Choose Your Customers –
Three Reasons that Choosing Customers is Good for Your Business
The most important decision you will make in your travel business is who you serve. Choosing a customer segment will save time, increase your profit, and most importantly, bring you more joy.
Yet we hesitate to take a stand. We continue to spend time on people who don't commit, and waste time “picking our brains”.
In a recent study of frontline advisors, less than 20% of advisors manage tire kickers effectively, 20% are holding their own, and a whopping 60% are struggling.
Tire kickers have increased since the pandemic. Consumers are roaming from source to source looking for answers on how to navigate the new world of travel.
Choosing your customers allows you to make the “shift” from reacting to inquiries, to proactively choosing your customers.
When you decide WHO to work with, it is a triple win of time-saving, money-making, and greater fulfillment. Here are a few examples.
1. Save Time
When you take a customer-centric approach you save time by reducing the time it takes to find and serve like-minded people.
Consider the real estate agent who specializes in the “empty nester”. They become an expert in understanding the needs of customers who are looking to downsize. They are ready to pounce on a new listing the moment it comes onto the market. They don't have to know anything about 4-level condos or homes built on a cliff.
In a similar way, becoming a customer expert in your travel business saves you time because, as they say, birds of a feather, flock together. Therefore they become easier to find, and engage, AND are more likely to enjoy similar travel experiences.
2. More money
A customer-centric approach is also more profitable. CSG Digital Marketing Solution put it this way:
What is your business’s greatest asset?
Many would say money in the bank, but in reality, this particular asset is simply an effect;
Money comes from your customers and understanding these customers
is key to creating more value within the business.
When you deeply understand the needs of your ideal customer, your advice becomes "priceless".
For example, what is your expert advice worth to the following customers?
The overworked business owner looking to reconnect with his or her partner to save their marriage.
The exhausted mother of the bride who needs a “mother moon” after the wedding.
The bucket list traveller looking to find the elusive Big 7 on their African safari.
When you invest in earning a customer's trust by providing a priceless experience, they come back again and again, AND they tell their friends about you. That is why choosing your customers is your greatest return on investment.
3. Greater Fulfilment
What is the recipe for greater fulfillment?
Doing work you love + with people you enjoy + the way you love = FULFILMENT
The travel industry is rich with passion. We are fortunate to do work we love until we don’t love it anymore.
Feeling overworked, stuck in a rut, and out of control is not fulfilling. In fact, it can lead to burnout. When you choose your customers, it can mean the difference between joy and pain.
A word of caution. Choosing your customers does not mean waiting for the phone to ring. You need to pick it up and invite people into a conversation about their travel plans.
It also does not mean turning away business. You don’t know whether someone is your ideal customer without asking enough questions!
Consider the young backpacker that just sold his technology business for a billion dollars or the humble farmer who is now worth a fortune in real estate.
We all remember Julia Roberts' perfect comeback to the snarky salesperson in Pretty Women. “Remember me… Big, big mistake, HUGE.”
Your ideal customer may be on the other side of a great discovery call.
It may take a little longer, and you may struggle at first to say no, but in the end, proactively choosing your customers based on your value is the most important step to keeping the flame alive! (Find out HOW at our next 30 on Thursday's Webinar, April 20!)
Points to Ponder:
Consider making these adjustments to your current go-to-market strategy.
For more information on how to find your ideal customer reach out! I run workshops for owners and advisors who are looking to "Make the Shift!"
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Events with Geraldine Ree
Join our next 30 on Thursdays:
Thursday, April 27th at 9:00 AM PST, 12 Noon EST
Topic: Leads for Life: How to generate a steady flow of high-value clients.
Join us as we create a fast, fun, and financially rewarding seminar on rebuilding the travel industry.
This session is open to all Agency Owners, Advisors, and Suppliers.
Where the passion for business and travel meet!
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If you are looking for a business coach to take your business to the next level I am accepting applications for my one-year Mentorship program.
Are you:
A go-getter, ready to take your business to the next level?
Are you tired of not getting to what matters most?
Are you flying by the seat of your pants and ready for a better way?
Would you like a guide to help you plan a successful and scaleable business?
Do you support recruiting top talent or finding help so you can grow to your full potential?
If you answered YES to one or more of these my mentorship program might be just what you need! Let's talk! Sometimes, all you need is to get a better perspective on your options.
I help high-achieving travel professionals break through, find another gear and leap forward!
Enjoy the journey!
Sincerely,
PS
Please register HERE for our next 30 on Thursdays, April 27, at 9:00 am PST, 12 Noon ET!
Order 10X My Travel Business here.
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If you are interested in knowing more about my 2023 programs check out: geraldine@geraldineree.com
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