Service is resumed

01-Aug-08

In 1999, I gave a speech at the inaugural session of the Luxury Travel Expo, with a back-to-the-future theme. Booking travel through the internet was gaining momentum, and the industry was questioning whether travel agents would have any relevancy against the online juggernaut.

Agents had become secondary to the travel products they were selling and were viewed as an expendable distribution channel. Their future looked bleak, but in that talk, I predicted that they would eventually return to their original prestigious role, as trusted advisers.

Well, that time has arrived. As the growth of online travel slows down, agents are once again sought as valuable experts. This is great news for you and for the luxury travel industry as a whole, but the new challenge facing us is how to build relationships that people are willing to pay for, particularly in a period of economic slowdown.

Order-takers still exist to some extent, someone who makes hotel reservations or books a week-long package tour, but the savvy travel agent has evolved into an adviser with whom travellers have a personal bond. Advisers don't limit themselves by selling the 'off-the-shelf' products - they specialise in customisation, and are experts not just in the trips they plan, but also in the clients they serve.

Relationship-building

Instead of earning a salary through commissions from bookings, these advisers provide a unique collaborative process and deep understanding, which warrants a fee that clients readily pay. In fact, the connection between a client and adviser is so significant that, in time, what the traveller purchases is a secondary by-product of that relationship.

In selling the value of the relationship, it's key that you, as a travel professional, serve the affluent, not the rich. This advice may seem counter intuitive, but there is a vast difference in the mindset and psychology of these two groups. The rich may view fees as the cost of doing business, thereby making you expendable - they won't necessarily appreciate the expertise in crafting one-of-a-kind trips. Rather than recognise you as a valuable resource, you become just another person they pay to get what they want.

Those considered affluent have trusted advisers, professionals with whom they collaborate and pay for the advice and wisdom they receive in the exchange. With the affluent, you are part of their team - appreciated, respected and an expert in their lifestyle, not simply their travel. This client genuinely values effort and time and, as a result, you will benefit from an enduring relationship.

Targeting service

In seeking out clients who are willing to pay for your insight, you shouldn't be afraid to let go of those who don't value you. Your talent is something that travellers looking for unequalled experiences can't find elsewhere, and you want to spend your precious time serving people who realise this. Lightening your load will allow you to concentrate on catering to your existing client base and seek out new clientele who merit your services. The end result? You will have a business where you work solely with people who value your worth, and that translates into increased economic gain.

This might sound like a lofty goal. But for the travel agent who recasts himself as an adviser, you have the unique opportunity to redefine your profession and your income.

Virtuoso is the industry's leading leisure travel network, based in the US. A by-invitation-only organisation, it comprises more than 6,000 elite travel specialists associated with more than 300 agencies in 22 countries in North and South America, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, as well as over 1,000 of the world's best travel providers and premier destinations. - What do you think about this issue?

Email us your views to alyson.cook@haymarket.com and the best will be published on our website, www.luxurytravelmagazine.co.uk.