The Travel Franchise allocates every one of its consultants a Business Development Manager (BDM) who has years of experience in the travel industry.
The BDM is there to help you find your feet when you first launch your agency and then grow your business and achieve your goals.
We have the best BDM-to-consultant ratio in the industry with 11 BDMs which include three dedicated to helping you sell more cruise (one of the most profitable travel products you can sell). We are currently recruiting more BDMs because we are growing so fast.
To help you understand how a BDM can help you and other new franchisees, read our Q&A with BDM Nicky Bird below.
Q. Tell us your background and job role?
Like all BDMs, I have extensive travel trade experience. I worked for TUI for 10 years and was also employed by several cruise lines. My job is to help franchisees’ businesses grow. I love getting to know every owner, see them earn great money and have great experiences.
Q. How does a BDM help new recruits early on?
We are there to help everyone fresh off training. We give them a four-week kickstart programme with ideas and inspiration to help them go out and promote their business to attract customers. As a BDM we are about mentoring, coaching and growing business, not so much about uploading a booking, although we do, of course, lend a helping hand.
Q. How does that relationship evolve?
As a consultant’s business grows and they become more experienced, they progress through NJT’s career pathway or ‘pin’ levels, changing BDMs as they climb up the ladder (for example, an agent who has a Gold pin has achieved £10k commission, while a Platinum 4* agent has earned £250k). Although training and mentorship continues, the focus changes slightly, for example, to looking after repeat customers and closing complex, high-ticket sales.
Q. How do you help with business plans?
It depends on a franchisee’s lifestyle, as the plan has to work around each individual person. For some consultants, running a travel consultancy is a full-time job, for others they are juggling the business alongside another career. We are careful to set achievable goals. We also ensure they respond to trends in the industry and get more customers using social media and marketing. Each consultant personalises the way they get more customers – we give them ideas, they choose which suits them.
Q. Do you have to use your BDM?
No. A BDM won’t keep checking that you are working! A BDM is there to help not pester you! Think of them as a constant resource. Someone who is there but doesn’t control or govern the way you want to run your travel business. After all, you’re the boss!
Q. Will I get to meet my BDM in person?
While most of your contact will be over the phone, zoom or via WhatsApp, you will have opportunities to meet them in person. Both myself and other BDMs attend the company’s UK events and conferences and we sometimes attend our popular overseas mentorship retreats in an exotic location. If you live near us we also sometimes arrange for a catch up over a cup of coffee!
