How to sell luxury to a non-luxe client

Couple at the poolside against sky
By Hannah Edensor


Everyone should experience luxury travel at least once in your life and there are ways you can move a traditional client up into the next bracket.

They’ll have the time of their life, and you’ll up your commission and inspire repeat business. Sounds too good to be true? Don’t be silly.

Here’s how to win them over.

1. Focus on value

Yes, luxury travel is expensive – and there’s really no way around that. But when you look at what is actually included the comparison becomes much more reasonable. Think about a luxury cruise for example.

Onboard Regent Seven Seas, just about everything is included in the fare from alcohol and specialty dining to tips and shore excursions. Book on a cheaper cruise line and you’ll have to pay extra for all of these (and more), which can make that budget fare suddenly seem a lot more expensive.

Luxury travellers aren’t going to just give their money away. They want to know that they are will be having an incredible experience while still getting the best value for money.

RegentSevenSeas

2. Highlight unique experiences

Many people think that luxury travel is all about flashy hotel rooms and fancy restaurants with white tablecloths. In reality, it’s so much more than that.

Immersive and transformative travel are the new frontiers of luxury and give people access to authentic experiences that will change the way they see the world. Immersion is all about travelling deeper, going beyond the everyday experiences and developing an understanding of and relationship with the places visited.

Luxury travellers have a unique opportunity to be more than just spectators and instead to experience something genuinely life changing.

3. Mix and match

Selling a non-luxury traveller an entirely luxury journey is going to be overwhelming. Instead, starting small could be the way to go.

One of a kind luxury experiences, like a private hot air balloon flight over the Serengeti or an afternoon on a superyacht in the Mediterranean, can be added on to a more standard trip.

They will give travellers a taste of what luxury travel can be like without breaking the bank. And who know, once they see how good it is they may find it hard to go back…

RegentSevenSeas2

4. Know your client

Travel is incredibly personal and if you can find the right high-end experience that fits exactly with a client, they will be more likely to stretch their budget.

A traveller who is interested in the environment and sustainability will want to hear about a new ultra luxe eco-lodge while one who has a thing for celebrities will want to stay at the latest LA hotspot.

Pitching something unsuitable – and expensive – to a client is never going to work. Understand their niche and find the perfect luxury product just for them.

Luxperience is an invitation-only business forum encouraging connections between highly sought-after luxury experiences and agents who influence the travel decision of the world’s elite travellers. Registrations now open for qualified travel specialists

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