Home Based Travel Agent - June 2008 - (Page 13)

FOR THE AGENT SELLING POINTERS I Point 1: Believe Enthusiasm will translate into sales success. I Point 2: Connect No website can give your clients a personal touch. I Point 3: Listen and Learn Ask questions, and follow up with more questions. I Point 4: Be Prepared Knowing your market is the best way to prospect to strangers. I Point 5: Be Honest Don’t overpromise your ability to meet your clients’ needs. SCORE (www.score.org) provides advice to small-business owners will vary depending on the setting, who initiates the conversation…whether you’re providing general information or pursuing a specific assignment… Yes, your pitch is about you, but it’s also all them—what they do, what they need, and whether there’s a way you can help,” according to SCORE, Counselors to America’s Small Business (www.score.org). Greg Nacco, vice president of Cruise Specialists and the Luxury Travel Network host agency, says, “To me, the perfect pitch starts off with something like, ‘There are so many vacation choices out there, what kind of experiences make the best memories for you?’ This gives the customer the sense that you are trying to get to know them. I believe this ‘advisory’ approach acknowledges your worth and distances you from the typical pedestrian ‘salesperson’ role.” Show your clients why they need you. With the increasing use of the Internet to plan travel, clients might feel they can plan a trip themselves, but only you, as an agent, know how you can make their trip much richer by the experience and expertise you bring to the table. Isolate a few select points you want to make and determine how you can meet that identified need. “Tell them what they get, not what you do,” says author Rhonda Abrams. “Customers want to know how you meet their needs.” As with travel, real estate is a prime market where meeting a need goes handin-hand with creating a connection between the agent and the client. “The way I choose to run my business is very much based on forming lifelong relationships with my clients,” says Karen Franck, a broker with Prudential, Burroughs & Chapin Realty (www.sweet homecarolina.org) in Wilmington, NC. “I do not consider myself a salesperson, so I don’t focus much on ‘selling’ someone in a minute or less. I’ve learned that projecting confidence and being myself goes a long way. Mostly I rely on referrals from past clients, friends and family to sustain my business.” Listen and Learn How do you identify what a client needs? You need to put your most effective learning skills to use with each and every client, because, as you know, each person that goes on a trip goes for different reasons. Those looking for a travel adventure won’t appreciate your pitch on myriad ways to relax at a spa. Ask questions, and follow them up with more questions. “When you receive favorable responses [to your questions], try and expand on what you can offer them,” says Chris Parker, the director of Partners In Continued on page 14 JUNE 2008 Home-BasedTravelAgent 13 http://www.score.org http://www.score.org http://www.sweethomecarolina.org http://www.sweethomecarolina.org

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Home Based Travel Agent - June 2008 Contents Editor's Note Publisher's Note Your Lifeline Agent Spotlight New Technology Industry News Hot Deals Indentifying Agents Delivering Documents Culinary Vacations Pacific Northwest Cover Story: Cruising Scandinavia Agent Access New Products

Home Based Travel Agent - June 2008

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