Just about the most frustrating part of your travel business will be spending countless hours doing research for leads that do not end up purchasing. Every business has its downside, and unfortunately, this is something that will be pretty much unavoidable unless you completely stop replying to leads. You can, however, cut down the number of empty leads you waste time doing research for, by developing a strategy to properly qualify your leads before you fully engage your time.
How Bad Leads Impact Your Business
1. Waste Time
Every second you spend working with a client that does not intend to purchase, another real customer gets lost to another agent. The more bad leads you work with, the more good ones you lose.
2. Frustration
The inevitable result of dealing with a high volume of clients that do not convert, is you getting frustrated and discouraged. You will lose confidence in yourself and your business.
3. Your Business Will Fail
If your time commitment is not worth the return you are getting, you will eventually quit the business. Bad leads are a serious threat to you and the success of your travel business and reducing the total number is in your absolute best interest.
The Ten Qualifying Questions You Should Ask Every Lead
1. What’s the purpose of your trip?
The reason for traveling is the single most important piece of information you need to help you determine whether a customer is serious about booking or not. The bigger the reason, the more committed they are to the trip. You will find that most of your business will come from people traveling for special occasions such as weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, honeymoons and other situations with significant meaning. This does not mean you do not work with leads that are not traveling for any particular reason other than an annual vacation. It simply means that if you were in a situation where you had to pick where you invest your time, work with the client that has a greater reason to book that trip.
2. How did you hear about me?
Know how your leads are finding you. The more credible the source of the lead, the better the quality of that lead. If the lead is a referral from a past client or friend, then that lead has a higher chance of converting. Having a website up that adequately represents your area of specialty, you will find that inquiries generated from that site are also high quality.
3. Have you worked with a travel agent before?
The best and most secure types of customers for travel agents are customers that have a history of booking their trip with a travel agent. Not only are these leads likely convert, they know what to expect and are normally easier to work with. If you find yourself with an inquiry from a client that normally books online, be sure to find out exactly why they have chosen to use a travel agent, this time, around. You do not want to be just another outlet in a price comparison process.
4. Do you have an idea of what you are looking for
Be weary of leads that have absolutely no clue what they want and want you to send them pricing for every country and every hotel you can find. Not only will this consume a lot of your time doing research, but this also means you are working with an indecisive and uncommitted client that will likely not come to a decision anytime soon, if any at all.
5. Have you already booked time off
Those serious about taking a vacation would have already done the necessary preparations required on their end such as booking time off work. If your lead has already taken these steps, it’s a good sign that they are committed to the process and it’s up to you to give them a good reason to book that trip with you.
6. Have you already done any research on your own?
Anyone serious about visiting any country or booking any travel experience will most likely do some preliminary research of their own, before contacting an agent. This lead will have an idea of what they are looking for based on their research and is now seeking expert help to verify certain information and assist with the planning process.
7. What’s your budget?
The best clients to have are the ones that are not on a budget. However, most of us are not that fortunate, so a serious traveler always has an idea of how much they want to spend and what type of experience that can get them. You do not have to take my advice on this, but I would suggest totally avoiding leads that have unrealistic expectations of what their trip should cost. I am talking about the ones that want you to get them a $4000 package for $2800. You are setting yourself up for failure by taking on this client as you already know that you will most likely be unable to fulfill their request.
8. When would you like to get this booked by?
As soon as possible is the only perfect answer for that question. If the answer is “ I am Not sure. I have to talk to my boss first to see if I can get the time off, ” then I would ask the customer to get the time off first because I will not be able to guarantee any pricing and availability I find unless he or she can commit right away.
9. Do you have any special needs or requests?
Travelers with very specific needs, preferences or requirements love travel agents. You do not only ask this question to ensure you put together the best possible package for the client, you also ask it because it will give you an indication of how much this client needs and values your service.
10. What is the most important thing you are looking to get out of the services I provide for you?
Set yourself up for success by having a clear understanding of what the full expectations are of the potential client. This information will either help you determine whether this client is the right client for you, or help you put together the type of package that will almost guarantee you the sale.
It is important for you to understand that once you integrate lead qualification into your travel business, you may lose some good ones in the process. Use your discretion and trust your instinct. Many times the client will not fit your ideal profile, but it just feels right so you work with that client anyways. However, you should also be willing to lose some good ones if you wish to cut down on the number of bad ones. Value your time and your business, and you will find it brings you greater success.
