Starting Your Travel Agency, Continued: The Consultative Process 

This is the last in a three-part series in launching a travel business.

Last week, we discussed Setting Up Your Business from Launching a Travel Business: The Entrepreneur’s Checklist, a step-by-step checklist of actions you should take to jump-start your successful journey of launching your travel business. This dynamic course contains dozens of worksheets, action steps, activities, and practical tips from travel professionals and peers.

This week, we take a peek at Starting the Consultative Process.

• Refine Your Message. Solidify what your mission is to help you reach your target audience; write a succinct persuasive speech designed to spark your listener’s interest in your product in less than 60 seconds (i.e., an elevator speech).
• Always Project Professionalism. The way you dress, speak, listen, write and interact with clients and coworkers are ways in which you present yourself to the world. Make sure you are communicating an image of professionalism. It is what others think of you – their perception of you – that is reality to them.
• Identify the Client. Think about the many types of clients (e.g., retirees, millennials, affinity groups, corporate travelers, honeymooners, etc.) who could benefit from your services.
• Identify the Clients’ Needs. Match the travelers to the products by carefully identifying their needs. Ask what vacation problems you can solve for them.
• Qualify the Client. Ask questions early on to help determine whether the potential client is a serious shopper then continue with asking questions to qualify your client.
• Present the Product. Choose two products to show your clients; think about the best way to present your findings (PowerPoint, email, etc.); consider whether to offer travel insurance and be sure to have a waiver of insurance form handy should the clients decline coverage.
• Book the Trip. Seek and receive adequate training from your host about booking services to become comfortable with handling all details.
• WOW Your Clients. It is important to take special care of your clients and add the WOW factor before, during, and after their trips.
   

Just like last week’s excerpt, this is a partial list. The Institute’s Launching a Travel Business: The Entrepreneur’s Checklist contains many more tips from Part One: Setting Up Your Business and Part Two: Starting the Consultative Process.

In addition, be sure to check out Part Three: “What I Wish I’d Known” (shared wisdom from knowledgeable and seasoned travel advisors who provide their best practices, practical tips, and helpful advice whom we asked to think back to when they were first starting out). Finally, don’t miss Part Four: Create and Follow a Behavioral Code (how to establish a written code of conduct to incorporate the core values, guiding principles, and fundamental beliefs that make up the heart of your organization).

Starting a new business is exciting! So make sure you don’t miss a single vital step in the process. Your peace of mind is worth the extra care you take!