Business Strategies to Boost Your Game in 2013
by Andrew Sheivachman /Have you made your New Year’s business resolutions yet for 2013?
To get you started, here’s a look back at some of the practical business advice that experts shared with the readers of Travel Market Report in 2012.
Turn an objection into an advantage
“Don’t be angry – expect that you will encounter objections and prepare in advance for them. Turn an objection into an advantage by regarding it as more customer information about their thought process. And always be willing to walk away. Don’t sell yourself short and don’t apologize.” – Corey Andrichuk, president, brandU Coaching (See: 8 Ways to Turn Prospects Into Clients)
Rescue clients from online woes
If someone calls you and says they have screwed up by booking with Travelocity and are in a jam, you can create a fan for life if you help them out. They will be willing to pay you a fee. In fact, you can say, ‘We have a special fee for those who screwed up with Travelocity.’” – Nolan Burris, president, Visionistic Enterprises (See: Work at Home? Use it to Your Advantage)
Safeguard your time
“In this day and age, there are so many new ways we can be interrupted. We have an entire industry of travel professionals who must learn for the first time, or learn anew, how to safeguard their time. If you don’t, it surely will be taken up – guaranteed.” – Jeff Davidson, executive director, The Breathing Space Institute (See “Get Focused: How to Managed Interruptions at Work”)
Crack the incentive market through existing clients
“Use your own client base to identify possible leads [for the incentive travel market] and then find out about their employee rewards program. It's much easier to sell a program to an individual or company with whom you have an existing relationship as opposed to chasing a vaporous potential customer. Love the one you're with and you'll expand your influence.” – Tim Smith, president, GlobalPoint Travel Solutions (See “How to Crack the Incentive Travel Market”)
Keep things in perspective
“We all face business challenges every day, whether from the competition, supplier actions, economic conditions, government regulations, volcano eruptions and more. These things are beyond our control. But our attitude in dealing with them is not. So, remind yourself today about the things you love to do.” – Dr. Robert W. Joselyn, CTC, president and CEO, Joselyn, Tepper & Associates (See "Finding Inspiration on the Golf Course")
Build business with referrals
“Partner with a nonprofit organization — maybe write a check or have your staff volunteer. Once or twice a year come up with a promotion in which a portion of the proceeds from trips booked at a certain time go to that nonprofit partner. That gives the nonprofit a valid reason to introduce their constituency to your business.
“Another strategy is to simply start talking about referrals with clients upfront. Introduce the idea of referrals when someone wants to book a trip with you. You’re basically promising they will have a great time and making sure that they do. You then set the expectation for them to refer you to others.” – Marketing consultant John Jantsch (See “How to Make Referrals Your Lifeblood”)
Add spice to the schedule
“If you thrive on a set schedule, designate your office hours, but don’t lose sight of why you wanted to work from home in the first place. Add some spice into the mix. Take a few scheduled walks during the day – simply because you can! You don’t necessarily have to be on a set schedule, but you do need to hold yourself accountable.” – Stephanie Lee, Host Agency Reviews (See “For Work-at-home Success, Find Your Personal Style”)
Manage client expectations
“Try to imagine yourself in the customer’s shoes. If you were that customer, what would you want to hear and how would you want to be treated? Travel agents often know their customers. If they’re dealing with an individual who wants the facts of a situation, then get those facts. If it’s an emotional customer, then say you recognize his or her anger and your goal is to make that disappear. Other customers want you to call and tell them you’ve already fixed the problem, while some may want you to present them with choices.” – Bill Rosenthall, CEO, Communispond (See “How to Deal With Angry Customers”)
For strong relationships, show suppliers your plan
"You’ve got to have a marketing plan. Show us what your plan is for the year, including how you will reach your customer base. Where do you want to be in a year, in three years? How can we help you get there?
"A lot of agents don’t have an answer to these questions. Having the answers shows us that you want to grow." – Scott Radesi, Funjet Vacations (See: "For Strong Supplier Relations, Show Them Your Plan")