What Do (Most) People Want (Part 1) | Travel Research Online

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What Do (Most) People Want (Part 1)

I have come to believe that most people have a number of “wants” in common. Once you recognize these “wants”, you can tailor your approach to better serve your targeted market.

To avoid information overflow, I will share five of these “wants” with you today with another five following in my next column. There are ten in all. Here goes:

    1. People Want to Feel Welcome: Who doesn’t enjoy the feeling that their presence is appreciated? I know I do. There is nothing as cold and unnerving as the feeling that you are not welcome in a particular environment. This is easy to address. Make others feel welcome and they will reward you for doing so… in time.
    2. People Want to Feel Comfortable: This goes hand-in-hand with feeling welcome. When one is unfamiliar with their environment, there is a tendency to feel uncomfortable. Go out of your way to make strangers, guests, and visitors feel as comfortable as best you can. Some will take longer to warm up than others. All you can do is all you can do. My style is to act as if my guests are a part of the furniture. I treat them as if they already belong. I don’t fuss over them. This happens to work for me. Mi Casa…You Casa (I think)…or something like that.
    3. People Want to Be Understood: Nothing is more frustrating than to “state your case” or offer your opinion and have others misinterpret your meaning or miss your message altogether. You don’t necessarily have to endorse my side of the story but, at the very least, I would like you understand what it is I am saying.
    4. People Want to Feel Important: Everybody is a “big shot” in their own mind, or at least in their own little cozy environment. Upon leaving the “safety” of one’s known environment, the picture changes, and it is often quite unnerving. Make others feel important in your presence and this small courtesy will serve you well. The easiest and fastest way to deliver this message is to “listen” to what others have to say AFTER asking them some pertinent questions. Get them talking, listen intently, and they will feel important.
    5. People Want to Be Recognized: Being a “somebody” is just plain natural, and the way it should be. In such a crowded indifferent world this is often overlooked in the name of “hectic pace.” Slow down. Remember people’s names. Focus on whom you are speaking with. Call people by names. Recognize those who have voluntarily entered your world. People like to be recognized.

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    There you have the first five “wants” of just about everybody. You don’t have to tell me how simple these reminders are. All you have to do is to start living by them.

    I’m not done. I have five more for you in my next column.


    Mike Marchev

    Mike Marchev freely shares his experiences, strategies and observations with travel professionals in an effort to keep them on top of their game. For a complimentary copy of his 12-Word Marketing Plan send him an email at mike@mikemarchev.com.

    Mike’s daily column is made possible by AmaWaterways.

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