There is one thing consultants can do to stay ahead of the growing online sector and that is to create a better travel experience for customers by offering niche expertise and build relationships.

Speaking to e-Travel Blackboard last week on the first day of the TravelManagers 2011 National Conference, parent company House of Travel (HOT) founder Chris Paulsen explained that agents can’t compete with online but they do not need to.

He explained that Personal TravelManagers (PTMs) or agents in general have the opportunity to grow their customer base by offering them expert information and creating real relationships that will keep them coming back.

“Most customers before they go into a store or see an agent they do the research before and they then think they know more,” Mr Paulsen said.

“In order for an agent to win out against online they will either have to have a relationship with a customer and be a niche specialist.

“You have to give customers a reason to come to you and a niche does that and so does building a very strong relationship with the customer.”

He said his number one advise to PTMs would be to focus on the niche but keep updated in general travel as well as and do whatever it takes to create trust between yourself and the client.

A simple trick to build that relationship would be a quick phone call to find out how their vacation was or sending a Christmas greeting card around the holidays.

By making that phone call or sending that letter, the client will recall the fun times they had on their previous trip and associate the good memories with the agent.

“People go away have a wonderful time and they link that good time to the PTM,” he said.

“So if they make a phone call to a past customer, they are reminded of the great experience they had so the agent is then a positive thing in their lives and they enjoy chatting to them.”

He added that PTMs are in more of a prime position to take-on initiatives stated above because unlike stores a customer will not necessarily walk in looking for a vacation.

“It’s harder for general agencies to make those bonds, because they go to work and there is the expectation that a customer will come in.

“But PTMs don’t have a customer, they have to find it and they do that through networking and they put more energy into maintaining and building those relationships.”

“If you can do that and provide a personal service there is a significant part of the market that will be hugely attracted to that.”