Seven selling tips from P&O Cruises’ most successful agents
Three of the brand’s top sellers gathered for the P&O Cruises Extraordinary Showcase, hosted in partnership with TTG Media in December. Here’s their advice for making the most of your sales in 2024.
1. You can sell P&O Cruises to anyone
The panel were keen to highlight that the typical P&O Cruises customer can be just about anybody. Everyone agreed one major selling point is to highlight how slick and easy the holiday experience is across a range of product and demographics.
For fly cruises, there’s a range of regional airports across the country. With transport arranged from the moment clients disembark the plane until they arrive at their destination, said Glenn Wallis, sales agent at Iglu and Planet Cruise, “you can arrive at 2:30pm from Gatwick and you’re sitting by the pool at 4:30pm”.
Holly Crabtree, cruise influencer at Holidays At Sea, stressed how accessible this made fly cruises: “My uncle has a walking difficultly, but he wanted to do the eastern Med,” she told the conference. “His big concern was the luggage at the airport, so I told him to book a P&O Cruise because you don’t see your luggage once you leave the UK airport until you’re in your cabin. That’s definitely a plus on how to direct a customer to P&O Cruises.”
For clients who are less keen on flying, P&O Cruises has a minimum of four ships sailing from Southampton at any time.
There are perks to promote whether you are catering to solo travellers or large families, too. P&O Cruises, said Crabtree “are one of the best prices out there for no single supplement or minimal single supplement.” Direct families to the Iona and Arvia vessels. With kids’ clubs and a variety of shows, they offer multi-generational fun for any member of even the biggest family.
2. Knowledge is power
P&O Cruises offers agents a range of learning tools, so it’s possible to have a diverse array of information at your fingertips. “Once you’ve got that experience,” said Samantha Costi, store manager and regional cruise expert at Tui, “even if you haven’t been on the ships necessarily, you can bring the ship to life for the customer.”
Whether it’s brushing up your skills through the learn-and-earn hub, keeping up to date via Instagram and LinkedIn updates from P&O Cruises’ sales teams, or watching the Facebook live videos at 6pm on the last Wednesday of every month, there are countless ways to ensure you can offer clients the most insightful information possible.
Especially important for getting familiar with the vessels, stressed Stephanie Adams, P&O Cruises training and engagement manager, was the virtual 360-degree ship tours available on the Shine Rewards Club website.
3. Get to know Polar Online
P&O Cruises’ online booking system, Polar Online, makes booking your clients’ holidays easier than ever, offering up-to-date prices and cabin grades.
“There are learning tools that we have from P&O cruises, letting us know that there’s more training to do – it just keeps you abreast,” said Wallis. “It’s the easiest system of all the cruise lines that I use.”
If Polar Online is new to you, there are a wealth of learning resources available. Virtual walkthroughs from Adams and other members of the training team, as well as a 20-minute “How To” video giving step-by-step guides to the system, were both highlighted for their accessibility and clarity.
4. Book early
If you see availability for onboard kids’ clubs during the school holidays, book as soon as you can. Family-favourite ship Arvia is already getting busy for next year, reminded the agents, and Polar Online is the best place to check for spaces.
The same is true for regional airport departures. There are limited seats departing from Glasgow, East Midlands, Bristol or Belfast airports, so be sure to stay on top of new releases.
5. Make the most of Shine Rewards
There are three main reasons to use the Shine Rewards system, the panel explained. One: a wealth of imagery for your marketing. Two: early access to cruise deals, including no single-supplement offers. Three: your reward points.
“It’s easy money,” Wallis said. Each P&O Cruises sale you make entitles you to a spin of the Shine Rewards wheel, garnering points that can be spent on a range of offers, from John Lewis vouchers to M&S groceries and access to cruise holidays. You can only spin for rewards once you sell a select price, however. Which brought the panel on to their next point…
6. Don’t be afraid of select prices
While the higher cost of select prices can seem intimidating, the perks offered by the increased flexibility often outweigh the higher price point. Agents can give clients the ability to choose cabins next to each other if they’re travelling with family or friends, or to pick a room closer to the centre of the ship to avoid motion, for example.
Often, said the panel, when you consider the included prices of return coach fares to Southampton, or parking costs and onboard spending money, the select price can actually be the fare with the best value for money.
7. Sell the feeling
Holidays are emotive, and the agents stressed the importance of selling the feeling of a P&O Cruises trip, not just the facts.
“That moment when you walk onboard for the first time and see the atrium, that ’wow’ moment. It’s about capturing that,” said Crabtree.
So, whether its quality time spent with loved ones or me-time at an onboard spa, make sure your marketing photos and videos, as well as the conversations you have in-person or over the phone, appeal to your clients’ hearts, as well as their heads.
Watch on demand
The P&O Cruises Extraordinary Showcase took place from 12-13 December 2023, and is now available to watch on demand. It provides all the news and tools you need to get your P&O Cruises sales off to an extraordinary start for 2024.
Watch this session on demand now, and enjoy themed panel discussions, a social media masterclass, a Shine Rewards Club refresher, and much, much more, by watching all the sessions here.
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