Winning In The Tech Era | 5 2) Maintaining Accurate Product Knowledge While this challenge applies to all segments of travel, in the cruise industry there is a vast difference between some of the cruise lines or even travel options for customers Understanding the various types of products and what type of customers they serve can be extremely challenging for travel advisors Add to that the multiple destinations, embarkation/disembarkation ports, and itinerary changes that can occur Advisors need to have all that information to plan for their clients properly How tech helps: Technology can alleviate much of this dilemma by proactively informing advisors of changes related to their customers’ travel plans In addition, technology can be leveraged to use customer-driven information to derive the preferred travel options based on customers’ needs Instead of searching for any travel based on loose criteria, simply asking the right questions of the customer, and using their answers to feed the system’s algorithm, can lead to a much better conversation about the suitable travel options for that guest 3) Responding to the Changing Needs of Customers As travel evolves because of technological advances, as is the case with every industry in 2023, the expectations of customers have evolved Instead of the traditional vacation planning experience, customers are now expecting their advisors to personally curate vacations based on their specific needs How tech helps: This customization requires that advisors have access to the complete breadth of available travel options, and then use technology to help make the curation process easier Beyond that, technology can be used to present this customized vacation directly from the advisor to the customer in a new, interactive way As the marketplace changes and the demand for customization continues to grow, so, too, are the tools needed to make that experience as seamless and satisfying as possible 4) Managing Client Communications from Anywhere There was a time, not that long ago, when travel advisors had to be in the office to answer the phone (continued from page 4) in case a client or prospect called Communications have been transformed by technology in all industries, including travel “Now we have mobile communications to have our main line forwarded We can talk to a client in the office on Monday or at a resort in the Caribbean on the weekend It is seamless We can use FaceTime or Zoom, or in our case, Trip Planner, to consult with clients and send them information as they need it – all while not hiding behind written memos The advancements and continued improvements in communications technology will make it easier and easier to have strong communication tools,” describes Enrico Saltarelli, ACC, MCC, land & cruise specialist, Cruise Planners ® independent franchise owner Saltarelli goes on to say: “Going paperless and having the ability to store copious amounts of client information at our fingertips is a great advantage With our mobile app, we have as much access to our back-of-the-house legacy system as if we are at our desktop We have client intelligence on purchase history and forward-thinking processes and marketing all driven by great CRM tools” How tech helps: Mobile apps are key to managing client communications from anywhere in the world Shultz explains further: “In 2023, having a mobile application, at both the consumer and advisor level, is an absolute necessity For customers, we have reached the point where nearly everyone has a fully functioning computer in their pocket With that, there is an expectation that travel management, or payment processing, or travel research should be easy to do and readily available Travel advisors need to ensure that their customers feel that in working with them, they are not only getting the value that the advisor themselves provide, but also that they are working with someone whose tools are on par with anything that could be offered by a supplier directly. “Technology keeps getting better. In many ways, it has made our process tasks easier, or more accurate, or more presentable. It has allowed us to organize our way of doing business in a big way, even if we are a small business. In the franchise model, a new agent has access to the same technology as a top-producing agent – and that is a key success driver for them. They can focus on building their business rather than trying to create their own ‘suite’ of customer-centric tools.” – Enrico Saltarelli, ACC, MCC, land & cruise specialist, Cruise Planners® independent franchise owner