Travel Counsellors has announced a seven-step sales process prototype to help its homeworking agents boost bookings and referrals.
The TC Way was unveiled at Travel Counsellors’ 25th anniversary conference in Manchester by Karina Fox-Andrews and sales expert Anthony Iannarino.
Fox-Andrews said 24% of Travel Counsellors customers referred new customers, and with £7 billion human-to-human assisted travel market, there was “opportunity” to increase referrals to Travel Counsellors increases its 4.6% share of that market.
Iannarino said there are three simple sales models: lowest price, always best product and customer intimacy. He urged Travel Counsellors to focus on the latter.
“It’s your job to create friction with your customers,” he said. “Ask them questions that no one else asks them. Give them an experience that they know they can’t get elsewhere.”
He said to do this Travel Counsellors should remember to appreciate the value they create, “care more than anyone else”, follow through on promises to gain trust and be pro-active.
The seven steps of The TC Way sales process are: make contact regularly, gain commitment, build intimacy, create options, present quotes, overcome objections and secure bookings.
Fox-Andrews said: “If you don’t embrace that process every step of the way for a customer then you aren’t doing it the TC Way.”
Iannarino, who said a survey from another firm he works with found that the most successful salespeople blamed themselves and those struggling blamed external influences, added: “You can all do this. The question is how many of you will do this?”
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