Chapter 12

Distribution

Travel and Tourism

Selling Tourism

• Types of Selling

1. Personal Selling= direct interaction with customer – they must be well-trained, have good timing, overcome customer’s objectives

Do not call list

2. Business to Business Selling

One business sells to another business.

Like towels, bedding for hotels

7 Steps of Selling

• 1. APPROACH

Identify customers

Qualifying them (are they ready to purchase?)

Needs and wants

2. Determine Needs

Ask open ended questions

• 3. Present the ProductLook for buying signals ( verbal and

nonverbal signs)

4. Overcome ObjectivesAsk for more info and give options or

alternatives to customer

5. Close the SaleGetting a commitment

• 6. Perform Suggestion SellingPresenting additional product sales

Cross-Selling = selling customer additional related products tied to one name

Selling up = offering a more expensive or upgraded product

7. Follow upGet a customer for life

• The Importance of Service – pg 246

• SELLING FEATURES AND BENEFITS

Product Features = physical attribute of product

Product Benefit = feature advantage of product

USE Benefits to SELL

12.2 Channels of Distribution • Direct Channels

A path a product takes without help of anyone else

Indirect Channel = using a “middle man”

Travel Agents – most familiar in tourism industry

Consolidators – an agent who buys unsold products in bulk from suppliers and then resells to consumers

• Tour Operators = wholesaler. Negotiates rates with hotels, cruises, etc.

• Internet Channel= Etail = sale of goods and services to customer by means through the Internet

• INTERNET COMPANIESCompany Web sites- hotel sitesAffinity Sites-geographic locations ( expedia)Discounts sites- priceline.comPortal Sites – MSN, yahoo