Travel Agent Comp

From The eDiTor Sell Me Something, Please! I’ve heard experts say that In the sales process, people really want to be sold, they just don’t want to be overly aware that it’s happening. I found that difficult to comprehend until just the other day. I was driving through my town and saw that a new veterinarian’s office had opened. I was thrilled. I like the vet I use now, but his office is a bit far from my house and his boarding facilities are not great. This vet’s office was just blocks away and from all accounts, appeared to pretty state of the art. I could barely take the time to park the car before I jumped out and ran into the office so I could hear all the details about this place that was going to make my life, and my pets’ lives, much easier. The woman behind the desk seemed nice enough and so I relayed my excitement about the new office and asked about pricing for boarding, explaining that I travel a lot. She methodically took out a piece of paper and immediately gave me all of the rules I would have to follow for getting my cats into this facility. By the time she got down the bottom of the list I felt as if I were enrolling my cats into college. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if she even wanted strange animals coming through the door, which I think was going to be a problem for her, this being a veterinarian’s office and all. I thanked her for the information and she nodded. After I left, I realized I hadn’t even asked her about the facilities, which probably were pretty okay. But there was no way I was going back in there. I actually felt pretty let down if you want to know the truth. making the sale It got me thinking, how difficult would it have been for her to make a sale? Admittedly, that’s not what doctor’s offices typically do, but she was opening a facility on Long Island, where there are already quite a few vets already. I was a ready-made client. I had the pets and clearly I needed a vet and was willing to switch from the one I had. I spend a lot of money annually on exams, boarding and procedures for my pets every year and was willing to pay even more if this office was more special in any way, than the one I am using now. I desperately wanted to be sold and this woman hadn’t made the slightest effort to treat me like a prospective client. One smart move she could have made would have been to ask me why I wanted to change vets. That would have opened the door for her to tell me the features and benefits her office offered. The woman behind the desk seemed nice enough and so I relayed my excitement about the new office and asked about pricing for boarding, explaining that I travel a lot. She methodically took out a piece of paper and immediately gave me all of the rules I would have to follow for getting my cats into this facility. By the time she got down the bottom of the list I felt as if I were enrolling my cats into college. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if she even wanted strange animals coming through the door, which I think was going to be a problem for her, this being a veterinarian’s office and all. I thanked her for the information and she nodded. I thanked her for the After I left, I realized I hadn’t even asked her about the facilities, which probably were pretty okay. But there was no way I was going back in there. I actually felt pretty let down if you want to know the truth. If you think about it from the travel agent perspective, asking a prospective client about why they are no longer using their previous travel agent is a smart practice and one that Priscilla Alexander, president of Protravel ascribes to. (She will tell you that the answer she receives most often is, “they never call me back.”) Once someone knows you’re an agent and you’ve initiated a conversation with them, they’re already halfway sold. They want to travel. ConneCting You. . RUThANNE TERRERO, CTC EDITORIAL DIRECTOR 10 | TravelAgent september 24, 2007 For more information on Holland America Line, including contact info, visit travelagentcentral.com. http://travelagentcentral.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent Comp

Travel Agent Comp Online Now Contents From the Editor From the Publisher Mexico Los Cabos Primer: How to Seel This West Coast Gem Contributors Mexico Deals Pacific/Asia Korea Primer: The 4-1-1 for Your Clients Asia Packages Caribbean Caribbean News & Notes Hotels Canada’s Tried and True Ski Resorts Multi-Generational Travel Tour Package Briefs and Commission Deals Cover Story: Sir Richard Branson Agent Profile Supplier Profile Agenda What Hurricane Dean Means to You Two Cruise Deals: How They Impact You Five New Tour Operator Agent Liaisons In the Spotlight Classified Marketplace Advertising & Editorial Index Trendwatch

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