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ADVISOR CONFESSION: "Why I took myself off travel brochure distribution lists"

Travel brochures are a part of the travel agency that travellers can take home, they're the reminder of the product that only consultants have access to & the temptation to book.

Travel brochures are a part of the travel agency that travellers can take home, they’re the reminder of the product that only consultants have access to & the temptation to book.

While for years travel brochures have served consultants well, these days they’re a little overwhelming.

The information provided within each is still highly useful to an Agent and their clients, yet they’re overwhelming in the sense that they’re overflowing agencies and they’re haunting Agents’ hearts with waste guilt.

karryon-travel-brochure

Image: rawpixel/Unsplash

A Chimu Adventures study found that 68 percent of Agents believe they receive too many brochures from suppliers and some 96 percent said they’d rather order brochures than have them automatically dispatched.

Among these brochure-weary consultants is TravelManagers’ Michelle Desmarchelier, who said she found herself overwhelmed with guilt every time she would take piles of outdated brochures to the recycling depots.

“[I was] crippled with guilt at how much paper and supplier money was wasted,” she said.

Happy Monday! I thought I’d share a picture of my ‘work space’ as this is where I spend most of my day planning…

Posted by TravelManagers – Michelle Desmarchelier – Personal Travel Manager on Sunday, October 28, 2018

So, she decided to take action by removing herself from brochure distribution lists, and what she found was, she nor her clients missed the printed brochures.

“I think I have needed, at most, three hard brochures in nearly four years.”

Michelle Desmarchelier, TravelManagers

Chimu Adventures’ Co-Founder Greg Carter said that while brochures still have a place in the industry, suppliers have been locked in an oversupply for many years and they’d likely receive higher conversation rates through a combination of smaller intial distribution and educating Agents on the products available through sustainable recources.

Additionally, Carter believes that Agents would also better benefit by requesting a potential client’s email and building a relationship with them, instead of giving them a brochure.

Chimu-adventures

Chimu Founders, Greg Carter and Chad Carey

“Agents should be requesting an email address and controlling the communication by creating a rapport based on their knowledge, something that money just can’t buy.”

Greg Carter, Chimu Adventures Co-Founder

Chimu’s Sales and Product Manager, Sarah Baxter, dared the industry to join the tour operator by taking steps to reduce the number of printed brochures they produce and channel their efforts in effective training.

“We emphasise the importance of relationship building and knowledge sharing and we personally help our Travel Agents to achieve this,” she said.

“Don’t let a potential client walk out of your door without leaving their contact details. An email address gives you a powerful tool to showcase your knowledge base and as a natural result your bookings will increase.”

The statistics on brochure usage come from a survey which was prompted by Chimu’s Travel Revolution movement; a movement about challenging the mainstream mindset of the travel industry. The Travel Revolution aims to show Travel Agents and marketeers how they can change the conversations they have with their clients to steer them towards product which is both ethical and sustainable.

Click here for more information on the Travel Revolution.

 

Do you feel as though you receive too many travel brochures?