Cruise Holidays announced new lead management capabilities within AgentMate (formerly CruiseWeb) designed to transform more prospects into booked clients, the franchiser reports.
The new tool was unveiled during Cruise Holidays’ 2013 Annual Convention aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Breakaway. The lead management system will “go live” by the end of November.
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The basic concept is that of an online “lead card” within AgentMate, which will take the place of quote forms, index cards or any other offline paper system that many agents may have been accustomed to using through the years, Cruise Holidays says.
The other primary function that accompanies the lead card is the ability to quickly generate a quote, and ultimately, a new reservation for a client.
How It Works: Agents enter basic client information on the electronic lead card, plus the potential destination and date of departure. As part of the lead card, agents can easily see the date of their last contact as well as their next follow-up. They can also set reminders to check in with the client. Within that enhanced environment, the agent can create a quick quote or even multiple sample itineraries that could easily be provided to the client. If the client makes a purchase, their information is already captured in AgentMate, thus making the reservation ready to book and quickly created.
Benefits for Sales Supervisors: There are a number of benefits to agencies that are currently having a difficult time of supervising sales and close rates, yet wish for that capability. AgentMate is able to run a report on open leads, show which clients need follow-up and determine who “owns” the next step. Supervisors can distribute leads based on different parameters, such as workflow and expertise. For example, a supervisor can push a lead to an agent that has the least backlog in order to ensure prompt follow-up with the prospect. In the latter example, leads can be distributed based on agent skill sets – for example, if a particular agent is strong with a specific destination or cruise line, leads can be assigned accordingly.
“Based on initial feedback, our franchise owners are pleased with the framework that this is offering them. Between the lead card and the lead notification, it helps franchise owners get more involved in the sales process to ensure that no lead goes untended,” said Kevin Weisner, senior vice president, Cruise Holidays International.
“Unfortunately, a piece of paper can really only be tracked by the person who created it, but with AgentMate, we’re suddenly looking at a whole new way of presenting quotes to prospects and converting them into sales. It also becomes a valuable resource in identifying where an agent may need guidance and coaching," Weisner says.
Weisner noted that this development creates greater value to franchise owners by adding another layer of what Cruise Holidays offers, yet does not inundate them with more technology.
“Our franchise owners are already very familiar with how to use AgentMate for customer relationship management, booking, and accounting. This enhancement gets useful information into AgentMate earlier in the relationship between the agent and the client, without really adding any extra work on the agent’s part, ultimately to help them close more sales.”
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