1. How To Generate Leads

Once you have decided to start your career as a travel agent, you should by now know that to generate income and create a living for yourself; you will need to find customers. Generating new customer leads is the single most important part of your business, and it should consume at least 70% of your daily operations. Without leads you have no business, so make generating leads your business.

Check Out This 7 Step Guide On How To Generate Leads Online For Your Travel Business.

2. How To Qualify A Lead

If you are an experienced travel agent, you have probably dealt with the infamous “Tire Kickers.” For those new to the business, it is important for you to know that there will be clients who submit inquiry forms through your website or call you to send them quotes for an upcoming trip, with no real intention to buy. If you do not learn to properly qualify your leads before you invest a lot of hours in research and submitting quotes, you will end up wasting a lot of time making no money, which will cause inevitable frustration and doubt in the potential success of your business. Properly qualifying your leads will not only save you time, but it will also save your business.

Check Out This Article On How To Properly Qualify Your Leads.

3. How To Close A Sale

First of all, once you start working as a professional travel agent, you should accept and acknowledge the fact that you are in sales. Generating leads will be an absolute waste if you do not know how to turn leads into customers. When you have done your job to the best of your ability, and you are confident you are providing great value for that potential customer, you should have no problem asking for that credit card number. Just remember, No Sales, No Commissions.

4. How To Build A Niche

Customers will start seeking your services when you learn to specialize. Travel is one massive industry and everything looks lovely. Unfortunately, you cannot be a master of everything so you will have to pick a few things that you can master and be known for. When you develop and master your niche, you do not need to go looking for customers, as they will come searching for you.

Check Out This Article On How To Build A Niche Market

5. How To Create Repeat Business

Repeat clients will be the o9cornerstones of your business. When you service a client for the first time, in the back of your mind, you should be thinking about how you make this customer your customer for life. You should be thinking about how you can provide such an exceptional level of service that they put your number on speed dial for anytime they think about traveling. When you have managed to establish a substantial base of repeat business, you will find yourself working less and earning more.

6. How To Network

Networking is an essential tool for travel agents for many reasons. Not only is it a great way to find new customers and develop a niche, but networking also helps to create valuable business relationships with other industry professionals, that can be used later on when you need to call in favors. Running a home based business does not mean that you don’t ever have to leave your home. You can do that if you wish but by not going out and building new strategic relationships, you will be robbing your business of its true potential to grow.

7. How To Solve Problems

Travel agents are professional problems solvers. Clients will come to you for answers they cannot find anywhere on the Internet. They will pick up the phone and call you when they are in the middle of their trip and fall into a situation that they need help getting out of. To be great at your job and stand out from the Internet and others, you need to be creative and resourceful in providing answers and solutions whenever needed.

8. How To Add Value

It is almost impossible for you to be successful as a travel agent if your intention is to try to compete on price. You are not a deal finder; you are a service provider. Your value should come from the services you provide, and if you are good enough at it, you will never have to try to justify or compete on price.

9. How To Negotiate

Negotiations are at the center of every deal. Whether that deal is between you and a client, or with the vendor on behalf of a customer, you will find yourself very often in situations where you will need to negotiate strongly to achieve your end goal.

10. How To Be Efficient

There are only so many hours in a day. You cannot dedicate them all to your business as that would mean you are not having any quality of life. One of the downsides to becoming successful in any business is that the busier you get, the more of your time your business will consume. If you do not equip yourself with the right tools and systems, then logistics will eat up your time and your personal life and business will suffer. Working hard is important, but working smart is even more critical to achieving a