Many businesses rely on emails to send important information to their clients, follow up on previous conversations, build awareness for a new product and also upsell or downsell to the client. For Airbnb hosts and property managers, emails, especially pre-arrival emails, can be used to convey check-in instructions, directions and reminders, but here’s one thing they can also do.
When a guest is preparing for the trip down to the property, they are wary of mistakes. So, they take their time to go through the emails of the hosts and this is when they’re most open to receiving recommendations on vacation eSIMs.
Many Airbnb hosts miss out on the opportunity to upsell eSIMs for Airbnb and make extra cash using pre-arrival email sequences. However, in this article, you would discover how to upsell eSIMs to guests and make extra money using pre-arrival emails.
Why Use a Pre-Arrival Upsell Email?
There’s a difference between pre-arrival upsell emails and promotional newsletters. Even though they both try to sell something, the receiver expects mail after booking for an apartment but in the case of promotional newsletters, they’re often not expected.
This key difference is the reason why upsells perform significantly better in pre-arrival emails than any other time during the client’s journey. Another reason is that for many international guests, an upsell offering an eSIM is a presented solution.
In the next paragraph, you’ll discover why eSIMs are perfect upsells for travel and rental accommodation businesses.
Why are eSIMs Perfect Upsells?
Many international guests often face severe difficulty trying to activate local networks. This is not to mention having to navigate expensive roaming charges and long queues at airport SIM kiosks.
An eSIM service solves this problem by allowing guests to access mobile data instantly without a physical SIM card. For hosts and managers, they earn passive commission income, gain better guest reviews and reduce Wi-Fi-related complaints.
In the next section, we will walk through how to use a pre-arrival email sequence to upsell eSIMs and make extra income.
How to Map an eSIM Upsell Sequence
1. The Booking Confirmation Email
This is the first point of email contact after a successful booking. It is wrong to push the offer at this point. The objective of the booking confirmation email should be to reassure the guest, prepare them for their arrival and do a gentle introduction of the eSIMs for Airbnb.
Remember, at this stage you’re not selling anything; you’re only planting the idea. For example, after the confirmation text, you could add, “We recommend arranging mobile data before arrival to stay connected right from the airport.”
This, at best, positions you as helpful and not someone who’s promotional. Now, unto the next.
2. The Travel Preparation Email
This mail can be sent a few days before arrival. In this email, you can make the upsell more explicit.
The goal here is to make the guest more problem-aware while you introduce the vacation eSIMs as a solution. This works because it is the stage where guests are now thinking about logistics and arrival.
In this email, you can highlight common arrival challenges like contacting hosts and ride-hailing issues. Clearly explain how an eSIM for Airbnb helps them more seamlessly solve these challenges compared to roaming or airport SIM cards. Let’s talk about the last in the sequence.
3. The Final Pre-arrival Reminder
Send this email a day or two days before the guest arrives. This is usually the highest-converting email and the reasons are credible.
At this stage, urgency and a direct call to action work best. Probably due to procrastination, the guest had forgotten to plan for connection at the arrival point.
Using a simple and clear call to action like “Activate before your flight” or “Activate to keep your internet going after landing”, guests are more likely to comply.
Mistakes to Avoid While Upselling eSims
The major mistake a hospital or travel accommodation business can make while upselling eSIMs through pre-arrival is to sound too salesy. If done too much, it can put off your clients, so here’s how to go about it.
Position the vacation eSIMs not just as a product but as a guest convenience tool, a travel preparation tool or a recommended add-on. This boils down to using a “guest-first framing” messaging technique.
Framing that works sound like
- “Many guests find this very helpful when arriving.”
- “These eSIMs are recommended to save your wallet from exorbitant roaming charges.”
- “This is optional but useful for navigation and communication purposes.”
The conversion rate of an upsell increases when your guests feel informed and cared for rather than being pressured into acting.
There are other mistakes to also avoid when upselling eSIMs through pre-arrival emails. You may want to avoid using technical or confusing language during messaging. When clients are not sure about what your offer is, they hold back.
Also, do not add another product to the eSIM upsell emails. One upsell product leaves the messaging clear and saves the client from choice paralysis.
What’s In It for You?
International guests often have a difficult time settling into new locations fully. As an Airbnb host, you can help them settle in faster by presenting them eSIM service offers.
By recommending an eSIM for Airbnb, you can keep your guests connected to the world even if they’re not within the jurisdiction of their local SIM service. An eSIM works without a physical card, saves them from long airport SIM queues and protects them from exorbitant roaming fees.
For you, it’s an extra income source as you earn benefits from successful referrals and patronage. In addittion, your business stands the chance of getting better reviews from customer experience.
An easy way to tap into this opportunity is by partnering with a white label eSIM reseller platform like LimitFlex. Here, we help you start your eSIM business, offer the best technical support and also reward you with great commission of up to 30% on all purchases. Get in touch with us at hello@limitflex.com.
