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11 October, 2019

“The name can be a bit intimidating”: Luxury Gold’s CEO on agent misconceptions and selling effectively

By Travel Weekly

Luxury Gold’s global CEO has urged travel agents not to be put off by the price point of the brand’s product offering, encouraging them to “look at the detail”.

Speaking to Travel Weekly, Ulla Hefel Böhler said some agents, especially young ones starting out in the industry, talk themselves out of selling Luxury Gold because they think it’s too expensive.

“Sometimes the name can be a little bit intimidating,” she said.

“I would really encourage agents to really take a look at the detail. If you deconstruct a Luxury Gold trip, you would actually realise that the value-for-money proposition is exceptional.

“If you try to replicate what we do at Luxury Gold, a lot of things wouldn’t be possible, it would cost exponentially more, and it would take a lot of time to put together.”

Hefel Böhler said that when it comes to selling luxury, agents have to know their stuff.

“You’re not going to be selling on the price point – you’re going to sell on the experiences and the value that a brand offers,” she explained.

The Luxury Gold boss added that it’s also crucial for agents to engage their clients in a conversation and finding out what they’re after.

“If you take the time to do that, you can actually make the right recommendation for them,” she said.

“It’s not about feature dumping.”

Agents account for 90 per cent of Luxury Gold’s sales, with ‘Majesty of the Rockies’, ‘Ultimate Italy’ and ‘Timeless Scandanvia’ the top-three-selling tours for 2019.

“We look at our agent partners as part of our extended family,” Hefel Böhler said.

“We pride ourselves on our relationships and working closely with them, and being easy to work with.”

Understanding luxury

There’s no doubt ‘luxury’ has become an industry buzzword, and as a result of the term’s widespread use, it carries many different connotations.

“Sometimes you look at the way the term ‘luxury’ is used and go ‘that’s not really luxury’, and I think Aussie consumers and agents can see right through that,” Hefel Böhler said.

“It’s up to each brand to ensure that what they do absolutely ticks every single box of those luxury moments.”

For Luxury Gold, luxury is exemplified by the brand’s passion for excellence and its commitment to service, and ensuring guests have incredible and meaningful experiences that will stay with them for a lifetime, according to Hefel Böhler.

“The TTC family of brands has a saying that no request is too large, and no detail is too small, and that’s even more important when it comes to luxury,” she told Travel Weekly.

“One of the most important points for Luxury Gold is that it’s not about the golden taps and the marble bathrooms, and it’s not about having to wear a suit and tie for dinner.

“Luxury Gold really is an immersive luxury experience where you are immersed into the destination in a very unique way. We really look of those unique, money-can’t-buy experiences.”

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