Anita’s Do’s & Don’ts
by Anita Pagliasso

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Do Mix it up: Marketing in print and on the Internet alone will reach only a portion of your potential customers. Plan to market creatively through a cross-section of media so that customers become familiar with your brand and your products at different times and in different places.

Don’t Neglect your Current Clients: Repeat business typically makes up 80 percent of customers in most businesses. Too often marketing campaigns are heavily focused on bringing in new customers and not building relationships with current ones.

Do start Early Enough: Time your marketing campaigns to coincide with new ships or tours, new services and promotions, seasonal sales as in Alaska or an upcoming event that will attract business, like the Wave Season for cruising. This typically means preparing well in advance.

Do Having a Clear Marketing Message: Marketing messages that are contrived, confusing, too subtle or too long can easily miss the target market entirely. Marketing efforts and money is wasted if no one understands what you are offering.

Don’t Go Overboard: Nothing turns me off more than a pushy salesperson. I try to remember this when I am talking to potential clients. I find that if I speak from my heart with enthusiasm and expertise, I am much better received than if I am over anxious to make the sale. Too much hype will turn people away.

Don’t Put all of Your Eggs in One Basket: If you blow your entire marketing budget on one bridal fair, then what can you do next? Strategic marketing means building a reputation over time through ongoing and consistent exposure.

Do Get Feedback: Test your marketing ideas. This can be with travel agent colleagues, friends or even your family. Don’t launch something without getting some feedback first.

Don’t Make Changes Too Soon: Just because you are tired of your marketing plan doesn’t mean it isn’t working. Too many agents give up too soon. If you send out only one marketing piece and don’t get a response agents may consider that it didn’t work. It takes repetition and a sense of familiarity for your potential clients to feel comfortable enough to give you a try. So keep sending the emails and marketing pieces.

Do try some new marketing: Too many agents are afraid of failure so they never try anything new. Pick just one interesting idea from one of the travel trade magazines and give it a try. You will only fail if you don’t try.

Don’t Forget to Have Fun! You have to remember that you are not selling medical instruments, automobile parts, computer components or bricks…you are selling fun and your marketing should reflect that.