As a Travel agent, you are in the market for making people’s dreams come true. This is probably the appeal that pushes most agents towards pursuing this career. Little did anyone tell you that there would be so many “behind the scenes” tasks that would require so much of your energy. So, how can a travel agent find more time to get back to what they love … granting wishes!! The answer is simple: partner with a Virtual Assistant. By partnering with a Virtual Assistant they can take care of those “behind the scenes” tasks on your behalf. Here are just a few ideas a Virtual Assistant can assist a Travel Agent:

1. Client Database
A Virtual Assistant can take your client lists and insert them into a database. Once this is accomplished, they can even maintain that database on your behalf. They can insert such information as places clients love to go, personal information such as birthdays and anniversaries they have celebrated, and what they did and/or didn’t like about the places they have traveled in the past. Imagine how much better your customer service will be when all this information is at your finger tips instead of having to search through paper files and notes that are maintained in several locations.

2. Client Contact
Imagine having someone that could order a fruit basket to be waiting for your clients at their destination, send birthday cards, anniversary cards, and conduct impartial surveys upon your client’s return. Customer service is key for word of mouth and referral marketing. By providing these little extras for your clients, they are sure to be talking about you to others. Your Virtual Assistant can also put together the itinerary packages for delivery to your client.

3. Client Follow-Up
Follow-up is crucial for travel agents so that they can better inform future clients with respect to different destinations. Having a Virtual Assistant that can contact clients after their holiday and listen to what they liked and/or didn’t like can be crucial for future consultations.

4. Internet Research
Having all the important little tidbits about your client’s destination is a wonderful little extra to provide to your clients. Your Virtual Assistant can find out rules for different countries, key tourist spots (together with maps and directions), country customs, etc. They can compile this data into a brochure or information packet for you to provide to your clients. Also, your Virtual Assistant can research destinations that you would like to know more about before starting to advise your clients so that you can decide if the destination is one that would be suitable to promote.

5. Marketing Materials
Even outside of the ordinary marketing materials such as brochures and business cards, imagine being able to provide your clients with feature sheets on various destinations including different facts, ideas and tidbits for different popular and/or unique destinations. Perhaps fact sheets of what to bring or what not to bring, airline and country regulations, etc. All these little extras are things that a Virtual Assistant would be pleased to assist you with preparing.

6. Newsletters
Staying in touch with your clients via a newsletter is a certain way to ensure that they think of you when they are ready to take their next trip. Your Virtual Assistant can do the research, write articles and put together a newsletter containing tips, advice and features within the travel industry. Not only would this reach your existing clients, but could also be a way to market to future clients as well.

7. Website Preparation and Maintenance
An excellent way to keep in touch with your clients and provide up-to-date information would be through a website. Your Virtual Assistant can assist you with getting a website prepared and then maintaining the data and information you provide on your website.

8. Bookkeeping
Perhaps the most dreaded task by most Travel Agents is bookkeeping. Your Virtual Assistant can assist you to prepare invoices to your clients, pay your suppliers and utilities. By maintaining an up-to-date set of books, you can begin to see your financial picture at any time, together with cash flows and expenses.

9. Supplies Ordering
Your Virtual Assistant can take care of not only ordering your office supplies for delivery, but also ordering the brochures that are provided by the different tour groups, airlines and hotels.

10. Email and Voicemail Management
Imagine having someone that would be able to group your email into different categories such as spam, client inquiries, new clients, feedback, training, etc. This would make the task of opening your email so much easier if all you had to deal with is the emails that need your attention. You could also provide your Virtual Assistant with responses to simple inquiries that she could answer on your behalf. Also, your Virtual Assistant could check your voicemail and return phone call on your behalf when you are out of the office.

By partnering with a Virtual Assistant it will provide you, the travel agent, with more opportunities to visit the destinations you are telling your clients about, more time to meet with clients and you can get back to the job of making people’s dreams come true. At that point you will have truly created a thriving business.

About the Author:
Yvonne Weld is owner of ABLE Virtual Assistant Services and the author of several books on creating a thriving business. This series provides the reader with tools and resources for both creating and maintaining a thriving business. For your FREE Preview Manuals and for more information on how you can ensure you have truly created a thriving business, visit the Web site at http://www.yvonneweld.com.