Organisations such as Tipto offer in-person events to meet suppliers and other agents
INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION Gold Medal lays claim to being the first tour operator to bring a dedicated homeworker account manager on board, having decided to advertise in October 2019. “We could see the number of
homeworking agents was growing, with more and more agents opting to take the lower-cost model of working from home,” says Karen Fletcher, trade partnerships director for Gold Medal. “What was also clear was the fact that
these agents needed a specific team to support and engage them as opposed to retail agents. Someone to consider their bespoke working lives and to champion them. “They are individual business owners who
are passionate and creative about making their own business succeed. The growth we’ve seen from these partners is phenomenal – we love our homeworkers, and it was absolutely the right thing to do with many other operators following suit, but we were the first!” While the pandemic moved most supplier
relations online for some time, Fletcher says the past 18 months have been “incredible”, with two trade partnership managers –
travelweekly.co.uk
The important thing is that we have someone helping homeworkers grow their business
and we will tailor our approach to what is needed
Nichola Marston for the north and Hannah Eldridge for the south – focusing on training, supporting and networking with home-based agents, often answering messages well into the evening to reflect their non-standard hours.
SPREAD THE WORD More companies are wising up to the benefits of a homeworker-focused sales team. Riviera Travel and TTC Tour Brands (which incorporates Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold, Trafalgar, Costsaver and Contiki)
are among the latest to have created new roles, with both citing the growth in homeworking business for their expansion. Vicky Billing, head of trade and
partnerships UK & Ireland at Riviera Travel, says: “The number of homeworkers is growing all the time and they do not always work a nine-to-five routine. We wanted to provide a more tailored approach, and with Amanda [Docherty, key account manager for homeworkers] joining, we can do just that. “The important thing is that we have
someone dedicated to helping homeworkers grow their business. And we will tailor our approach to what is needed.” Docherty works with agents via
webinars, virtual meetings and face-to- face meet-ups. The company reports trade sales have risen 50% year on year, with homeworkers accounting for “a significant part of that growth”. TTC Tour Brands, meanwhile, recruited
Donna Nelson for the new position of homeworker area sales manager. Kelly Walker, TTC Tour Brands’ director of sales for the UK, Ireland and Europe, says: “We wanted our team to show as much support
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