Phil Hoffmann Travel recently hosted a lunch for the Quarter Club members and Troy Forrest (member) responded with this positive feedback: In just under 2 hours at an intimate Boardroom lunch for Quarter Club members, travel industry luminary Phil Hoffmann generously shared and demonstrated some remarkable business lessons that would outshine an MBA masterclass. Here’s just a taste of the wisdom he kindly offered guests at the beautiful new Phil Hoffmann Travel premises in Glenelg….
- A smile sets the tone – from the staff member who greeted me on the ground floor to Phil who warmly welcomed me into his boardroom, friendliness permeated the building.
- Hold the elevator door – the staff member at the reception desk could have just said “take that elevator over there up to the 2nd floor”. She didn’t. She walked with me, opened the door, pressed the button and said “Jo will be there to greet you on level 2”).
- Jo was on level 2 to greet me (with a smile) – within 30 seconds of entering the building, I’d had an expectation set and met. Wow.
- Hospitality; easy but rare – Phil offered and poured drinks, as did his staff. “Please, come enjoy some food”.
- Little touches stick – A single Ferrero Rocher chocolate on every setting. Delighting and decadent without breaking the bank.
- Gratitude from the host – “Thank you for coming, we’re very happy to have you in this room”, err, when it was we the guests who should have been expressing such gratitude.
- Small talk sets people at ease – having a broad general knowledge to talk to different people about, Phil made guests feel comfortable before sitting more formally at the table.
- Provenance is interesting and reassuring – Phil shared the history of his business, from a humble 3-person operation to a 150+ person business winning international awards. We like stories – human stories – and that you’re here to tell the tale means we can trust what you’re saying.
- Be aware of market shifts – Phil discussed the shift away from domestic travel services that once was bread and butter for his business (now a cut price carrier war), to the new boom industry of luxury cruises. Know where the market is taking their money, and…
- Adjust your sails – With more Boomers taking cruises and travelling overseas, why not offer language classes for clients? Italian cooking classes for those about to take a trip to Tuscany? Be ready to flex.
- Market market market – Phil described investing heavily in radio and print, even when there were global travel reductions due to wars and SARS… when people come back to travelling (and they will), who will they remember? Make sure people know you’re there.
- It’s scary… and it will be again – Phil commented that in his 30-odd years in the business, he’s seen big ups and downs in travel demands, and he’s fully aware they’ll happen again. If you believe in what you’re doing, hold your nerve.
- Love what you do – Phil’s advice to his staff – “I hope you love what you’re doing as much as I do. If you don’t, leave, and go and find something you do love.”
- Invest in people – rather than the boss taking all the O/S trips, Phil often sends his staff away. After all, they’re the ones dealing with the clients, advising them, inspiring them.
- Reward people – little touches – health plans, massages, trips away… they work hard, and they’re valuable, so look after them.
- Celebrate and bond together – Friday night drinks in each of his branches are a cultural norm.
- Don’t overmanage, but expect a lot – there’s no clockwatching in Phil’s business, but by his own admission, “the hours are long and it’s not 9 to 5”.
- Flexible work arrangements – enabling some staff to work from home if they have kids / other life needs is a concession Phil makes to keep good people – and productivity doesn’t suffer
- Don’t drop your pants – Phil says to clients looking for the cheapest provider “I can’t do that for you, because then I can’t offer you the 24 / 7 service you want”. If you offer more than the rest, then charge accordingly – or it’s not sustainable.
- (Ash) clouds have silver linings – Phil said after disasters like 9/11, SARS and more recently, the Icelandic Volcano, retail travel gets the yips. But corporate travel continues unabated. And more than ever, they look for security, peace-of-mind, not discounts. Be the peace-of-mind that clients are craving in uncertain times, and there’s a place for you.
- Cater to the “Do-it-for-me’s” – Phil described having to send one of his team members to New York to deliver a passport to a client. He discussed the amazing array of extras you now receive for a single fee on the new mega-cruise liners. We’re time-poor, and if you show you’ll go above and beyond, we’ll pay.
- Find ways to wow – Phil described a tour group of several thousand who he had gathered at the top of Santa Monica Pier at dusk, and a light switch was flicked to turn all the lights off the carnival rides on – an “oooooh” moment that will stick in client minds.
- Embrace technology – While initially skeptical of Facebook and Twitter and the net, Phil says he now has a team working to make these communications mediums work for the business. Just because you didn’t grow up with it doesn’t make it wrong.
- Make suppliers work for you – Pitched to by a youth radio for his ad business, Phil (thinking their listener demographic was all wrong) asked the young pup sales reps “How do you book your travel”, and got a “do it myself online” response (shooting themselves in the foot). Then he said “So find a way to help me engage this group, then come back to me and we’ll talk.” It’s not a dead-end, it’s just going to take some thinking.
- Create reunions – Phil’s team set up a reminiscing lunch for all returning tour groups, then encourages them to stay in touch to recollect the times they shared. Some keep this tradition going for years, and most come back and book more trips.
- All-in expo’s – There are 2 days a year staff can’t take leave, and that’s at a major expo Phil runs for clients and guests. It’s the litmus test of how the business will run the next year, and it’s a major differentiator.
- Make the most of your life’s schooling – Phil quoted a senior journalist who used to write a column in The Advertiser, who when asked how long it took him to write his column each day, said “30 years.” Everything you’ve done counts – use it, market it, charge a premium for it – it’s valuable.
- Don’t burn bridges – Phil says he has a lot of corporate customers come back to him after leaving in pursuit of a cheaper deal. “Can we come back – we just don’t get the service we want.” If you blow a raspberry at them as they leave, they won’t return like this.
- Run facility tours – after lunch, Phil, one of his managers Jo and his wife Alison took guests on a facility tour, showing off their new premises.
- Unfinished doesn’t mean unprofessional – with some parts of their office still being constructed, it would be easy to close a door and hide it away. But say to people “Use your imagination and picture….” while pointing to cables hanging out of a roof and unfinished carpentry… they feel like they were there at the beginning.
- Follow through on commitments – describing a new corporate client that wanted to sign a supply contract, Phil booked a meeting with them, mistakenly thinking they were in Adelaide… when they were actually in Western Sydney. Rather than cancel, Phil jumped on a plane and made the trip. Handing over a contract with quite a few zero’s on it, the client said “I can’t even get Sydney travel agents to come out here!”
- Train train train – Not the travel type. Get people as upskilled you can as often as you can in as much as you can. It’s a way of engaging, it translates to informed resources for clients, and it prepares people for whatever else they go on to do in life (and they become unpaid advocates for your business).
- Promote with personality – describing his radio slot with Bob Francis, Phil said that in an hour on radio, you get the chance to share not just your technical knowledge, but some personality.. it’s what clients like hearing.
- Take opportunities – like the chance to bring a small group of Quarter Club members in for a lunch, that takes time, and effort, and even a small investment… but just might pay bigger dividends.
- Take risks – Jumping into expensive new IT systems and new premises in the middle of a GFC when everyone else is bunkering down… it takes faith and backing yourself to make it work (then working your tail off to make sure it does)
- Take responsibilities – Phil headed up AFTA (Australian Federation of Travel Agents) from Adelaide for a number of years as National President. To be involved, to make a difference, to show a better way. He’s busy, but he believes in the importance of being involved in industry bodies to affect change.
- Know when to say no – Phil shared that he’s charged his accountant with the responsibility of ‘pulling him back if the ship takes on too much water’. It’s one thing to give a lot of yourself; it’s another to know when to get focused on the fundamentals.
- Get some balance – time with his wife and family – work hard, but make sure you’re enjoying the ride.
- Surround yourself with great people – you can’t run a 150+ person business on your own. Hire, train, nurture and keep great people close to you, delegate, empower, and remarkable things happen.
- We want to feel part of a family – Phil’s wife Alison made coffee for guests at this lunch. This is a 150+ person business, and it’s not because they don’t have someone else that could make the coffee… it’s a sign of importance they place on making you feel part of their inner circle. It works.
- Every conversation is an opportunity to promote what you offer – I left the boardroom with some travel brochures and know when the next Travel Expo is… be generous, but remember what pays the bills.
Thank you Phil, for generously sharing your wisdom at this unique forum, and for letting me feel part of the “Hoffmann family” for a couple of hours!
Troy Forrest
42 MIGHTY Sales Reps
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