I write in response to the letter from Michael Brett of the Civil War Battlefield Society who asked for help in attracting new group members. I am a GTO who mainly runs coach trips to London musicals and days out to major events, such as ‘Trafalgar 200’, and find that the following works for me.

Firstly, be wary of putting an advert on a notice board because this will guarantee that nobody takes notice of it. I find the personal approach is the only way to increase participation as it means you do not have to wait for applications to be returned. In my experience, if you are enthusiastic about the outing, people will show interest.

Bringing the subject up in conversation or phoning people directly will produce results. Once you have established regular customers, it is likely they will respond to emails; however, you should bear in mind that some people take days to look at their mailbox. Remember, success brings success. People hear about my trips from friends and often phone me up asking to come on board.

Initially, I ask for interest with no commitment and give people an assurance that they will be included on the trip. This way they can decline or pay up depending on their situation. Moreover, I only pay for tickets that have been paid for up front. I never speculate as to how many tickets will sell, thereby running the risk that I will be left with spare ones at the end.

Lastly, always ask for payment in full within the time stated by the group sales company. That way, the onus is on the other person to find someone to buy their ticket, should they subsequently back out.

Most importantly, remember there is no shortcut. The personal approach is time consuming but it works. Hope this helps!

John E Oliver
Group Travel Organiser
Old Harveians Golf Society, Kent