The Power of Relationship Selling: The value of operating a relationship-based travel agency

Heidi Creed, MBA, CTC

Travel is personal. It means something different to everyone and it comes not only with a financial investment but a significant time and emotional investment as well. When a traveler chooses to work with a travel advisor for their arrangements, it is ideal to establish the relationship as a partnership from the beginning. You will be partners in the planning process, with your expertise driving the arrangements. This is beneficial not only for a more mutually fulfilling process, but you will surpass your competition; with one of your staunchest competitors being the internet, a space that is void of meaningful personal relations. Your goal at the end of the travel planning period is to have your client thinking they couldn’t imagine planning a trip without your help. You will have convinced them that travel planning is not purely transactional, rather it is about having solid relationships on each the client-, advisor- and supplier-side. This symbiotic relationship is where the magic happens, and this is at the core of the power of relationship selling, and it is priceless.

Before going forward, let’s take a quick look back on the “good ol’ days” when travel ‘agents’ were the keeper of the goods and all but literally held the keys to traveling the world. Having the power of issuing airline tickets, making hotel reservations and calling internationally without hassle lent itself nicely to being transaction-oriented and with ‘agents’ entirely in charge. Travelers needed you. By definition an agent is ‘one who acts on behalf of another person or group.’ Pure and simple. The rise of the travel agent was a tide of quantity over quality with consumers who needed your services because you had access. And we aren’t talking access in terms of “exclusive”, as is the buzzworthy way of today. Consumer expectations weren’t like that then. They were just excited to be going somewhere! And on a plane!

The evolution of technology has completely changed the travel industry. It has empowered the consumer to join the cult of the amateur, thinking they can just as easily do what the pro’s do, and for a little while the death of the travel ‘agent’ seemed certain. And it was, right along with the FAX machine. They both served their purpose during their time to shine but it was high time to move up and on.

Fast forward to today where the travel industry is experiencing a renaissance. The term ‘agent’ has officially been retired to make way for a fresher and better defined ‘advisor’ title that does justice to the work we do. By definition an advisor is “one who gives their advice in a particular field.” This is not so plain and simple in the travel industry because the role of a professional travel planner is a highly involved job that takes patience, perseverance, nimble problem solving skills, a tolerance for stress, and a high degree of emotional intelligence. It took some time to get there but we have the evolution of both technology and consumer expectations to thank for this exciting coming of age.

Technology has made our jobs exponentially easier with everything from social media, to payment processing, to robust consortia’s that connect partners from all corners of the world, to the ease of communication, to the ability to distill the overabundance of information that is available at anyone’s fingertip at any time… And the list could go on.

Certainly technology has in some ways made our work more challenging, but those who address the obstacles head on are more likely to be the ones who engage in personal interactions. They have capitalized on being able to give their clients more unique (if not ultimate) vacation experiences and have likely harnessed the power of relationship selling – even if they don’t even realize they are doing it.

Because it costs significantly more to acquire a new customer, focusing on ways to retain existing customers is one of the best– and most cost-effective – business decisions you can make. According to the Office of Consumer Affairs, dissatisfied customers typically tell nine to 15 other people about their experience; and some tell 20 or more. That’s a lot! Happy customers [who have their problems resolved] will tell 4-6 people about their positive experience. Word-of-mouth referrals are typically the best and most pre-qualified clients you can get. Note that that is assuming you are attracting the clients you want to sell to, which is a topic for another day! It should go without saying, but your daily goal should be identifying ways to keep your clients happy and give them something good to talk to their friends about.

Listed below are some ideas to do just that, and many of the tactics don’t cost a thing:

• Listen to their interests and what brought them to you before recommending options: As an expert, you need to evaluate what they are telling you. Attentive listening will give you the opportunity to make thoughtful recommendations. What is really important to them on this vacation?
• Attend to the details: Be thorough in your work and be a proactive communicator. Travel planning has many details large and small, and it is essential that you ensure your work is quality and accurate. Travel, by nature, has many things left to chance. Do your best to prevent avoidable mistakes.
• Be genuine: It’s important to work on your “emotional intelligence.” Be aware of the difference in client personality types. Some clients prefer to cut to the chase with just the facts. Others need to be “sold the sizzle” and want to know all about how a trip will make them feel. And there are many types that fall in between. One consulting style doesn’t fit all, so it is important to be flexible but always be genuine in expressing your commitment to making their vacation special.
• Join a travel consortia (such as Signature Travel Network): When you are a member of a travel network you gain instant access to their abundance of resources benefits from the shared buying power. Resources vary by consortia, but it generally comes in terms of technology tools, educational support, vetted partner relationships, and exclusive amenities to pass on to your clients. Whether you are an independent contractor or part of a large franchise, they will be treated like a VIP and you will look like a star and be able to better serve your clients.
• Host events: This is a great way to bond in a fun and friendly atmosphere. It facilitates the chance for a little chit chat, and it makes clients feel special for being invited. Naturally it needs to be informative and well organized so it is worth their time.
  • Sales tip: Talk to your partner suppliers about sharing the cost of the event. Come up with a catchy theme, a solid promotion, and a targeted presentation (maybe by destination, season or experience) that will pique the interest of guests. Train them to feel like they don’t want to miss your events!
• Keep track of milestone events: This takes a little bit of organization, but setting up reminders in your calendar (best if done in your software program that tracks and stores all client transactions), is a powerful tactic that takes a moment to set a reminder.
  • Sales tip:
    • If you know Johnny is graduating from high school or college, in the Fall, propose giving the gift of travel as a graduation gift.
    • If you know when anniversary or birthday milestones are, you can propose a year or more in advance that “they should start thinking about that trip to Africa they have always wanted to take. The best places book up months in advance, so it’s a trip you want to plan early.”
    • Retirement isn’t far off. What about looking at planning a multi-generation trip somewhere the whole family can enjoy celebrating and making memories together?
• Be committed to helping clients achieve their travel goals: This also takes a bit of organization, but if you can be good with taking copious notes about experiences they’ve expressed in, you can be far more proactive in reaching out when great promotions or unique experiences cross your desk. You will earn big points when a client knows you are always looking out for them.
  • Sales tip: If you have a Destination Interest category in your client software program, check off all the destinations a client has expressed interest in. This pays off, for example, when that amazing Arctic promotion comes up and you have a quick way to query everyone who has expressed interest in the region.
• Follow up every trip with a welcome home message: You spent a lot time and energy planning their vacation, so it is well worth your while to send a quick message a day or two after they got back asking how it was. The more specific you can be the better so they know it’s not a canned message (ie how was the luau? or did you enjoy the train?), but certainly asking what they loved or if there is anything they would have changed will earn you some respect for asking. You might be surprised at how much feedback you get back. This translates in insight for future travel planning for them, but also for other clients you may work with. More than anything, it reminds the client their experience was important to you too and wasn’t just a transaction.
• Keep the relationship professional: Have clients see you as a person with a life outside of work. Encourage them to contact you (or expect to hear back from you) during business hours. Avoid giving out your cell phone because it gives them the idea they can reach you at all hours. You should, however, still have some kind of way to reach you after hours for truly urgent matters.
  • Sales tip: If they have a problem while traveling, and especially if they are in a different time zone, let them know either the travel insurance company or the ground operator should be their first point of contact. This will be those most efficient way for them to start resolving the problem, but it will also give you freedom to not feel at the mercy of your job at all hours.
• Work with only reliable partners: The best way to feel confident in selling travel is to feel that your suppliers will give your clients the best (relative) experience possible. The term ‘relative’ is used because experiences vary wildly based on budget, however if you can feel confident that you have a supplier partner in the process you can trust they will take good care of your clients.
  • Sales tip:  Encourage your client to stretch their budget to the best they can afford. It may mean taking a slightly shorter trip to stay in better places, or upping the budget to an upgraded stateroom category on a ship. Clients will remember more how a trip made them feel than how much they spent. Having an extra enjoyable experience always feels good!
• And sometimes you need break-up: It’s OK to not continue working with someone who doesn’t respect you, your work or your time. Sometimes relationships are just not compatible, and in order to have longevity in your career you need to recognize when it’s just not working.

Relationship selling and acting as an advisor is more art than science. No two clients are the same so your approach must always vary. Also, if you recall the character traits mentioned previously, you have to really genuinely enjoy the process; the good, the bad and the ugly. The basic recipe for success in this field is one part nature, sprinkled with two parts training & continuing education, then finished off with hearty doses of curiosity and grit. Those who can cultivate relationships, while embracing the ever-evolving world of technology and consumer expectations are poised for “sky’s the limit” career growth in an exceedingly fun and fulfilling industry.