Calling travel agents the "gatekeepers" to selling travel, Norwegian Cruise Line Holding's (NCLH) Frank Del Rio told agents at Vacation.com's annual conference, "You can make and break sales and make and break companies."
Del Rio, president and CEO of NCLH-the parent of Norwegian Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises-made his remarks at Vacation.com's 18th international conference and trade show at the Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, Fla.
"Don't let anyone ever tell you that you don't add value," he added. "You are key in being able to seamlessly explain and sell thousands of products, and that's what sets you apart."
In an address that included Del Rio's experience in founding Oceania Cruises, the longtime cruise executive drew lessons for agents on how they can develop their own brands.
He related how - after being fired in 2001 from Renaissance Cruises - he took "the biggest risk of my life" in mortgaging his house, spending all of his savings and borrowing money from family to launch Oceania Cruises with "barely enough capital" - an initial investment of $14 million - and going against giants in an industry where capital is king.
"We needed a secret sauce - and that was food; the top shelf cuisine that set us apart," Del Rio said of Oceania. That, he added, became the key to Oceania's branding. Today, NCLH generates annual profits of nearly $1 billion, according to Del Rio.
A home run product, innovation, doing things faster, cheaper or better, constantly repeating the message, and the consistency in that messaging were key to Oceania's success, according to Del Rio.
For agents, the keys to crafting a powerful personal brand are much the same: constant innovation; "repeat-repeat-repeat your message;" stay focused and don't get distracted, and flawlessly execute what you do-"sloppy performance is the fastest way to destroy a brand."
Del Rio had other lessons for agents.
"You cannot be, you must never be, all things to all people," he said. "Differentiate yourself, narrow your products so you can be an expert, market your expertise, and build your own brand by aligning with other complementary brands."
Del Rio also advised agents to always sell value over price. "The value message is the most talked about thing but most poorly executed one in brand messaging," he said. "Value is that intangible thing that you love, that you have to have but can't quite pinpoint what it is. But it allows one brand to beat another.
"Be sure your customers understand the intangible value of your expertise along with the value of the products you sell."
The media landscape has changed tremendously, another key to agents' ability to compete, according to Del Rio. "People have libraries and videos in their smart phones," he said. "In the U.S. people spend seven and a half hours per day looking at some sort of screen-whether it's a computer, smart phone, tablet or other."
Social media, he added, is now a content platform, not just a way to keep in touch.
"So you have to virtually live where your customers live," Del Rio said. "Word of mouth and social media reign supreme in enticing people. And word of mouth beats traditional advertising by 50 percent."
Ultimately agents must be prepared to compete-and "compete ferociously," he said. "You must compete to win. Never stop competing and you'll never stop winning."
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