Win Your Clients on the First Call

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression."
- Will Rogers

Insider Knowledge: How to Win Your Client Over on the First Call

The first call with a potential client is your moment to make a strong first impression and set the stage for a lasting relationship. Treat that initial call like a job interview—because in a way, it is. You’re both deciding if you’re the right fit for each other.

Preparation is key.

Before the call, have a template ready with all of your questions. This ensures you’re not stuttering and scrambling to remember critical details and, more importantly, prevents you from calling back and saying things like, “Oops, I forgot to ask you ...” making you look disorganized and unprofessional.

Don't take the call in your car or in a bar. Schedule the call when you can be sitting at your desk, in front of your computer, taking valuable notes and adding them into your client profile in your CRM. This way, you can reference them often for years to come, reviewing valuable intel into your clients wishes.

Make your client feel heard and understood.

Listen more, talk less. The goal of your questions is to not only gather the necessary information but to show your client that you care about what they want and need. Ask open-ended questions that allow them to share their vision for their trip. Pay attention to their tone, preferences, and any concerns they express. This will help you craft a personalized experience that feels uniquely theirs.

When you listen intently and show you understand their desires, you’re more than just an agent—you’re a trusted advisor. This can be the key to winning them over, and often, they won’t feel the need to shop around for other agents.

The result?

Let the conversation flow naturally. While it’s important to have your questions ready, be flexible and follow their lead. As the conversation unfolds, you may find yourself adjusting your questions or adding new ones based on what they share.

By investing time to understand their needs and providing them with a few tips, helping them achieve small wins during the first call, you build trust and authority right from the start. Your clients will appreciate the effort and be less likely to invest time with another agent who doesn’t offer the same level of care.

Explain How You Can Help!

After they have shared their vacation wishes, tell them everything you are going to do for them - from research and planning to preparing their travel documents. Once they hear everything it takes to plan a vacation like the one they have asked you to plan, the will be overjoyed that you're taking those tasks off of their plate, saving them countless hours.

Checklist:

Here’s a quick checklist to help you close your clients on the first call:

• Create your Traveler Questionnaire in Google Forms or similar.

• Practice: Ask a friend to ask YOU the questions to ensure your questionnaire is thorough.

• Listen intently during your first call and give a little guidance.

• Make a list of everything you do for your clients and use it as a script to explain how you will help them.

• Tell them the steps to proceed and then ask them if they're "Ready to get started?"

Ready to grow your travel business? Let’s chat! Contact me today to learn how you can start closing more clients and booking more trips! -Jennifer