It’s rare to find an experienced travel agent who is happy to reveal their top selling secrets so publicly.
Liversidge is closing in on 2,000 career cruise bookings (Credit: iStock / Yuliya Starikova)
Tui assistant store manager Rachel Liversidge, who has been an agent for nearly 25 years, estimates she sells an average of 75 cruises a year, which means she’s closing in on 2,000 career cruise bookings.
So when TTG learned Liversidge was on the cusp of an incredible milestone, we just had to ask her the burning question: how does she make selling cruises look so easy?
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It’s rare to find an experienced travel agent who is happy to reveal their top selling secrets so publicly.
Liversidge is closing in on 2,000 career cruise bookings (Credit: iStock / Yuliya Starikova)
Tui assistant store manager Rachel Liversidge, who has been an agent for nearly 25 years, estimates she sells an average of 75 cruises a year, which means she’s closing in on 2,000 career cruise bookings.
So when TTG learned Liversidge was on the cusp of an incredible milestone, we just had to ask her the burning question: how does she make selling cruises look so easy?
“I’ve seen big changes in cruising over the years," said Liversidge, speaking to TTG from her desk at Tui’s store in Sheffield’s The Moor shopping centre. "Cruising used to be for one type of customer – now there’s a cruise for everybody and they’re more affordable.”
Interestingly, Liversidge believes cruise is “an easy sell” owing to the “five-star entertainment and the really nice food” onboard. She added there were a number of factors she looked out for in clients she believes signals whether they might consider cruising, such as a preference for fancy hotels.
Many new agents will often book whatever it is their clients want without suggesting alternative options because they lack the confidence or product knowledge.
So how does a new agent with little or no cruise knowledge build their confidence? TTG asked Liversidge what tips she can give agents who feel a bit overwhelmed about the prospect of selling cruises to their customers.
“I had never been on a cruise before I made my first booking," Liversidge reveals. "New agents can learn so much, though, by going on a fam trip.
"People are really scared at first. [Tui-owned] Marella Cruises are good are inviting us on fams and educational events. For example, Marella is a lot easier to sell once people understand it’s all-inclusive. It’s about tapping into what people want and then using that to your advantage."
Marella’s managing director Chris Hackney recently explained to TTG how Marella had worked with nearly 200 new agents in the past 12 months as it made a fresh play for third-party agents’ support.
This push has included new fam trips, a new trade-wide incentive and a bolstered trade training programme.
“If someone likes city breaks, then why not suggest a river cruise to them?" Liversidge says. "I always say to these people – you wake up in a new place every day!”
In September, Globus UK sales director Phil Shipman told TTG how he views river cruises as touring holidays where "you take the hotel with you".
Liversidge adds with customers able to explore multiple cities during a river sailing in several countries, it’s worth highlighting the benefits of river cruising to clients who love city breaks.
“If you’re unsure which cruise is right for your customer, why not ask them which destinations they want to go to and find out which cruise ships go there?" Liversidge suggests.
"Listen to what your passengers want. Do they want to go to destinations they’ve not travelled to before?"
Consumer research by cruise.co.uk reveals nearly half (44%) of travellers cite the destination as the "main factor" in their holiday decision-making process.
The OTA said: “This highlights the significance of the destination in shaping the overall cruise experience, as it allows travellers to explore new places and revisit favourite locations from the comfort of a cruise ship."
“My advice would be ‘take every training opportunity the cruise lines offer," Liversidge insists. "Really tap into that. P&O Cruises offers training on how to use their booking system, how to get to your cabin and more.”
Almost every line offers agents in-depth training via their trade portals. Since the pandemic, some lines have started offering seminars-at-sea again, but if you’d rather learn about the different cruise brands closer to home, there are plenty of weekly webinars available.
“Get to know what each cruise line is offering," Liversidge says. "Take time to read through their offers particularly in the build-up to Wave.”
With Wave season just around the corner, cruise lines are now starting to release their turn-of-year campaigns.
Virgin Voyages, for example, is offering 40% off all voyages until 2026, while Silversea is providing savings of up to £4,000 per suite until 28 February. Scenic is offering savings of up to 30% and free business class flights on selected river cruises.
Every line will be shouting about their wave offers in the next few weeks. Look out for them.
"Right now, if someone comes in wanting a winter holiday on a budget, it would have to be the Canaries," says Liversidge. "But a seven-night all-inclusive land-based holiday can be quite a lot of money. Some lines, though, P&O Cruises and Marella for instance, have got some really good offers on.
'I will say to customers, ‘have you thought about doing a cruise waking up somewhere different every morning?’. It’s quite easy to do that because of the price. I tend to switch sell only when customers want a city break and I will try and put them on a river cruise.”
TTG news reporter Ilaria Grasso Macola recently challenged agents up and down the country to name their most requested destinations, and then put forward an alternative to suggest to their clients.
Switch-selling is a handy skill as it will sometimes help agents land a booking which may not have happened if they had not suggested a different holiday option or destination.
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