Don’t sweat the small stuff. I have heard that for decades. And I disagree vehemently. Small stuff has a way of becoming big stuff; if you are not watching it, you can be in trouble. Don’t sweat the stuff you can’t control is a better option for me.
Weather? Don’t sweat it! Flight delays? No worries. That’s all out of my control, and there is nothing I can do about it.
Now about that typo in the last email broadcast? I’d start to sweat!
We all make decisions based on first impressions. Will they go out with me again? Do I like the lines of that new Corolla? Does this guy seem like he’d be fun to hang out with?
So, what is the first impression when a travel pro sends out an email broadcast about a great trip to Columbia? The South American Country? Well, to someone looking to go to Colombia, it might suggest this is not the travel professional for me!
Like it or not, this is an industry of details. We cannot afford to transpose characters in a PNR. Imagine trying to explain to your client that you thought you typed in ABQ and accidentally hit the “W” instead and sent them to Papua, New Guinea, to hang with Commander McHale and Ensign Parker. Being accurate is critical if you want an ongoing business. Remember, there is a Paris in Texas, Virginia, and France. Make sure you get it right!
And today, finding clients is not that easy. Today’s consumer is most likely to have researched online and may be as knowledgeable (or more) than you on any particular destination or product.
I subscribe to several dozen travel agency newsletters. I like to keep an eye on the competition for sure—they may have a good idea I could steal…er, I mean replicate. But I also want to see if they are seeing the same trends I may be seeing. And I also watch to see if they slip up on the details. A while back, I received one with the subject line, “Book by November 31 for $500 shipboard credit.” If you can’t pay attention to the number of days in the month, how well will you pay attention to the details of my complex trip?
Granted, many (maybe most) of your prospects may not take notice; but what if the one that does happen to be your golden client? Are you willing to risk it?
Spellcheck is everywhere; use it. I also use Grammarly to help. Neither is perfect, and you should always double-check, but they point out the glaring errors. And for what it is worth, I find paying for the Grammarly subscription is valuable.
And as I said, the little things matter. Thoughts? Leave a comment!
