Have You Kissed Your DVR Lately?
by Ken Hall

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“This is the greatest tool I have found for getting my clients excited,” Jan told me. “Most, if not all, of my clients have DVRs hooked to their TVs. So, I spend a few minutes each day looking at the Web sites for The Travel Channel, Discovery Channel, The History Channel, and others. And, when I see a program I suspect might be of interest to them, I email them the information and tell them they should watch the program.

“The email can be very simple – just ‘Hey, Mr. & Mrs. Kelly, The Travel Channel is airing a program on the building of the Queen Mary 2 next Thursday night. You are such avid cruisers; I know you will want to watch it. Be sure and set your DVR to record it so you don’t miss it.’”

But Jan goes beyond just being a TV guide or an information source. She records the program herself and then calls her clients and asks if they viewed the program. She goes on to discuss it with them, talking about how interesting it was to see the building of the QM2, the shopping in Hong Kong, the best of the 10 best beaches in the Pacific, whatever the program was about.

“And I never – and I mean NEVER – fail to suggest they take a trip to see it for themselves,” she told me.

“Travel is such a visual experience, and the travel programs are better sales tools than most DVDs put out by the vendors because they aren’t selling anything. Today’s high-def TVs have such great picture quality. These programs far beat brochures or postcards because they are current, they’re well produced, and they show people having a great time.”

How can you beat this as a promotional tool? It doesn’t cost you anything except a little time to look at the Web sites for the various channels that have these programs, a little time to email your clients, and some time to follow up.

And think about it: You’re in the forefront of your clients’ minds because you thought of them as individuals, you get them excited about a product or destination, and you can contact them when they have viewed the program and are excited about travel. Selling doesn’t get any better than that!

Oh, by the way, if you’re using your DVR for work, talk to your tax person, because your cable fee and box rental may be tax deductible as a business expense! Hmmmm, can we say smart seller?

Ken Hall is president of www.HomeBasedPros.com, a weekly e-letter with marketing and sales tips for the home-based travel agent. For more information and to sign up, go to www.HomeBasedPros.com.

(Credits: HomeBasedPros.com; stock photos)