Upselling Your Way to Profits, The Royal Caribbean Way

“Come here. Over here and get your picture taken,” he says.

“Want a beverage package? Get it today for the best prices,” they say.

“Here’s a chip to redeem at the party tonight,” she says. “Why, thank you,” I say, surprised that a gift is given at this point. But then I look down and realize the chip is to be redeemed to purchase an $8 drink.

These are some of the things you hear as you board a typical Royal Caribbean cruise ship. (Or any ship for that matter.) And from that minute until you leave the ship at the end of the trip, they use every opportunity to increase their per-customer value.

I have smartened up to all of this and can bypass most of it, but that’s not the point. Wait, on second thought, I pay more to bypass most of this, so they got me in the end after all. (Doh!)

The point is that Royal Caribbean uses every last chance they can to get every dollar that they can from their customers. There are lessons to be learned here that we can all apply to our businesses.

Of course they have the spa, and excursions that any resort would use for increasing customer value and satisfaction. But for suckers like me that never met a VIP upgrade they didn’t like, we can buy things like:

1. Different levels of drink packages. Buy a drink package from just a soda package, to a soda and specialty coffee package, to a full unlimited beverage package. 
2. Stay away from the group dining room. Pay extra and dine in one of their specialty restaurants. I haven’t eaten in the main dining room on a ship in years. 
3. Go to the spa for a special treatment. Go three times and you get 30% off your treatment. (Yes, please.) 
4. Internet is available but certainly not free. You can buy it for the entire length of your trip or by the day. They keep selling it until the day we pull back into port.
5. Private suite with a large balcony, soaker tub, priority boarding and disembarkation at every port, concierge club and concierge services. 
6. Or bypass all of the upsells and just book at the Star Level of Suites that comes with specialty dining every night, internet for the duration for as many devices as you like, top-tier beverage package, and your own private butler. Seriously.

And yes, they had me at “butler.”

So while the advertised price of the rooms starts at only $797 for some ships, many of the guests end up spending over $20,000 through their booking and onboard.

And THIS is how RC is an $8+ Billion Dollar Company. With mega profits.

So the question is, how can you follow the RC Model and build more upsells into your business?

Such as:

1. Additional services. When is the last time you asked a customer if they had a need for your other products, programs, and services? We were terrible at this before and it was only after we had a few clients leave because “they wanted a full-service agency” that we started reminding them that we ARE a full-service agency. Now, when we present their launch plan we don’t hold back ideas and strategies outside of Facebook, or what they hired us to do. We share all of the strategies that they could use to achieve their goals.

2. Express Access. Do you offer different levels so that your customers can have different access to you? In our world, if you want direct feedback from me, join our Powerful Professionals program and post in our private member Facebook Group. Want more feedback? Become a private coaching client. Want even more? Hire me for a day of consulting for $5,000 plus first-class travel. 

   These levels have been developed because our clients have asked for them. What are your customers asking for that you aren’t currently providing but could, and that you can start charging them money to get?

3. Get All Upsells. Do you have a “gets everything” package? We do this for our private clients as they get access to our membership, and all of our courses and events. But we don’t currently offer this at the membership level… but we sure as heck will be soon!

4. VIP Level. Can you offer a VIP level? One that comes with the treatment to match? At our upcoming Powerful Professionals Event, we will offer an opportunity to buy a VIP package that will include reserved seating and a private event with myself and the other speakers. We will also gift this to our private clients and top-tier members.

What money are you currently leaving on the table with each of your customers? How can you better meet their needs AND increase your profit at the same time? Pick one thing and see your bottom line grow.

Let me know some of the things you are already doing or planning to launch soon in the comments.