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| Vice President - Content/Editorial Director, Ruthanne Terrero |
There are many reasons for choosing a consortium but it all comes down to what’s in the toolbox it provides to you.
The toolbox is not just the technology you’re given to sell with, it’s more the intangibles, the human aspect of being part of a larger group.
For example, does your consortium provide you with a network of other agents whom you can go to easily for advice or basic, yet specific, information as to how to find a land operator in Chile who uses vintage automobiles for transfers?
Does it also provide you with networking opportunities that allow you to get together with other members so you can collaborate on trends and challenges that you’re facing?
What about education? Do you feel that you’re being trained on the latest technology, destinations and social networking tools as much as the other agents you meet with at events that are provided outside of your consortium?
Is there a human on the other side of the phone when you call to inquire about specific programs within your consortium?
How about the way suppliers look at your travel agency group? Do they respect you when you are in contact with them or does the name of your consortium not excite them at all when you introduce yourself?
These elements are important, because no matter how the travel agency arena evolves, it’s still a business built on human relationships that have been honed by meeting in a face-to-face environment.
About that toolbox. The tangibles are important as well. How easy is it for you to pitch a vacation to a client, based on the content you’re provided by your consortium? Do you sound brilliant as you’re speaking to them because you’ve got so much rich detail at your fingertips? Or are you floundering and Googling destinations a mile a minute in search of the right answer because you haven’t been provided with a portal you can go to that is just for your group?
Is the technology intuitive and understandable? Is it constantly being updated for the better or do you feel as if you’re using an archaic system that’s light years behind what competing agencies are using?
Do you have the right preferred vendors in place to help do more than get your client from Point A to Point B or are you constantly filling in the puzzle pieces by looking online for suppliers who can help you create a more enhancing vacation experience for your client?
The bottom line is, if you’re part of a larger group but still feel as if you’re on your own, it might be time to make a switch. Take a look at the offerings served up by each consortia leader on pages 26 through 33 in this issue and remember that those profiled are just a selection of the players available to you. For more information on other consortia, visit www.TravelAgentCentral.com.
On a final note, you must remember that the most important tool in your toolbox is you. If you don’t jump out of bed every morning brimming with ideas on how to make your clients’ trips better or with tangible ways on how to expand your business offerings, discipline yourself so that you do. If you don’t have the correct “can-do” temperament in place to drive your business, no consortia is going to help you to do that.