What are the 3 core human drivers that convert travel shoppers into buyers?

TimSells4U April 19, 2012 2 Comments

Why “Social Proof Selling” is Critical to Your

Travel & Hospitality Business Success or Failure

Read, watch and find out these proven psychological triggers that must be in website – and all your tourism marketing – for you to survive and thrive.

In the first video of this special tourism marketing event we looked at 2 realities:

1. Travel consumers are time challenged and often spend 10 seconds or less on your website.
2. Most websites are terrible at communicating what you do, or you go and why they should choose you.

So it’s no wonder that your website, and frankly most of your tourism marketing is ineffective and does not yield prospects.

We also talked about the importance of your marketing message if you want to work with travel trade. Why would a travel professional consider you if they weren’t 100% confident you’re a good choice? 

If you didn’t watch video one, be sure to watch and read it to truly understand why you’re probably sabotaging your marketing and why you must do things differently to increase sales.

So how do you convince travel shoppers fast you are trustworthy, reliable and a good choice?

 Increase Your Travel Leads and Sales with Social Proof Selling

Too Many Choices and Global Competition

Let’s face it; the travel trade and consumers are overwhelmed with choices.  If you make an online search for any type of travel, don’t you usually get 1000, 10,000 or more relevant web pages? What about a travel tradeshow? Consumers are overwhelmed with choices everywhere.

How do they know how to make a wise decision? What influences their decision to click on one website or visit one booth, or read one ad over another?

Imagine you want Chinese food, go to a strip mall and amazingly there are 10 Chinese restaurants sitting side by side.  How do you know which one to choose? What distinguishes one from another? What influences your decision?

Is it any different if you’re selling travel or hospitality products or services? No.

So let’s look at what does influence travel consumers, and what you can do in your marketing message to stand out so they choose you.

3 human drivers social proof selling to travel consumers (especially travel trade)

After studying the buying habits of travel consumers, and the travel trade for over 18 year, I have discovered the three core human drivers, or “psychological triggers”, that help turn travel shoppers into travel buyers.

That they want to know, in 7 seconds or less, that;

1. Someone went before them: You are Experienced
2. They Had a good time: You run great trips, provide Quality service
3. Nobody died: Their Safety & security is your #1 priority

And if you are selling to the travel trade, or engaged in adventure travel – this is 10 X more important.

Just like the Chinese restaurants and trying to figure out which one is the best, travel shoppers are no different.  Given many choices they will always choose a supplier or service provider who quickly convinces them that you are experienced, a quality provider or destination, and that their safety and security is your top concern.

So how do you communicate these three core drivers of all travel consumers – FAST?

This is where “social proof selling“ is key in all your marketing to help travel consumers and trade consider you.  Here are some proven tips and tools to help you succeed.

How do consumers and travel trade make purchase decisions?

There are many proven ways to communicate social proof fast that are used by top tourism marketers globally. In my tourism marketing success online course, I go into more detail and show you step by step, the top ways to quickly communicate in all your marketing, so that travel consumers and trade choose you. Here is a few ways to use social media to can communicate social proof.

Endorsements; Customers, Trade, Media

Nothing shows experience, quality and safety better than endorsements and testimonials. When someone shares their experience of working with your service or destination, clearly someone traveled before them, they had a good time and nobody died.

I especially recommend using endorsements and testimonials on your website because you can get your best clients selling for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Check out the short sample from one of my customers about my tourism marketing success course to show you how easy and quick a video testimonial can be.

I did this on Skype video in less than 2 min., and posted it to YouTube as well.  You could do this too and so much more to get your clients selling for you.  Here are some key online “social media” places to leverage social proof.

Tripadvisor, Yelp, Google places, Foursquare, Facebook & More…

What is social media?

Historically, “media” simply means a way to spread information to the world.  Now we are the media.   The “social” aspect of social media is nothing more than 100’s of millions of people sharing their opinions, reviews, photos, experiences, etc. about what is important to them.

So how powerful would it be if you had your clients raving about your travel services, tours, Lodge they just visited, your destination, sharing photos and doing what travelers like to do – brag about their trip. Most travel and hospitality professionals don’t know how to effectively use the “social proof” aspects of social media.

When you get people sharing, reviewing, they are reinforcing the three core human drivers of all travel consumers friends and strangers will read watch and look at images that reinforce that others went before them, had a good time, and nobody died!

The real Power of “Social Media Selling” for Tourism Promotions

Can’t you see how incredibly powerful this would be when you have your best client selling for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on your website, and in social media around the world?

I know you can do this because I have helped thousands of travel professionals just like you learn new things, and grow their business dreams beyond what they’ve ever thought.

Imagine

• Imagine you had a lot more web visitors?
• Imagine you had in the top social media?
• Imagine you had a lot more inquiries and sales?

Imagine you were making a heck of a lot more money and able to do more of what you love, support your family, give back to your community and staff, even take a vacation yourself?

All this is possible and a lot more. If you like what I’m saying, and the videos I’m sharing, you will really like my new tourism marketing success online course, which goes into great detail and will help you exceed your dreams.

What will happen to you if you do not use “social proof” in your marketing?

Unfortunately, if you do not start incorporating “Social proof” in your ALL your marketing, you will experience:

• Increased bounce rate
• Higher marketing costs
• Less travel agents and tour operators
• Less inquiries, bookings or arrivals
• More struggle or worse

Competition and Education

The reality is that there is more competition in travel and hospitality then ever before.  In order for you to survive and thrive in the global travel and hospitality industry today you must invest in yourself and your business and learn what turned shoppers into buyers online.

If you don’t, you can be assured that your website will never show up properly in the search engines, travel agents and tour operators will not find you.

But if they do find you, will they feel confident you are a good choice or leave fast?

Even if you spend lots of money on advertising, trade show marketing, pay per click ads, all trying to reach the travel consumer, if your marketing message and methods fail, travel shoppers will never become your travel buyers.

Our Tourism Struggle and Success

I understand how you feel because my brother Kevin and I struggled too with our business and marketing at first.  That’s why I studied best marketing practices, figured out what works, why and how to apply to our business.  That’s when our little tour business took off.

Now Kevin owns 184 acres of Baja, Mexico beachfront property and the coolest boat-in eco-adventure lodge in all of Mexico. Business and life is now good. And I will never forget the challenging years we had and many of you still do. (See the cool photos in the video)

Good news. I am going to help you save tons of wasted money and years of frustration. Plus connect you up with fellow tourism professionals who can help you succeed.

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