“Today, they must be skilled at curating it – sorting through the massive trolls of data and presenting to others the most relevant and clarifying pieces.”
I hope you are beginning to see that your issues, when it comes to sales, are not yours alone. There appears to be massive amounts of data available to everybody regardless of the industry.
Your job has slowly morphed into one that involves more than “having all the answers.” Your job is to decide what information is pertinent to your client’s itinerary, and to share that information in a way that can be easily internalized and used when the timing is right.
In addition, you must become good (better) at asking questions so that you can sift through the reams of available data, delete the dead wood, and highlight that which is important. In other words, it is your job to help determine what is important and what is superfluous fluff.
As easy as this may sound, it isn’t. Since everybody has access to most of the same information today, why aren’t more itineraries thoroughly researched and designed around the most important needs and wants of the client? Answer: It takes time, effort and focus. (Not to mention a sincere interest in getting the job done right.)
If you put all these requirements together, it should become obvious that only you are in position to pull this off.
Mike Marchev is a down-to-earth motivating sales trainer, author and business coach who specializes in the travel industry. Mike’s column is made possible by AmaWaterways.
