30 Apr Travel Leaders Launches “Customer Success 2.0” for Business Travel Account Managers
Specialized training is redefining the account management role to bolster Member agencies’ business travel account retention
Orlando, FL (April 30, 2017) — Today, Travel Leaders Associates (www.TravelLeaders.com) – America’s top retail travel agency brand – announced its Customer Success 2.0 intensive training program for business travel account managers. Created to mirror the high success rate of Travel Leaders’ Professional Selling Certification program, this 6-month curriculum is designed to transform account management into a strategic, trusted advisor role that enhances business travel client retention. Program details were announced during the Travel Leaders Network International Conference at Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando.
“Complementing the enormous success of our proprietary Professional Selling Certification that has enabled participating Travel Leaders Associates to increase their new business client acquisition by an average of 230%, we designed and built a correlating program with myriad smart strategies for retaining those hard-won corporate accounts,” stated Roger E. Block, CTC, President of Travel Leaders Network. “This week, we’re kicking off our second Customer Success initiative, which provides our Members with specialized training to increase their collective ability to strategically uncover opportunities, deliver programs that support each client’s overall corporate goals, and increase clients’ return on investment (ROI).”
Throughout the 6-month program, qualifying Members attend monthly 2-hour interactive virtual training sessions, participate in “pit crew” discussions with peers each month, and regularly prepare “action plans” in order to complete the six unique modules of training. The program also features multi-day, in-person educational workshops and an ongoing case study of a current participant’s corporate client. At the conclusion of the program, each Member is required to present a case study.
“With Customer Success 2.0, we are working with Travel Leaders’ account managers to help them reevaluate their client relationships to create more powerful solutions for their accounts,” added Mike Boult, Senior Vice President of Corporate Sales. “They are learning how to design customized and flexible programs that are built to suit the unique needs of each individual client. By helping them to evaluate all facets of a client’s yield, they can tailor a well-rounded model that adds incremental value.”
While Customer Success 2.0 officially kicks off in Orlando, the first participant group completed the inaugural training in November:
“My personal opinion is that anyone who deals with account management, in any capacity, would benefit from taking this training. It is definitely worth it,” added Tom Sprunger, Account Manager for the Travel Leaders location in Fort Wayne, IN. “Participation is ‘key’ in getting the most out of it. I would encourage anyone to take advantage of the opportunity and also invest themselves in the time and effort required to do all homework and Pit Crew meetings. I think they’ll be glad that they did.”
“One of the highlights of the program is the Customer Success worksheets. I continue to use these for benchmarking, account reviews, and to measure year-over-year data for our new accounts. These are like my little account bibles,” stated Carrie Hanrahan, Corporate Travel Account Manager for Travel Leaders in Maple Grove, MN. “I also can’t stress enough about the camaraderie and networking with the class. This is vital and I embraced that we are all in this together, sharing ideas, supporting each other, and learning together. We still email each other for ideas today.”
Travel agencies interested in learning more about Travel Leaders’ award-winning Business Travel Center of Excellence programs or the diverse offerings that Travel Leaders Network offers agencies in leisure and luxury travel, business travel, destination weddings and honeymoon travel – as well as active and adventure travel – may visit TravelLeadersNetwork.com or call 877-404-4172. Led by the flagship Travel Leaders-branded Associates, the nearly 7,000 travel agencies of Travel Leaders Network combined enjoy more than $17 billion in annual sales volume.
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About Travel Leaders Network
Travel Leaders Network assists millions of leisure and business travelers, annually, and is the largest seller of luxury travel, cruises, river cruises and tours in the travel agency industry. Led by flagship Travel Leaders-branded travel agencies (www.travelleaders.com), the network includes nearly 7,000 Associates and Member travel agencies locations in the United States and Canada and represents more than $17 billion in annual sales volume. Travel Leaders Network’s award-winning Agent Profiler agent-locator, marketing, technology, supplier partnerships and educational programs are designed around our travel agents’ commitment to our vacation and business travel clients in providing a progressive approach toward each unique travel experience. Travel Leaders Network is a Travel Leaders Group LLC company.