NORDEUROPA - how to succeed

Be successful at the NORDEUROPA Sales Event

The fourth edition of the NORDEUROPA 2024 Online Sales Workshop is taking place on 31 January and 1 February 2024. We are delighted to welcome both a lot of tourism companies and destinations for a consecutive time as well as first timers. 
Preparation is the key - therefore we'd like to provide you with tips and hints for the event. 

Checklist for suppliers:

1. Prepare carefully: define clear USPs and practice your elevator pitch for your presentation.
2. Make clear product descriptions: what is included in the product/package you offer and what additional services are available?
3. Define your commissions or NET prices: tour operators are entitled to get a commission if they bring you a new customer.
4. Familiarize yourself with buyer profiles in advance: what kind of products are they selling, what kind of customers do they have – what could you offer to them?
5. Don't forget the aftercare: deliver additional information and offers in the agreed time.

Prepare carefully

You should practice your elevator pitch well in advance so that you get the most out of the sales meetings you will attend. A clear powerpoint presentation, USPs (Unique Selling Points) thought out in advance, clear products and high-quality visuals go a long way. USPs help the tour operator understand what makes your product or service unique and different from competitors. In an elevator pitch, it is important that you always know how to adapt it according to the target group - so always ask at the beginning of the meeting what the tour operator is looking for especially at the moment (FIT vs. groups, winter vs. summer, etc.), and adjust your speech accordingly. Remember to also leave time for discussion and questions.

Make clear product descriptions

When preparing product descriptions for tour operators it is worth keeping in mind that the information needed by the tour operator varies depending on the product offered. If it is a cottage/villa product, it is essential to tell, for example, the size of the cottage, the number and width of the beds, the floor plan of the cottage and the distance to the nearest grocery store. If the offered service is a hotel or other hotel-like accommodation, the tour operator wants to know, in addition to the number of rooms and beds, e.g. restaurant services. In the case of places to visit, it is important to tell, for example, the opening hours and the availability of possible guided tours. The information that should be included in the product cards of activity products are e.g. availability (summer, winter, certain days), minimum and maximum group size, product suitability or level of difficulty (age, level of physical difficulty, minimum height, etc.) and service languages (in which language, for example, guidance is available). It is always easier for a tour operator to sell or modify concrete product examples. Clear and precise product descriptions or product cards help the tour operators understand all the important details in order to be able to sell the product to their own customers.

High-quality visual material and a clear pricing model are also an advantage for the start of cooperation.

Define your Commissions or NET prices

Commission is a safe and risk-free way to do business in the sense that it is based on realized sales. If there is no sales, there are no costs. If you do not have enough resources by yourself, i.e. time, money or know-how, for international marketing, why not pay for the marketing and sales of your product to someone who knows how to do it and at the same time helps you develop your product better and better serve the market? Although a 20-30% commission may seem unreasonably big, there are clear reasons for it: the tour operator takes 10-15% of his own work and the travel agency gets a corresponding share. Of course, there are differences in commissions and they are often the result of contract negotiations. However, it is important to understand what, for example, the German tour operator's commission request is based on.

Familiarize yourself with buyer profiles in advance

You should get to know potential buyers and other sellers carefully in advance. Read through the tour operator's profile (or their website) which regions/countries and what kind of products the tour operator already sells and consider whether you can find a suitable offer to supplement their existing product portfolio. You should also write down the name and title of the tour operator's representative, and check if you have possibly had cooperation before.

Don't forget the aftercare

Remember to thank everyone for the meeting and send a thank you message also to those who for one reason or another could not attend (but were still on your meeting list). Additional information and offers must be processed within the agreed time. If you have more than one person in your team handling international sales, remember to also inform your colleagues about who you met, what offers are going out and what kind of feedback you possibly received. Respond to inquiries or new requests for offers promptly, preferably within 24 hours.