Become a Home Based Travel Agent

A 9-second rule!
By Cory Andrichuk

You get 9-seconds to make a first impression!

The days of a 30-second elevator speech in business vaporized when the Internet appeared and then introduced itself alongside its cousin named high-speed wireless.  A 9-second introduction is probably NOT surprising to you as we all have found ourselves fighting for our prospects/ customers attention and then also personally challenged to remain focused in other sales conversations. 

"Our attention span gets affected by the way we do things," says Ted Selker, an expert in the online equivalent of body language at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  He continues, “If you are spending too much time on the internet and are concerned that it is affecting your concentration, you are not alone. The addictive nature of web browsing can leave you with an attention span of nine seconds - the same as a goldfish.”

Your key to an effective first-impression is to peak interest and provide perceived-value. 

Read my sales article from last May, “How to Greet and Establish Rapport”, whereby I described in detail that self-perception determines how someone accepts/ trusts/ and then eventually buys you or not!  My personal recommendation in today’s digital age is that your personal introduction presents you and your specialization/ expertise/ niche in a captivating and enticing way that your listener actually wants to listen and learn more because you have peaked their interest and have something of perceived-value to them.

Think to yourself how you currently introduce yourself and describe what you do…

Do you introduce yourself as just another travel agent/ cruise consultant or something a little more creative, unique, maybe even…sticky!  WHAT and HOW you describe yourself DOES make a difference!  Yes you book travel, plan vacations, and send people away on their holidays, but you actually do so much more…. Don’t you!  Since 95% of all consumers buy emotionally, and only 5% logically, you need to sell you and your services emotionally… not logically!  Help your listener (a prospect you just met networking or someone at the supermarket!!!) emotionally understand what you really do…

Here are some examples to help you create that emotion in 9-seconds or less when someone asks you “What do you do?”

·   I am a professional vacation listener… I listen to your vacation needs and then exceed your expectations with my professional advice! 

·    I am a professional cruise and travel vacation expert.  I specialize in your travel needs…

·    I passionately help (insert niche here -> seniors, young-couples, honeymooners, blended-family, Caribbean cruise groups, Alaskan 25^th wedding Anniversary cruisers etc.) enjoy a vacation experience of a lifetime! 

In summary, my hope is for you to take the time to think about how you want people to think of you in your community.  When you take the time to think about you and your actual role in your company, it becomes so much easier to communicate it with purpose, consistently, and confidently!