14 | Winning In The Tech Era Without a doubt, from a high-level view, technology is transforming travel and the role of travel advisors in the travel process. But for those who embrace it, tech tools only enhance the offerings and services provided. “Technology integrates nicely as long as you’re staying abreast of what both the industry is offering/using, as well as what your clients are using,” Wiggins believes “Vetting their communication style is key for a successful collaboration It is imperative to understand which new tech tools are current, as well as upcoming Keeping a pulse on it isn’t easy, and referencing resources; attending seminars and chatting with fellow peers will make the difference In addition, pilot programs to test such tech is also very helpful Overall, within the industry, technology is key and there is no going back What the old guard may wish for, ie, paper tickets/documents, is no longer, and bringing peers and clients forward into technology actually makes it fun and exciting Travel advisors can sometimes be a client’s first entry point to technology that they otherwise would not be actively using” Shultz points out that: “Overall, technology is essential to advisors, from both a business operations perspective, as well as a customer service perspective Travel advisors now have the capability to reach customers from all over the world, and with that newfound freedom, they need to operate as effectively and efficiently as possible Having a comprehensive business CRM is essential to operating the business That CRM should be the backbone of all business-related tasks while also a resource to perform research for various travel options In addition, technology is changing the way that customers engage in the vacation planning process Access to mobile apps to manage their vacation plans, or to websites to find promotions or deals, are simply part of the expectations that customers have” The bottom line is that, as Saltarelli says, “Technology is allowing us to focus on the most important part of planning travel, and allows us access to curate exactly what the client wants Clients value our services and understand they are receiving an experience they would not receive otherwise” TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING THE ROLE OF TRAVEL ADVISORS “Advisors need to spend time knowing what tools they have and how to use them fully. Like many things driven by technology, we underutilize the full capabilities of the system by either not learning about it, or only choosing to use the few processes we ‘like’ or originally purchased the technology to use.” – Enrico Saltarelli, ACC, MCC, land & cruise specialist, Cruise Planners ® independent franchise owner