you have planned. Now you can work on your success plan which means answering these standard questions:
How will you sell more travel this year? How will you sell more profitable, higher earning travel this year? How will you gain more clients this year?
From this point on, your success is down to how well you can market yourself and your product offers. You may be selling what a supplier offers the market or you may be creating your own tours based on your niche market and special interest travel options. When selling supplier based trips you are one of many selling the same thing. If you are creating your own tours then there is only you and with little to no competition. Check The Tech’ Your website is your number one window on the world and this is a good place to start when planning your success plan. Your website just has to be 100% functional and exciting and attract people to it who will mention it to their friends. If you operate from a street front retail agency then your agency window and website should emulate each other. In other words, what a prospect sees in your agency window, they should see on your website and vice-versa. The Internet is where pretty much everyone now shops to check out their purchases before they buy them. Yes, even Baby Boomers both young and old. Gen X and Y
definitely use the Internet. There is no escape. It is not going away and therefore must be factored into your success plan. The quality of your website falls into the category of where the travelling consumer will go to review exciting places to visit. Your website could be THE place where everyone goes to check. Or not. Charging Fees Regardless of your thoughts about whether or not your knowledge is worth charging for, or your services worthy of a few bucks (!) you should always plan to have a fee schedule so that you can refer to it when you need to. You may be of the mindset not to charge fees. However there is always that moment when what the client is requesting is way over the top, time consuming and with little to no commission at the end of the day. This is when you need a fee schedule and can then introduce it into the conversation. Charging fees generally means you have something worth paying for. Not too many consumers will want to pay fees for lousy service or when a counsellor reads the brochure across the desk. Fees are most certainly there for the professional travel agent to charge and in some cases such a fee starts at $100 and goes all the way up to $650 for the initial consultation. This rate and its implication is not for the new agent or faint of heart. Selling Service Nothing has changed in a thousand years. Selling is selling. Service is service. Do not get tied up with the latest jargon and the fluff that is often bantered about in the trade. You must stay in touch with your clients, keep them advised and apprised of what’s