For those of us in travel, this is followed shortly thereafter by the January peak sales month, which seems to be spreading a little more equally across February too.
For those fortunate enough to be having a break over Christmas, that’s a thought to ensure we make the most of the holiday season.
As we know, customers love planning, booking and experiencing their hard-earned holiday, and can now research and book their holiday 24/7 at a time to suit them.
So, for many travel advisers, the upcoming holiday season is an ideal time to connect to customers in a more personal way.
With some perhaps apprehensive about booking a holiday with all the doom and gloom surrounding Brexit, being part of a business that understands and values the importance of the professional travel adviser and the little touches they can provide is invaluable.
It can be as simple as picking up the phone to wish a customer “merry Christmas” or “happy holidays”, and showing them someone cares for their holiday experience and is thinking about them and their holiday needs when they don’t have time to do so.
If you are not thinking about your customers, someone else will, so you need the freedom and empowerment to play to your strengths by being pro-active and staying in touch.
The festive period is also a time of giving and sharing. We live in an environment where business – sometimes with good reason – is given a bad press. Yet, in the travel industry, most of us understand business can be a force for good.
We sell lovely product and experiences that improve and enhance people’s lives. And, for the most part, we do that with integrity, because we are free to choose the product we believe is right for that customer and not necessarily what is right for us based on monetary gain.
We are also seeing more travel businesses being pro-active in giving time and money to support sustainable tourism and giving back in lots of different ways.
Giving back is not always about money – more often, it can be a helping hand to a colleague in need or giving time to support a cause close to your heart.
It is therefore a time of year to remember “we make a living by what we get, and we make a life by what we give”. I believe it is the case that when you give, you also receive more in return.
That is true of all relationships, and we shouldn’t forget that relationships – whether it’s with our colleagues, family, friends or customers – are what make the world go round.
So, as we approach the holiday season, let’s remember what a great job we do for the most part in doing the right thing by our customers, and those clients who need us to be there for them to show the care we as professional travel advisers are best placed to provide.
Steve Byrne is chief executive of Travel Counsellors
