It's been interesting to watch the economic roller coaster over the past few days. As I mentioned yesterday, Charlottesville Travel Agents need to focus more than ever on building a sound approach to the market that truly focuses on customers needs. This is a particularly sensitive issue as folks find it harder to part with their (shrinking bundle of) cash.
The shot gun marketing approach just no longer applies and it's understandable that given the wide variety of travel options available today, it easy to lose focus on the specific needs of your niche market.
At some point, every travel agency starts to look the same - some less expensive version of Travelocity, full of pretty pictures for every possible destination possible. It's completely overwhelming.
Here's my advice: create a unique, simple message that inspires clients to pick up the phone and talk to you! The result: engage the customer, differentiate your travel agency, discover unmet customer needs, and ultimately build & retain more business.
I know ... sounds simple, but it's not that easy. I hope to explore that a bit more.