My advice is to try to learn at least one new cruising style this year and then dare to be brave, says Ponders Travel managing director Clare Dudley
It’s that time of year again when, every day, we are looking at a vast range of cruises as we discuss many different options for our clients.
I look back on my career during busy periods like this and feel grateful that my team and I have such extensive knowledge of all the many different types of cruises available.
I recall a moment some time ago when a new member of staff joined us who had many years of travel experience. After a couple of weeks, she took me aside and said how difficult she was finding her time with us. She explained that although she had a lot of cruise knowledge, she felt she knew nothing compared with the other staff members. She had been used to selling mainstream cruise lines, but nothing else. Just as we are now, back then we were experts in all aspects of cruising – and in fact, we tend to sell more specialist products as opposed to mainstream options.
Stay informed
It has never been more important to keep up to date with what is new in the sector – including which ships are being launched and any new elements on board that are likely to pique interest and enhance experiences. Clients are savvy and follow the brands they like, so they are well informed, and it does not look good if they know more than you. So cruise lines’ training, ship visits and brochures are among the vital ways of staying up to speed with developments and making sure you serve your clients as well as you possibly can.
It has never been more important to keep up to date with what is new in the cruise sector
It is also important to understand all the different types of cruise and ensure your marketing efforts are centred on your clients’ needs, or the areas you wish to pursue further. We have developed strong sales in river, ocean, small-ship cruising and waterways, but we have yet to get to grips with expedition cruising. As we see demand increasing in this area, we are determined to improve our knowledge and become better equipped to sell this fantastic niche area tipped for growth.
The more adventurous the destinations and cruise styles we discuss, the more our sales grow. Clients love realising that we have such deep, hard-earned knowledge and that we will be able to help them with such an important and often expensive purchase. It is quite naive to imagine a client would be happy to part with more than £20,000 on a trip we ourselves know little about.
Try something new
Two years ago, I would never have dreamt that in 2024 I would charter two smaller boat experiences – a yacht around Croatia and a small‑ship experience in Botswana – and fill them with Ponders clients.
There is potential to earn good money on charters and different types of cruising
However, after learning about the products and understanding how exciting and niche they were, as a team we got behind the ideas and this was reflected in our sales performance. There is potential to earn good money on such charters and different types of cruising, so my advice is to try to learn at least one new cruising style this year and then dare to be brave. The market is turning and more adventure is on the cards.
Good news travels fast
We’re celebrating six years in our lovely shop this month, so we posted an article on social media to mark the milestone and shared it in all the nearby towns and villages. Out of all the posts we have done, this was among our very best, judging by the reaction.
The number of touching responses and online comments was incredible. It also resulted in a nice free-of-charge spread in a local newspaper, as our post was picked up by its newsroom at a time when it was featuring more good news stories from local businesses. This all serves to prove that it is not just offers that sell, it is people!