Want Stronger BDM Relations? Set Expectations & Take Charge
by Harvey Chipkin /Part three in a series on agent-BDM relations.
While travel agents have mixed feelings about the quality and responsiveness of supplier business development managers, the agents who are upbeat are those who take charge of BDM relationships.
One such agency is Montrose Travel. The California-based agency lays down well-defined guidelines for its interaction with BDMs, said Andi McClure-Mysza, president of MTravel, the hosted agency division of Montrose Travel.
“We don’t just sit around and hope they drive by our territory. We need a lot from them – marketing, training, business analysis, a good hard look at the market, how we are faring versus other large agencies,” McClure-Mysza said.
High expectations of BDMs
For one thing, Montrose limits its BDM connections to Ensemble preferred suppliers, with the occasional exception being reps from a niche-type product not on the Ensemble roster.
Montrose Travel mandates a quarterly half-day office “walk-through” by BDMs, so supplier reps can talk with everyone in the central office.
The agency demands quarterly training – “which has to be in something new” – and attendance by BDMs at an annual conference of Montrose’s hosted agencies.
Setting parameters
It’s a similar situation at Wings Travel Group in Blue Bell, Penn., where owner Kate Murphy is adamant that relationships with BDMs be businesslike.
When a new BDM arrives at the Vacation.com agency, Murphy sets expectations immediately: “This is what I would like to see. This is what we expect from you, and this is what you will get from us.”
As for training, “we only do webinars – and they can’t be more than 45 minutes; maybe 25 minutes and 10 minutes for questions.”
Higher-level view
Murphy also insists that BDMs bring in a regional or national manager as frequently as possible to discuss what agents are doing in other areas. “I don’t want to hear what my friends and neighbors are doing. I want to know what they’re doing in Virginia,” Murphy said.
And unlike many other agencies, Wings Travel doesn’t routinely go to BDMs with problems, except in extreme emergencies.
This restraint helps facilitate relations. “You can’t abuse the number of favors. You will get a response if you don’t ask a lot,” Murphy said.
Annual review
John Schmitt, Jr., CTC, vice president and director of marketing for Superior/Frankenmuth Travel Service in Frankenmuth, Mich., said he reviews his BDM relationships annually, usually in November, to see how the year has gone and to plan for the following year.
“It might be that an agent or two has not been selling a product in the previous year, so that might call for a product webinar. I will hold the BDMs’ feet to the fire on training,” Schmitt said.
“We also look at how we can exceed our performance the following year and come up with a marketing and training plan. I might ask for extra training for one of my new people.”
At a minimum, Schmitt would like to be contacted by BDMs four times a year. “They don’t have to walk in my front door; many of the reviews are done on the phone. No matter the type of communication; it must be scheduled in advance.”
Leveraging for clout
It’s not necessary to be a mega-agency to gain clout with BDMs. Schmitt said being a top TRAVELSAVERS agency gives him leverage with preferred suppliers.
“There are two circumstances where I’ll act if I can’t get any action out of the rep. One is when they don’t return emails or phone calls quickly enough. Another is where I am trying to plan an in-office event and can’t get any response.
“That’s where the consortium relationship is beneficial. I’ll tell my TRAVELSAVERS rep, ‘Here’s my history with this supplier. Can you get some action?’ And they do.”
Taking the initiative
Colleen Gillette, who owns New Paltz Travel in New Paltz, N.Y., also a TRAVELSAVERS agency, said that even when she is not a big producer for a supplier, being proactive with BDMs usually works.
“If your sales are lackluster or nonexistent but you want to grow them, if you reach out to the BDM they are usually willing to formulate a strategy.”
Schmitt, who has been in business for 34 years, said it was only 10 years ago that he decided to take responsibility for BDM relationships. “Before that I was a whiner.
“I’ve learned that by taking action you will get a lot more out of them. The bottom line is that it’s the responsibility of the agency to make this work, to break the ice.”
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BDMs: Still an Essential Connection for Agents
Agents Frustrated With Supplier Limits on BDMs