Recently, there’s been an uptick in the travel agency market. And that means that there are now more opportunities for people to make a healthy living in the sector. However, many travel agents aren’t doing all they can to maximize their earning potential. Here’s what travel agents can do right now to improve their business.
Stop Selling Deals
A lot of agents fall into the trap of thinking that the way they get customers is through offering the best deal. But, unfortunately, thanks to the internet, it’s going to be hard for you to compete on price. Often agents end up offering rock bottom prices and taking home very little money for themselves. This approach is entirely wrong.
Remember, you can offer a lot more value to customers that merely through lowering prices. Going on holiday is potentially a big risk for a lot of people. And so they want to know that their money is being spent wisely. For this reason, many people are willing to pay a premium to agents who can offer expertise. They want somebody that they can trust to deliver the high-quality holiday they want. And that means that your focus should be on the experience you can offer, rather than the price.
Partner With A Franchise
There’s a lot more to becoming a travel agent franchise than meets the eye. First of all, you’ll get a whole raft of support for everything, from marketing to finance. But you’ll also be able to draw upon a whole new network of contacts, increasing the scope of the service you can offer.
Improve Your Writing
Many customers value clear and precise communication. And that means that it’s important that your writing skills are up to scratch. Being able to communicate well engenders trust on the part of the customer. They get a sense that they are dealing with a quality, competent professional rather than a rank amateur.
Build Your Website
Far too many agents have websites that are, quite frankly, substandard. Your website is the main way that your customers are going to find out about your business. And so it needs to look the part if it is going to convince them to go with you and not somebody else. Great websites have three key ingredients. They’re well designed. They have great content. And they can be easily maintained and updated.
Formalize Processes
One of the biggest costs for travel agents is the time spent processing clients. Client processes should be quick and efficient if you are going to maximize your time. That means that you are looking for ways to reduce the time to come up with a quote. And it means reducing the time that it takes to come up with custom itineraries.
Self-Check
As an agent, you always want to be asking yourself: am I providing the best value that I can to my customers? For instance, are your rates competitive? Do you have up-to-date expert knowledge on particular, popular destinations? Are you providing the variety of experiences that customers want?
