Selling Backroads: Tips On Increasing Your Active Travel Sales
Backroads offers the following practical tips for marketing active travel and drawing in clients.
Build Your Backroads Business
Ask for the business. When your clients say they want to go to Europe this summer, simply ask "Have you ever considered a biking or walking vacation in Spain or Italy?" OR "Would you like a culturally active tour or cruise with a small group?"
Target Existing Clients
Insert Backroads mini tri-fold rack brochures in any of your agency mailings (final trip documents, airline tickets, or newsletters, etc.) to your clients. Spread the word to your current clients that you sell active travel. Use a new trip announcement from Backroads as a reason to connect with clients. Send clients an e-catalog or a detailed trip itinerary of a hot destination.
Make It Official—Become a Specialist
Become a Backroads Specialist and learn about selling these unique vacations to your clients. Once you've graduated, promote your new specialty in your email auto-signature, website and business cards. Check out the program overview and enrollment form.
Target Affluent Travelers
Tap into the luxurious lifestyles of the affluent market. (These prospects have the disposable income, time and desire for frequent and unique travel.) Target organizations, restaurants, boutiques, gourmet markets, wine and culinary shops, country clubs and sporting goods shops that appeal to their sophisticated and upscale lifestyle. Collaborate with these organizations to advertise in their publications or host a travel fair for their members/customers.
Target Professionals
Market to professional organizations such as medical or legal associations. Many of our guests are professionals in these industries. Advertise in their publications or rent their mailing lists for a direct mail campaign. Ask your doctor or dentist to display Backroads catalogs with your agency stamp in their reception areas.
Join Forces with Alumni Groups or Clubs
Collaborate with alumni or cultural associations as well as service and social clubs/organizations. Barter or donate travel prizes for their charitable auctions or fundraisers in exchange for an ad in their newsletters or access to their mailing lists.
Get Social
Use your company website and social media to expand your exposure and promote Backroads. Use images and videos from our gallery to entice your clients and prospects.
Use Your Email
Build up your email database and send email updates to clients featuring hot destinations, special promotions and exciting adventures. Sign up to receive Backroads e-newsletter and forward them to your clients. Use the Auto Signature function on your email program to post a tag line highlighting a specific Backroads destination at the end of every email you send.
Use Your Voicemail
Your agency promotes preferred suppliers or destinations on its Hold message to pique interest. Why not use your individual voicemail to promote your areas of expertise? Tell clients to ask you about biking in Provence with Backroads at the end of your voicemail message.
Take a FAM Trip
Take a trip with Backroads. We offer exclusive advisor FAM trips as well as special advisor savings on our regular departures. Nothing beats first-hand experience when it comes to selling. Contact us for details.
Show Them What You Do
Send the message to your walk-in traffic that you book active travel. Create an active travel window display featuring a bike, helmet, hiking boots, walking stick, kayaking paddle, binoculars, backpack and Backroads catalogs and posters. Ask your local bike shop and sporting goods store to provide you with display equipment in exchange for sending your clients armed with packing lists to shop there.
Toot Your Own Horn
Be your own publicist and send press releases to local newspapers, magazines, radio and TV stations. Editors and program directors are often receptive to local business news and it won't cost a penny. Promote special events, collaborative efforts with other community businesses, new destinations, hot travel topics and your area of expertise. Get your name and agency out in the public eye.
Get to Know Them
Spend a few extra minutes with each of your clients to find out more about their personal interests, hobbies and travel habits. Record the information in ClientBase and promote Backroads. Your clients will appreciate your extra care and concern for their travel needs, and your marketing efforts will be more focused.
Use Your E-Newsletter
Use your agency e-newsletter to spread the word. Feature copy and photos from Backroads' catalogs or website (ask us for content ideas) to promote active travel. Or feature your own Backroads experience in an upcoming issue.
Sponsor Active Events
Set up an agency table at a charity bike ride or 10K run. Feature Backroads' catalogs and rack brochures with your agency stamp to entice prospects and start a mailing list. Send out a postcard or letter as follow-up. Some organizers provide "goodie bags" to all event participants. Arrange to insert Backroads tri-foldrack brochures with your agency stamp in the bags.
Go Active Yourself
Join a local biking or hiking club to mingle with potential clients. Talk about your travel career while you're enjoying yourself. Create a sign or mini-poster for your desk that says, "Ask me about active vacations." Share your own enthusiasm for biking, walking, watersports and adventure travel.
Get a Group Going
Book a group of 12 and you can go along as the 13th guest for free! Send out flyers and press releases to promote the trip to clients, prospects and friends. Contact us for details.
Keep the Momentum Going
Immediately follow up with those you booked on a Backroads vacations when they return. Once your clients experience an active vacation, they'll be hooked. (A main topic of discussion among clients and leaders on trips is "Where else have you been and where should I go next?") Once they've returned, help them plan their next Backroads trip while enthusiasm is high. Our repeat traveler rate is 55%. Make sure they come back to you for their next Backroads vacation.
Questions? Contact our Agency Program Support Team at TASupport@backroads.com. They're available Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm PT.