Mary Hanna. (Source: Mary Hanna)
Many people believe that working in the travel industry is all fun and excitement, but they often overlook the significant time and effort required, not to mention the essential sales training needed for success. Without proper training, new advisors can become easily discouraged when dealing with clients, leading to situations where they may be ghosted or struggle to find new customers.
Sales training is crucial because it helps new advisors think like business owners and works toward ensuring that they receive consistent revenue each month and can strategically plan their year for success.
When I train my advisors, I focus on several key techniques:
Building Confidence
I help new advisors develop the ability to effectively communicate with clients, understand their needs, listen carefully and offer suitable travel solutions. I encourage all my advisors to set up Zoom meetings with clients, which I can also attend to assist in understanding the customers’ needs. They receive guidance from me on how to effectively design a trip and what suppliers to use.
Revenue and the Sales Funnel
We emphasize the importance of maintaining an active sales funnel with a minimum of 10 working leads at all times. I teach advisors how to plan their calendar months and strategically layer in bookings to ensure consistent commissions each month. We also analyze pending bookings, dividing them by month to forecast potential revenue and identify gaps that need to be filled.
Prospecting
We focus on strategies for finding and attracting new clients. Advisors are required to identify at least five different prospecting outlets, including one or two face-to-face events. Facebook and other social media platforms count as one outlet. I encourage them to think local and target their local community to start.
Closing Techniques
We employ effective strategies to close sales and secure bookings. By conducting customer needs analyses and proposing tailored solutions, closing sales becomes straightforward. Interestingly, 80 percent of salespeople neglect to ask for the sale. We focus on advancing conversations by asking the right closing questions.
The Art of the Follow-Up
Many advisors struggle with effective follow-up techniques. I teach them how to follow up with clients in a way that is both strategic and meaningful. Simply sending an email that says, “Hi, following up,” is ineffective. A successful follow-up must offer value and have a clear purpose to elicit a response.
Understanding the timing and frequency of follow-ups is also crucial. I guide advisors on how to follow up at least seven times, utilizing various methods and touchpoints to ensure they stay top of mind without becoming intrusive. This comprehensive approach helps them build stronger client relationships and achieve better results.
The Dreaded Cold Call
Yes, my team does engage in cold calling – it’s an essential part of our strategy. While it may seem intimidating at first, it’s actually quite manageable with the right approach. I train advisors employing effective cold-calling techniques, including what to say, how to break down barriers with the person on the other end and how to build trust during the call without resorting to hard selling.
Retargeting Clients, Building Relationships
Clients are not just one-time transactions; they are the foundation of lasting relationships. My team learns that building strong, ongoing relationships is crucial. By fostering these connections, they not only secure repeat business but also gain valuable referrals. They are trained in effective retargeting strategies to maintain and strengthen client relationships to work toward ensuring long-term success.
For new advisors, the most important elements of sales training include:
Goal Setting, Strategy Development
First, have advisors create a comprehensive business plan. A well-defined plan provides clear direction and purpose, helping them stay focused and motivated. Without a plan, advisors often feel lost and lack a sense of direction, which can hinder their progress and success. By setting specific goals and developing strategies to achieve them, advisors can navigate their career path more effectively and confidently.
Customer Needs
It’s essential to thoroughly understand the client’s needs. Advisors should focus on active listening to grasp their clients’ unique goals and requirements, which builds trust and allows for tailored solutions. Often, advisors make the mistake of pitching what they want rather than what the client needs, leading to lost sales and diminished confidence.
Industry Knowledge
In this industry, knowledge truly is power. Advisors should dedicate time to completing webinars and training sessions to stay current with industry trends and news. Attending travel-related conferences is also highly encouraged. The more informed advisors are, the more confident they become, which directly contributes to their success.
Developing a Unique Value Proposition
Advisors need to clearly identify what sets them apart from others in the market. This unique value proposition not only helps in attracting and retaining clients but also boosts referral generation. By highlighting their distinct strengths and offerings, advisors can build a strong, loyal client base.
By Mary Hanna, founder of Simply Mary’ed, which specializes in luxury travel, destination weddings, romance travel, family travel, and corporate travel
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