What makes you different from any other travel provider?
If your service seems the same as that of any other travel counselor, clients are unlikely to remain loyal to you. It’s easy to get lost in an industry filled with professionals selling similar products. The challenge is to stand out from the crowd.
Creating your brand is critical to your success. And who is better to advise you than your colleagues? What follows are excerpts from an article written by Becky Gillespie, CTC, a Travel Institute graduate.
In her The Importance of Branding for Independent Travel Consultants White Paper, Becky asks: “Who are you? Can you give a succinct description of the values and attributes of your business – who you are and why you exist? If you find this hard to do, chances are, your clients do, too. The idea of cultivating an image you want your business to convey to others is called branding. It defines who you are and what sets you apart from others.”
Becky also describes key ways creating a brand can benefit you as an independent travel consultant.
Five Benefits of Branding
- It builds recognition. People feel most comfortable doing business with companies familiar to them. You can build a uniform brand through your logo, tag line, marketing materials, and interactions with people. Use a consistent image in all these areas as you convey the message of who you are.
- It builds uniqueness. Branding your business is the key to letting potential customers know what makes you unique from the myriad other options available. You may offer the same cruise as another agent, but your brand and what it represents resonates with clients, causing them to choose you as their travel agent over all others.
- It set expectations for your client and creates trust. Keeping your brand promise builds your reputation and creates happy clients.
- It helps generate new business. You want to leave an indelible impression on your clients, so, whenever someone asks them about travel, you are the first person who comes to mind. And having a strong brand will allow you to target and attract new customers.
- It helps you focus your marketing efforts, so you are spending money only on campaigns that align with your brand message. It also gives you the freedom to turn down marketing opportunities if something does not align with your brand.
We’ve only scratched the surface of Becky’s wisdom. To read her full article, check out Premium Access.
