Get Smart!

PHOTO: Deb Fogarty of Be Well Travel, Chris Niemeyer of Mission Travel and April Hillsman of Nexion.

One of the smartest things you can do for your home-based cruise-selling business is to organize groups. It’s an easy, cost-effective way to reach and book people you don’t already know, who very likely will turn into loyal customers. “Groups allow travel agents to expand their reach and tap into more customers,” says Drew Daly, general manager of network engagement and performance for CruiseOne and Cruises Inc., sister travel agency networks.

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“It is one of the best ways for agents to grow their business and earn more money,” he says. “Every agent should be asking every customer if they want to cruise for free and then from there have the conversation about all of the benefits of booking a group.”

Candie Steinman, a CruiseOne franchise owner in Fort Myers, Fla., is a convert. “I believe groups are an important part of a travel agent’s business,” she says.

“This year, our group business will most likely be about half of what we produce. We are currently working on five groups — a river cruise in France on Avalon Waterways, a group from a yacht club for late fall 2015, and a women’s club group for 2016,” says Steinman. “All three of these are repeat groups with our agency. New groups are my business networking group and a bowling club, which will be on the Norwegian Sky. We are looking to combine these two to get a larger group on the ship.”

Groups Expand Your Business
Jim Carey, a hosted Cruise Holidays agency owner in Kennewick, Wash., explains how groups expanded his client list. “I do several cruises each year with a well-known artist. Her followers are directed to book through me if they want to be part of her group,” he says. “I give them great service and that has led to a number of these clients booking other vacations with me. Had it not been for the initial group booking, I probably never would have had the chance to prove myself to them.”

Carey also says organizing and booking groups is working smarter. “My time with these clients is much less than it would be with FITs. I research one cruise and everyone books into it,” he explains. “In other words, I’m getting right to the sale and not researching multiple ships and itineraries. With a group, there are no ‘I want to go someplace warm’ phone calls. Instead it’s, ‘I want a balcony. Do you have any left?’ So, not only has it helped me grow my business, but I’m able to book more people in less amount of time.”

Where to Find Groups
If you’ve never booked a group cruise before, you only need to look with fresh eyes around your neighborhood, town, extended family and acquaintances.

“They need to look everywhere!” Daly advises travel agents. “Look locally and within their communities and their own interests. The opportunity is endless. There have been chocolate-lover groups, arts-and-crafts groups, sports, church groups… the list goes on and on. When agents focus on something they are passionate about or have an interest in, they are more likely to succeed in selling the group. Don’t dismiss any idea, as you will never know when the next big group idea will hit you.”

April Hillsman, director of cruise groups for Nexion LLC, concurs. “The great thing about cruise groups is that they are potentially everywhere,” she says. “Groups are all around you; just take a peek in your own backyard, you will be amazed at what group potential you will find.”

Affinity groups are the most popular and successful groups for Nexion members, says Hillsman.

“An affinity group means a common bond or interest group, so this does fit a large spectrum,” she notes. “We have seen many successful cruise groups come from family and class reunions to weddings and senior centers, even the local brewery.”

The Pied Piper Is Key
When you see a likely cruise group, it’s highly recommended that you secure a group leader, or what is commonly called a Pied Piper.

“Finding a good Pied Piper or leader of the group is critical, in my opinion,” says Chris Niemeyer, a Nexion agent with Mission Travel in Jacksonville, Ore. “Reach out to your circle of influence and see who has a natural following or group around some cause, hobby or interest. This could be someone from your church, a book club, business group, a group of sports enthusiasts, etc. You want someone with a large enough platform/audience to generate a lot of interest,” Niemeyer says.

“I’ve had very random Pied Pipers ranging from church group leaders to business leaders and piano teachers to cake artists. You just never know what kind of group you can help create with the right kind of leader with a following.”

Many times, the Pied Piper is lured by the idea of taking a fun cruise vacation with people he or she knows — and if it’s free, so much the better! Cruise groups generally are awarded a free Tour Conductor (TC) berth with a certain number of bookings, often after eight cabins, although that can vary between lines and time of year.

“Most Pied Pipers are interested in earning a tour conductor credit. Depending on how many are in the group, they can sometimes cruise for free,” Steinman says. “A good Pied Piper is the most important part of a group’s success. When they say, ‘I am going on this cruise and I would love for you to join me,’ their friends and family often come along! Your Pied Piper can actually do much of the marketing for you by providing a mailing list or hosting a get-together with his/her club or friends. For our new groups with the bowling alley and the business-networking group, we are having a kick-off event next month to get everyone interested in attending. The owner of the bowling alley will display the flyers, and also use newspaper and TV coverage to promote.”

Muffett Grubb, a hosted Cruise Holidays agency owner in Knoxville, Tenn., finds that some customers like to cruise with a travel agent. “I also have a lot of success with ‘Cruise With Us’ groups that I put together,” she says. “Many of my clients like the idea of traveling with an expert who can be there to answer questions, lead the way and handle anything that may arise.”

Customize the Group Program
So, you have a group and a Pied Piper. What next? Hillsman recommends customizing the group using group amenity points offered by most cruise lines, which can be used for a free cocktail party, upgrades or other perks.

“Blocking group space early is always helpful in obtaining the best pricing and grabbing up any guest amenity program points. GAP points can help you add value by selecting the appropriate onboard services such as wine in the cabin or onboard credit that will deliver the ‘wow’ to your group,” she says. “This will help customize your group so that it cannot be shopped, and your clients will know the only way they can get in on this amazing experience is by booking with you.”

Effective Promotions
Then it’s time to promote and market, relying, of course, on your Pied Piper and the club or organization’s membership list to help spread the word. Don’t forget to use free social media tools and assistance offered by your host agency, consortium or organization.

“When marketing my groups, I always use the tools that Cruises Inc. has available to us,” says Bill Schneider, a Cruises Inc. independent vacation specialist in Tampa, Fla. “I will use flyers, direct mail and email information to group members as well.”

Deb Fogarty, a Nexion agent with Be Well Travel in Pembroke Pines, Fla., is a firm believer in social media. “For me, by far the best ways to market a cruise group are through social media — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram — and then flyers that I email and word of mouth,” she says. “Every time a client calls to book space in the group, I ask them if they have any friends they think would like to go as well and to please spread the word.”

Niemeyer reminds agents that social media should be updated on a regular basis: “Use all social media platforms for maximum engagement in marketing — and do it often. We also set up Facebook groups that are just for the specific cruise group. An online registration form is easy to set up in Google Forms, and then you can have that link in all marketing via online, email and more.”

Even if your group falls short of your goal, all is not necessarily lost, says Angie Ohmes, of Travel Leaders in Albertville, Minn. “When I have a group booking that falls below the required number of cabins to constitute a group, I advertise the group space to other clients in hopes of increasing the group size, which also increases my commissions,” she says. “My advertising consists of Facebook postings and targeted emails to clients. It is amazing the number of replies I will receive. Even if I don’t get an addition to my group, I always pick up new bookings.”

Your efforts will only help your business. “Booking group cruises is a great way to get new clients. Market yourself to your existing clients and ask them if they have ever considered organizing a cruise group,” Ohmes recommends.

“Let them know that you can help them with all of the details and outline the incredible savings that are available for them,” Ohmes adds. “My group leaders are usually existing clients, but as they send their friends or family to me to book a cabin, these people become new clients to me even after the group cruise is over.”