INTO DESTINATION SALES! Guest article by Steve Gillick CTM
Terms of Reference: Super: above, over, on top of. Impose: to put or place into or upon.
Superimpose: To place something over or upon something else; to add a distinct feature or quality to something e.g. He superimposed his travel experience on the bland itinerary to create an amazing journey of discovery for his clients.
Let’s face it. If travellers did not want your input into their vacation plans, they would make their own travel arrangements. And we know that some are quite happy to do so. Others have tried it and discovered the pitfalls when they chose the wrong flight, didn’t leave enough time for a connection, didn’t have the proper travel documentation, chose the wrong hotel, ended up at the wrong destination and basically, didn’t schedule time on their own holiday to enjoy themselves and appreciate the value of the experience. So it is a ‘given’ that travellers already in your database as well as your first-timers and new referrals, are looking to you for your input. At this stage they don’t want an order-taker, they want a personalized approach to the whole concept of travel: “Ask me questions about what I want to do” is the attitude, along with the proviso that “If you hear something in my reply that doesn’t make sense, please let me know”. The implication of this is that travellers recognize travel counsellors (agents, advisors, planners, consultants) as travel professionals. This is what you do for a living. You live and breathe travel on a daily basis and therefore it is assumed that your knowledge of the
profession will result in an amazing and successful travel experience for the client. And what exactly can you add to the travel destination? How about 1. Your job experience Whether you took a formal travel training course or learned the trade through apprenticeship, you have (even if you’re just starting) seen the good and the bad about the industry as well as a pretty good idea of how people react when their dream vacation is ruined through mistakes, over-bookings, missed flights, resorts under renovation and promises that don’t materialize. You have learned from your experience and can now apply those lessons to your own clients. The word ‘experience’ means ‘knowledge gained from repeated trials’. This becomes the key to your success— knowing what works and what doesn’t. 2. Your networking experience No travel agent is an island! Even if you are home-based, you still have a support group through your host agency or through other home-based consultants. This means that if you have questions about a property or a procedure, you