[July 2021] Originals Guide Blog

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Tips on how to
guide again
Originals Guides
July 2021

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We asked some of your fellow Originals guides to share
their experiences with us
Tips on how to guide again
-Mike-
Berlin: Third Reich & Cold
War Walking Tour
-Joana-
Portimao: Benagil Caves
Speed Boat Tour
-Daphne-
Amsterdam: Volendam,
Edam & Zaanse Schans Bus
Tour
-Roberta-
Naples or Sorrento: Pompeii
& Mount Vesuvius Tour
-David-
Madrid: Royal Palace
Guided Tour
-Matteo-
Venice: Doge’s Palace & St
Mark’s Basilica Guided Tour
-Valerie-
Paris: Ultimate Louvre
Guided Tour

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How do you feel about guiding again?
● Mike: “It was like I was born again. I was so excited that I felt like giving hugs to everyone. Feeling the connection
again is great, a connection that cannot be replaced by virtual tours.”
● Matteo: “I felt a mixture of anxiety & high expectations. I spent the night thinking about my presentation and how to
provide customers with the best experience. But finally I was so happy to meet with travelers again.”
● David: “Getting back to what you have missed for such a long time is the best feeling ever.”
● Roberta: “I was so happy to guide again, I could not wait to share my passion with travelers again and show them
how grateful I am for them to be back.”
● Joana: “After 2020, I felt so much more prepared. I know the sanitary measures and how to better serve the
customers.”
● Valerie: “I had mixed feelings: I was scared about the tour itself but at the same time, I was eager to meet guests
again. I felt so relieved to notice they were also very happy to see us back on track…”
Tips on how to guide again
Happiness
High
expectations
Gratitude
Feeling
prepared

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Preparation is key 🤓
Tips on how to guide again
- Rehearse your speech to make sure you did not forget
anything
- Take time to get in the groove again, review you daily
preparation: wake up earlier than usual, make a to do
list
- Go back to the locations you guide in before your first
tour to check if anything has changed
- Take into consideration the new protocols of the
monuments (different itinerary, different timings, new
exhibition...)
- Train your voice again
- Be flexible and expect the unexpected, do not get
stressed out by last-minute changes
- Get ready for very last-minute bookings
Specific examples:
- Valerie created her own YouTube video to feel
confident about guiding again. It was a way to
gather all the needed information about some works
and to keep my voice trained for the tours when they
would start again!Check out her channel “Je, tu, elle
l’ouvre” on YouTube (French only)
- Matteo remembers his first tour last May when he
arrived at St Mark’s Basilica and was told that a new
rule had been put in place just a couple of hours
before. He could only have a limited number of
travelers per group so he had to split the group at the
entrance. Flexibility, sense of urgency and explaining
the situation to the travelers saved the tour.

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“Customer First” Mindset ❤
Tips on how to guide again
- Leave more space for your introduction: travelers are
looking for a personal connection more than ever. They
want to know about you and your passion for guiding.
- You are eager to meet with travelers again but be
careful not to be too talkative. Leave space for the
travelers.
- Adapt your walking style to the pace of customers.
- Ask questions: customers expectations have changed,
adapt your story-telling to what they are interested in.
Travelers are looking for more personalised tours
- Make the organisation of the tour as seamless as
possible, e.g. offer small groups, skip the line.
Specific examples:
- Roberta advises to “smile with your eyes”. In some
destinations masks are still mandatory but connecting
with the customers is even more important than
pre-covid. Transmit your passion.
- Joana recommends to adapt yourself to the
customer. Get to know the travelers’ background: if
they are locals, tell more specific anecdotes that will
ring a bell to domestic travelers or stories you know
they would be curious about. For international
travelers, focus on the main information.

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Health & Security Measures
😷
Tips on how to guide again
- Get all the Health & Safety measures written in a
document.
- Take the time at the beginning of the tour to introduce
the sanitary measures.
- Do not over communicate about Covid. Be positive,
avoid getting the travelers stressed.
Specific examples:
- Mike recommends preparing a list of all the
restaurant and monuments that are opened or
closed to make sure you give the right information to
the travelers.
- Joana advises to take into consideration the type of
customers you are facing (very concerned about
Health and Security measures, slightly concerned, not
concerned at all). Adapt your action and comments
according to their typology while always making sure
everyone follows the rules.

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Go the extra mile 🔥
Tips on how to guide again
- People are craving to have unforgettable experiences:
do not hesitate to get off the beaten track and offer
more than what they expect, when possible
- Create a friendly atmosphere even with people outside
of the group, e.g. other team members, locals,
colleagues from places you visit
- Show your gratitude to the travelers and show them how
important they are for you and how you missed them
and missed guiding
Specific examples:
- Daphne highlights how important it is to be friendly
with locals too. Locals are not used anymore to have
their streets full of tourists anymore so take this as an
opportunity. Connect the locals with the travelers by
simply saying “hello” when passing them. Even better
if you can engage them in a conversation for a few
minutes to make the tour even more genuine.
- David reminds us how grateful he is to be back on the
road again. We cannot be sure about what will
happen tomorrow, so enjoy every single moment and
give the best of yourself for travelers to experience
unforgettable moments. Carpe Diem!