Advertise yourself as a luxury specialist. Don't sell from your own pocketbook. Focus on education. Look for millennial and Generation X travelers.
Those were just some of the tips from supplier representatives on the CruiseWorld stage during a presentation titled "Defining the New Luxury: Experiences, Elegance & Exclusivity."
When asked by co-moderator Ruthanne Terrero of Northstar Travel Group to give good leadership advice, Joe Jiffo, director of sales for Windstar Cruises, evoked a phrase often used by his former boss Rick Sasso, who led teams at Celebrity Cruises and MSC Cruises: Know your numbers.
"And what do I mean by that? When you're meeting with a supplier, be prepared," Jiffo said. "Know the numbers that you're doing with that supplier. And if it's zero, how can I get to more. Know the commission level you're at and what is it going to take to get to the next commission level. And conversely, from the sales side, know the same thing. Know your account."
Manny Celdran, senior director of field sales for Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours
and Emerald Cruises & Tours, picked the advice of another cruise executive, Keith Lane. "He'd always say, 'God gave me two ears and one mouth. Listen twice as much as you speak.'"
Kris Endreson, vice president of North America sales for Aurora Expeditions, went with a quote from Richard Branson that she used when she was feeling "a little trepidatious" and needed a confidence boost.
"Take it one day at a time," she said. "You'll go through day one, you'll get through week one, you'll get through three months and before you know it, it will be a year. So take on those opportunities and grow your business, don't be afraid."
"What I'm hearing is, get over the impostor syndrome," said panel moderator Angela Hughes, CEO of Ships & Trips Travel.
Another question for the group was to name in-demand destinations for luxury travelers.
Shanel Knight, senior director of business development and national accounts for Regent Seven Seas Cruises, didn't hesitate: Asia.
"Asia continues to lead the charts," plus she added that Mediterranean sailings "never get old."
Raquel Reyes, director of the Dominican Republic Tourism Board, touted established luxury brands that are or will be new to the D.R. such as W, St. Regis and Four Seasons.