*Demographic: physical things like age, level of income, gender, geographic location, marital status, employment details, etc.

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1 This program has been sponsored by Having a database is considered by many business experts to be one of the most important ingredients to both short and long-term success. Of course, not all databases are created equal, nor are they all used for the same purposes. In fact, when used and maintained properly, a database can serve many valuable purposes. An effectively used database can: Increase sales to new and existing customers Personalize and target your marketing efforts (for up to 10x better results) Improve customer satisfaction and retention (when used for CRM) Help you communicate to the right people at the right time about the right things Increase the value of your agency All of the above (and more) depend on four very important things: 1. The level of information collected and stored (*Demographic & *Psychographic) 2. The accuracy and frequency of information updates 3. The effective use of the information (marketing, service, communications, etc.) 4. The ease of use and access to the information *Demographic: physical things like age, level of income, gender, geographic location, marital status, employment details, etc. **Psychographic: areas of interest or lifestyle issues. Specifics include various lifestyle preferences such as active, relaxation, adventure, luxury, sport, physical activities, relaxation, hobbies, cultural interests, family and individual involvements, clubs, social activities, and more. Three Primary Uses of a Database Page 1 of 8

2 There are as many uses for a database as there are travel agents! Still, there are some very common primary uses on which we will focus for this program. The most compelling reasons for implementing a database are: Marketing, Sales and Service. 1. Marketing This is where most travel agencies usually start when considering a database. With systems such as ClientBase Plus, it is fairly simple to keep track of client preferences, destination desires, and travel history. Once some of this basic information is stored (and kept up to date) in the system, it can be used to generate mailing lists, print mailing labels, merge with and letters and more. Of course, as with all marketing, the more targeted your marketing is, the better the results you will see. That means using both demographic and psychographic data to filter each list produced. Reminder: MAST produces Vacation Maker, or 360 Degrees or Honeymoon Destinations direct mail pieces on a monthly basis for members at a very low price per piece. For more information, contact Georgina. Page 2 of 8

3 2. Service and Relationships The next most common purpose of a fully implemented database is to improve customer service at the frontlines. Storing and utilizing travel preferences, seat assignments, loyalty programs, special meals and other needs, payment details and such are actually now considered to be the BASICS! Every online travel company from Expedia to Orbitz stores and uses this information, even to the point of reminding customers when cards expire, when memberships need to be renewed, and when specials that optimize points are appropriate. While your GDS can store the above information, only a database can USE it to the same extent as your online competitors. To use your database for service levels beyond the basics, you ll need to incorporate more psychographic information such as favorite foods, interests, hobbies, important milestones or dates and much more. Some travel agents even include a special remarks field for personal highlights of the last conversation with a client in order to later use it as an ice breaker: Hello Mrs. Smith, it s nice to hear from you again. How s the family enjoying that new car? Did you say it was a Honda? Hi Mr. Jones. Wow! I noticed it s already been six months since you were all in Jamaica. Ready for some more sunshine or are you thinking of something different this time? Hello Joanne. I d be happy to help with an airline ticket. By the way, how was your daughter s graduation? No one can remember everything, even in a highly personal business like travel. Using a database to capture and store personal notes can dramatically improve relationships, loyalty, customer satisfaction and more. Page 3 of 8

4 3. Sales The third most common purpose of database integration is to improve revenue through increased sales opportunities. Many agents find this the most challenging, as it requires changing the typical client/agent interaction sequence. For example, instead of immediately searching for availability, prices and options, agents that fully utilize a database in sales would first scan past travel history. They would take note of the frequency of travel, the general price categories, the types of experiences (adventure, luxury, relaxation, etc.), and most importantly, the client s ratings or comments on past trips. Obviously, not all agencies keep track of all of this information, but doing so can increase future sales through more educated consultations and recommendations. I noticed that you usually purchase medical and cancellation insurance. Are you thinking of adding that to this trip as well? It s a really good idea. The cruise ship you asked about is very nice and many people love it. But, in looking at your past cruise experiences; you might not find it as elegant as the others you ve taken. This ship is much more casual in style. The cabins are nice but a bit more moderate. I see that most of your past travel has been to some very adventurous or exotic locations. Is that sort of experience important to you for this trip? It looks like we created a custom spa package on your last trip. Even though the resort you are considering has a spa, there are many others in the area. I d be happy to create another custom package. Page 4 of 8

5 Customer Relationship Management CRM (Customer Relationship Management), contrary to popular misconceptions, is not software! The purpose of CRM is relationship management. Whether you use an automated and integrated system, or old-fashioned pen and paper, keeping track of important relationship details about your clients can improve loyalty, increase sales, and lead to positive referrals to new customers. Automating CRM can help front-line travel agents more easily store and access the information needed to MANAGE their customer relationships. ClientBase and others provide simple solutions for those needs. Important Data Fields Contact: name, address, phones, SMS, Transactional: payment preferences, rewards programs, window/aisle, etc. Demographic: marital status, age, children, geographic location Milestones: birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, promotions Psychographic: activities, lifestyle, hobbies, culture, exotic, familiar Travel: desired destinations, supplier types, frequency, travel dreams Historic: past travel experiences and satisfaction Sample merge using information from a database: Dear [FIRSTNAME]: Wow, it s hard to believe it was just [LASTDATETRAVELED] when you were in [LASTDESTINATION]! I hope you still have fond memories of that trip. If you d like to go back or try something new I ve got some great ideas for you. Give me a ring or send me an if you d like to chat about it. [LASTAGENTNAME] [AGENT ADDRESS] Page 5 of 8

6 Databases and Genuine Customer Relationships Throughout this program series, we ve focused on the importance of consulting and we ve used the Zones method to help you get there. By combining the power of consulting using the Zones with a database, you can greatly increase your consultation effectiveness. 1. Emotional: Adventure, relaxation, romance, education, excitement? 2. Lifestyle: Something upscale or more budget conscience? 3. Social: Quiet or more social with lots of other people around? 4. Dining: Favorite food? Buffets or full-service? 5. Activities: What do you hope to do when you get there? 6. Cultural: What about different languages, food, cultures, etc.? These same six categories are a great way to think of all the small stuff that builds genuine relationships. If you look at them from a non-business perspective, you may see notice the same things we know about people we genuinely care about, such as our friends and family. BINGO! Genuine relationships! Example: you may know that your best friend likes sit-down service restaurants more than buffets. Perhaps it s an interest you share. But, your intent in maintaining that friendship (relationship) is not simply to go out to dinner. Going out to dinner is just the natural result of the relationship and the knowledge you have of it. What is the intent of genuine relationships? Getting to know one another Appreciating unique differences and similarities Mutual interest and mutual support In business as in friendships or family, genuine relationships have natural results. The natural results of a genuine business relationship are: Increased loyalty Forgiveness when mistakes are made Increased and more meaningful communications (both directions) Involvement, mutual protection and concern for well being Less importance placed on price Increase in referrals and active promotion Fewer purchase from other sources Page 6 of 8

7 Developing genuine relationships in business It s about the small stuff and not just when a transaction is in progress! When you are chatting with a friend who mentions that she bought a new car, you remember it it becomes another part of the ever-building repertoire of points of conversations. It becomes part of how you express your mutual interest in one another. This is precisely how it works in business! Genuine relationships are mutual, with mutual interest, mutual support, and mutual involvement. So, similar to the way you develop a relationship with a friend, you need to play closer attention to the types of things (small things) that create a genuine business relationship. Emotional: family minded / single minded, marriage, engagement, breakups, divorce, stressed over the kids, adventures with the kids, profession or career, stress at work / loves their job, looking for excitement, loves celebrations / hates recognition, adventurous / cautious, loves to study and learn / doesn t like reading, loves the snow, hates the summer heat Lifestyle: likes high-quality / prefers to hunt for a bargain, upper-income, middleincome, lower-income, likes expensive cars / doesn t care about cars, likes high fashion / doesn t care about fashion, will save for quality over instant satisfaction / credit cards here we come!... Social: extroverted / introverted, doesn t carry a cell phone / always texting or talking on the cell, loves crowds and groups / like it quiet, conversationalist / very reserved, large family / only child, urban high-rise dweller / lives in the country, has hobbies / couch potato, has a blog / no computer Dining: buffets rock! / yuck, germs!, fine dining / fast food heaven, exotic and ethnic / familiar and local, sweets and chocolate / healthy and low cal, quantity / quality, vegetarian / steak lover, allergic / eats anything, drip coffee / espresso nut, Coke / Pepsi Activities: watch sports / participate, active / relaxation, loves jazz / hates opera, uses a scooter / could carry a scooter, likes to run / prefers to drive, architecture and museums / bars and nightclubs, motor coach tours / explore on my own, sit on a beach / climb a mountain, makes teddy bears / see live polar bears in the arctic Cultural: multi-lingual / mono-lingual, domestic travel / international travel, culturecurious / culture-concerned, loves anything different / familiar things Page 7 of 8

8 Building relationships and putting them to use Think about your current best customers. These are the ones you should already know quite a bit about. Do you know any of the following about them? Their favorite lunch spots? The place they get their morning coffee/tea/diet Coke? Any of their children s names? Anything about their job or career? More than likely, if they are regular clients, you ve heard all of the above during normal conversation. I need to get a hotel in Philadelphia. I hope there s a Starbucks nearby. In a genuine relationship, that sort of thing is noted, remembered, or stored in a database. That s how magic happens: Welcome back from Philadelphia. Did you find that Starbucks I told you about? Make it Happen with ClientBase Fast and furious Put zones info in the Remarks section of the profile Systematize it: Create six Zones Marketing Categories and specific Marketing Codes (click Global Defaults ~ Marketing Categories. Global Defaults ~ Marketing Codes) Category: Zones-Emotional Codes: Romance, Adventure, Excitement, Relaxation, Education Category: Zones-Lifestyle Codes: Budget, Moderate, Upscale, Exclusive, Luxury Category: Zones-Social Codes: Quiet, Secluded, Popular, Families, Adults Category: Zones-Dining Codes: Buffet, Full-Service, Exotic, Familiar, Special(see remarks) Category: Zones-Activities Codes: Relaxing, Active, Sports, Music, Dancing Category: Zones-Cultural Codes: Familiar, Exotic, English Spoken Page 8 of 8