Published in Travel Weekly

June 25, 1998

Working the Web

These tips on using the Web as an agency business tool were offered by Greg Merkley, president of Travel Technology & Magic in Evanston, Ill., during a seminar at the Travel Weekly '98 Conference in Nashville, Tenn.

• Diversify your product line.
  Did you know, for example, there are eight firms on the Web offering Harley-Davidson motorcycle rentals with a minimum 10% commission for agents?
   
• Remember your strengths versus the Web's.
  You understand the client's needs, you know the products and you have the experience to make comparisons and judgments. You, unlike the Web, put information in context, a key step in closing a sale.
   
• Leverage Web info.
  Recommend sites to clients or offer to review and verify information they find on their own. When a client asks, "Can you check it out for me?" it's an opportunity to provide a value-added service. You also have the option of enabling clients to book on line.