A luxury travel advisor has revealed how he made a £50,000 land booking for two cruise clients after taking a ‘risk’ that paid off. 

Sam Cooper, senior travel consultant at RB Collection, closed the hefty sale last month following the success of his ‘in-store’ Costa Rica day.

The Lichfield agency partnered with Distinctive Americas, a tour operator specialising in bespoke experiences in Latin America, having been impressed by its promotional materials for the destination. 

Cooper initially displayed one of its Costa Rica-inspired vinyls in its shop window, and it wasn’t long before the exhibition caught the public’s attention. 

Once customers started to inquire about the destination, RB Collection decided to invite Distinctive Americas to its shop to share more about their offerings. Over the course of just a few hours, the agency dedicated itself to selling the Central American country to a select handful of clients. 

The aim was to introduce its customers to Costa Rica through the eyes of Distinctive Americas, who have been specialising in travel to the tropical destination for decades. 

Cooper said the event deviated from the conventional format of in-store sales days, however, focusing on individual appointments rather than addressing a group all at once. 

Already familiar with RB Collection’s database of customers, he arranged for five loyal clients to have consultations with Daniel Benians, managing director at Distinctive Americas. 

Meetings were held in one-hour slots, each fully personalised to the attendee. The shop was also decorated with toy sloths hanging from the ceiling, as well as roll-up banners that showcased the destination and a looping video featuring footage of hotel partners.

The VIP experience continued with the refreshments too – clients were offered a menu of hot drinks, juices and pineapple smoothies and salty snacks, before being given a packet of Costa Rican coffee beans to take home.

In the end, two of the five meetings converted into bookings – one of which was for a couple who had traditionally opted for cruise holidays. 

Cooper believes that this “less is more” approach was key to selling this particular destination, which typically requires more planning due to its location. 

“You can invite 40 people to an event but the problem is, one message isn’t going to fit for 95% of that room,” he explains. “You’ve got different ages, demographics, abilities, preferences. 

“There were five very different clients there. If we’d have put the same presentation to all five, you’d have probably lost them.” 

Instead, each consultation was tailored to accommodate the individual customer’s needs. Cooper briefed Benians on every client beforehand, providing a list of their travel preferences and requirements to ensure he could suggest the most suitable activities, accommodation and transportation. 

Benians admits he “doesn’t think these bookings would have been possible” without Cooper’s insights, which allowed for more intimate and productive conversations with the clients. 

“From the very beginning, RB Collection was so prepared and so meticulous,” Benians said. “I just thought, ‘wow, this is going to be really good’.”

He was especially struck by the agency’s understanding of the differing needs of clients on the same booking, which again, made it easier for him to plan the trip. 

“I was told that the husband was more adventurous than his wife, who wanted to relax more,” he explained. This insight informed Benians of how he should sell Costa Rica; a place with plenty of outdoor activity as well as a haven of spa retreats and cultural attractions. 

The consultation also revealed that the wife wanted to spend a lot of time reading during her holiday, which highlighted the importance of booking the right hotel room. “It couldn’t be any room, it had to be a room with a view,” Cooper explained. “You have to think what makes an iconic view for that destination you are in.” 

It was these appointments that allowed for such fine details to be discussed, which in turn, equipped both RB Collection and Distinctive Americas to win over the client. 

“The ultimate testament to Sam’s approach is that he got someone who probably wouldn’t normally book Costa Rica to book the destination,” Benians said. “His attitude was, ‘We need to make sure there are no reasons they cannot book this’.” 

While it was always possible that the day could have resulted in no bookings, Cooper believed the team had laid the “foundation” for their best chance at success.   

“In terms of conversions, you always have to take a risk in life. To me, there was more chance it was going to work due to the amount of preparation we did.”