±
Gillespie says: “It’s easier to work on retaining
customers than attracting new business. You need to make sure they come to you for everything.”
HIRING STAFF Taking on staff is an option for some homeworkers who want to expand – Hughes says there is a misperception homeworkers are all ‘one-man bands’. With the option to ‘buddy up’ with other Travel
Counsellors and share commission or even work collectively in an office, she says: “Many aren’t on their own, quite a few are teams and couples.” For experienced, knowledgeable homeworkers
providing personal customer service, the future in the current climate would appear to be very bright. Hamish Kaumaya, managing director of Travel-pa,
says: “Online will always be there but homeworkers win when it comes to personal service, which cannot be replaced with a booking engine.” As the country emerges from the pandemic,
Whittle predicts a rise in demand for memorable, experience-led holidays – something that will play into the hands of experienced agents. She says: “Your years of experience in the industry count; customers want that and want to feel cared for.”
Freddie Evans Travel Counsellors ‘BE VISIBLE, AND NEVER STOP LEARNING’
Q. What attracted you to homeworking? A. I moved to the south coast in 2015. I wanted to work remotely and was attracted to being able to do things my way. Q. How have you coped during the pandemic?
A. At first I felt pretty isolated but then I realised how lucky I was to not have to commute. The set-up was already in place at home, which was a
blessing. Q. What was trading like during the pandemic?
A. In February 2020, business fell off a cliff. Companies cancelled most travel, but there were still some needing to travel and I turned my attention to them. We signed several new clients worth more than £500k, based on estimated travel spend. Q. How have you grown sales? A. Communication and travel advice were king. We took to social media platforms to keep people informed. They then turned to us to ask how and when they could travel. Q. Any tips for other homeworkers? A. Be visible, never be afraid of rejection and never stop learning.
Your years of experience in the industry count; customers want to feel cared for
Dan & Jodie Bartholomew Oates
The Awesome Adventure Company, Independent Travel Experts
‘USE ALL THE TOOLS AVAILABLE AND CALL ON THE EXPERTISE IN YOUR
CONSORTIUM’
Q. When did you start homeworking? A. We’ve been with Independent Travel Experts for two years, joining just months after we started working in the industry. Initially we specialised in Disneyland Paris. We branched out to provide just about any holiday or short break for all budgets. Q. How have you grown the business? A. We’ve grown sales through good use of social media, time and effort, competitive pricing and flexibility, and high repeat rates. Despite the difficulties of working around home-schooling and caring for our two autistic daughters, we get bookings because we are available weekends, evenings and holidays. We’ve even taken bookings at 2am and on Christmas Day. Q. Have you embraced new sales techniques during Covid? A. We have stuck to the same methods during Covid, but ploughed on when others paused their businesses. We became more imaginative, using staycation offers and making sure our social media posts were uplifting. Q. Any advice for homeworking agents? A. Put consistent time and effort into social media advertising. Use all the tools and training available to you and call on the expertise within your consortium.
54
28 OCTOBER 2021
travelweekly.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88
