Don’t waste time with time-wasters, agents told
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Agents must learn to avoid clients they don’t want and to develop strategies to deal with time-wasters, said AITO Agents’ deputy chairman Ted Wake (pictured above).
Wake, who is joint managing director of upmarket tour operator Kirker Holidays, told agents attending the joint AITO and AITO Agents conference in Vilnius that it was pointless chasing every sale.
Addressing a ‘Hot Topics’ session, Wake said: “Decide to avoid clients you don’t want. Make a conscious effort to avoid clients for whom cheapness remains the key priority.”
Instead, he said agents should build their relationships with existing clients who already value their service and finding ‘the right sort’ of new client. “We need to understand that not everybody is right for us,” he added.
To those agents who are investing in a shop refit, Wake said they should ensure the design would not appeal to everyone.
“Your business environment needs to appeal to those who can afford and value your service,” he added.
“You need to say somewhere, maybe on your website, that not everyone is welcome here.”
Wake said that turning away business sent a very powerful signal to existing clients that not everyone can afford your service.
“You should be proud of the fact that you may not be the cheapest but you offer the best value for money.”
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by Linsey McNeill
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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