Finding new clients which is lifeblood of a successful travel agency and is easier than you think. Let us begin with a question that is fundamental to the value of this article- what is lead generation? And, most importantly, why should a travel agent care to learn about and employ it? To put it simply, lead generation is the creation of interest in a company, a crucial process to every travel agent as customer interest in their travel agency is, well, obligatory.
Start blogging (not a lifestyle one, please)
You can start a travel-related blog just like this one to create content about new destinations as well as solutions to any travel agent dilemmas. This will not only act as a nice addition to your agency’s website, but also build the agency’s credibility, allowing customers to see that you know what you are talking about. Another option is starting a blog on social media; this one is more simple, as it does not require as much writing, but still provides fresh content to current and potential customers. Read more about why Travel Agent should blog
Be socially active.
Create Instagram and/or Facebook accounts with your travel agency’s name and focus it on sharing more about your company as well as the entire travel industry.Post quality content: beautiful photos you took on your last trip, the latest deals, new resort openings, etc..
How to succeed with existing lead and get new ones ?Find your specialty. Stay away from generalization and find a specific industry niche. Just like a restaurant does not serve five types of cuisines at once, a travel agency should not claim to be experienced in selling travel to all seven continents. Choose one and dig deeper; the more specific your travel agency’s specialization, the more it will stand out from a crowd of other travel agencies and define its strategy.
Be professional
Remember to always abide by standard business communication rules:
Reply to all emails and return all calls within 24 hours of receiving them.
Check your grammar and spelling in emails.
Address clients appropriately.
Remain punctual for all scheduled phone calls or in-person meetings.
Just because you may not be working at nine-to-five job does not mean that these rules are to be forgotten. Professionalism is attractive and develops not only customer trust, but also a reliable agency image.
Distinguish between price & value
Do not let your travel agency enter an unnecessary price war with travel booking websites. Not all clients are looking for the cheapest vacation- in fact, those who are probably will not consider booking through a travel agent to begin with. Therefore, it is critical to focus on delivering greater value, rather than a lower price to every customer interested in booking with your company. For example, you could offer personal advice on traveling to a certain destination, take care of the client’s check-ins and airport transportation, or implement a speedy method of finding various vacation package options. Once you have value, you do not need to worry about lowering the price. After all, the client is paying for more than just an online click.
Do not overdo it
After discovering consumer interest, it is important to maintain it without overwhelming it. Stay in touch with clients by sending out an occasional email with exciting deals, giving a birthday promotion, or making a call about a specific destination of interest. Do not, however, send out daily bland emails or beg clients for a sale; this is mundane and quite annoying to many customers.
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If you are interested in becoming an independent travel agent and join BNT Travel Group, please fill out the form or give us a call at 800-417-7010
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