Eight fundamental concepts to remember when selling to the luxury customer
Recently, I read an article by Larry Pimental, President and CEO of Azamara Club Cruises, about the ‘rights” of affluent travelers. As I was reading the article, I began to realize he was describing my travel personality, but how could this be? Affluent, luxury… aren’t I just a normal traveler who likes to get away from the daily grind while being pampered blissfully day after day? Okay, well maybe I do prefer to use travel as my getaway from the daily grind and learn about new cultures to optimize my mind and grow, but does that make me an luxury type of traveler. Maybe. Read the Bill of Rights below and tell me what you think. Do these Bill of Rights apply specifically to Affluent Travelers or just to regular ole chaps wanting a well-deserved break from the daily grind?
The Right to Travel: Affluent travelers believe they have the basic right to travel. They consider it to be almost a part of their birthright.
The Right to Wellness and Well-Being: Along with this right to travel, affluent travelers believe that traveling leads to their continuing well-being. They believe that getting away from the daily “grind” is good for them, for their physical and mental health. They want travel products that have a high degree of wellness and well-being built into them.
The Right to Unique Experiences: Cookie-cutter travel products don’t make it these days. Affluent travelers are seeking unique experiences such as interactions with different cultures. They’re seeking more and more options, whether it’s kayaking along a tributary of the Amazon or just staring out into a deep blue sea from a fine cruise ship in the Mediterranean. It’s all about choice—their choice.
The Right to Unstructured Personal Experiences: Being unstructured is a high priority with affluent travelers. Pre-programmed activities have become passé with them. Unstructured means doing what they want to do, when they want to do it.
The Right to be Casual: The workplace has become much more casual over the years. So too have travel and most travel products. Today’s affluent leisure traveler doesn’t want to be locked into a rigid lifestyle at home or anywhere else.
The Right to Exemplary Service: Seamless service is a high expectation. Affluent travelers want to be pampered. They expect personal attention, but in a casual rather than textbook manner.
The Right to Excellent Cuisine: Excellent cuisine is a high expectation in travel. In fact, fine dining is one of the highest priorities of all affluent travelers. And remember, fine dining doesn’t always mean “fancy” dining. Sometimes it’s a really great cheeseburger just the way the customer wants it.
The Right to Quality and Value: This final right or entitlement is logically the most important one listed here. In this new Era of Enrichment, the twin concepts of quality and value are considered to be of paramount importance. That’s why Larry calls them “rights.” High quality and good value equate. They are two sides of the same coin. But quality and value have no relationship to price.
I invite you to ponder these last points: Price does not determine quality, nor does it determine value. If you book trips based on price alone, you may short change yourself on the value and quality of the vacation. Share this story and share your thoughts.
Source: Agent@Home Magazine – July 2011 / © 2011 Performance Media Group
