What Christmas Markets Taught Me about Marketing

I don't know about you, but I sometimes find business inspiration in the most random of places, and that includes this light bulb moment at a Barcelona Christmas Market.

Last month while I was helping facilitate a Marketing FAM trip for travel advisors aboard Windstar's Star Legend, our final stop has us in Barcelona.

We had seen Christmas Markets in Rome (not my fave), Nice, and Marseille, on this sailing, and I'd say that Nice and Barcelona were my favorites because of some of their really unique handcrafts.

When I'm at a market, I typically walk with an intent to purchase, but not really knowing exactly what I want--I let the market speak to me so-to-speak.

Sometimes it's mindless walking, as I found out in Nice where these figurines, santons, are hugely popular, and there was whole section of the market devoted to them.

Barcelona had something similar, but it wasn't that area where the revelation came to.

I was walking past some of the handmade items, and it donned on me that, our travel businesses are just like each stall of the Christmas market.

Each stall of the market has wonderfully beautiful items, but I don't NEED every item at the market.

That doesn't mean anything less of each of the individual business owners there.

I just wasn't their right fit customer--and that's ok.

Because there would be a right fit customer that would come right on after me.

We as travel business owners, as like the shopkeepers of the stall--we all have similar, yet different items to sell, and sometimes for different clientele.

Just because one person doesn't buy from your stall, doesn't mean you should close up your shop.

You keep smiling, inviting friendly conversation.

Maybe you offer a special promotion, or do a demo to show how things work.

Maybe you rearrange how your stall looks or what is offered.

Maybe you go to a different market with new clientele.

The point is--don't give up!

You're not going to be everyone's cup of tea, and that's a great thing--in fact, that's what people are yearning for.

2024 is going to be a year of individualized personalization.

People want to know that you "get" them.

So whether that's perfectly curated destination weddings, getaways for CEOs who won't put themselves first, vacations for families with special needs, women that want to travel and don't have a perfect travel partner--your client is looking for you.

Make 2024 the year that you unapologetically stand out amongst the other travel advisors in your niche.

I'm rooting your weirdo self on :)

And if you need more than just rooting, let's schedule a Power Hour to get your most looming business and marketing questions answered.