What Your Clients Don't Know

Many first-time clients come to us with a solid idea of where they want to go and what they want to do. They seem to have firm ideas about exactly where they want to travel. At least some of the time, however, they end up going somewhere completely different, based on the advice and recommendations that we give them.

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It’s a big world, and luckily we are usually pretty good at finding undiscovered destinations that our clients can experience that they never even knew about before. But there are several steps you need to master before you can do that for your own customers. Here’s what you need to consider:

Don’t always give your clients what they ask for first. As travel consultants, it is incredibly easy to fall into the trap of simply giving clients what they ask for. Order taking is easy; it’s harder to discern what your clients actually want. We’re in the business of providing travel intelligence and giving our clients the best experience possible every time they book with us.

Sometimes that means going outside the box and providing ideas that are completely different than what the client originally requested. We find that when we “switch the game plan” for our clients and it comes off well, we end up with clients for life.

Listen carefully to what your clients say they want. Listening is perhaps the hardest part. Experts say that during conversations most people start thinking about what they are planning to say about the topic at hand, rather than actually first listening carefully to what the other person is saying. Our good friend Mark Jeffries, the communication consultant, once told us that the reason we are terrible at remembering people’s names is because we’re so eager to tell them our own name.

The next time you’re chatting with your client, listen closely, read between the lines, filter through the noise and try to figure out what you are actually being told. A client who requests the south of France may actually be looking for a trip to St. Barths. Also, don’t forget to look for unspoken hints about a client’s travel preferences. For example, how old a client’s children are can be a major factor in determining the destination they want to visit.

Make sure you ask your clients the right questions. Find out where your clients have been and ask why they may be in love with that destination. Ask about their favorite place in the world and find out what makes it special for them. Design-obsessed clients might mention the airy Yabu Pushelberg rooms at legendary hotel properties around the world.

Those who enjoy luxury hotels in exotic places (we call them Amanjunkies) might describe a preference for an “off-the-beaten path” atmosphere. Those who admire highly attentive service may prefer Four Seasons properties, which are known for that. The most important thing is to find out what makes your clients tick and then figure how to provide the right product for them.

Stick to the simple concept of intelligent travel planning. Make sure you take the time to be thoughtful (and perhaps bold) when planning travel for your clients in an intelligent way. Give your clients something that they didn’t know they wanted or needed. After all, one of the reasons your clients will keep coming back to you is because you can give them an experience that they couldn’t find on their own or online.

Make sure you create a fully developed travel itinerary. The devil is in the details, so make sure you have accurately mapped out your clients’ entire travel itinerary, with recommendations on places to stay, visit, and eat throughout the entire trip, as well as transportation options. You are the expert, the one who adds real value to their travel experience.

Make sure you present your travel options with some flair. Presentation is paramount; after all, how would you feel if your dinner at a fine-dining restaurant came out on a paper plate? Your clients are spending hard-earned money and they want to see your travel recommendations in the next generation of “leather binders,” namely, travel apps that can be easily viewed on a smartphone. UMapped and Axus are producing them right now.

So be confident in your recommendations based on what your clients tell you, truly listen when they talk, ask the right questions, provide intelligent travel planning and make sure you present your travel plan in a creative way.