Offer winery tours? The one-size-fits-all approach to marketing is no longer. Want to watch your booking calendar fill up? Then it's time to step out of your marketing box to help generate more interest and excitement in your business. After all, your customers are a mixed bag—locals and travelers, men and women, groups and solo wine aficionados—so you need to start developing pitches and offerings just as diverse.But don't worry. Stepping out of the box isn't as hard as it seems. Here are five lucrative marketing tips to get you on your way to selling more winery tours.

1. Invite guests to your site for non-tour activities.

Just like it's easier to sell umbrellas when it's raining, you can boost interest in tours by getting prospective customers to visit your site first. But how do you that? By hosting exclusive wine tasting events, wine appreciation nights, or other events. The idea is to introduce them to the winery and get them comfortable with your business. This way they're more likely to inquire further about tour packages and other services you offer.Another idea: Promote these special events to guests who have already booked one or more tours with you as a "guest appreciation night," offering a discount on a future winery tour for themselves—or a friend—just for attending. Better yet, offer these type of special events as add-ons while booking a tour.Make sure to collect all attendee information in a database so you can send out customized emails thanking the guest for attending and follow up with promotions, special offers, or invites to future events. Use an online booking software program that allows you to collect customer information quickly and sorts it into a database for easy access at any time.

2. Host a series of winery tours or themed events.

Keep your offerings fresh—keeping both seasonal visitors and past guests intrigued—by hosting a series of winery tours around specific themes throughout the year. For example, you could host a harvest-season tour during the fall when visitors are flocking to the area for leaf peeping tours. Another option is to host summer wine tasting events that include live music performances from local artists or a movie night on the grounds of the winery. The Mountain Winery in Saratoga, California, hosts a summer concert series in conjunction with its tours and gives guests the option to purchase a complete wine dinner package to enjoy a meal while listening to the music.Or, you could host a grape stomp where visitors could visit the stomping ground and book a specialty tour. For example, Orfila Vineyards and Winery in Escondido, California, hosts an annual Grape Stomp during the late summer months that includes live music, a wine tasting, and catered food.Whatever you do, keep it interesting, fun, and original.

Whatever you do, keep it interesting, fun and original.

3. Maintain a blog.

When customers aren't visiting your winery, make sure they stay engaged with your business by creating a blog. But it doesn't just help customers stay engaged; creating and sharing engaging content also helps you build credibility as a winemaker or tour operator in your industry. Small Business Trends points out that maintaining a blog is, “an opportunity for you to engage customers, as well as to demonstrate your vast knowledge of the industry."Sure, you'll want to share information about your winery and what to expect on each tour, but mix it up with posts including an in-depth history of the winery and grounds, wine pairing tips, recipes, and other informational content. This will help to attract a casual website visitor—not just someone interested in booking a tour—and makes them a potential customer. Take a look at the wine-heavy recipes available on the blog by Adirondack Winery in Lake George, New York. The company shares a variety of gourmet recipes infused with wines they sell and have even included a "related products" feature at the bottom of each post so that the reader can purchase the wine in one click. You could do something similar by adding a button to book a tour or sell items individually after each post.

4. Create and distribute content.

In addition to blogging, consider the value of promoting informational products such as downloadable guides, maps of the winery, video clips, or mini booklets and guides that site visitors can view or download to learn more about the winery. Sharing free information can spark interest in your offerings without direct marketing. Visitors have the freedom to download content they might find useful—and may even share it with friends on their social networks.Even something as simple as a PDF guide with high-quality pictures of the winery and a timeline telling your story can be valuable to a casual site visitor. Just make sure to include contact information and links to your site within the guide, booklet, or video clip description so that the reader or viewer can head back to your site to make a reservation or contact you with ease.

5. Promote group outings and corporate event packages.

Host events or experiences to accommodate for larger groups and corporate trips so that you can reach a wider market. If your winery is located within driving distance of a convention center or high-traffic business areas, you may be able to capture the market of corporate travelers looking for ways to entertain clients visiting the area or to treat employees to a mini-getaway.Use an online booking software program like Peek Pro that allows you to set up tiered pricing and multiple pricing configurations for different groups, tours, and seasons. When you want to up-sell without pressure, consider including add-ons such as merchandise purchases or tour upgrades with each type of tour offering. A software program designed to accommodate add-ons will allow you to include various types of add-ons within a few clicks.From offering specialty wine tours to sharing custom content about your winery, there are several ways to attract and engage customers to your winery each season. Use these five marketing strategies and ideas to promote your business and keep that calendar booked.

Managing the administrative side of your business doesn't require investing in expensive software or learning an entirely new program. Whether you want to go paperless or streamline social media activity and monitoring, there are several free tools tour and activity operators can benefit from.Here are seven free online tools every tour and activity operator should know about:

1. Google Docs

Go paperless by digitizing all of your documents and storing them on Google Drive. Google Docs makes it easy to put together documents such as employee manuals, business plans, marketing notes, and other documents without using a software program. You can create and edit basic text documents from your browser and share these documents with team members in a few clicks. You also have the option to import existing PDF files and Microsoft Word documents for editing.If you have employees spread across multiple locations, they can collaborate using the built-in chat feature. Everyone can work on and contribute to a document in real-time.Ideas for Google Docs at work for tour and activity operators:

• Putting together a training manual for tour guides or activity leaders
• Creating employee performance charts
• Writing up reports
• Writing tour or activity descriptions and saving them in a shareable file for editing and collaboration
• Preparing drafts of marketing materials, such as brochures, professional letters, and other items

2. Zoho

Zoho is a web-based office suite that contains everything from word processing to customer relationship management. So make use of this wealth of tools and apps to coordinate projects and manage documents. Store all your files in the cloud for easy access from any mobile device. You can also sync folders on the desktop so that any materials that are edited or updated are updated in real-time. The multi-level folder structure for organizing files in Zoho makes it easy to retrieve files as needed and you can share files securely as a link, publish it on the web, or send a password to certain people for private access.Ideas for Zoho at work for tour and activity operators:

• Storing company presentations and internal training documents in one place
• Sharing market research information with managers
• Maintaining a copy of sales and activity reports in a shared folder
• Storing written testimonials and candid photos from guests in an easily-accessible location
• Storing and sharing employee training manuals, safety guides, and other operations documents with appropriate privacy settings

3. Evernote Basic

Evernote is an innovative productivity tool that helps you organize notes and capture anything you find on the web in a few clicks. All of your content can be organized as a Note and organized in Notebooks. What makes Evernote valuable to tour and activity operators is that users can "tag" notes with different words and phrases to retrieve them later with ease. Notes can also be shared instantly with the built-in chat feature—just enter the person's email, add a message, and they'll be granted access to the note you are working on. This makes it easy to get feedback or work on something together without having to leave the workspace.If you do decide you want enhanced features, such as the ability to turn notes into presentations, scan and digitize business cards, or see content related to your notes as you surf the web, you can upgrade to the Premium version.Ideas for Evernote Basic at work for tour and activity operators:

• Capturing snippets of online articles to share with employees
• Creating notes to create employee training guides or other training materials
• Creating notes and notebooks for marketing ideas
• Capturing screenshots of competitor websites and blogs and organizing them in a notebook for easy access
• Capturing screenshots of customer testimonials and ratings or reviews on public sites to review or share with employees

4. Pixlr Editor

Add more visual content to your website, blog, and social media posts with high-quality photos.

Add more visual content to your website, blog, and social media posts with high-quality photos.

If you or staff members have experience with Adobe Photoshop using layering and editing techniques to create impactful images, you'll find plenty of uses with this free online editing tool. The web-based program allows you to work on a blank canvas, import images, or capture images from a URL to edit right away. You can save the image in a variety of formats, including JPEG, PNG, BMP, and TIFF for any web project.Examples of Pixlr Editor at work for tour and activity operators:

• Editing professional photos of tour and activity experiences
• Cropping and editing photos submitted by customers as part of a testimonial
• Creating a collage of images for use on your website or marketing materials
• Editing candid photos taken by staff for use on the blog or website
• Editing photos for use on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter

5. HootSuite

If you're feeling overwhelmed by the idea of managing multiple social media accounts—as most small business owners are—make use of free tools like Hootsuite that allow you to manage multiple accounts, schedule posts, and post content on your schedule instead of in real-time. This can save you time checking and posting on social media sites throughout the day and also gives you a chance to think through what types of posts you want to share with different audiences. The task of social media posting could be assigned to just one or two staff members who'll have access to a dashboard with insights to review at any time.Examples of HootSuite at work for tour and activity operators:

• Responding to customer feedback—both positive and negative—on Twitter and Facebook as soon as it's posted or within a few hours
• Setting up alerts for any mentions of the company name
• Ensure all tweets, Facebook updates, and other social media updates are posted at the same time on your schedule
• Schedule a series of tweets or Facebook posts to ensure you stay active on these social media sites and keep prospective customers engaged
• Monitor what competitors are talking about on social media and what types of posts are getting the most traction

6. Wave

When you're trying to create and manage vendor invoices, make use of Wave to produce professional-looking invoices, track payments, and manage all small business accounting activity with ease. With Wave invoicing features, users have the option to email the invoice directly or send/print out PDF versions for mailing. Another great feature of this program is being able to see when the invoice was viewed. The accounting program is very easy to learn and resembles Quickbooks accounting software in several ways—staff members who are familiar with Quickbooks will not need to spend a lot of time learning the program.Examples of Wave at work for tour and activity operators:

• Creating customized invoices with the business logo and color scheme
• Connecting Wave securely to bank accounts to keep track of cash flow
• Generate financial reports such as balance sheets and accounts payable documents in a few clicks
• Manage employee payroll activities

Manage all types of administrative activities without investing in expensive software programs or training employees how to use a program. These seven free services and programs can streamline day-to-day operations and take care of basic administrative tasks with ease.

There's a soccer ball skirting around the floor—somewhere. But most of the action is taking place a little higher up as one player, full steam, batters into another. Both players fly into the air, crashing to and bouncing off the floor. Doesn't sound like a lucrative business model, does it?Well, you'd be wrong. That description is of the newest game in town: bubble soccer, a fresh take on the traditional soccer game where participants play on a field while wrapped inside a plastic bubble from the waist up. It's a full-on contact sport that gives players a chance to collide and bounce around their opponents as they attempt to score a goal.The activity has its roots in Europe, where the first game was organized by Henrik Elvestad and Johan Golden in Norway, eventually becoming a popular trend in Japan and China—and now, the Unites States. Bubble soccer businesses have been popping up (no pun intended) all over the country, utilizing a business model much like CrossFit, where local entrepreneurs purchase equipment and then make money through registrations and events.If you're jumping on board this craze—or growing your already-established business—there are several things you can do to market your business effectively and generate customers each season. Here are some tips on how to grow your bubble soccer business.

1. Host groups and special events.

In addition to attracting participants to play in a league or join a team, recruit groups such as corporate team members, families, youth church groups, and community organizations to create a league of their own or attend special events you are hosting throughout the year.You could attract youth groups by connecting with existing soccer league and athletic event organizers. You could also approach human resource managers at area businesses and corporate offices that may be interested in organizing events and activities for their employees.When you need to extend packages and group pricing options, make use of an online booking software program that allows you to set up multiple pricing configurations and a tiered pricing structure. Use the program to set up all of your pricing options and combinations in the backend so that a prospective guest can make reservations for multiple people in a few simple steps.

2. Make full use of social media marketing tools.

Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can be valuable platforms for a bubble soccer business to promote their activities, generate a following of fans, and create a buzz around upcoming tournaments and events.

59 percent of social media users think companies who use or are active in social media seem more approachable.

Create an online profile on all three sites so you can post updates and photos from games, show prospective guests what the bubble soccer experience is like, and attract a loyal following of local and regional interest. For example, Bubble Soccer Denver posts short video clips of bubble soccer games throughout the week on its Facebook Page, keeping fans informed with information about upcoming leagues and registration details. This YouTube video by BumperBall USA, a company that caters to bubble ball fans and players in Westchester and NYC , garnered 1,613 views on YouTube alone.

3. Run local promotions.

If you're just launching in a community, market yourself on local sites and online forums —not the major daily deal promotion sites, but those attached to a local newspaper or magazine's website. Give prospective visitors and first-timers a chance to try out the bubble soccer experience at a deep discount by running a special promotion, giving customers are given an exclusive promo code to use at checkout. And make your life a bit easier: You can set up promo code and discount redemptions through an online booking software program so that one of your staff members doesn't have to manually log in the purchase or authorize the transaction.

4. Partner with a trusted company for supplies and resources.

Work with reputable suppliers of the required equipment and, in the process, ensure you get the help you need if the bubble ball needs to be repaired or replaced. Companies like BubbleBall have set up exclusive partnership programs for entrepreneurs who want to set up their own league and enjoy territory exclusivity for their BubbleBall operation. They provide a full package of promotional materials, local marketing for customer referrals, and an operations manual to ensure optimal team structure and revenue generation activities. BubbleSoccerUSA also has a partnership program and can facilitate a Bubble Soccer event for those who want to host a tournament.Don't be afraid to reach out to local businesses to spark some interest, either. Connecting with companies listed on the local chamber of commerce, visitor's bureaus, and even area hotels and resorts can pique the interest of both locals and travelers to the area looking for something fun to do.

5. Manage reservations with an online calendar.

Avoid the time-consuming task of keeping your calendar of events, games, tournaments, and lessons you offer up-to-date by managing an online calendar. Choose an online booking software that allows you to manage a real-time online calendar so that players and tournament attendees can see exactly when spots are available without having to call you directly. This can give customers options when choosing date and time slots that fit their schedule. Since everything is taken care of through an online checkout process, the guest can complete their payment and receive a confirmation about their reservation instantly.Check Out Peek's Bubble Soccer Booking System

6. Keep track of customers and inventory digitally.

It can be almost impossible to keep track of league participants, schedules, and equipment inventory using a spreadsheet or a paper ledger for this type of business. Using an online booking software program can eliminate many administrative tasks associated with running your bubble soccer business, helping you stay on top of customer communications and inventory management during the busiest of seasons. You can set up automated email reminders and thank you emails to stay in touch with your customers, and also have a bird's eye view of all of your bubble soccer suits and other equipment you are using each season.

7. Sell and manage gift cards online.

Many people new to the concept of the bubble soccer game will be interested in sharing their experience with friends and family by gifting a game or session. Make this easy for them by offering gift cards and gift packages that can be purchased online with a few clicks. Use an online booking software program that allows you to sell gift cards in one click and also adds gift cards as an 'add on' purchase as an option at checkout.From managing customers and inventory digitally, to hosting groups and special events throughout the year, there are several ways to make an impact in your local community and maximize revenue for your bubble soccer business. Use these tips and strategies to keep that calendar full while building a name for yourself as a leading bubble soccer operator in your area.

Writing marketing copy that will pique potential customers' interest is a delicate dance—your site visitors and prospective guests need to get a taste of the tour or activity without too much effort. Resent research finds that the average attention span in 2015 is a mere 8.25 seconds, down from 12 seconds since 2000. So if you want your prospects to book one of your tours or activities, you need to find ways to keep them engaged and make a booking decision—and preferably in fewer than 9 seconds.Use these tips to write powerful and impactful tour and activity descriptions that can help to increase bookings each season.

Create a Scene

Tours and activities are immersive experiences, not products. Engage a prospect by showing them how they will feel, what they will see, and what they will experience during their visit—not just what a great time they will have. Offer up some concrete information about the tour or activity, but turn it into a story.Here's a sample description for a sailing tour around San Francisco Bay:"Our sunset sailing tour takes you to Alcatraz, Angel Island, along the Golden Gate Bridge, and down the city front. Price includes beer and wine!"And here's a revised version:"Explore the beautiful coast of San Francisco Bay with our 90-minute narrated tour. We'll depart from Pier 39 and sail over to Alcatraz Island where you can see the historic prison. Next, it's on to Angel Island, one of the most enchanting islands in the Bay Area. Grab your camera to capture the silhouette of the Golden Gate Bridge as we sail around Sausalito and take in the views of the city skyline as we head back to the pier around sunset. Enjoy beer and wine of your choice, compliments of our crew!"The first description provides just the basics and gives the reader an idea of what the tour is about. But it doesn't help to create a scene in the eyes of the reader. The second example walks the guest through the experience, giving the reader a taste of the actual experience.

Use Visuals to Your Advantage

This infographic about The Science of Storytelling by OneSpot indicates that the brain processes images 60 times faster than words. This is why the concept of "showing, not telling" can be so powerful when it comes to promoting tours and activities—you want to be able to engage and entice the customer in the fastest and most impactful way possible.Peruvian ecotourism company Rainforest Expeditions has created comprehensive tour descriptions for its website, complete with a photo gallery, a sample itinerary, and a list of activities guests enjoy on the tour. While lengthy and detailed, the presentation of visuals can be a powerful addition to any description.

Use visual media, such as professional photographs or video snippets of the tour or activity experience.

Use visual media, such as professional photographs or video snippets of the tour or activity experience. You might even consider adding user-generated snapshots of the experience in your descriptions for a more personalized touch—visitors can see photos of the experience form a guest's point of view. Embed a video right next to the written description, add large professional photos to the description, and link out to a gallery of images sent to you by happy customers or candid shots you have taken yourself.Captain K's Bait, Tackle & Charter has created an informational video on YouTube and embedded it right with the landing page about their fishing charter packages and rates. This is an impactful way to attract the site visitor's attention and provide relevant information quickly.Share Highlights with Bullet PointsBullet points are easy on the eyes and great for readers who tend to scan content rather than read every single line. The experts at Ironpaper, a digital agency based in New York, share some web design statistics in this blog post and indicates that 70 percent of people look at lists with bullet points. Bullet points make web pages easier to read and can be an attractive element for any tour and activity description.Distill some of the highlights of your tour or activity in about four to five bullet points so that every reader has some takeaways to work with when choosing one activity over another. For example, a brewery tour operator might include a set of bullet points like this below their tour summary:

• Available Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays
• Includes tour of brewery and restaurant
• Complimentary pour samples
• Complimentary beer of choice at the end of the tour
• Free parking

For a live example, take a look at how Alpine Endeavors, a company that offers rock climbing tours and skills training programs, breaks down their description in an easy-to-read format. They use bullet points to break out the description and include a basic itinerary along with what is and what isn't included in the rate.Provide Preparation TipsIf you sell hard adventure experiences such as rock climbing, trekking, and whitewater rafting, or soft adventures such as snorkeling, horseback riding, and snowshoeing that require some basic skills and experience, make sure your adventure seeker can determine if they are fit for the experience. Unless you plan on selling an educational or training component as part of the experience, your visitors need to be comfortable using special gear and equipment, and feel confident that they can handle the high-energy experience.Southern Yosemite Mountain Guides, a company that coordinates mountain trips around Yosemite high country, does a great job with this by providing a breakdown of equipment provided, preparation and experience requirements, and indicates whether climbing gear rentals and equipment are included in the cost.If you're offering equipment rentals, consider including them as an add-on option when the guest checks out. You can use online booking software like Peek Pro to list a set of add-ons for each tour or activity you offer so that everything is available to the traveler within a few clicks.

Don't Share Too Many Options Upfront

Consider the effect of having too many choices, as illustrated by the famous jam study conducted by psychologists Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper. Results of this study found that when shoppers had 24 flavors of jam available, only 3 percent who tasted the samples purchased something. When only six options were available, 10 times as many shoppers—30 percent—purchased at least one jar of jam.Limiting the number of options available can help to grab your prospects' attention without overwhelming them. Your prospects will still have the option to page through your entire catalog or menu of offerings at another time but those first few interactions with your company—those first visits to your website—need to be as straightforward and impactful as possible.Consider limiting your offerings to one to two in each category on the main pages of your website. For example, a kayak tour operator who offers 10 different kayaking experiences for singles, couples, and families could pick two popular experiences for each customer type and elaborate on only those six experiences with fully fleshed-out descriptions, photos, and video clips. The remaining four options could be listed elsewhere on the website with summaries, photos, and relevant booking information.

Final Thoughts

Helping prospects understand what types of experiences you offer and what to expect during their visit can help you drive more bookings. You want to share many highlights of the tour or activity to appeal to your target customer but you also want to leave some things to the imagination—giving your prospects a taste of what's to come can encourage them to book and get excited about the experience. Use these writing tips and presentation ideas to drive more bookings for your tour and activity business each season.

What does the growth of the hard adventure market mean for tour and activity operators?High-risk, high-energy activities that get the adrenaline running and heart pumping—that's what weekend warriors and outdoor enthusiasts alike are searching for these days. That's why the hard adventures market is expected to grow by nearly 4 percent over the next four years alone, according to the latest report from Research and Markets.Tour and activity operators can tap into this increasing demand for adventure activities by expanding their offerings and making internal changes to accommodate for the influx of hard adventure bookings. Here are five ways tour and activity operators can capitalize on hard adventure market trends.

1. Promote "Escape" Experiences

In a recent press release, Research and Markets highlights several changes in consumer behavior that are encouraging many to escape from urban living and actively seek adrenaline-pumping outdoor activities. “Increased urbanization and immigration have led to overcrowded cities and mobile, fast-paced, and polluted environments, increasing consumers' preference for nature-based outdoor adventures," the release states. Encouraging travelers to escape from the mundane and experience something completely new could help you drive more business.

What You Can Do:

Promote the opportunity to "escape" with one of your adventure packages and activities, encouraging people to take a break from their busy life and enjoy a thrilling experience like no other. This could be anything from a whitewater rafting experience to a zip-line adventure you're offering in a new destination. Play up the thrill factor, and highlight just how these activities can help customers escape the daily grind: Include photos, video snippets of the adventure, and detailed activity descriptions in all your marketing materials—including your website—to entice these customers.

2. Encourage Shared Experiences

Hard adventurers aren't just looking for new ways to enjoy the great outdoors—they're also looking to spend quality time with family and friends. Peak + Skift reports on the rise of experiential travel and indicates that 71 percent of those surveyed traveling with friends and family members preferred to book local. This means there is a very active market of travelers seeking out local tour and activity operators specifically to book an adventure with friends and family members.

What You Can Do:

Set up tiered pricing options for group travel and bookings so that travelers can easily book an adventure for a small group or larger party. Invest in online booking software that allows you to set up tiered pricing and package options in the backend so you can promote different types of packages and offerings across your website and social media networks with ease. Align your marketing efforts with the shared experiences trend by promoting "family discounts" and group package offerings in newsletters, in blog posts, and on your website.

Align your marketing efforts with the shared experiences trend by promoting "family discounts" and group package offerings in newsletters, in blog posts, and on your website.

3. Cater to Solo Travelers

While you'll have plenty of travelers seeking out shared experiences and ready to make group reservations, don't overlook the growing demand of solo travelers hungry for new adventures and experiences. The New York Times reports on several studies and findings that indicate a significant increase in demand for solo travel—as much as as 37 percent jump from 2013, according to the 2015 Visa Global Travel Intentions Study. Solo travelers looking for unique outdoor experiences may be interested in learning more about the latest adventure activities they can enjoy alone, or once in a lifetime experiences they can show off to friends and family about.

What You Can Do:

Encourage independent travelers to book unique experiences that you offer on a seasonal basis or only for a limited time. For example, a kayak tour operator could offer one-on-one classes with a pro kayaker available during a certain season. A hiking tour operator might offer private hiking adventure coupled with a training class or other educational experiences for singles.

4. Expand Your Offerings with Multi-Activity Experiences

Accommodate for the demand for hard adventure experiences by expanding your offerings to cater specifically to adrenaline junkies and weekend warriors. This might include customized packages for weekend escapes where travelers can book more than one activity per day or pick out three or more from a special "menu" of offerings for an entire weekend escape. You might also expand your offerings with add-ons, such as educational workshops, classes, or provide the opportunity to purchase an additional activity or tour at a discount. The goal is to generate interest in your business by offering more than just a single experience at any given time.

What You Can Do:

Make use of package pricing and add-on features in your online booking software program to expand offerings to all customers. Be creative with different package combinations and accommodate for multi-activity bookings in a single day. For example, whitewater rafting operator might offer a morning and evening rafting experience. A zip-line adventure company could offer nighttime zip-lining tours to complement a daytime experience in the same day. Explore options to add programs such as workshops, educational classes, and hands-on experiences for a more customized experience.

5. Partner with Complementary Tour Operators

Many adventure seekers are looking for activities that are only accessible to athletes and "professional adventurers." For example, outdoor activities such as trekking, cave exploring, rock climbing, and parasailing typically require some training and are only accessible to experienced travelers. If your company currently doesn't offer these types of experiences, consider partnering with a tour operator that does so you can create a package that gives customers a chance to enhance their visit.

What You Can Do:

Reach out to complementary tour and activity operators to develop packages that appeal to this market segment. You could promote dual experiences, such as a kayaking adventure in the morning followed by a climbing adventure in the late afternoon. Or, an early morning hike followed by a sunset speed boating adventure. The goal is to tap in to your complementary business's pool of customers to generate more business and refer business to theirs with a menu of unique offerings.

Final Thoughts

As the hard adventure market continues to grow, tour and activity operators of all types can promote their activities in new ways and attract more customers by expanding their offerings beyond the single tour or activity experience. Use these tips to attract more of this growing market segment in the upcoming travel seasons.

This is a guest post from Kelsey Tonner from Be A Better Guide. Check out his website for excellent information on leading amazing tours.

‍

‍One of the largest gratuities I ever received while working as a tour guide took place on a cycling tour in Costa Rica. It was a wife and husband who were into birding in a big way, and were were pretty much in paradise with all the birds they were seeing. But part way through the group tour, I had an idea.I spoke with a local birding guide, and asked if he did early morning tours and how much it would cost. Later at dinner, I checked with my birding couple to see if they wanted to get up early for a private birding tour and told them how much it would cost. They were wildly excited, and had the time of their lives the next morning before our regularly scheduled activities.

‍

At the end of the tour I got a very generous tip from them (which essentially doubled my wages for the entire week) and they wrote a letter to my employer, stating that I was one of the best tour guides they've ever had. All of that for about 15- to 20-minutes worth of extra work on my part.

‍

‍And that's exactly what I'll talk about here: The techniques you can use to consistently earn large tips as a tour guide, and make it a regular part of your income.

‍

1. Learn to be an Amazing Guide

‍

The obvious must be stated: No matter how many "tipping systems" or "gratuity hacks" you know, nothing will compensate for being a mediocre tour guide. I spend a lot of time over at Be a Better Guide focusing on how to be extraordinary tour leaders—and this should be your primary focus. What are some areas you can work on? An amazing tour guide is patient, energetic, organized, funny, adaptable, empathetic, a problem solver, a powerful speaker, an incredible listener, and above all, a people person. It's a lot to tackle but remember: Exceptional service is in the details. The more you can hone these skills, the more you will make in tips—guaranteed.

‍

2. Delivering and Over-Delivering

‍

Expectations are everything in the service industry. Your clients are coming on your tours with a list of things they expect, including—but not limited to—how they'll be treated as a customer, what's included in the tour, what they'll see, how the tour will run, and more. You must work diligently to meet all of these expectations, and be crystal clear on what they are.This is where the majority of tour operators and guides fail. TripAdvisor is littered with terrible reviews from unhappy customers whose expectations were not met.

‍

TripAdvisor is littered with terrible reviews from unhappy customers whose expectations were not met.

‍

To get great gratuities, you must meet (and properly set) those client expectations. But to get fantastic tips, you must then go above and beyond those expectations, wowing and delighting your guests at every opportunity. On my tour in Costa Rica, for example, those guests were so impressed because I was not expected to give them that kind of personal service on a group tour. Had I been their private guide, hired for $10,000 to lead a completely custom tour—my actions would simply have been expected.

‍

But remember — Deliver first, then over-deliver.

‍

3. Increase your Perceived Value as a Guide

‍

Are you an expert in your field? Do you have unique or special connections to your subject matter? Are you a born and bred local? All of these attributes will raise the value you bring as a guide—and increase your potential tips.

‍

An example is my friend Dario who works as a private tour leader in Siena, Italy. He's a local, and therefore a member of one of the city's Contrada (or neighborhoods). Tourists to the city of Siena do not have access to these neighborhoods, but Dario has permission to bring guests inside as part of his tour. He receives incredible tips (beyond his high tour price) partly because guests feel it was because of Dario that they had this incredibly rare experience.

‍

Think of ways you can play up your perceived value, and build it into the design of your tour. Can you introduce your guests to some local colorful characters? Get them somewhere the public cannot access? How about using your special connections to meet the head chef, top brew master, or someone normally unavailable?

‍

Reinforce to your guests that the main reason your tour is so amazing is you.

‍

4. Increase the Price of your Tour

‍

There's a high correlation between the cost of your tour and what you earn in tips as the guide. Generally speaking, the longer your tour and higher the cost, the more you'll earn in gratuities.

‍

Consider the impact if you doubled the cost of your tour without changing much of the itinerary or content. While you'd need to focus your efforts on delivering a more premium experience, you'd also see a huge jump in tips.

‍

For example, National Geographic Expeditions is known for having scientists, researchers, and extremely knowledgeable naturalists lead their tours. By committing to this next level of expertise, they're able to charge premium prices for their tours, and their expedition leaders earn very generous tips.

‍

5. The Principle of Reciprocity

‍

Robert B Cialdini is the Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University and is best known for his book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. It's an incredible book, but his Principle of Reciprocity is especially relevant for us here.

‍

The principle states that we're all bound (and motivated) to repay debts of all kinds. If someone does something nice for you, you'll then feel obligated to repay that kindness. This principle is active in all of our social relationships, but it's especially important when trying to earn more tips.

‍

If you give first and freely, people will repay that kindness. Can you give away a small edible treat on your tour (e.g. a sweet or inexpensive local delicacy)? How about giving out a high-quality, homemade map with some of your favorite coffee shops or restaurants? Or perhaps a handout with instructions on how to have a truly authentic local experience?

‍

‍Remember, the more personalized and unexpected the gift/service, the more powerful the principle of reciprocity applies (i.e. the greater the reward you'll receive).

‍

6. Build a Social Connection

‍

Michael Lynn, a professor in food and beverage management at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, and someone who's been studying tips for many years, says the following:

‍

“If people in the service industry can establish a social connection with their customers, they'll get better tips. The simple fact is, we're more likely to want to help someone we're connected to, and we're more likely to care about someone's opinion if we have a social connection to them."

‍

Because we generally only have a small window of time to build this connection, here are 5 ways to quickly connect with your clients:

‍

1. Get your first impression right. Acknowledge clients right away as they arrive, and if you're busy or with someone else, give them a nod and smile. Ideally, be free and ready 10 to 15 minutes before your tour to spend extra time with your guests
2. Introduce yourself by name. Also be sure to repeat your name throughout the tour
3. Wear something unusual/something that gives you some identity. This will tell your guests something unique or special about who you are.
4. Learn your guests' names and use them when possible. (If you have a difficult time remembering names, repeat the customer's name when first introduced.)
5. Smile. Research has confirmed the cultural wisdom of smiling and has found that smiling people are perceived as more attractive, sincere, sociable, and competent than unsmiling people.

‍

7. Be Clear on Your Tipping Policy

‍

Whatever your policy on gratuities, make sure that your guests know about it before the tour. If you include tips in your tour or are not allowed to receive tips, then that needs to be communicated. If you warmly welcome gratuities on your tour—or are completely dependent on them—than that should be made clear as well.

‍

For tips on how to best communicate this, here are three examples from well-established tour companies. Note how specific they get with how much gratuity is suggested per tour or per guide.

‍

‍G Adventures: Tipping F.A.Q.

‍

‍Is tipping included and if not, how much should I budget? Although not compulsory, tipping is expected and is an expression of satisfaction with the people who have assisted you throughout your tour. Although it may not be customary to you, it is of considerable significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels. At the end of your trip, if you felt that your G Adventures CEO (G Adventures guides are called Chief Experience Officers) did an outstanding job, tipping is appreciated. The amount is entirely a personal preference, however as a guideline 20-25 USD/EUR per person, per week can be used.

‍

‍Backroads Tours: Tipping F.A.Q.

‍

‍Gratuities for most services during your trip are covered in the overall cost. We are often asked, however, whether it is appropriate to tip the Backroads Trip Leaders and what a reasonable amount might be. While we have considered including such gratuities in the overall trip cost, we always come back to the belief that recognizing excellent service is a personal matter. If you feel your Trip Leaders have provided an exceptional trip experience, gratuities are encouraged—and welcomed—at the end of the trip. A typical gratuity on a 6- day Casual Inn Trip is $140 per guest (about $23 per day). The gratuity is then divided among your Trip Leaders and other Backroads support staff (van drivers, etc.).

‍

‍Vermont Bike Tours FAQ: Is tipping included?

‍

‍All gratuities are built into the included features of your vacation with the exception of those for your Trip Leaders and drivers. Tipping for your Trip Leaders and drivers is optional and not included in the price of your vacation. Tipping guidelines are included in your VBT Welcome Handbook.“It is customary to express a personal 'thank you' to your VBT Trip Leader at the end of your trip, especially if he or she has provided you with excellent service or individual assistance. We recommend the local currency equivalent of $10 - $12 per person for each day of your trip for each Trip Leader."

‍

8. Give a Tip Speech

‍

A "tip speech" is when the tour guide reinforces their tipping policy while on tour. We all know that many clients may not read the pre-trip information, or thoroughly read your website, so it's important to re-clarify how gratuities work on your tour.

‍

I would suggest including this in your opening introduction to the tour and then a one or two sentence reminder at the end. You do not want to repeatedly be bringing up your tips, nor do you want to make people feel guilty or uncomfortable in any way. Remember though: communication and clarity about tipping will reduce stress for your guests. We all know how awkward it can be wondering how much money to leave, if tipping is expected, and what currencies might be appropriate.

‍

Conclusion

‍

As in life, we as tour guides should always be striving to be the best we can be. Seeking out ways to be more effective, inspiring, and extraordinary. I firmly believe that life is too short for boring—and our job as tour leaders is to create memories of a lifetime.And guess what? If we can do that, we'll get great tips too.

‍

‍Read about Malibu Riders and how Peek Pro's tipping feature increased their tips by 50%