Trust in your value, agents are told

Trust in your value, agents are told
By admin


Travel agents must sell dreams, trust their own ability and rid themselves of the fear factor if they are to become better at closing out a sale, a seminar has heard.

Consultants must also uncover what a customers’ major motivation is for taking holiday. Only that way can they genuinely tailor an itinerary which suits the needs and “wows” the client. That in turn will create the confidence to ask for a deposit.

The advice, delivered at a ‘closing the sale’ workshop at Travelscene’s National Consultants Conference, came as a survey revealed 84% of Travelscene agents fail to ask for the booking at the end of a consultation.

Sales and marketing expert Anthony Bonnici, from Move Mountains consultancy, began by telling agents they should quit if they believe they are in the business of selling travel.

“You should resign from your job and go home,” he joked with delegates in Alice Springs. “Webjet sells travel. They sell a hotel and an airfare. If you believe you are up against the Internet it will drive you nuts. You are in the business of selling dreams and experiences. That holiday of a lifetime. If you have that at the forefront of your mind you will do a better job.”

Bonnici said agents – along with sales people in many industries – wear “brain blinkers” which limits their belief and confidence in securing a booking.

Among the barriers are a fear of rejection if they do ask for a deposit and a fear of confrontation in the unlikely event of a customer becoming irritated at being asked to book.

Agents also “filter” information and pick out the negatives in a conversation. Such behaviour is not unusual but must be overcome, Bonnici said.

“A prospective client might say “I’m only looking” when they’ve also said many positive things about wanting a holiday. But we tend to only pick up that one negative comment and think that customer is not ready to book a holiday,” he said. “You must look for the positives.”

Agents who have previously failed to secure the sale after asking for a deposit will be plagued with self doubt, he added, underlining the in-built human tendency to dwell on the negatives.

“We emotionalise things. When we fail, we think we’re a failure,” Bonnici said. “Rather than focus on that, imagine what it would be like to close the sale.”

He urged agents not to sell on price or to assume a product is too expensive. “Re-affirm your value,” he said. “Never pre-judge people and what they can afford.”

Latest News

  • Cruise

Silversea sets sail on its 2025 World Cruise

Experiential luxury and expedition travel brand, Silversea, has set sail on its 2025 World Cruise, Controtempo, taking guests to 59 destinations over 136 days. The cruise set sail from Tokyo on 13 January and arrives in New York on 29 May 2025. Guests will experience many of the most iconic cities and off-the-beaten-path gems in […]

  • Hotels

Dusit International announces two new hotels in the Philippines

Thailand hotel and property development company Dusit International has strengthened its presence in the Philippines with two new hotels in Mindanao, set to open in late 2029. The company, represented in the Philippines by Dusit Thani Philippines Inc., has signed hotel management agreements with IDC Prime. IDC Prime is a wholly owned subsidiary of Italpinas […]

  • Destinations
  • Hotels

Elite Havens adds luxury new villa to its portfolio

Elite Havens, a premier luxury villa rental and management provider, has added a new villa to its existing portfolio of over 250 villas now available for rent in Phuket, Thailand. The Surin Seaview Villa is a three-storey hillside retreat nestled on the hills of Phuket’s beautiful west coast and offers breathtaking views of the Andaman […]

  • Destinations
  • Events

Lunar New Year celebrations across Asia

As the Lunar New Year approaches, various destinations around Asia have announced the different celebrations they have lined up. Fire show, live band, instrumentalists, and bartenders flair show The Anam Group’s two beachfront resorts in Cam Ranh and Mui Ne will celebrate the most significant time in the Vietnamese calendar, Tet, with a broad spectrum […]

  • Conferences

The Australian Tourism Exchange heads to Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from 27 April

The Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) will be held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from 27 April to 1 May 2025. Tourism Australia requires all sellers attending the event to submit a front panel graphic with one image representing their business for marketing purposes at ATE25, while Destination NSW requires sellers to submit a […]

  • Appointments
  • News

New acting CEO of Destination NSW appointed

Karen Jones has commenced her role as Acting CEO of Destination NSW, taking the reins for an interim period of approximately six months. During this time, the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport will recruit for a permanent CEO. Jones brings over 27 years of leadership experience in state and local government. Most […]