For Travel Agents: The Art of the Client Referral Jul 25th 2013, 23:45
Social media and electronic marketing have incredible capabilities, so I hope you’re leveraging them for their ease of use, quick-to-market speed and exceptionally low cost. They are tools you should definitely be using, but I’ll bet most of you are overlooking and/or underutilizing one of the most powerful and productive marketing tools in your repertoire—the referral.
Make no mistake, it is important to take advantage of all the electronic capabilities out there and one look at Facebook, for example, will validate that many spend several hours a week using it. Investing time in doing so is a must, but I’d wager that for most people balancing that time investment with leveraging the endorsement of your best customers to acquire new clients is at least as productive. Here are some thoughts on how to put this technique to good use:
Get over the fear factor: Existing clients and contacts are a treasure trove of new business. Most will be flattered that you asked for a referral and the worst that can happen is that they respectfully decline to do so. It’s low risk. Remember that you’re not imposing by asking for referrals! Your client already likes and trusts you— otherwise they wouldn’t be doing business with you. They know that you’ll do an equally good job for their friends.
Always be on the lookout for potential clients: Who’s in the news? Who just got a promotion? What type of client is typically your best? Ask your existing customers for referrals to specific people you’d like to meet. If you know that a certain individual travels a great deal or has the discretionary income to do so, who among your contacts can introduce you or at least let you use their name when approaching that person? Don’t have specific names? Ask your clients to refer you to people just like them. People tend to have friends in similar social and economic positions and similar interests.
Remember that timing is everything: Ask for referrals from your existing clients when you’re two-thirds through the current purchase process, not when your clients are about to depart. Why? Because at this stage you will undoubtedly have built a positive, personal relationship with them and their enthusiasm for it will probably be at its zenith. In spite of your best communication efforts, it’s probable that two months after they’ve returned, they just won’t have the same emotional engagement. It’s human nature, so plan accordingly.
Don’t expect your clients to do your marketing: It might be tempting to ask an enthusiastic and supportive client to actually promote you to their friends. All you’re looking for is an introduction or just the approval to use that client’s name when you contact someone else. When you do contact the referral, be sure to get your referring client’s name into the conversation immediately, especially if you’re making a cold call. Just as we all have a low tolerance for telemarketers, the referral will give you only a few seconds before deciding whether or not to tune out and a familiar name will make a huge difference in their willingness to continue the conversation.
Remember what to say and how to say it: Forget the specials and flash sales. Unless your referring party specifically told you that the referral was interested in a particular product, service or destination, the likelihood of offering something that’s interesting to the prospect is virtually zero. Just introduce yourself and spend the bulk of the time learning a bit about them, their interests, past travel experiences and so on. Once you’ve begun to establish an initial relationship, you can inquire if they’ve considered their next trip. If not, ask if you can keep in touch, perhaps sending them some information occasionally, or ask if you might have an email address for your monthly travel tips and update. If after you’ve tried calling the referral a few times, leave a voice mail asking for a convenient time to call back. Leave an email address to which the prospect can respond and don’t forget to use your referring client’s name in the voice mail.
Make sure you stick with it: The vast majority of salespeople give up too soon even with the entrée provided by using the referring contact’s name or even by their introduction. Being regularly in touch with your new acquaintance, however, will usually be key in gaining their business over time.
Make it a point to solicit referrals regularly and know how to leverage them for your success! They are still one of your most powerful tools.
Jack Mannix, CTC, is head of his own consulting firm, Jack E. Mannix & Associates (www.jackemannix.com). He also serves as chairman of The Travel Institute. You can reach him by emailing jmannix@jackemannix.com. This column is adapted from one set to appear in the July 2013 issue of Agent@Home magazine.
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