The Tomato Experiment and the Secret to Selling More Travel

Welcome back to another PROTip!

Behavioral psychology has a lot to teach travel advisors about persuasion. One of the most useful lessons comes from something often called the Tomato Experiment, or, if you’re really hardcore, the Dilution Effect.

This study illustrates a very simple truth about selling.

Adding more benefits to your sales pitch actually weakens it.

Sounds counter intuitive to many, so let’s dig in.

The Fastest Way to Sell Less Travel

Despite what you may think, one of the fastest ways to sell less travel is to talk about too many benefits.

Let’s be honest, in the travel space — advisors do this a lot.

Here’s an example. A client asks about Italy, and the advisor launches into a list.

• The food.
• The wine.
• The art.
• The history.
• The architecture.
• The coastlines.
• The shopping.

Everything great about the destination gets mentioned. And this makes sense, right? I mean after all, Italy is a wonderfully diverse destination. So, the more benefits…the better!

Right…? Well not so fast, because psychology says the opposite.

This concept is known as the Dilution Effect, and it explains why trying to sell everything weakens your message.

The Dilution Effect + The Tomato Experiment

The Dilution Effect is a concept in behavioral psychology that shows how additional arguments can dilute the impact of strong ones.

A commonly used example of this is the famous Tomato Experiment.

In this experiment, researchers were trying to persuade people to eat more tomatoes.

Participants were divided into two groups.

The first received one clear reason to eat tomatoes: they contain nutrients that can improve health. Simple.

The second group had the same argument, with one twist. They also received a longer list of additional benefits.

Tomatoes are inexpensive. They are easy to cook. They are versatile. They work with many recipes. Which group do you think was persuaded?

The group hearing one strong argument was more persuaded to buy and eat tomatoes.

Why? Because additional reasons take away from the main message.

Where Travel Advisors Run into This Problem

This kind of mistake shows up in travel marketing. Back to the Italy example.

A typical pitch might sound like this:

Italy has incredible food, amazing wine, beautiful architecture, ancient history, famous art, charming towns, shopping, and stunning coastlines.

All of that is true. But it is also a bit overwhelming. When everything is important, nothing stands out.

Instead of imagining the experience, the traveler hears a list.

And lists rarely sell trips.

Here’s a more effective way. Focus on:

• One experience.
• One story.
• One reason to go.

Consider how different these two messages feel.

Weak pitch: Italy has amazing food, history, culture, wine, beaches, and art.

Stronger pitch: Spend ten days eating your way through Tuscany.

Oh, heck yeah, I want to eat my way through Tuscany, and the foodie shots for Instagram are going to be awesome!

This works because the second message paints a picture. It creates a specific experience. And it gives the traveler something easy to imagine.

The same principle works across many types of travel.

All-Inclusive Resort

• Weak pitch: Beautiful beaches, great food, entertainment, activities, and luxury accommodations
• Stronger pitch: Five days where your only decision is which cocktail to order next

African Safari

• Weak pitch: Wildlife, landscapes, culture, photography opportunities, and adventure
• Stronger pitch: Watch elephants cross the river at sunrise from ten feet away

Here’s How to Use the Tomato Principle to Sell More

1. Lead with one emotional payoff

Relaxation. Adventure. Romance. Exploration. Choose one.

2. Simplify your marketing

Emails and social posts should focus on a single travel experience.

3. Structure discovery calls around one goal

Ask clients what experience they want most and build the conversation around that.

4. Specialize in a clear niche

Travel advisors who focus on a specific type of travel often sell more because their message is clearer.

5. Tell stories, not lists

Describe the moment travelers will remember.

• Dinner overlooking the Amalfi Coast.
• Wine in a Tuscan vineyard.
• Sunrise on safari.

These are the start of stories. And guess what: stories stick.

Let’s Wrap This Up

People rarely act because they hear many reasons.

They act because one idea sticks.

Travel advisors – you don’t need to explain everything about a destination. Just make one experience impossible to ignore.

Because in sales, clarity wins.

That’s it for this week. See ya back here soon!