Why TMCs Need a Dramatically Different Sales Approach

Ever notice how Travel Management Companies (TMCs) have a hard time selling their value?

It’s not a complicated value proposition.  “We’ll help you book travel at low prices and help your travelers on the road, so you’ll save money and sleep better.”

That’s a pretty easy benefit statement to grasp, right?  So that’s not really the problem.

Two Big Problems

TMCs compete on the wrong metric, and they sell to the wrong people.

Suppliers Must Prove Value

Here’s my take on what suppliers need to do differently when competing for your business.  (This first appeared as an Op-Ed piece in Business Travel News on Nov. 16th)

In these tough times, buyers are extracting favorable pricing across the travel industry. Not surprisingly, this frustrates most suppliers—namely those who don’t have the lowest prices. How many times do we hear suppliers wishing for buyers to “see the bigger picture,” “don’t treat us as a commodity” and “put more value on partnership”?

Translation: “Pick me, even if I don’t have the lowest price.”