Make Your Clients Feel Special

The single most important thing that you can do for your clients is to make them feel special. Online services are not going to make them feel in any way exceptional. In fact, most of the service suppliers that your clients come into contact with every day do nothing to make them seem special - it is business as usual.

That is why the exceptional service provider get's noticed. Think of the way in which certain exclusive hotel chains have built stories around themselves by doing no more than communicating the name of its guest to all of its personnel and then making sure the bellmen, the maids, the service staff all address the client by name.

There are a lot of ways to make clients feel special. A good CRM program is a must. You need to remember birthdays, holidays, children's names and other important information about your clients as well as all of their travel history and ambitions.

When discussing their travels with them, discuss your recommendations not just in terms of the features of the property you have chosen but in terms of the benefits to them and their particular preferences as you know them.

When you ask clients for a referral, let them know that you are looking for discriminating clients just like them, who know what they want and who understand the essence of travel.

Will this apply to every client? Not necessarily, but why not? One of your own goals is most likely to build up a client base with discriminating tastes, an above average disposable income, and some loyalty to you as a travel planner.

You need to cultivate that type of client and to create the appropriate conditions for them to feel comfortable working with you. So in your meetings with them, dress to convey an appropriate image, whether that be in a suit or in comfortable Columbia outdoor clothing - you know best. Be neat, be organized. Be prepared. In fact, the best way to make a client feel special, is to be special yourself.

Make the discussion client-centric. Discuss interesting options and ideas with your clients - safaris and Antarctic cruises and antique shopping in Belgium. Let them know the latest trends and interesting new places where their neighbors have not been just the year before. Be their conduit to the travel world at large. Be a consultant to them.

In other words, make your clients feel special, because you are special.