Direct Marketing

Direct marketing means advertising, direct mail, publicity, etc. Whether to sell direct or through a middleman depends on your product, budget and the market to which you are aiming. You will probably need to work out a mixture of the two. Each market varies considerably.

Personal Sales Calls

Personal sales calls to the retail travel trade, business communities, association groups, Incoming Tour Operators and overseas Tour Operators are a very important way to sell your product. However, many sales calls are wasted through lack of preparation. You must know exactly what you are selling, to whom you are selling, what their business is and why they should buy your product. You will find the market profile booklets a very useful source of information. It is very important to schedule appointments for the most important contacts, prior to your departure from Ireland to ensure that the appropriate person is available to meet with you.

Always contact the Tourism Ireland overseas office for advice on distances between calls, information on hotels, prioritising tour operators in terms of volume and yield and the best method of travelling around.

Most overseas sales calls will involve marketing Ireland first, then the particular region you are located in and lastly your product. Interested buyers will need to know not only what your product offers but what is in the neighbourhood, what amenities there are. It helps to have a promotional sales kit. This can be a simple loose-leaf binder showing your product, the area, maps, prices, etc. Use good quality photographs, large enough to make an impression. Work out your presentation in conjunction with your sales kit, keep it to ten minutes maximum. Promotional videos and CD roms are now being used with greater frequency. Check with the Fáilte Ireland market office if they have videos available for you to use.

Have a supply of your brochures and appropriate rate sheets for both the current and following year to leave with any interested contacts. After you return home follow up every sales call with a letter, answering any queries, confirming any agreements and thanking them for seeing you.

Some Targets for Personal Calls

The best plan is to start a programme of personal calls with the sources of business closest to you:

The Regional Tourism Authority and its local information offices are an invaluable source of casual business. Ensure that they are familiar with your product by arranging a presentation to the marketing and sales staff. Leave some brochures in each office and keep in regular touch with them. This service is generally only available to members of the regional companies, membership is inexpensive and the benefits derived provide good value for money.

Local businesses, sporting clubs, associations can generate a lot of tourism. Make calls to them and find out if your product would interest them.

Car hire companies and coach companies are often asked to recommend accommodation, restaurants, places to visit and things to do.

Some local travel agents may deal in ticketing for local events.

Irish Incoming Tour Operators (also known as Handling Agents): Before considering any overseas promotions you should contact and visit the Irish Incoming Tour Operators. You will need to do a professional presentation which will be followed up by a personal inspection visit if they are interested. They, in turn, will introduce your product to the overseas Tour Operators and markets. Also ensure that you are on their mailing list for any regional workshops they may be organising.

If you decide to make a promotional trip overseas you should get in touch with the Marketing Advisory Service who will advise you on any specialist contacts in the markets suitable to your product.

Representation

It can be very costly for a smaller operation to promote to the overseas markets on its own. Joining forces with an association or hotel grouping with a marketing arm strengthens and widens promotional possibilities. A Tour Operator is usually more interested in a choice or range of products and dealing with a central office for reservations and quotations rather than with individual properties. In most countries there are companies which operate a reservation and marketing service for hotels. Fáilte Ireland can supply a list of the major companies in this business.
 

Advertising

The closer to home your target customers are the more appropriate is selling through advertising. Advertising in overseas markets is usually too expensive to consider unless in co-operation with other tourism organisations. Channels for advertising are local radio, local and national newspapers, national TV and radio, monthly, general or specialist magazines, Minitel, teletext such as Aertel.

If your product is suited to a specialist market, i.e., angling, rambling, etc., there is a range of publications at home and abroad aimed at that market and worthwhile investigating. When advertising, be as specific as possible, avoid copy that is too vague or general. Quote in local currency if possible and offer a local telephone number/linkline. If a local number is not feasible make sure you include the correct dialling code.

If you do wish to advertise more extensively, you should get advice from Fáilte Ireland and/or an advertising agency. Fáilte Ireland does selective advertising in the markets and can supply you with the schedule should you wish to advertise in the same publications. It is also possible to advertise effectively in some Fáilte Ireland consumer or trade publications. The main publications would be Ireland of the Welcomes, the Ireland - Live a Different Life overseas market guides, trade and consumer supplements to both National and Regional Press and Specialist magazines. We will provide you with the Fáilte Ireland market contact for further information.

Cooperative Advertising

Fáilte Ireland offers smaller operators an extremely cost-effective opportunity to participate in newspaper advertising campaigns in the various markets. The idea is that you can place your own advertisement next to Fáilte Ireland''s ''Ireland'' advertising at very favourable rates. Contact the Advertising Department in the market.

Direct Mail

Direct mail is a form of communication which can be used effectively by any operation. Its advantage is that it is a personally addressed promotional piece to interested individuals. The key to a successful direct mail operation is the mailing list. Mailing lists can be bought to cover all social classes, regions, interests, but simpler still is to build up your own list from the following:

• People who stayed with you.

• People who reserved but had to cancel.

• Anyone who wrote enquiring.

• Business Firms/Association Membership Lists

It is important to have an objective when mailing:

• Seeking repeat business

• Special offer to fill off-peak times

• Inform people of something new, leisure centre, etc.

Direct mail like advertising gives you a very short time to make an impression to ensure that your brochure or promotional piece says something of interest or benefit to your customer. This can be costly. Overseas mailing houses offer mailing and storing facilities. The Fáilte Ireland market office will provide you with further information. 

Publicity

Publicity is a very useful way to promote your product both at home and overseas. This means getting your operation mentioned in editorials, features, news items. Editors provide their readers with news, useful information and gossip. You must find a newsworthy reason for getting your product mentioned. Local newspapers are always looking for items of local interest, angling competitions, charity dances, evening classes, presentations. Make sure the local radio and newspapers are kept informed. Send photographs and brief news releases. If there is an item of national interest taking place which involves you, cycling race, motor rally, etc., copy national papers.

Fáilte Ireland's overseas media programme encourages journalists and editors to visit Ireland to cover interesting aspects of Irish life which they will write about in their respective publications or cover in television or radio programmes. Your operation could appeal to a visiting journalist so you should contact Fáilte Ireland''s Publicity Department on 01 602 4126 for details. Fáilte Ireland invites producers to contribute to this essential media programme by offering complimentary or reduced rate services. Also check with the Fáilte Ireland market office if they produce a newsletter for the media that you can contribute to. Regional Tourism Authority would help with local media contacts and coverage. 

In-house Sales

It must be remembered that your staff form a vital part of your sales team. It is absolutely essential to have happy and satisfied customers who will return and who will recommend you to their friends. Your staff are responsible for this. They should be well trained and know what''s expected of them. They should be aware of your client's needs and cater to them. Any extra facilities should be promoted to the clients and clients should be encouraged to stay a little longer or return more often. 

Brochure

In any form of marketing you will need a brochure. You should seek professional advice when designing your brochure, however there are some rules to bear in mind:

1. Gather some competitors brochures and evaluate the design and copy. Often you will see what you must do and what you must not do.

2. Don't stint on quality. It is better to have a brochure in two colours but well designed and printed than a full colour cheaply printed effort.

3. Remember who your target customers are and aim the brochure at them.

4. A brochure should be clear and give relevant information on the product. Print a separate rate sheets (tour operator/retail agents)

5. Avoid overcrowded text, too many small photographs.

6. Photographs should have people in them - people enjoying themselves. Fáilte Ireland have a photographic library that will lend you professionally taken shots.

7. The tone and style of the brochure should reflect the image you wish to create, quiet and relaxed or lively and active.

8. Rate sheets should be printed separately and dated. Rates should be in the local currency.

9. Remember preferred postal sizes (A4 and A5) are in operation in most countries and design accordingly.

10. Brochures printed in foreign languages or even covering letters should be checked by either an interpreter or the relevant Fáilte Ireland market office. Don't forget to use ''Irish Tourist Board/Fáilte Ireland'' on overseas literature as opposed to just Fáilte Ireland.

Literature Distribution

Fáilte Ireland will assist you with brochure distribution throughout Ireland. Contact Gerard Doyle on 01 8847 161 gerard.doyle@failteireland.ie Tourism Ireland will assist you with overseas brochure distribution. Contact Siobhan McLoughlin on 028 70359214 smcloughlin@tourismireland.com

Sign Posting

Your premises must be easy to find so it is important to have it well signposted. Put signs on all access roads, including turn-off points from main roads. Signs should be clear and unfussy - name, direction and distance is sufficient. Consider using signs or displays to promote your premises in shop windows, shopping centres, bus and train stations and airports. Don't forget to introduce yourself to local newsagents, petrol stations, public houses etc - those places visitors tend to stop and ask directions from. Your Local Authority will give you permission to erect signs produced by any one of the endorsed sign manufacturers.
 

Marketing Communications Training

Training in marketing skills will prove useful for you and your staff. Fáilte Ireland run excellent courses every year in all aspects of training.  
 

Next: Trade and consumer affairs

Back