Selling Corporate Tours with Kelsey Tonner, CEO Guest Focus

Summary

Janelle and Stephen speak with Kelsey Tonner from Guest Focus about corporate sales and how tour businesses can tap into the corporate market. He shares his background in the industry and how he transitioned to focusing on tour business coaching. Kelsey emphasizes the advantages of corporate sales, such as regular and repeat business, premium pricing opportunities, streamlined planning process, and diversification of revenue streams. He advises tour operators to niche down and create a distinct corporate offer with upsells or experience enhancers. Kelsey also suggests conducting a guest deep dive and using AI tools to brainstorm ideas for corporate upsells. The conversation explores the benefits of offering corporate tours and experiences. We discuss the importance of negotiation in sales and the ability to customize offers to meet the needs of corporate clients. We also discuss the importance of understanding the specific needs and pain points of different corporate niches and tailoring offers accordingly.

Key Takeaways:

• Corporate sales offer advantages like regular and repeat business, premium pricing opportunities, streamlined planning process, and diversification of revenue streams.

• Tour operators should niche down and create a distinct corporate offer with upsells or experience enhancers.
• Conducting a guest deep dive and using AI tools can help generate ideas for corporate upsells.
• Customization can be time-consuming and may not scale well, so having a core corporate menu with optional upsells is recommended.
• Charging higher prices for custom work can make it more worthwhile for tour operators.
• Negotiation is important in sales and can help in closing deals.
• Customizing offers to meet the needs of corporate clients can lead to higher profits.
• The rise of remote work has created a demand for team-building experiences.
• Understanding the specific needs and pain points of different corporate niches is crucial for success.

You can find out more about and connect with the speakers here:

• Kelsey Tonner, CEO Guest Focus
• Free Guide: 8 Profitable Corporate Tour Niches: Diversifying Your Tour Business For Success
• Book a free 45-min strategy call

You can find out more about the research that we mention in the episode here:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠2024 Experiences Traveler Outlook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - The 2024 U.S. Experiences Traveler Outlook report delves into the state of the U.S. experiences traveler – who they are, what they want, what are they looking for in 2024 – and some key trends shaping the tours, activities and attractions sector for the coming year. 

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠2024 US Tour Taker⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - The second report from the 2024 U.S. Experiences Traveler study delves into the state of today’s tour taker – who they are, what they want, and how they choose, book and share.
• ⁠Arival Guide to AI in Experiences⁠ - How tours, activities and attractions are improving the guest experience, saving money and growing their business with AI today

Connect with the hosts of The Voice of Experiences, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stephen Joyce⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠