The EMBARK Immersion
EMBARK Immersion 2022: ELevating your client’s journey
Relevant Topics
Each day teams of 4 advisors + 4 suppliers worked together to tackle relevant issues. On the first day, we explored how to deliver Emotional Impact better and win a client’s loyalty from their heart rather than their pocket. The next day we looked at Elevating the Client Journey by deconstructing the entire client journey, from when they call Embark to when they return home, looking for ways to reduce anxiety and friction for a better customer experience. On the Final day we focused on Selling in a Disconnected World.
Breakout Rooms
Groups move through themed breakout rooms, or labs, which engage the senses and prompt impactful discussions.
The Innovation Lounge
Promoting OUT OF THE BOX THINKING in our INNOVATION LOUNGE where EMBARK advisors collaborate with hotel owners, managers, cruise executives, and tour companies to develop new ideas to ELEVATE OUR CLIENT JOURNEY. Each day we concept new ways to enhance Emotional Impact, elevate the guest experience and sell better in a disconnected world.
reflection room
There is no question that perception is reality, which is what the reflection room is all about. Here we conducted our famous SWAP PITCH exercise, where vendors had to pitch their product to an advisor, who had to pitch it to another supplier and that supplier had to pitch it back to the original vendor. For many, it was the most remarkable and eye-opening exercise on how to sell smarter.
Testing great ideas
One of our standards at Embark is to stay on a never-ending road to Greatness by always learning and being paranoid to stay relevant. It is important to develop new ideas and embrace constructive feedback for growth while testing concepts in a collaborative environment. At our EMBARK Immersion, we did exactly that, working with our top luxury partners from around the world to EXPERIMENT on new ideas to ELEVATE our client's experience and the attention they get for the greatest Emotional Impact.
The Glitch zone
At EMBARK we believe GLITCHES ARE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GREATNESS. As much as we all prepare for perfection, things sometimes go wrong. The Glitch Zone helped our advisors and hotel and tour managers learn how to work through problems as partners and not adversaries to make a MESS INTO A MASTERPIECE for our clients.
Illustrating issues
Sometimes interactive fun is the best way to tackle serious issues. At our EMBARKImmersion, we created different game shows each day to lighten the mood while illustrating important business issues. We showcase challenges with price integrity, sales, calls, and client relationships. Watch for great giggles and insight.
THE PRICE IS WRONG:
Illustrating price integrity issues with the price is wrong fame show where partners and advisors had to guess the lowest discounted price on the market without going too low
THE NEWLYWED GAME:
We tested advisors and partners on their client probing skills seeing how well they got to know each other on a “virtual date” we set up a few weeks prior.
PASSWORD:
Testing hoteliers how good their sales pitch is with our version of Password. Are sellers using the right keywords to make turn the lightbulb on in the mind of the advisor to sell their property when probed by a client?
elevating our clients’ journey
Elevating our clients’ journey isn't as simple as doing a better job. It takes a village to get all stakeholders aligned... From the hotel company, hotel owners, and managers to the guide company to the cruise line, the sales team, AND our travel advisors. The travel industry has never been more fragile than coming out of Covid. Rather than point fingers, at our #embarkimmersion we brought together every key player in the client experience to analyze pain points and missed opportunities. Then we charged teams to develop win-win-win solutions in the FIRST (and only) OF ITS KIND think tank as true PARTNERS dedicated to one thing: enhanced customer satisfaction.
Celebrating emotional impact
At Embark, we believe that true luxury is not how big a room is or the marble in a bathroom, but how you make someone FEEL. That’s why our team strives to deliver meaningful emotional impact moments on every trip we plan. At our Embark Immersion, we showcased some of the most creative Emotional Impact moments created with our partners. From surprising a music fan with a custom-made record player to creating a personalized version of “Guess Who” for a family reunion, a stiletto cake for a birthday girl obsessed with Louboutin, or a room decked out in everything Spider-Man for a young fan’s birthday. We even made a little girl feel like a Celebrity when she visited Hollywood, and for a young boy sick with cancer, gave him the Home Alone 2 experience in NY like Kevin only wished, complete with a surprise White Limo filled with coke and NY Pizza for the ride. We truly believe LOYALTY is won from the heart and not the pocket.
selling smarter
In a disconnected world, B2B selling needs to be reinvented. In addition to brainstorming on new places to gather and educate, sellers need to re-think their pitch to something much more focused. Rather than show, sellers teach advisors how to sell their product, focusing on “lightbulb moments” matching their product with client requests and passions. To best illustrate this, we illustrated live decision trees of advisors talking with clients and offered participating suppliers to pitch in our Who wants this Client show. In our Reflection Room suppliers had to pitch their product to an advisor, who pitched it to another supplier to ultimately pitch back to the original suppliers, demonstrating the effectiveness of their pitch.
Client probing skills
At Embark, we believe in specializing in the client and knowing the world. The only way to deliver Emotional Impact is to really know your client and understand their passions and idiosyncrasies. Insight is the key to personalizing an experience. To illustrate this point, we paired one advisor and one partner to see how well they can get to know their clients after being paired on a “virtual date” the week prior.
First, they had to purchase a meaningful gift for up to $20 and present it on arrival at our Immersion. Attendees were asked how impactful it was and how it made them feel special, focusing on the information they gathered and how they actioned it. We then surprised them with a “Newlywed Game” show that truly tested how well they got to know each other.