Marketing Lessons from a Cruise

I just spent a weekend on a cruise to Ensenada, Mexico. What was supposed to be a relaxing weekend away from the world of marketing turned into a mini case study. I know the travel industry—in particular cruise lines—are struggling during these tough times. However, there were a lot of things this particular cruise was doing well: they had a strong upsell and cross sell plan and they had an easy payment system.

Consider that cruises nowadays can run extremely cheap. I heard about a 4-day cruise from San Diego to Mexico for only $224/person. This is an amazing bargain when you understand that this cost covers the room, food and most entertainment for all four days. Perceived value is extremely high.

Once you get to the cruise, and in some cases even before, the real selling takes place. Before we even boarded the boat we had our picture taken which was then available for purchase. Seconds upon boarding the boat we were met with waiters and waitresses suggesting “a bucket of beers.” My room was stocked with sodas and drinks, all for sale (can of Coke: $1.95). Everywhere you turned there was a suggestion to buy something else.

Of course, payment was incredibly easy since passengers were equipped with their personal cruise cards. Passengers used the cards as their room key as well as a means to purchase just about anything the boat offers. Cocktail? Just hand the card over the waiter. Massage? Just give the card to the spa center. Souvenir? You get the picture.

This mini case study confirmed two things for me: 1) every business needs a strong upsell and cross sell program, 2) every business needs to make payment seamless and easy. These strategies worked effectively for a major cruise line and they make perfect sense for small businesses.

Take a look at your business and make sure you have a way to upsell and cross sell. Most products and services have the three-tiered approach which makes upselling very powerful. Or, find a product or service that you can offer in addition to another product or service. You’ll get more out of your existing customers and—assuming you provide value in the added services—your customers will walk away more satisfied.

Also make sure it is easy for your customers to pay you. One simple way to do this is to ensure that you can receive payments a couple of ways. Checks, credit cards and PayPal are just some of the ways you can facilitate payment. Find what is easiest for your customers and make that work for you.

Finally, if you need any more lessons in upselling and payment processing, take a cruise. Just like me, your vacation can as easily become a case study.