Chris Hagan
SuperBreak
Meet The Buyer
A Buyers Perspective
SuperBreak
.
-
Based in York with 150 employees
Part of Cox and Kings Group
Key supporter of Tourism in
Northern Ireland for over 30 years
98% Domestic clients including
local NI guests
Multi Channel Distribution
including retail travel agents
Partnerships with key brands
including Tui, Virgin, Guardian etc.
Focusing on
experience rich,
short breaks
within the UK
and Beyond
Established in 1982
and carrying
approximately
9,000 passengers to
Northern Ireland
each year
Myself
.
-
-
-
Head of Propositions, Events and
Transport
Been with SuperBreak for 14 years
Various roles within the company
including Product Manager,
Programme Manager, Head of
Overseas etc.
Always been involved in
purchasing beds and product on
the island of Ireland.
Lives between
York and
Greysteel, just
outside Derry Londonderry
Workshop veteran
– over 100 different
workshops
attended for
various countries
over the years
Meet The Buyer
For many buyers
this is the only
opportunity of the
year to learn about
and source their NI
product
It’s hard work for
all parties –
certainly not a
jolly
Many buyers
product and
destination
knowledge may
be lacking
If approached
correctly is
massively
rewarding for all
parties
.
IT’S NOT LONG!!
MAKE EVERY SECOND
COUNT
.
Preparation is Key
Buyer Preparation
 Most buyers will have looked up and researched your product prior to the meeting (provided
meeting schedule has been shared prior to arrival – a key point for all organisers to be aware
of).
 As a result, buyers should already have a number of questions that they want to ask you
 In the past MTB has followed 2 solid all day sessions of meetings at Meitheal in the south. This
year all buyers will be fresh, use that to your advantage!
Tips for ALL Product Types
 Do your homework! 15 minutes preparation for each appointment in advance of the workshop
will pay massive dividends.
 Knowing your buyers market/business model/client type will allow you to adapt your
presentation suitably.
 Allow the buyer to quickly introduce their company first to further allow you to tailor the
information you deliver
 Small talk takes up valuable time – it’s great to be friendly but this is your one chance to sell to a
captive audience. Keep to jovial but to the point.
Tips for ALL Product Types
 Take detailed notes – they will be invaluable later
 Keep to time. It is annoying for everyone – buyers and suppliers – if you overrun and upset the schedule
 Have any handout material in several formats including digital – personally I prefer hard copies but
remember many people are flying back from the workshops
 Use break times to network with buyers you don’t have a scheduled appointment with. Some of the best
business I have ever done was from the breaks!
Accommodation Suppliers

Not every operator is a group operator – please check either in advance or early in the meeting what market they are in. An FIT
operator isn’t interested in group rates, similarly an OTA has completely different requirements.

A short presentation showing a few key images is important however we do not need to see every bedroom in the hotel nor the
restaurant from every angle 

Ask for specifics including seasonality – don’t assume straight away that operators are only looking to sell your high demand periods

Be open to different ideas around availability – many operators still operate traditional models without channel managers so
allotment/freesale may be necessary to start off the relationship.

Offer the buyer a free night stay … whilst many won’t take it up it’s a wonderful gesture and means that you will be remembered
Attraction Suppliers
 Whilst many operators could bring you 49 passengers on a coach remember to bring along rates and conditions for
individuals too! A group operator and FIT operator will again have very different requirements around rates and commissions
etc.
 A short video brings the attraction to life and is a much better tool than still photos.
 Provide a general overview of the attraction and then invite questions – don’t use all of the time explaining the history and
every aspect in great detail
 Promote the USP’s – what does your attraction offer above all others
 Offer the buyer a complimentary visit … again this small gesture allows you to stand out and allows the buyer to experience in
their own time
FOLLOW UP
THE MOST
IMPORTANT
INGREDIENT
DON’T
.
•
•
•
SEND GENERIC FOLLOW UP
FOLLOW UP THREE WEEKS LATER
FORGET THE FEEDBACK FROM THE MEETING
•
•
BE UNDETAILED
MISS THE OPPORTUNITY
DO
.
•
•
PERSONALISE THE FOLLOW UP AND MAKE IT RELEVANT TO THE
CONVERSATION – REFER TO NOTES
GO BACK WITH DETAIL AND A WILLINGNESS TO WORK TOGETHER
•
FOLLOW UP QUICKLY – DON’T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY
•
FOLLOW UP THE FOLLOW UP WITH A CALL
Summary 1
 Know and understand your buyers market either before the meeting or make that the first thing you
find out
 An extra 15 minutes preparation per meeting before the event will make the experience massively
more rewarding for both you and the buyers that you meet
 Tailor your presentations to their needs … miss out anything irrelevant and ask questions if unsure of
anything – this will save time in the long run
 Full guided tours of the product are not required
 Make sure handouts are available in multiple formats including digital
Summary 2




Use all breaks and events as networking opportunities
Make detailed notes and refer to them before following up
Never sent a round robin generic follow up – it’s lazy and seen so by the buyers
Follow up quickly and if you don’t get an immediate response don’t worry … after Meitheal each buyer will be
receiving a lot of emails but a further email or phone call after a week goes a long way
 Enjoy the experience and learn from it … use buyers feedback to enhance your product offering