Agent Diary: Spending time with key travel industry people is invaluable

A few weeks ago, I was travelling from London to Porto on an easyJet flight to the naming ceremony on the Douro for APT’s fabulous Estrela.

 

I feel embarrassed admitting this, but I was a little nervous and out of my comfort zone. This may seem strange, as I’ve been in travel for so long now, but as I get older I’m losing my confidence. At the airport, I hadn’t seen many people I knew, so this feeling had grown and I was feeling super anxious as I boarded the plane.

 

And relax...

 

It turned out I really didn’t need to feel that way at all. Once on the aircraft, I was so pleased to be sitting next to Jonny Peat from Advantage. We chatted the whole flight and, by the time we landed, I felt much more like my old self. But what was really brilliant was that, just by chatting to Jonny, I realised how important it is to have time with key industry people such as him. In that short flight, we worked together on a ‘cunning plan’ to help me at Ponders with a strategy to increase our already successful group business.

 

We discussed ideas, key contacts, the correct approach and timelines. We also chatted about how valuable the many departments at Advantage are, especially to a business as small as ours. At one point in my career, I knew all our key cruise contacts and would help others get their voices heard by the right people. But rapidly changing personnel makes this much harder, so people such as Jonny and his contacts are invaluable.

 

Not only this, but talking through your ideas – and listening to the support from the many departments at Advantage – is almost essential. Why don’t I use Advantage’s resources more? We already use its marketing department a lot, taking many of the over-branded magazines, e-blasts and window cards. But my time with Jonny reminded me there is so much more on offer than I had realised.

 

I vowed that, as a result of our chance chat, I would make sure to look at more of the things that Advantage has to offer. 

 

Full support

 

It’s timely that at the partnership’s recent conference, Advantage has rebranded and has a fabulous new look and vision. So there has never been a better time to work with your consortium. If you are looking for managed services and commercial partnerships, or marketing support, networking opportunities, global connectivity, business insurance, bonding services or cutting-edge technology platforms, Advantage delivers everything its stakeholders need to succeed in today’s rapidly evolving travel ecosystem.

 

As I said to Jonny later that same day, he has no idea how much of a big hug and comfort he was to an old girl in travel – thank you.

 

On the subject of ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know’, I am currently on the Seine with 40 clients with Riviera Travel, and it is beyond lovely that I know all of them very well. The beauty of taking escorted tours that you host yourself means you will come to know your clients better. They genuinely become like family.

 

 

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