When people receive a vacation certificate in the mail telling them that they’ve “qualified” for a fabulous vacation, it’s common knowledge that they’ll have to spend money to receive this special offer. For this reason, many businesses offer vacation certificates to their customers as a special prize because it provides them with a very effective marketing strategy. It works like magic to help close a sale! These vacation certificates, like every other vacation certificate, are paid for ahead of time. In this case, it’s the business paying for them and giving it to their customers as a gift-with-purchase. So, it’s free for the customer! It’s their pass to vacation heaven and when planned correctly, it can produce some serious profit for any business.
Now, you might be thinking, “How much is this special offer going to cost me?” True, you have to buy these certificates, but it’s actually more affordable than you might think. This is because the customers that receive these vacation certificates usually have to book their stay during a hotel’s off-season. During the holidays and summer hotels can get very busy, but during the off-season, business starts to slow down and hotels still have to make a profit. So, they do what they can to fill their empty rooms and offer a night’s stay at a discounted price. What is considered a problem, however, is how much planning is required to execute a special offer like this one.
Bob Bullock / Director Of Business Development
It’s important to understand this if you’re planning to offer your customers this special prize for their loyalty, or for choosing your business over the competition. Customers and employees will be unhappy if mistakes are made. Therefore, it might be a good idea to consider outsourcing with a company like the Odenza Marketing Group.
At Odenza, we thoroughly understand how to plan and market your vacation certificate offers. Our sales and marketing teams are so good at their jobs that they’ve both been awarded three times by companies like Carnival Cruise Line and the International Association of Printing House Craftsmen. Additionally, a study conducted by Concordia University found that we’re the number one travel incentives company in the market. This is because we know what we’re doing and we have the rewards to prove it.
We also hire experienced travel agents and offer complimentary marketing materials for your company’s special promotion. Some of these materials include balloons, banners, posters, etc., and, of course, the very attractive vacation certificates that we make in-house. Additionally, we don’t work with your competitors and offer exclusivity in your market and we’ll take back any unused vacation certificates. It’s affordable, noticeable, and easy to find a vacation that your customers and employees will thoroughly enjoy. At the Odenza Marketing Group, we answer any and all of your questions so that your special offer is a great one. Just to give you an idea, these might include the following:
Odenza’s Travel Team
“ Why Should I offer my Customers and Employees Vacation Certificates?”
Offering vacation certificates provides any company with a proven, effective marketing strategy! Studies show that companies saw a 30% increase in their sales when they used vacation certificates as a special prize for investing in their products. Vacation certificates have been proven to work better than simply offering cash, gift cards, etc., because these gifts are quickly spent and forgotten about. However, sending your valued customers on a complimentary vacation will allow them to create memories with loved ones that will last a lifetime. When they look back on those memories, they’ll remember how they got there in the first place! This special offer will also show your customers how much you appreciate their patronage and for choosing you over your competitors.
This special offer also provides hotels with a great marketing strategy. As mentioned before, this will fill their empty rooms during the off-season, but there are other benefits that extend beyond that. This includes money spent at the hotel bar, restaurant, casino, etc., These customers may even enjoy their stay so much that they’ll come back on another occasion or refer the hotel to their friends and family. After all, word of mouth is the best marketing strategy out there.
Finally, these complimentary vacation certificates are a great and very special prize to offer your employees. It’s important to acknowledge the hard work your employees put in for your business. When you do this, you’ll be giving them a tool to help motivate them to work even harder, they’ll feel appreciated, and it’ll generate excitement in the workplace. Give them a break from the mundane and repetitive work day by offering them that really special prize. In turn, your customers will appreciate the awesome customer service they receive from your employees. Essentially, it’s a win-win for everyone:
- Your customers will appreciate the gift-with-purchase, which will motivate them to stay loyal to your company.
- You’ll see an increase in profit, as well as a growing number of loyal customers.
- The hotels benefit from it as it will promote their business during their off-season.
- Your employees will feel appreciated, motivating them to work hard and stay loyal to your company and brand.
- This will increase the likelihood that your customers will receive great customer service, making them happy as well.
What are Vacation Certificates?
When to offer this special prize to your customers and employees is crucial if it’s going to be unique. So, why not offer these vacation certificates as a special prize during a special promotion, event, contest, etc.?
One great marketing strategy is taking advantage of social media. Social media is very present in today’s society. Also, advertising online and through social media is a free way to promote any company. One great way to take advantage of this medium is to offer a vacation certificate as a special prize to the customers that get the most likes, retweets, etc., on a post related to your company. Through these posts, likes, retweets, etc., customers are essentially advertising your company off for you. Their friends and family will notice these posts and learn about your company, generating awareness for you and your brand. What’s even better is you’re rewarding your customers for doing this by giving them a special prize like a vacation certificate.
Or, offer the vacation certificates to new customers who are unfamiliar with your products. If they’re on the fence about investing in them, offer them a vacation certificate as a way to seal the deal. They get something extra for choosing your business over the competition, and you have a new, and hopefully loyal, customer. It’s a great marketing strategy that helps to generate interest in your company to new people.
In addition to new customers, offering a vacation certificate to your unsatisfied customers is another great marketing strategy. This is because it’s a special offer that can reduce some of the tension that usually comes along with making a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes and, despite what you may think, your customers understand this. What matters is how your company goes about fixing those mistakes once they’re made. Offering your unsatisfied customers a vacation certificate as a special prize is a great way to make up for those mistakes. Furthermore, taking advantage of a special offer like this may shine a positive light on your company more-so than if a mistake was never made. Your customers will see that you care about them and that you can fix a problem when one arises. It will also help you to stand out from your competitors and generate a sense of trust in the relationship you have with your customers. Word of mouth is a powerful tool and they will no doubt tell their friends and family about their great experience.
Finally, it’s important to reward your employees for their hard work. Yes, you want to make your customers happy, but chances are they interact with your employees more than they do you. In fact, knowledgeable and attentive employees account for 80% of the reasons consumers feel satisfied, but studies also show that one in four American employees aren’t working to their full potential. Additionally, 70% of unsatisfied customers abandon a company because of poor customer service according to a study conducted by the Forum Corp.
With all of that said, it’s important to reward your employees for a job well-done. When your company offers these vacation certificates, give employees a percentage of the profit from the sale; essentially, offer them a commission for their hard work. Or, offer the employee who finalizes the most sales a vacation certificate as a special prize. As mentioned earlier, this will not only motivate your employees to work hard for your company, but it will also increase loyalty and generate a healthy competition that will help your employees bond. It’s true, good help is hard to find these days, so when you do find it, you want to make sure that your employees are loyal to you and your company. They’ll feel appreciated when receiving this special prize and your company will flourish because of it. In turn, if your employees are happy and motivated, then your customers will be happy because of the great service they received.
“What are the Cons of this Special Offer?”
Wow! That’s a lot to remember and there’s very little room for error with a special offer like this one. Luckily, the Odenza Marketing Group is here to help.
To reiterate what was said earlier, everybody makes mistakes, and people understand that. What’s important is how you go about fixing those mistakes once they’re made. This is especially true when running a business and providing your customers with a special offer like a vacation certificate. By offering this special prize to your customers and employees, you’re rewarding them for their loyalty and hard work. This also helps you and your company to grow and flourish.
However, if mistakes are made when offering this special prize, it can really hurt your company, which leads to a sense of distrust in your customer’s and employee’s eyes. Planning a special offer like a travel incentive is no part-time affair. Imagine how much planning goes into your own vacations. Now, imagine doing that for all of your customers and employees? Some of the mistakes that can be made include:
- In the past, people have stated that they didn’t receive the vacation that was promised.
- Other people complained that they weren’t provided with all the necessary information needed for their great, fun, and relaxing vacation.
- The company changed the eligibility requirements from when the special prize was initially offered.
- Customers were unable to book flights to accommodate their vacation
There are also a lot of important things to consider when planning a special offer like this one. Things like your state’s laws and regulations, international and value-added taxes, transportation options, currency conversion, possible language barriers, local laws and customs, and different methods of booking space. So, why add more stress to your life? You’re already busy because you have a business to run. The Odenza Marketing Group is familiar with all these details as we employ certified travel agents, so let us help you.
“How the Odenza Marketing Group Can Help”
The Odenza Marketing Group’s full-service, certified travel agency will help to plan this special offer for you. Our 20 staff members can handle any vacation travel request and can offer English, French, and Spanish speakers to make sure that no piece of information is lost in translation. Our travel agency also has offices in both San Diego, California and Burnaby, British Columbia, so there’s always someone willing to lend a helping hand. Our customer service and knowledge of travel is so great, that we were awarded the prestigious, “Pinnacle Club,” award from Carnival Cruise Lines. Therefore, if mistakes are made, you can relax when you know that our travel agency understands how to handle any situation quickly and efficiently because travel is what we’re good at. Additionally, the Odenza Marketing Group assures you that every necessary step is taken to make sure that the mistakes listed above don’t become a problem. With Odenza, you choose from our list of vacations
that we offer regularly. One of our most popular destination options, for example, is the Las Vegas Fly Away N’ Play. This getaway includes round-trip airfare for two and a two-night stay at a hotel in Las Vegas. Or, maybe you want the special offer to be a complimentary cruise. Our business partner, Carnival Cruise Lines, offers free food, entertainment, and onboard activities for the entire family to enjoy! Would you also believe that the largest Resort Developers are our clients? We’re in constant communication with the hotels, airlines, and cruise companies year-round, so we know how to get you the best special offer possible. In fact, we guarantee that you’ll pay as little as 1/10th the cost of travel to increase your sales. Our experience with booking these vacations is fast and quick and our in-house vacation certificates give your customers every piece of information they need to know for their vacation.
If you decide to go about planning this special offer on your own, or task an employee to do it, the chances of a mistake being made are higher than choosing to outsource with the Odenza Marketing Group. Will you be able to handle them if they do? As a business owner, it’s important to ask for assistance when it’s needed; the Odenza Marketing Group can offer this assistance to your company. After all, if your company doesn’t generate serious profit from this special offer, neither do we. So, call us today for a free consultation to discuss our special offers! You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain!
