I’ve had someone ask me ‘why do you like cruise? It is typically not you’re demographic.’ I love that question because it provides the opportunity to challenge the stereotype.
‘Young people absolutely belong in cruise. I don’t think the answer is making cruise younger – I think it is showing younger travellers that cruise already offers experiences they want – entertainment, food, adventure, culture, nightlife, family time, friendships and convenience.’
Cox was one of three speakers in a Young Guns: The Next Generation Selling Cruise session at Cruise360 at Sydney’s ICC on Friday.
A travel advisor with Travel Associates Cruise Boutique New Zealand, he was named CLIA New Zealand Rising Star earlier this year.
‘My approach to selling has changed a lot,’ he says. ‘Early on, I thought I needed to know every ship, every itinerary, every restaurant and every inclusion. I have learned that the best sales tool isn’t me talking about the product and to let the product speak for itself.
‘It is understanding and listening to what the client wants to experience. My job isn’t to convince someone to cruise. My job is to show that cruise can be a solution to the client’s objectives.’
Cox says if clients want to watch the sunrise over Santorini, that’s what they are buying.
‘If they want to explore Alaska without organising multiple hotels and transfers, that’s what they’re buying. If they dream of seeing Europe without constantly unpacking, that’s what they’re buying. I don’t need to know everything about cruise. I just need to take the initiative to ask the question – what are your thoughts on taking a cruise?
‘Because all of those itineraries would be better with a cruise. We help design and explore their trip, not like AI which does precisely what it is told and still gets it wrong.
‘Rather than focusing on selling cruise, I focus on the questions for my business. How do we make cruise feel exciting, relevant and accessible?
‘People don’t remember you booking them a cabin on Deck 9. They remember the sunrise from their balcony, travelling with their friends and family, finally ticking Antarctica off. That’s what we’re really selling.’
