| Vacation sales are often not profitable but the | | | | going to pay their way. A vacation sales agent is |
| reason is typically a lack of productivity among | | | | essentially a salesperson. Potential clients come to |
| sales agents. It is well known in this industry that | | | | your agency with an idea about a vacation, and |
| a really top-notch vacation agent can be | | | | these leads need to be converted into sales. Your |
| extremely productive and produce significant | | | | agents need to learn how to close the sale! Many |
| profits for an agency. | | | | volumes have been written about closing skills and |
| These vacation sales giants have some | | | | how they can be developed. Some people say |
| characteristics in common: | | | | that a good salesperson is born, not developed. In |
| - They give top quality service. | | | | any case, everyone can improve. |
| - They have a loyal clientele. | | | | The essential steps in vacation salesmanship |
| - They are efficient. | | | | include: |
| - They know how to close a sale. | | | | - Identifying a lead. |
| These agents are essentially consultants to | | | | - Qualifying a lead. |
| vacations travelers, knowledgeable enough to | | | | - Following-up. |
| advise about choice of destination, choice of | | | | - Closing. |
| package, itinerary, and so forth. | | | | Whenever a client wanders into your agency with |
| The training that is required to develop one of | | | | a few questions about a trip to Mexico, picks up a |
| these vacation sales stars must include the | | | | couple of brochures, and then wanders out again, |
| following: destination training, techniques for closing | | | | an opportunity for a sale has been lost. A |
| a sale, and efficient use of systems for handling | | | | top-notch salesperson in an agency would not let |
| business. This is very much in contrast to a | | | | a prospective client wander in, select a brochure, |
| commercial travel agent. Destination knowledge | | | | and wander out. Your agents need to be trained |
| for a commercial agent is a low priority while | | | | to see these inquiries as opportunities for sales, |
| systems efficiency is a high priority. A vacation | | | | and they need to be trained in skills and |
| agent, on the other hand, is primarily a consultant | | | | techniques for converting shoppers to buyers. |
| and must be knowledgeable about the destinations | | | | As in any kind of training program, the important |
| being sold. | | | | element is to make your point and then |
| Destination Training | | | | constantly monitor and counsel your agents |
| Any good salesperson will tell you that product | | | | regarding their performance. Watch the number |
| knowledge is absolutely crucial for effective sales. | | | | of inquiries compared to the number of sales; |
| You probably have observed yourself that agents | | | | track the ratio and publish it. Everyone knows |
| who have visited Mexico are much better able sell | | | | that ego is a prime motivator for salespeople. |
| Mexico to their clients. FAM trips, therefore, are | | | | Publishing agents' performance in closing sales can |
| an important training tool for vacation agents. | | | | be a strong incentive. |
| Many agencies use FAM trips as employment | | | | Systems |
| perks instead of as training devices. | | | | It is extremely important that your vacation |
| To use your FAM trips as training, first decide | | | | agents be supported with systems and |
| what destinations your agency sells or would like | | | | procedures that help them maintain a high |
| to sell. Schedule your vacation agents on FAM | | | | productivity level. It's up to you to provide the |
| trips to these locations. Destination training is also | | | | systems and the appropriate training. |
| available from many package suppliers. Again, | | | | For example, whenever a visitor comes in for a |
| focus your training efforts on destinations that | | | | brochure, it's extremely important that a name |
| your agency sells. If Las Vegas is your biggest | | | | and address be obtained and perhaps some |
| vacation market, then invest your staff's time in | | | | additional information about destination interest. |
| Las Vegas training. | | | | What happens to that data? Who collects it? |
| Finally, there are tremendous resource materials | | | | Where is it kept? Who follows up and when? |
| available about specific destinations. Build a | | | | Management must develop a follow-up system |
| reference library of material for your vacation | | | | and train agents to use it. |
| agents. Again, your library should emphasize the | | | | Similarly, vacation agents generally handle |
| destinations that you sell. | | | | somewhat complicated financial transactions for |
| The bottom line is product knowledge. What is it | | | | their clients. Deposits are collected, checks are |
| that you are selling and how can you train your | | | | sent out, payments are made. You need to |
| agents to know that product? If you are selling a | | | | provide your agents with a system for tracking all |
| particular package, train on that package. If you | | | | of that activity and train them to use it |
| are selling a particular destination, train on that | | | | accurately and efficiently. |
| destination. | | | | To summarize, as you develop your training |
| Many large vacation agencies have very | | | | programs for vacation agents, you need to train |
| successfully developed specialties for particular | | | | your agents in three ways: |
| agents. Thus, an agency might have a Caribbean | | | | - As consultants - who need extremely |
| specialist and a European specialist. Such specialties | | | | high-quality destination knowledge in order to |
| are a tremendous resource to your agency and | | | | serve your clients. |
| can be internally utilized for training. For instance, | | | | - As salespeople - who need closing skills in order |
| your agency's European specialist can host | | | | to turn shoppers into buyers. |
| destination training seminars for newly hired staff | | | | - As production personnel - who need systems to |
| or less experienced staff. | | | | keep track of all the activity going on in your |
| Closing the Sale | | | | agency. |
| A good vacation travel agent is not just an | | | | If you invest in your vacation agents, tremendous |
| information library. If your agents sit at their | | | | payoffs are possible in productivity, agency |
| desks all day responding to inquiries and handing | | | | reputation and professionalism. |
| out brochures when requested, they are never | | | | |