back to ATAA in the news Transforming from Travel Agent to Travel Consultant By: Scott Caddow (posted 12/21/06) What is travel consulting? Consultative selling emphasizes customer needs and meeting those needs with solutions combining products and/or services. Consulting also implies fees and additional services and both components are important to success. Travel consultants should be paid for their professional services, much as you would pay an investment advisor or other professional. By providing first hand knowledge of the destinations, the right travel service providers such as hotels or tour operators, and as well as insight on the latest trends - a travel consultant can make vacations truly memorable and worry free. Travel consulting fees are important because travel consultants offer many services that the Internet cannot match. While you may be able to read opinion forums and lists, the level of first hand trusted advice is not available online. "Statistics show that 97% of those calling a travel agency believe it will cost more than going direct or online," said Nolan Burris, president, Visionistics Enterprises. "So why are they calling a travel agency? They are calling for advice. Advice equals consulting. People don't realize that the travel-consulting fee they are paying is for time, attention and quality." Tip # 1 Change your mindset about travel consulting As travel agents you might find it difficult to charge fees for things that you already do. You deliver great service now, and you won't be doing more than you did before. How can you sell that? "The first step is to change your own mindset from just taking orders as a travel agent to becoming a professional travel consultant. You need to lead clients to what will make them most happy while providing a tremendous value for their vacation dollars. Then you feel no guilt for charging for your services," says Linda Robinson, ATAA director. Tip # 2 Get paid for your work It used to be that people called up a travel agency and then booked with that travel agent. Not so these days. Travel consulting and advice is a service. "Remember, your fee really is a bargain for all you do," says Nolan Burris, president, Visionistics Enterprises. As a paid consultant, you can take the time to check different websites, contact suppliers, check on internal resources and look at past client files on how they rated that resort. All of this may take some time, but that's what a consultation fee allows us to do. Tip # 3 Ask the right questions Travel consultants have to ask the right questions so their clients get the experiences they want from their vacations. Isn't that ultimately what clients are paying for - experiences. "People don't always know where they want to go. They might say they want a relaxing vacation. Do they want to read a book on the beach or go snorkeling all day? Travel consulting is figuring out what a client really wants and then making suggestions. Instead of taking an order when they walk in the door," says Hope Wallace, vice president, ATAA. Consulting is essentially finding out the right fit for your customers, something the Internet cannot accomplish. Your job is to deliver an experience that they will never get from the Internet. According to Paul Seiferth, ATAA director, "many travelers want to be sure they have a great vacation and they will seek out the expert advice of travel consultants to the best advice and the best experience. Travel consultants can work with nearly any budget, so their expertise is not just for luxury travelers, but for anyone that wants to have a great time." Tip # 4 Don't sell at clients First give them a sample or a taste of your consulting. Find their emotional triggers by asking the right questions. Then prove your value before mentioning fees. Always be upfront about your fees. Nobody likes a hard sell. Inform your customers that it will cost a fee to send them on their dream vacation. Tip # 5 Use the Internet to be customer-focused Focus on customers and continue spending quality time on finding the best deals and the right vacation. You can do this by using "technology to better tie your actions and your output to customer so you can plan for success. We can customize the technology to support our own business goals and the goals and needs of our travelers," says Paul Seiferth. The travel industry has changed so much and continues to change that many travel agents now have to charge for their expert advice. In the past, travel agents gave away this valuable information to their customers. However, this valuable advice is travel consulting and we all have been doing it for some time now. We just weren't charging for it. If you don't currently charge for this service, you will soon. Scott Caddow is the president of the Association of Travel Agents of America and is dedicated to Teaching Travel Agents to Succeed by helping them be more profitable and more aware of important changes in our industry. This is accomplished by utilizing experts from inside and outside of the travel industry to deliver educational events in person and over the web. Founded in 1983 as a regional organization, ATAA has significant membership in the western US and is growing to serve travel sellers nationwide. More information about ATAA is available at www.ataa.net, via email at info@ataa.net or by calling (888) 550 1195. ATAA, PMB 144, 3851 East Thunderbird Rd. #111, Phoenix, AZ 85032 888-550-1195; Local 602-354-3094; FAX 602-494-1826 info@ataa.net Site Design: Think Productions