Happy Holidays!! | Travel Research Online

Image
Image

Happy Holidays!!

Happy Holidays!

No, I have not lost my mind. But Halloween IS this week and before you know it we will be kissing significant others and ringing in 2020! And who really thought we’d ever live to see 2020 anyway? So like it or not, the holidays are upon us; and it presents a great time to touch base with your clients and prospects by email.

For me, the holidays do not generate a lot of bookings. My clients are mostly concerned with smaller purchases for their loved ones. But that does not mean they are not thinking about a larger travel based purchase! So reach out! And once again, I am advocating that you use your email program!

What are the key dates you should be planning for?

Aside from the typical events like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas (you are touching base with your clients on those days right?), consider reaching out on some of the others.

  • Black Friday, Nov. 29
  • Small Business Saturday, Nov. 30
  • Cyber Monday, Dec. 2
  • Giving Tuesday, Dec. 3

Quite likely, your clients may not be expecting these; and not all of these may make sense for you, but here are some thoughts for each!

Black Friday: The day after Thanksgiving represents the start of the holiday shopping season. You are not likely to see any sales because retail is still alive and well and people will be pitching tents outside of Walmart as soon as their turkey dinner is done. Send them an email asking about their holiday dinner and reminding them that once all the mayhem is done, you are here for them. Short. Sweet. Simple.

Small Business Saturday: Created by American Express, Small Business Saturday is “an annual tradition dedicated to supporting small businesses and celebrating communities across the country.” This is a day where you might see some business. We are constantly fighting the Internet and large corporates for a share of the client pie. Remind your clients that you are a small business and a neighbor, Encourage them to support ALL small businesses—including you. If you sell accessories, this is a perfect day. If you are focused on travel solely, then perhaps create an incentive. “Schedule a group trip and we will provide a fun t-shirt for every member!” Or, “place a deposit on any trip today and we will take care of your Uber trip to the airport.” Come up with a reason for them to reach out to you.

Cyber Monday: The Monday following Thanksgiving promoted as a day to encourage consumers to shop online. Let Amazon have this one. But reach out to your clients. Your message: “when you are done clicking on the online deals and need personal attention to plan your perfect trip, we are here for you. But for now, we’re clicking just like you!”

Giving Tuesday: For you nonprofits out there, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season for end-of-year giving. And I really love this. If you are a small, locally owned business (even if your clientele is worldwide) you must give back to your community in some way. Do it today.   Select one or more local charities, and let your clients know that when they book a vacation through you, that their support also helps our local non-profits. “For every vacation placed under a refundable deposit today, we will donate $50 to your choice of one of these non-profits when you travel. “

As always, plan this in advance—now is the perfect time and get them scheduled. Give your clients notice as well. I would send them out about a week in advance of the desired action. And finally, you never want your clients to be surprised. Let them know you are planning to reach out to them during the holiday season—this will keep your flagged emails to a minimum and likely will keep your clients anticipating your next message!

Oh, and Happy Halloween! Boo!

Share your thoughts on “Happy Holidays!!”

You must be a registered user and be logged in to post a comment.