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  5. How to prepare a business pitch

How to prepare a business pitch

4 minute read • Last published: 25 February 2025

You need to create an engaging and informative pitch which inspires a travel distribution partner to want to sell your business to their customers. It’s important to first understand the travel distribution market and the benefits and considerations of selling your product through a partner.

Find out how to prepare all of the information about your business including your unique selling points, net zero and inclusive features and target market. Before your first meeting, you’ll need to have your trade rates, availability, and audience and research on the partner you are pitching to. There are also questions to note down that you might want to ask the partner.

In this article:

  • Prepare your pitch
  • How to tell your story
  • What information to bring
  • Questions to ask a partner

Prepare your pitch

You should create an adapted pitch for every individual travel distribution partner you meet. You can also develop a basic template such as a one-page product factsheet, a presentation deck and a webpage which is only accessible to partners through a direct link, so that it will be easier to update the information and tailor it for your next partner meeting.

Top tip: remember to keep any presentation documents consistent, professional and easy to access. Limit the number of slides to 5-8, use high-quality optimised imagery to keep file sizes small, and check them for spelling or grammar errors when finished.

What basic information do you need to include?

  • who you are
  • where you’re based
  • what the bookable product is
  • why you’re special
  • how you are sustainable
  • how to get in touch with you

How to tell your story

  • Your unique selling points

    Why should they contract your business out of all the others? Make it clear what experience you offer, and why it is authentic.

  • Your people

    The people behind the business are what bring it to life. Tell a story about their passion and experience, and the heritage of the business.

  • Your values

    What is your business aiming to be, and what do you want to achieve?

  • Community connections

    How do you work with your local community, and how has that impacted your business throughout its history?

  • Imagery and video

    Show off your product through high-quality imagery and video. Showcase what makes you special.

  • Location context

    Where are you in relation to the country’s major transport hubs, and how easy is it to arrive by public transport? Help your partner picture how their customers are arriving, and what else they could do in the area by mentioning nearby key attractions and locations.

  • The practicalities

    Size of groups, seasonality, timings, language provisions, physical buildings, car and coach parking, and any other details that may be relevant to this partner.

  • Your sustainable journey

    Talk about how far you’ve come and what you’re planning next.

  • Your inclusive features

    Accessibility of the building, and what catered experiences you offer for different groups of people.

  • Your terms and conditions

    This might include the information you need on customers (ie dietary requirements), when you need the information, who is allowed onsite (eg over 18s only), cancellation fees and policy, changes to bookings and access requirements.

What information to bring

Once you have compiled your product overview document together, there are a few other things to prepare before you attend your first meeting or event.

  • Your trade rates

    Separate prices for fully independent travellers (FITs) and groups and an overview of what that includes. You’ll need a minimum and maximum number of people and may want to have a “from £” price to allow negotiation for bespoke requirements.

  • Target markets

    What is your current audience, and where are you looking for growth? This could be a particular country, or a type of visitor such as large groups or luxury travellers.

  • Partner research

    Before you approach anyone for a meeting, you’ll have researched the travel distribution partner to make sure their customer market matches what your business needs. Make sure you tailor any conversations or pitches to that specific partner – show them you’ve done your research and understand the size of their market and the type of product they sell.

  • Ideas for a unique product

    Is there an opportunity to create a bespoke version of your product or service that this partner could sell exclusively for you?

Questions to ask a partner

  • How does your partner work and what do they need?

    As well as providing information, you want to understand your potential travel distribution partner, how they work and what their partners or customers are looking for.

  • What special requirements do their customers have?

    It’s useful to ask about the size of group or number of customers they are looking to bring, and any specific requirements they have that you might not have covered already.

  • When do they start their travel planning?

    The most important question is to ask what time of year they start their planning. This will let you know when you should contact them again to take the next step in working together and begin to confirm a contract.

How to find and connect with a partner

Now you’ve got your pitch presentation, you’re ready to find and make contact with the right travel distribution partners. Read our article on how to find the right partner and start building a business relationship.

Connect with travel trade partners

Related Pages

Understanding travel distribution

Understand the travel distribution market and the partners you can work with to sell your products to new customers.
7 minute read
Article

Travel distribution benefits

Understand the benefits of selling through a travel distribution partner, and how it’s different to direct sales.
12 minute read
Article

Choosing an online travel agent

Learn about online travel agents (OTAs) and get advice on choosing the right one for your business, and how to set up and manage your product listing.
11 minute read
How-to

Create an inclusive business

Create an inclusive business that all customers can enjoy without any barriers or restrictions.
6 minute read
Article

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