6 Tips for Getting Your Next Sale
by Monique Burns /Successful travel agents know that closing a sale is only the beginning. Agents have to look to the future too. Here are tips from agents on earning repeat business as well as referrals.
Tip #1. Always do your best
That might sound like advice your mother gave you, especially if Mom knew something about the art of winning friends and influencing people. But handling a client’s trip competently establishes you as a trustworthy expert in the field, and that practically guarantees repeat business and referrals.
“The last project you did is the sales tool for future projects,” said Diana Hechler of D. Tours Travel, an Ensemble agency in Larchmont, N.Y. “Every single job you do, big or small, is part of the next sale.”
Tip #2. Know thy client
“The most valuable asset you’ve got is the client,” said Patty Noonan, CTC, director of sales for The Travel Institute, the training and certification organization based in Framingham, Mass.
If you know when and how your clients like to vacation, as well as when they’ll be celebrating birthdays, wedding anniversaries and even graduations, you’ll know exactly when to go back to them and present ideas for upcoming trips.
Noonan advises keeping careful notes on clients. “It’s a critical part of client management skills.”
Tip #3. Go the distance
Doing your best means going that extra mile to satisfy clients and to assure any problems are quickly addressed.
“One of the things I teach my employees is that we’re not just a quote house. We’re establishing relationships that can lead to future referrals,” said Chris Tichy, owner of The Vacation Center, a TRAVELSAVERS agency with offices in Southington, Conn., and Coventry, R.I.
“We’re pretty much available 24/7. We even give clients our cellphone numbers. If there’s a problem, our cellphones go off at 2 a.m.,” said Tichy.
“I had one client go to a resort and, because the resort was very full, they tried to walk him to another nearby resort,” said Tichy. “So, on a Saturday night at 7 p.m., I’m on the phone with my client, then on the phone with the resort. The upshot is he got an upgrade and was treated like a very special guest.”
Hechler of D. Tours Travel also has gone the distance and been rewarded. “I had clients [booked] on a river cruise during Hurricane Sandy,”she recalled “The trip was cancelled, so my clients called me from the airport. They needed a place to stay, so I called up my favorite hotel in Paris and explained that these people needed some TLC.
“My clients were ecstatic when they got home,” said Hechler. “I got all kinds of referrals.”
Tip #4. Keep sales pressure low (and comfort levels high)
Part of making the sale and getting future sales is making clients feel comfortable. Don’t spoil a warm rapport by bulldozing clients into making quick decisions or paying for trip components if they can wait, agents advised.
“We don’t use high-pressure sales tactics,” said Tichy.
“We’ll tell clients when an airline has to be booked. If a client says, ‘When should I book my tour?’ We’ll tell them they have 90 days to book. If it’s a softer date, like Mexico in October, we’ll tell them to wait.”
Tip #5. Acknowledge shortcomings and mistakes
The world’s a big place, and no agent can possibly know every destination. Travel agents and their co-workers may be well-versed in their specialties, but they are bound to have gaps in their knowledge.
“We actually tell people when we don’t know a destination,” said Tichy. “And we’ll refer them to another agent who does know the destination.”
It also pays to be honest when you’ve made an error. “Have I made my share of mistakes? Sure,” said Hechler, who prides herself on a job well done. “But I’ve been really apologetic and, in some cases, offered tangible reparation, i.e. money, to the client, along with a nice note.
“You can recover from an error. There is life after a mistake. But you have to offer a sincere apology. People need to be validated.”
Tip #6. Follow-up to close future sales
“Follow-up with a thank you note after you make the sale,” advised Noonan of The Travel Institute. “Then follow-up after the trip to see how it went and if they can refer you to anyone.
“After a vacation, clients are coming back on a high. That’s the best time to ask them about future bookings.”