Royal Caribbean is taking 16% direct– NCL is taking 33% direct– Carnival is taking 50% direct

Client Retention Actions

• Five Questions You Must Always Ask – John Jantsch, writer for Duct Tape Marketing

Five Questions You Must Always Ask

• What made you decide to do business with us in the first place?

• What’s one thing we do better than others you do business with?

• What’s one thing we could do to create a better experience for you?

• Do you refer us to others, and if so why?

• Do you refer us to others, and if so why?• What would you/did you “Google” to find a

business like ours?

• STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CLIENTS!!

• STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CLIENTS!!– If you don’t, the suppliers will.

• Princess email program prior to sailing

• Princess email program prior to sailing• NCL inside sales contacting your clients for their

next cruise BEFORE they’ve taken their first one

– Call past passengers for no particular reason other than to check in.

• Casually ask about what their vacation plans are

• Casually ask about what their vacation plans are• Best time to call is around the time they usually

contact you to begin planning a vacation

• Direct Mail

• Direct Mail– Done properly, one of the most cost-effective

forms of advertising

• Direct Mail– Done properly, one of the most cost-effective

forms of advertising• Prizm, Cohorts, etc.

• Email/E-blasts

• Email/E-blasts– Use a service such as Constant Contact to

produce professional email

E-mail/E-Blasts

• Capture email addresses on EVERY client with the same diligence as capturing phone numbers

E-mail/E-blasts

• Always give recipient a chance to forward the email to a friend

E-mail/E-blasts

• Always give recipient a chance to forward the email to a friend

• Always provide a way to sign up to receive your newsletter

E-mail/E-blasts

• Always provide an “opt-out”

• SERVICE, SERVICE, SERVICE!!!

SERVICE, SERVICE, SERVICE

• For high dollar clients

• For high dollar clients– Collect all the info needed to fill out pre-

registration

registration– Put in your name and phone number for

emergency contact

registration– Put in your name and phone number for

emergency contact– Put in your email address for contact person

• Never let the client do something that is seemingly menial that you can do for them

• Make them dependent on YOU

Are you going to work on Monday?

Thanks for Attending our Session!!

Finding and Keeping Clients

Travel

Finding and Keeping Profitable Customers: Global Marketing .../media/files/gcp/us2/con… · Finding and Keeping Profitable Customers: Global Marketing, Sales & Service We’ll explore

Seeking and Finding Our Clients on the Internet: Boundary

The Introverted Freelancer's Guide to Finding Clients

New clients and keeping them engaged

Promoting your startup and finding clients, partners and investors

Finding out what happens to former clients

Keeping It Legal: Finding Images for Your Online Course

Finding your lost revenue and keeping it

Finding and keeping the right staff

James Eder from Student Beans on Finding, Securing & Keeping Talent

Finding your lost revenue and keeping it - Constant Contactfiles.constantcontact.com/9c739796101/c0a1304a-585e-404e-b7b6-5aa... · Finding your lost revenue and keeping it 1 ... Blood

Finding and keeping my niche

Finding the Perfect Clients

Finding + Keeping the Right Team

Keeping Well this Winter - Finding Balance

NAFA Finding, Hiring, and Keeping Good People September 25, 2015

Iwoc: Finding & Retaining Clients Yourself

Finding and Keeping Good Employees is a Major Problem

Finding (and keeping) monthly donors online - Jonathon Grapsas

Client assets - Keeping your clients’ assets safe