Why You Need Tenacity and Endurance in Holiday Home Sales
With over 30 years in the UK holiday park industry, including a track record of delivering over £15 million in revenue during her tenure at Scotland’s largest holiday park group, Fiona Kelly has seen first-hand what it takes to thrive in holiday home sales.
From starting as a trainee sales advisor to operating at board level, she’s worked through market highs and lows, trained countless successful sales teams, and helped parks of all sizes improve their owner-led models.
Here, Fiona shares her expert insights on one of the most underrated but essential qualities in this field: tenacity.
Tenacity and endurance in holiday home sales
In the world of holiday home sales, success isn’t just about knowing your park or holiday homes though very important. It’s about tenacity and keeping your cool. The kind of grit that keeps you going when leads go cold, when deals cancel and when the market shifts like sand beneath your feet. Tenacity is the engine that drives long-term success in this unique and rewarding industry.
Why Should You Build Trust?
Holiday home purchases are rarely impulsive. Your purchasers often take weeks or even months to decide if ownership is right for them. Everyone is vying for their piece of the pie when it feels like that pie is getting smaller by the day. Tenacious salespeople understand this and stay engaged without being pushy. They follow up, provide value, and build trust over time, knowing that persistence often pays off when the customer is finally ready.
Rejection and Resilience
Rejection is part of the job, but tenacious holiday home sales professionals don’t take it personally. They learn from every “no,” refine their approach, and move forward with renewed energy.
Each rejection is a stepping stone, not an obstacle. De-brief, analyse and work out what could have made the outcome different. Sometimes there was nothing you can do because:
They didn’t like your park
They didn’t like you – ouch!
They just didn’t have the affordability
It’s easy to pick one of these and use it to make yourself feel better but be honest if it wasn’t one of those that wasn’t really a true objection.
It’s about tenacity and keeping your cool. The kind of grit that keeps you going when leads go cold, when deals cancel and when the market shifts like sand beneath your feet. Tenacity is the engine that drives long-term success in this unique and rewarding industry.
Passion and Enthusiasm
The caravan industry is influenced by economic trends, fuel prices, and even weather patterns. The post covid struggle is real but there are potential purchasers or owner upgrades to be found.
Tenacity means staying informed, adapting quickly, and finding creative ways to meet customer needs, even when the market isn’t in your favour.
A single follow-up call rarely seals the deal. Tenacious salespeople create structured follow-up systems, using CRM tools and personalised communication to stay top-of-mind.
They know that consistent, thoughtful engagement builds credibility and keeps the conversation alive. Master the art of how each customers likes to communicate, is it email, WhatsApp, text, video, or phone call.
Tenacity is fuelled by passion. The best holiday home salespeople genuinely love the lifestyle they’re selling. They understand the freedom, adventure, and community that holiday parks offer, and that enthusiasm is contagious.
The best holiday home salespeople genuinely love the lifestyle they’re selling. They understand the freedom, adventure, and community that holiday parks offer - and that enthusiasm is contagious.
How to Turn Sales Objections in to Opportunities
Objections aren’t a no - they’re opportunities to delve deeper, understand and connect. Tenacious salespeople welcome questions and concerns, using them as a chance to demonstrate knowledge, empathy, and critical thinking skills.
In holiday home sales, relationships matter. Tenacity means investing in long-term relationships. Happy owners become upgrades, repeat buyers, loyal park owners and referral sources, making every effort worthwhile.
Motivation During Quite Periods is Critical to Success
Sales can be seasonal, with peaks in spring and summer and lulls in winter. Tenacious professionals use the quieter months to sharpen their skills, update their product knowledge, and prepare for following year. With the UK caravan and camping site industry projected to generate £4.7 billion in 2025, the opportunities are there for those who stay focused and ready.
Embracing automation and clever targeting rather than the scattergun approach can save time and produce results which boost confidence and focus.
Stay Relevant with Continuous Personal Development
The holiday home sales industry is constantly evolving with new models, enhanced technology and customer expectations emerge regularly. Tenacious salespeople stay curious, attend trade shows, take training courses, and always look for ways to improve. Embracing automation and clever targeting rather than the scattergun approach can save time and produce results which boost confidence and focus.
Rewarding Success
Finally, tenacity means rewarding and recognising progress. Whether it’s a successful sale, a great customer review, or a promising lead, celebrating small victories keeps morale high and momentum strong.
In holiday home sales, tenacity isn’t just a trait, it’s a strategy. It’s what separates the good from the great, the temporary from the timeless.
With the market continuing to evolve, staying persistent and passionate is more important than ever. If you’re in this business for the long haul, let tenacity be your guide. With enough persistence, every road leads to opportunity.
Want to boost your park's holiday home sales?
Our team of industry experts, including Fiona Kelly, can help you build a tenacious and high-performing sales team. Get in touch for a consultation or call us on 0345 4598001.
