Power of referrals & other tips

"If you don't train your salespeople, it's the equivalent of saying to a medical student: 'See that guy over there? He's very sick. Go treat him. If he lives, you're a doctor; otherwise, you're not.' "

That was sales consultant Dan Tyler, president of sales consulting firm Tyler and Associates of St. George, Utah, discussing sales skills at the recent ASTA World Travel Congress in Strasbourg, France.

Following are more tidbits from his presentation:

According to research, 86% of clients will give a referral if they're asked -- and only 12% of salespeople ask. False modesty might be one reason more people don't take this step, according to Tyler.

That's when it seems natural to say, "I'm happy you're pleased with my service -- do you have any friends or relatives who are planning a trip?"

The second-best time: During a specific booking ask, "Who else do you know who wants to go to Disney World?"

Consider developing a company sales manual to make the training process easier. This needn't be a glossy, expensive brochure. A few well-thought-out pages are all that's really necessary.

Putting your company's specific sales policies in writing helps ensure employee consistency and provides a referral source when questions come up.

Every manual should include a mission statement that outlines company goals and management's expectations from employees. This statement "can be as short as a paragraph or as long as several pages," said Tyler.

Also on tap at the ASTA World Travel Congress in Strasbourg, France, was Olympic speed skater Bonnie Blair, who provided a pep talk to an audience of travel agents facing tough times.

Though Blair's five gold medals are more than any other American woman has won in Olympic history, she considers her best race a 1,500-meter competition where she placed fourth, just missing the bronze medal. That was at the Lillehammer, Norway, Olympics of 1994.

Although reporters crowded around after the race saying, "You must be so disappointed," in fact, "I was on top of the world," she said.

"I'd skated [that particular race] faster than I'd ever skated it before [during competition]."

What was important for Blair that day was "doing what I'd set out to do. Sure, I would've been happier if I'd won a medal, but I'd accomplished a personal best."

According to Blair, there are "three critical essentials" to achieving one's personal best -- dedication, a sense of balance and the willingness to take a risk.

Passion for one's calling "is a big part of the dedication process," she said. "I never lost my love for my sport, which helped me get out there when I was having a bad day."

Finally, she said, "in the sport of speed skating, it's you and the clock. There's no other guy to blame. And that's what it's like in our real lives every day."

Do you consider the upcoming holidays an intrusion on your busy professional life or a great opportunity for some meaningful client contact?

Keep in mind the 80/20 rule (80% of your business comes from 20% of your clients) and do something special or different for those clients. It doesn't take an unlimited budget or an enormous amount of time to be creative.

If you send religious holiday cards, you could also enclose a smaller card, also available from greeting card stores, with a motivational quote or bit of poetry -- preferably with a travel theme.

If you are sending secular cards, how about enclosing a scratch-off holiday lottery ticket?

Whichever card you choose, also enclose your business card.

If you have a detailed database that includes client interests, send them subscriptions to a hobby-specific magazine.

By checking out the sales tables at bookstores, you can often find inexpensive coffee-table books on such travel-worthy topics as regional cooking.

Or think of your clients who are already under deposit for 2000 and get them a guidebook for the area they will be visiting.

Another idea is to buy a bottle of Italian wine for the clients who will be visiting Italy or macadamia nuts for your Hawaii clients.

If you're really feeling generous, you could create a holiday basket that contains a few food items, travel books and other inexpensive but useful travel items.

Showing appreciation and recognition to your best clients will keep you in their minds well beyond the holidays.

As for me, I wanted to thank all of you for your very kind comments during the past year. I wish you a happy and healthy holiday season.

Lucy Hirleman, CTC, MCC, owns Berkshire Travel in Newfoundland, N.J. E-mail her at [email protected]; fax to (973) 208-1204.