Welcome to Boostly Podcast Episode 371. This is a recap of my Facebook live where I talked about my a story behind every booking.
Here's the audio for this episode:
Here's the video for this episode:
Timestamp
00:00 Start
00:40 Who is your ideal guest?
01:30 Sharing a quote that I came up with
03:25 Find the story behind every booking
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Transcript from the Episode
As we move out of 2021, and we move into 2022, there's going to be one defining factor that is going to win for the hospitality business and your hospitality business. And that is personalization.
Now, you've heard me talk about this a lot over the course of the last couple of months. And as we move out of lockdowns, pandemics, etc, there's going to be a lot more people that are looking to the Airbnb model or short term rental, because they will have noticed that it really is a fantastic investment opportunity. And there's going to be a lot of people who are also going to do is try and market to everybody.
Who is your ideal guest?
One of the funniest answers that I always get when I say Who is your ideal guest? Who is your customer avatar, who's your guest profile, reply back where it says anybody who gives me money, it's funny, but it hurts because at the same time, I know full well that they are going to struggle because in an overpopulated an oversaturated market you have to play in the niches. So when we talk about niches, you know, obviously focus on how you're going to focus on but then how can you add personalization to it.
Now before we go any further, I'm going to talk to you today about a quote that I've been pondering and I want to share it with you and I'd love to get your opinion but before we go any further My name is Mark Simpson I give host just like you the tools the tactics, the training but most importantly the confidence to go get your own bookign so you're not relying on Airbnb booking.com VRBO, to bring them in for you that way you make more money, you get more power in the booking and you're not playing someone else's sandbox.
Sharing a quote that I came up with
Now today in the episode, what we're going to discuss is a quote that I've been pondering quote that I came up with, and it's something that I did on a coaching call and i'd love your feedback on this. So the quote that I came up with, and I was on a coaching call to give it a context behind it, I was on a coaching call with Liam Karolina of ginger and gold based in Norwich. And we're talking about ways and means that he can make his business stand out fantastic host, growing his business growing his management portfolio is amazing to see. And I just dropped it in there came to mind it said, as I said to him, there's a story behind every booking and it's up to you to find out what it is.
And what we're talking about is that he had some guests coming in. There was a family coming in. And it was a grandparent with their grandkids and they had lined up so many activities they were doing like tennis or hiking or whatever they were doing or doing so many outdoors activities. So I said to him How How did you find out and he said well, I had a phone call with him I did something that I used to do a lot when I only had one or two properties. But I've just had a little bit of extra time this week so I thought I'd adopt the method he called them up and he found out that that's what they were coming to the area for.
So I said well you discovered the story behind the booking and without knowing that that would have just been a booking. Now you've known the story so how can you personalize it and what we decided to do is I said well listen so they are going to be all over the place. Well, how cool would it be if you went and go left a Mars bar called Mars bars on the table and just said it sounds like you're going to have a lot of fun here's someone to give you extra energy couldn't find any Mars bars quick story short, you want to have some Lucas aid and some biscuit breakfast. We have a little card saying exactly that sounds like you're gonna have a lot of fun. Here are some little here's some little treats to give you a bit of energy. And again something so little cost him a couple of pounds to three minutes or out the card, etc. But it went down really nicely.
Find the story behind every booking
So how can you find the story behind every booking? Now you may be thinking Ah, this doesn't attribute to me. This doesn't count for me. But it does. There's a story behind every booking. And now what I would love to do in the comment section below is I would love for you to tell me when you've discovered a story behind a booking and tell me what it meant to you when you found this and what did you do to personalize it.
I'll leave you with another story. And it's one that I discovered through Heather. So Heather has got a fantastic podcast herself, a host over in Canada, British, but based in Canada and America. And she's got a property that's near a lake. And I've told the story before she told me and I'm telling her because it's such a fantastic story. She had a family who was going to come and stay with her. And the mother said that the reason why they chose her and her property is because it was by a lake and her nine-year-old son was just dying to get into fishing.
Nothing else was said however, didn't say anything else. And what she did, she went out to the local Bait and Tackle shop on the way to do in the changeover. And she picked up a fishing rod and left it in the property with a little note saying Dear name of the child. We really hope you enjoy your stay here so I'm going to help you get started. Now that meant so much to the family that they were repeat guests time and time and time again for many many years and told so many people about that one little gesture ever took maybe what 10-15 minutes to go out of the way less than $30 to go get a rods and some bits and bobs that resulted 1000s upon 1000s of dollars in repeat revenue time and time again every year.
So you don't have to do it for everybody. But when you get the opportunity to do it, how can you find a story behind the booking and what can you do to personalize their experience? Now I'll leave the conversation open to you as I always do. Please leave a comment below if you're watching this on our socials.
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