Page 36 - The Summit 2021 flip book

INSIDER

Understanding Wellness Travel and how it can drive sales and

build new client loyalty in a post-vaccine world

Edyta Satchell, Founder & CEO of Satchelle Global Travel Wellness, brings her expertise in wellness to creating training programs
for store managers and associates, individual travelers and corporations who want to implement travel wellness programs for their
employees. Her specialized, one-of-a kind programs concentrate on considering what the travelers of today (and tomorrow) will need and
what travel stores will need to do to meet this need. Here she shares some game-changing tactics that can help improve sales in a post-
COVID world.

Everything has changed for travel Travel wellness in a COVID-19 world is
retail operators and suppliers over the past about minimizing anxiety before, during,
12 months. and after the trip. It’s about preparation and
A year ago traveling customers protection through healthy habits, self-care,
recognized your brand and rushed to make beauty (yes!), confidence, balance and
their last-minute purchases before catching more. Retailers need to have a strategy in
that flight or that cruise. Now, the product place to articulate these trends effectively if
is only one piece of a complicated set of they want to sell more to their clients. It’s
behaviors that travelers will come to expect no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity.
in their travel experience, with client Keep this focus in mind with your
service taking a much more important role marketing as well. Understanding how
in the shopping decision. people react to messaging, visuals, and
Client service now includes placement is key to any meaningful
understanding the concept of “wellness marketing message - and knowing how
during travel,” and adapting sales and when to use it has been key to any
techniques to cater to this need will be a successful sales plan. The basics have
critical sales skill that could help a store Edyta Satchell, Founder & CEO of always been there, you’re just adding a new
double and even triple sales. Satchelle Global Travel Wellness layer to it.
Travelers are looking for guidance,
reassurance, and expertise at every turn. Step 3: Understand the Before, the
That previously trusted moisturizer or Even before the pandemic hit, During, and the After to triple your sales
hand sanitizer is now intensely questioned, frequent travelers tended to work long The key to selling through every stage
for example: the consumer wants to know hours under a lot of pressure, compounded of travel is thinking beyond the impulse
what’s in it, how it’s manufactured, by by lack of sleep due to jet lag, irregular purchase. Beginning with merchandising,
whom, and whether or not it’s safe to use hours, stress and anxiety. Most frequent messaging, display, and follow-up
in a post-vaccine world. And in addition to travelers don’t have any wellness routines marketing, everything should focus on the
having these answers (or guiding the client and tend to overeat, gain weight, and are Before, the During, and the After.
to one who does), the retailer will need to always in a rush. That means that you should be selling
show confidence, patience, empathy and In today’s “new normal” the level of items that would be important Before in
trust. stress, anxiety and uncertainty is twice as preparation for a trip, like (plastic bags
This new approach to client service high. Multiply this with social distancing, for food), for During the trip (a couple of
can make the difference between closing wearing masks and quarantining. Unlike in different types of face creams and lotions
the sale and watching a potential customer the past, the frequent travelers are probably based on climate people travel to) and the
walk out the door. It’s about being ready traveling alone, to the worry of friends and After (supplements and minerals to get the
for change, embracing it, and growing your families, under heavy medical scrutiny, healthy balance back).
skill sets. with the stakes not only surrounding their Make it easy for clients to walk into
Here are five steps a retailer can take job performance, but their health and your store and grab and go. Your expertise
to start the transformation. wellness too. can be pre-prepared and easy to buy.
There’s a reason why subscription boxes
Step 1: Understanding the “post – Step 2: Understanding the need for have become so incredibly popular - it
vaccine” traveler psychology wellness during travel makes shopping easy and it allows for
To sell more, you need to understand Under the current COVID a professional’s expertise to influence a
your clients. How much do you know about environment, traveling with a focus on purchase, resulting in higher satisfaction.
the new normal traveler? Their pain points, health and well-being has become a top-of- In 2019 alone McKinsey estimated that
and travel experiences, matter - and should mind trend. Travel wellness is no longer a subscription box sales reached as high as
resonate in your messaging. trip to a health spa, meditation or retreat. 15 billion dollars.

The Virtual Summit of the Americas Issue April 2021 36