The Business Traveller's Friend
 

Hi

My Partner and I have just launched the first Concierge Service in Yorkshire, England. Our website is now up and running and we offer a huge range of services to both business and private travellers - our first potential client is from New York.

We would appreciate any advice on how to reach our target audience overseas and on where to send our Press Release to - websites/newspapers/magazines people might visit/read before travelling.

Any advice much appreciated.

Thank you
JAYNE




Sheer Finesse Concierge & Secretarial Services

Re: The Business Traveller's Friend
 

Hi Jayne,

If you're interested in the Costa Rican market, we have a weekly newspaper in English. It is called the Tico Times. Their URL is ticotimes.net.

Best wishes.

Blessings
Brenda


The $6 Investment You Can't Afford NOT to Make!

Re: The Business Traveller's Friend
 

> Hi

Hi Jayne!

> My Partner and I have just launched the
> first Concierge Service in Yorkshire,
> England. Our website is now up and running
> and we offer a huge range of services to
> both business and private travellers - our
> first potential client is from New York.

> We would appreciate any advice on how to
> reach our target audience overseas and on
> where to send our Press Release to -
> websites/newspapers/magazines people might
> visit/read before travelling.

Okay, your post said "travellers" and yet the About page on your website really has me wondering.

From a friendly reminder of an upcoming birthday to organizing a corporate event? That's a VERY BROAD RANGE to be covering. And business and personal?

My first impression of this was, you guys are jack-of-all-trades and not really that skilled at any one thing. That then raised the question of, how much confidence could I have in someone with such a wide ranging offer?

Ever thought of narrowing it down a bit... specializing?

Anyway. As you said "travellers" my first thought was Travel Agents. Surely these busy professionals need to book flights like most people - through travel agents. So maybe the Travel Agent could add-on the service you provide to the cost of the ticket. And as with the tickets, they'd like (expect) a percentage.

What kind of things could you do for the busy professional traveller?

Airport pick-up and drop-off. Collection and carrying of lugage in and out of the airport and in and out of the hotel they stay at. Limo from the airport to the hotel and back. Other things they need while in your neck of the woods.

No price variances. An upscale service at an upscale price - fixed on a per day basis.

If you know their schedule you can arrange for the limo to be there for them whenever they need to get anywhere. Etc., etc.

One problem - a lot of these people could have their own PAs book the flight. So THEY would need to know about it before hand.

Define your market more closely and you should discover ways to reach them.

When is the next high-priced seminar on? Contact the seminar organizers and see if they will recommend your service to the attendees. Might even be able to get them to add the cost of what you do onto the ticket price. Or they may allow a ride-along letter to go with their letter.

What about local real-estate agents who sell $1mil+ real-estate to international buyers. They would know WHEN the buyer was coming over and could suggest the buyer partake of your services.

Would Rolls Royce or Bently send a letter to those who have bought those cars?

What about other businesses in the US who have your customers as their customers? They've already made contact. Why not contact them?

Suit makers? Upmarket restaurants? Upmarket car dealers? Upmarket shoe sellers? Imported cigar clubs? Limo companies?

All right. So I've taken the liberty of defining the market to be the affluent. And that gave me the ability to do a little brain-storm.

Offering everything to everyone is a hard sell, in my opinion. But when you narrow it down, THEN the answers appear.

Hope this helps.

Michael Ross.

P.S.
 

Hi again, Jayne!

Something else you might like to think about if you're going to target a "professional" businessman or woman...

-> lose the "links page" and especially menetions of joining "affiliate" things. Screams AMATEUR.

-> lose the guestbook!!! They might be fine for a personal site on geocities, but not a site that is targetting professionals. Let people provide feedback, sure. Just not by way of a public guestbook.

Spend a few minutes in your potential customers' shoes. See things through their eyes.

Would an executive, flying into England from the US to conduct business, have anything to do with a website that links to affiliate programs and other "things"? Would they have the confidence to deal with someone who has a "guestbook"?

From a professional point of view, those things really turn me off.

Also, I would want to see a site that inspired me. That is, if the site doesn't look too professional how professional can the service be?

Remember, "I'm a professional and spend my days dealing with professionals and viewing their sites. If your site doesn't come close to what I see all the time I will doubt youor abilities to provide me with what you offer" is what is in your target's mind.

Personally I'd lose the table borders and spiff up the site some to match more closely what your target is USED TO viewing.

And as before... hope this helps.

Michael Ross.

Re: The Business Traveller's Friend
 

Dear Michael

Thank you for your message.

The reason we can say 'from a friendly reminder of an upcoming birthday to organising a corporate event' is that we have 29 years combined experience of organising the lives of the Directors of a number of high profile UK companies at Executive PA level. As I am sure you appreciate this does cover every eventuality -from arranging flowers, reminders about birthdays, finding a mobile valet to organising international flights, accommodation and cruises round the Cannes coast!

It is a very broad range to cover but it is important that people realise the spectrum of things we can do - we don't just organise luxury limos, hotels etc, we are very happy to take jobs organising pet sitting and grocery deliveries. We think it is important that our clients are aware of that.

Your suggestions of who to contact are great - thanks again - we'll see how we get on trying to find out who bought a Rolls Royce or a Bentley last year!

Regards
JAYNE




Sheer Finesse Concierge & Secretarial Services

Re: The Business Traveller's Friend
 

Jayne, since wide range of services maybe you could still target a certain type of person,UK execs with children, or UK exec that travel mostly to US or to Australia something like that.

Hope it helps.


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