LAS VEGAS- Is there a similarity between selling luxury clothing and luxury travel? There is indeed, and Virtuoso proved it during a creative seminar on Sunday in which representatives from Neiman Marcus’s Las Vegas location shared tips on inspire a luxury clientele. The program was one of the kick-off events at Virtuoso Travel Week, where agents and suppliers from all over the world will meet through Friday.
Here are just a few of the takeaway tips shared by the speakers. See if you can find any similarities or hints that may assist you with your luxury travel advisor/client experience:
• At Neiman Marcus, managers are always asking their associates, “What is the one more thing you can do for a client to please them? After you’ve done it, what’s the next thing you can do?"
• Management holds morning meetings in which it updates associates on all of the aspects of the store so that associates feel empowered with their clientele if they need to show them around or give them advice. This enables personal shoppers to bring clients around the entire facility to give them a complete image makeover if they like.
• While Neiman Marcus supports and mentors it sales associates, those who really get out there and sell are the ones who will make more money. One personal shopper thought out of the box and invited 20 women in to the store to a private lounge setting and had a “selling party.”
• That same personal shopper advises that you should always make each client feel comfortable, whether she has $350 or $10,000 to spend. Her joy comes from helping her customers prepare for a big night, for a function or for a date where they might meet their future husband. The joy that comes from that helps her succeed financially but she doesn’t going in to the exchange with making money as her goal. That same strategy helps her get referrals from those who may only purchase an outfit for $128 but who go out and spread the word about her excellent customer service.
• She also advises that it’s good to have a colleague who pushes you past your limits. Sometimes a client may only be purchasing items on sale, but don’t hesitate to show them the newest merchandise, regardless of the price. You don’t know what they’ll want until you show it to them.
• And here’s something you may consider, but it’s an investment:
Neiman Marcus has supplied each one of its associates with an iPhone so it can contact them via texting and so they can have easy access to promoting the brand via Facebook and Twitter.