Jamie Biesiada
Travel advisors, want to get some practice talking to clients before you actually get on the phone? Try chatting with Happy Hannah, Chatty Cathy, Bargain Brenda, Overwhelmed Olivia and Grumpy Greta.
No, they're not actual people. They're AI bots from Wanderlust Campus, an educational hub and training platform for travel entrepreneurs. The bots were trained to act like clients and help advisors hone their sales and problem-solving skills.
The bots have been live for several months, and they've been getting great reviews, according to Wanderlust Campus CEO Cyndi Williams.
"The students are loving it because the whole thing is skills practice to get them more results," Williams said. After interacting with the bots, advisors are more confident when they get on the phone with clients.
The bots were trained on a lot of the concepts Wanderlust Campus teaches its students: best practices, efficient sales techniques and a consultative sales model. That consultative model, Williams said, is based around having a conversation with clients.
Advisors are encouraged not to lead with their recommendations, but to ask questions about the client, like, "Tell me how your family travels," "Tell me about the level of accommodation best for you" or "You've been to Disney before. What did you like and not like?"
If advisors aren't taking that approach, the bots will get snippy, Williams said.
As their names suggest, each bot has a unique tone and style. They can work with advisors on going through a proposal, customer-service issues and crisis management.
"We spent an incredible amount of time last year training all these models and making sure that they were getting where they need to be," Williams said.
Wanderlust Campus does have live sales practices with students, but the bots are ideal for advisors who want to practice on their own, might be a little self-conscious or just want to log more practice hours.
Williams works with her host agency partners to determine the training's effectiveness. In many cases, Wanderlust Campus-trained advisors achieve success more quickly and sell more travel.
Legato in Colorado Springs, home to about 850 advisors, is one of Wanderlust's host agency partners. Owner and president Jonathan Morris said education has been "one of the biggest areas of need in the industry." Legato is doing a hybrid model, offering Wanderlust's live sales training and bot training.
He appreciates Wanderlust's approach and affirmed that its graduates outperform their peers. "It's all about giving us the tools to better support agents," Morris said.
The bots have helped reduce anxiety, even for advisors who previously completed other training. The bot training helps advisors avoid the "deer-in-headlights look when they get that first inquiry," Morris said.