The visitor centre sales in Victoria had plateaued and there was talk of closing the centre due to the advancement in technology but instead the CEO Paul Nursey reached out to us to assist.

The sales in Victoria had reached $1.5 million in 2015 and plateaued between there and $1.6 million in 2016.

Our approach to Destination Greater Victoria was:

1. Fact Finding

•    We met with the CEO to ascertain his vision and what results he hoped to see.
•    Operational mystery guest visits were performed to ensure service from a visitor’s point of view is appreciated and documented.  We went in with our experienced fresh eyes, for a visitor centre this means sending in our team of professionals one with their children one with English as their second language and one with accessibility issues. We are neither difficult visitors nor engaging to see how we are dealt with. These experiences were documented in an easy-to-read report and fed back to the CEO.
•    We also met with the leaders of the visitor centre to understand their successes, challenges, limitations and expectations.

2. Tailor Make the Training

•    We have a robust sales training course and with the information gleaned from the fact finding we tailor made the sales training to suit the client, in this case Destination Greater Victoria's visitor centre.

3. Develop the Team

•    We delivered two x 4-hour sessions of powerful sales training to the team in groups of no more than 12, using appropriate sales figures, references and real-life examples. 
•    The training was interactive and engaging as we worked in groups discussing new techniques and role-playing them with feedback.
•    At the end of the training each participant declared the areas that they chose for commitments to change.

4. Follow up

•    We visited the Visitor Center two weeks after the training to find out how each participant progressed with their chosen commitments.
•    We also offered further support and/or templates to assist them in their future growth.
•    And left the leader with a selection of photos to post encouraging growth and the use of their new skills

5. Result

•    The results were insane!
•    Remember the sales had plateaued between $1.5 million and $1.6 million and they then rose to the largest increase ever seen of $1.855 million (16%) and after sales training the following year to $1.994 million (7%). So, a total increase over 2 years of 25%

In Paul Nursey’s words, CEO, Destination Greater Victoria

Blue Mountain Solutions took the time to listen to my brief as CEO and then work with my executive team and our front-line staff to deliver a sales and service program which exceeded expectations. Destination Greater Victoria’s Visitor Services sales to our members will be up considerably and I am convinced that my whole team is pointed in the right direction. Thank-you Theresa!

In my next article I will share the operational best practices that every visitor center should be using (in my humble opinion) to keep the momentum moving forward.

Blue Mountain Solutions

We are an exceptional team of professionals who are deeply passionate about fostering leadership and team growth within hospitality. With a proven track record of success and glowing recommendations, we bring a wealth of experience and expertise to help your organization thrive.

Our Principal Trainer – Theresa Ito

Theresa is passionate about people, having worked in hospitality internationally for over 30 years, she loves nothing better than being part of people’s growth.

Testimonial 

“Theresa and her team offer outstanding support to our visitor centre staff. We employ many seasonal workers in this area, who often have limited experience in the tourism and hospitality industry. With Theresa's coaching, we can ensure that they develop solid sales and hospitality skills as they launch their careers in our destination. By integrating the sales component into our visitor centre services, we can demonstrate the quantifiable and attributable value that our team provides to our tourism partners in the destination, helping us showcase the value of visitor services.”

James Adams, CFO, Destination Greater Victoria
July 19, 2024