Successful Sales Workshops

Be successful at (Online) Sales Workshops

The way companies connect and do business has changed significantly in recent years. In-person events such as trade fairs, sales workshops and networking events remain an important part of the tourism industry, while digital formats offer a flexible and time-efficient way to connect with potential business partners. Both formats provide valuable opportunities to meet new contacts, exchange ideas and develop business relationships – whether face-to-face or online.

In the tourism industry, NordicMarketing has been bringing these opportunities together for many years. Since 2020 when ITB was cancelled, we have been organizing both digital and on-site sales workshops and events connecting tourism suppliers with relevant tour operators and travel industry professionals, particularly in the DACH, Benelux and other European markets.

One example is the Online Sales Workshop NORDEUROPA, which will take place for the seventh time in 2027. In addition, we organize exclusive, small-scale online and on-site sales events and workshops with selected partners, creating targeted opportunities to meet their key markets and build new business connections.

Preparation is key to success

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 (before you start with your own presentation) 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.

We recommend that you prepare a short presentation for the meetings in e.g. powerpoint format. In the presentation you can include some details about the company in general, put focus on the products, quality pictures, USP`s and of course your story (= elevator pitch). Keep in mind the limited time you have for each meeting when preparing the presentation. You can send the tour operator materials afterwards, after the event. The material can include for example the presentation that you showed during the meeting, product examples (product cards or links to products if they are online), price list, and a link to an image bank.

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. 

If you also offer activities alongside accommodation services 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.

Product cards can be sent to the tour operator after your meeting. 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 receive. Respond to inquiries or new requests for offers promptly, preferably within 24 hours.