Many of us have careers that involve sales. And there are questions that automatically send
us into shock, when we hear them.
#1 is, “how much” is what you are selling.
Unless someone is selling just one thing, there are
usually multiple services/products choices.
Such a question, can it only mean, the caller is starting this inquiry, “below
0”. Not at 0, but below 0.
Such as a cars. If
you call asking a dealer, how much are your cars ?
This person doesn’t know what you need ! They can’t just “pick one” and give you a
price !
Truly, if this is your 1st question, then you
are NO WHERE in the market of buying this item.
Did you
know that 95% consumer know which the “exact
vacation” they want before they make that 1st call to their agent ? Agents are rolling from call to call,
to get these folks confirmed, before their price advantage gets away ! They are investing their time, with folks who are not abusing their time.
Today, there’s FREE info all over the net. Cruise Lines, Tour Operators, and agencies have invested millions
of dollars on you. So you can see the info you want. See
if you can afford. See if it
fits into your time frame. This will
help you in being prepared and know “the right questions” you to ask, in actually
helping you determining the right vacation for you and your family.
Rather than starting “below 0” with your 1st
call … You need to at least be prepared with answers of, “who, what, where,
when, and how ! Such as with a vacation:
(A)Who is
going ? You’ve talked to everyone, and yes, they want to go ? Who will you pair them up in
rooms ?(B ) What kind of vacation do you want ? Cruise ? All Inclusive ? Good food ? Service ? Adventure ? Sports ? Lots of choices ? What is your budget ? Have you asked everyone ?
(C ) When can you go ? Does everyone know they can get off work ? Kids out of school ? Are there any appointments on the calendar that need to be avoided ?
(D)How long you want to go for ? Can everyone be gone that long ? Want to be gone that long ? How will you get there ? Drive ? Fly ?
(E ) Where do you want to go ? Anywhere you don’t ? Don’t want to repeat ? When do you plan to buy it (confirm your plans) ? Have you asked if everyone is prepared to pay, even if only a deposit ?
The #2, most aggravating
question. “Can you just give me a sample price anyway?”
If you’re not making any commitment to your own vacation,
don’t expect commitments from an agent. And
if you’re just calling on a whim, be
prepared to pay for a person’s TIME.
When you are not
prepared with “who, what where, when, how,
and your budget”, it can only mean:
(A)Once you have the info, you have to call back, and
start all over again.(B)All the deals you thought you were going to get, are now gone !
The 3rd
question is close to home with #2. “I don’t have time to put 5 hours into looking at the info
(cause I may not go), so will do this for me ?”
It’s your vacation.
If you want someone to spend their time on you, without your
involvement, don’t expect the best vacation ! It's how it was done in the ol' days before computers - agents "picked on" and topped it with a fee for their time.
Me … I’ll give you “time of day” if you are willing to
invest your time ! And you know your “who,
what, when, where, how, and budget”. To include showing you “how” to see needed info on the net. My website is one of the best "cheat sheets" of info I know, for cruises !
Answering your own question, guessing at what you need,
or just picking your vacation, is not what an agent does. Callers with this expectation are only demeaning the expertise & purpose of the agent.
Cruise Lines
and Land Tour Operators have put agents/agencies in place, to help guide you
with their product (be sure you know the right info). And then protect your vacation “after purchase” (that it doesn't change or go up in price, without authorization).
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