Like highways to truckers or stocks to Wall Street, communication is key to the travel industry. Travelers’ dreams and requirements; the details of schedules, itineraries, restrictions, and rates; the characteristics and attractions of destinations—all these and other ideas must be passed among many people in our industry. Your success depends on effective communication.
The art and skill of effective communication is present throughout The Travel Institute’s TRIPKITSM program, particularly in the area of sales. As part of our 60th Anniversary celebration, we are delighted to offer you the opportunity to apply for a $150 scholarship toward this program. Upon approval of your application, enroll in TRIPKIT for only $299! Act quickly; funds are limited.
The following article is brought to you by Sandra Kelley, CTA, CTC, MBA, a Travel Institute Alumnus and Ambassador.
As travel professionals, we know the power of words to inspire. Your words to a potential or existing traveler should inspire them to use your services, trust you and believe in your value. It may be a good time to re-examine your use of words in your daily interactions:
- Do you find yourself using the word trip? You might opt instead for more inviting and appealing words like vacation or experience. “Let’s plan that next memorable experience for your family” immediately invokes visions of feeling sand between the toes, taking a cruise or eating dinner at a sidewalk café in Rome. The British refer to their vacations as “being on holiday,” which is defined as an extended period of leisure and recreation, especially spent away from home. While using holiday may be confusing in the U.S., it does reinforce how words can conjure up a certain experience or expectation.
- Do you refer to your new and existing clientele as customer or client? The tone of these words may come across as impersonal and business-like. Tourists and travelers, however, invoke being on a journey, an adventure, or a leisurely vacation. It is not by chance that Disney refers to its travelers as guests. What an excellent way to feel welcome and catered to!
It may be a good time to re-examine your communication materials and verbal scripts for consistency in how you and your agents refer to your travelers. Building a vacation package for your travelers is a highly personal experience, requiring knowledge of their personal styles, lifestyle, preferences, budget, and family life. Using words to reflect that connectivity and mutual bond is important. - Are you offering your travelers choices or options of where to go and what to do? When planning a family vacation, don’t limit the choices to only the beach or mountains. Why not say, “Let’s consider a range of experiences, including a beach, mountains, or dude ranch.”
By using words like range, options, experiences, or possibilities, you may open new ideas to the travelers, and you are building their confidence in your ability to offer a wider spectrum of leisure options. For example, if you select a blouse and skirt at a clothing store, a skilled salesperson will bring a scarf, blazer, and belt as well, thereby introducing possibilities you may not have considered for yourself. You are the skilled advisor who can display horizons for your travelers, for this vacation or the next one. - Asking travelers for their budget or payment can be the hardest part of the interaction. Why? The services you provide are your time, communication, confirmations, and itineraries. The traveler has confidence and trust that your recommendations—the flights you selected, the hotel you discussed, or the day tour you arranged—will meet their expectations.
It is a complex transaction between travel agent and traveler, and using budget may not necessarily convey your value. Selecting broader terms—such as “These possibilities should be within your limits”—transforms a service interaction into a transaction in which the traveler is compensating you for your skill, salesmanship, and knowledge.
The beauty of the English language is the wide range of similar-meaning words. Choosing the word or phrase that best conveys trust, value, honesty, hard work, and skill to your travelers is important for any agency. Words are your personal advertisement of what you can accomplish for your traveler. Use them wisely!
Thank you, Sandra, for sharing your knowledge with current and future travel professionals!
