Qualifying a Client and What Comes Next

So you have a qualifying call booked with a potential client, congratulations! So what should you expect?

First, you have to decide how you want to meet with your client. Do you want to have a phone call, a Zoom, or maybe meet in person if they are local? I would strongly advise moving your communications off of a social media messenger or even email for this stage. We want to make a connection with our clients and seeing faces and hearing voices makes it much easier to begin making that connection. 

Gather some basic information

This first call is just to gather basic information on what the client is looking for. You could also ask these questions through a form if you wanted to, but I find that when you are speaking with someone, you can talk through their preferences more easily. For this example, we have already established our client wants to travel to Walt Disney World. Some questions you should ask may include:

• When do you want to travel?
• Are those dates flexible?
• What is your budget?
• Who will be traveling with you?
• Does your travel party have any allergies or special needs?
• Do you have a preferred resort or resort type?
• What sort of transportation will you need?
• How many park days are you interested in?

After these logistical questions, you can ask about the travel party’s interests so you can pair them with activities they would enjoy (i.e. a princess fan may be interested in a character dining experience at 1900 Park Fare).

Before you spend any time on this proposal, make sure this client has some idea of what they want. Saying they have a “small” budget or a “flexible” budget is not a good enough answer.  Use your judgment, do they seem to sincerely want to use your service or are they looking for the lowest price or best deal? Hopefully, they have somewhat gotten to know you through your content (aka, make sure your content points to your authority and service). Don’t be afraid to let this person know you won’t be moving forward with their proposal if you don’t think they will be a good match for you.

After you have asked your questions

If you have planning fees in place; send over your agreement, have it signed, and get your fees paid. Now it’s time to get those quotes going! Using the information your client has given you, build out what their vacation could look like within their budget and possibly one slightly above if it adds extra value to their experience. You may want to put together a few options for your client to choose from. I like to put together a slideshow to go through so my clients can get a visual of what their trip could look like. 

Be sure that you are showing your attention to detail by showing your clients how you have used their preferences to craft the quotes. Take great care in explaining why you have chosen a certain resort or activity especially for them. Show your clients the options that you have created for them and ask for their favorite. Don’t forget to ask for the sale. After you have shown your options and answered any questions, just do it! Say “Which one of these would you like to move forward with?”. Your client may ask for revisions, be prepared to make those or let them know your revision process. 

After they have made their selection make sure you send them over any documents they need to sign (i.e. CC authorization forms, T&C’s, etc). Being clear and having good communication is essential to providing excellent service to our clients. Your clients may not know what to expect by using a travel agent so be clear with your client journey. Let them know how you provide your service and how/when they will receive communications from you. Do you provide PDFs, packing lists, or videos on park strategy? Let your clients know when they can expect them upfront to keep the process streamlined. 

Having a clear client journey is so important for assuring each client is prepared for their upcoming trip. Our communications with our clients can’t fizzle out after a deposit is paid and then show back up once the final balance is due. Take some time to brainstorm how you want your client journey to flow. Start putting those ideas into action! 

Make sure you are following me over on Instagram to learn more about client journey! See you over there!

-Sam