It’s all about win-win-win for TTAND
It’s hard to believe that The Travel Agent Next Door (TTAND) has only been around for a little over five years. Yet between its launch and today, the home-based agency group has certainly captured the attention of the Canadian travel industry.
In Toronto recently, TTAND hosted its 5th Annual Supplier Apprecia-tion event, welcoming close to 120 representatives from its supplier partner companies.
The evening was all about thanking those suppliers for the support they’ve given TTAND in the past year, as well as the support they’ve given the group since it was launched.
It was also about updating those suppliers on a host of new developments, improvements, additions, etc. that were happening at TTAND these days.
In his welcome, TTAND founder, Flemming Friisdahl told his audience that the agency group remains true to is mission of providing a Win-Win-Win for its advisors, its suppliers and for TTAND itself, and noted that TTAND’s sales will continue to grow because of its agents.”
During the presentation, Friisdahl covered a lot of ground with key points on TTAND including the fact that:
- Sales volume has increased from $40 million in 2016 to $120 million in 2018 and projected $170 million in 2019. Expect sales to reach $220 million in 2020.
- Agent commission plan rewards agents with more, the more they support preferred suppliers. Has been highly successful in focusing agents on preferred and approved suppliers.
- TTAND enjoyed the biggest growth in agents joining in the industry at an 18% growth in Primary agents in 2019 with a sales growth at almost 45%.
- In 2019, TTAND grew to 435 Primary and 365 Associate agents.
- Currently, TTAND has 42 head office staff supporting agents with Marketing, Accounting, Training, New Programs, Quality Control, Agent Support, and Technology.
- In 2019, TTAND Introduced its innovative Zero Interest Program – a deferred payment program where clients can pay for their trip over three, six or 12 monthly payments and pay a flat fee – no interest.
- TTAND University is being launched now with opportunities for suppliers to participate.
- Credit Card Authorization – this enables agents to send an electronic authorization form to their customers, ensuring that names are spelt correctly, the insurance waiver has been signed, the passport is valid for the duration of the trip and that the credit card approval form has been signed.
- Lead Generation – TTAND is looking at ways to make sure its agent partners are able to grow their sales. TTAND will find leads to hand over to its agents – this will be another first for a host agency.
- Interface bookings – agents want to sell travel and enjoy life. Nobody likes doing administrative work. This is why TTAND is proactively working hard to make sure an agent only has to touch a consumer’s information once, including booking with a supplier. Through automation, we will be the first to get there.
- In 2019, TTAND launched The Agency Solution with Louise Gardiner as VP. Will bring in new agencies with sales between $500K and $3 M.
- TTAND continuing its successful New Agent Program where it trains new entrants to the travel industry – 142 successful new travel agents have been launched by this program
- National Conference will be held April 17 to April 24, 2020 in Jamaica with an expected 220 agents, one of Canada’s only home based agent conferences that only has travel professionals in attendance. Making it a win for the supplier and the agents
As well, TTAND has extensive marketing tools and its agents are high users of Ensemble magazine and other marketing tools.
Additional programs offered by TTAND include Virtual Consumer Evenings; Subject Matter Expert Program; Top Performers Trip; Trip Giveaway; and Direct Deposits.
For more, go to https://www.thetravelagentnextdoor.ca/.