Professional Agents 101
by Paula Goldsmith

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1. Tell your customers “Thank You.” Add a “Thank You” note to their tickets. Mail a “Thank You” post card from a supplier, so that they will have it in their mail when they return home.
   
   
2. Mail a “Thank You” card in the middle of November for Thanksgiving. Tell your customers how thankful you are for having them as your customer with your travel agency. There are professional card companies that sell these types of cards. You can make your own sayings up. Add a couple of your business cards to a card and mail them, if you do not want to use a post card. What a surprise, and what a way to advertise!
   
   
3. Make sure you tell your suppliers “Thank You” for their help.
   
   
4. Tell the people behind the trade-show booths “Thank You.”
   
   
5. Before you hang up the phone, make sure you say “Thank You” and “Have a nice day.”
   
   
6. Send out “Thank You” emails whenever you can. It will be a great surprise and make someone’s day.

Business Cards:

In this paperless society, a business card can be worth its weight in gold. With today’s computer technology, you can make or print your cards very cheaply. Do not overlook the value of a well-written business card.

1. Make sure your phone number is large and easy to read.
   
   
2. Do not use fancy type, which is for invitations but not for business cards.
   
   
3. Use easy-to-read type and size.
   
   
4. Use some color. Your eye goes to color. Your agency name is a good place to put color.
   
   
5. Home-based agents may not want to put their home addresses on the cards. Have an another card with your address on it for the suppliers.
   
   
6. Have one basic card. If you do bridal shows, then make a card for brides/honeymoons from your basic card.
   
   
7. Use the back of your cards for ads.
   
   
8. Give out cards to everyone.
   
   
9. Put a couple of cards with all of your tickets.
   
   
10. Here’s an easy solution for inexpensive cards. Run color paper through a copy machine with a sheet of the business card on top. Cut with a paper slicer. The copy stores, copy for around 8 cents a sheet and they have the slicers you can use for free. Some trade shows can take 100 business cards or more. The colored paper business cards will save you a lot of money at the trade shows. If you like the thickness of a business card, then use post card stock paper. This paper comes in many different colors. It does cost a little more, but it is still cheaper than printing business cards.

Paula Goldsmith, MCC, owns Paula’s Travel Agency in the Mesa/Phoenix area. She is a frequent speaker on business topics, and she has written seven books. You may reach her at wiinger@aol.com.