SUPPLIERS
Airlines, Hotel & Car Rental Companies
“We want to sell to the entire enterprise, not just a travel manager.”
Bob Somers
SVP Delta Air Lines
GOAL
Become preferred travel supplier for the organization.
As the official "seller" within the relationship, the supplier is driven to ensure their product remains top-of-mind for travelers. This goal can be measured in different ways, but ultimately having a strong buyer-supplier relationship will increase engagement with corporate travelers and improve the overall success of a travel program.
1. Total Revenue to Supplier
As for-profit businesses, suppliers are required to make money at the end of the day. Revenue targets, share premiums, and overall spend motivate this audience. Suppliers are often looking for ways to think outside the box, but new ideas should always have an ROI and help the bottom line.
2. Contract Fulfillment
Sellers from a supplier are often primarily motivated by contract performance. For an airline, this means providing discounts off retail prices in exchange for share above fair market share (FMS). Contract terms are important because they provide quantitative measurements for the relationship and define its terms.
3. Engagement & Loyalty
Suppliers want access to corporate travelers not just when they are flying for business, but also when they travel for leisure. A successful travel program helps ensure these travelers are sticky to the supplier, which has them further engaged with the brand and loyalty programs.
MOTIVATION & KPIs
SELLING STRATEGY
Enterprise Selling | Aligning Corporate Initiatives
Suppliers appreciate ways to tie into partners beyond travel. Consider aligning corporate initiations with contract performance to help create a win-win for both parties. Corporate initiatives may include charitable donations, environmental impact, or safety goals.
For example, Delta Air Lines and a major US brand partnered together to include incentives for carbon emission offsets as part of their corporate agreement. This allowed the supplier (Delta) to better connect with the traveler and partner.
Beyond Contract Value | Operational Reliability
Sometimes a supplier may be delivering a lot more (or less!) than what is expected for a travel program. Asking a supplier to offer information beyond the contract can help sell a travel program within an organization. For example, if a hotel brand has never overbooked a corporate traveler or an airline regularly upgrades, these factors can help sell decisions for why a policy may be more beneficial for an organization.
Ease of Travel | Corporate Benefits & Priority
Everyone can agree on keeping travel seamless and efficient. Work with a supplier to offer more benefits for corporate travelers to enhance the travel experience. These benefits increase satisfaction and drive engagement.
TESTIMONIALS
Bob Somers, SVP Sales - Delta Air Lines
“We are constantly searching for ways to plug into partners to offer beyond contract value so they can sell Delta within their companies”
"We call it Enterprise Selling: aligning with our partners to sell more than just the travel program. We went to sell to the entire enterprise, not just the travel manager."
TRAVELER
Partnership and reverse selling to suppliers can improve the overall travel experience and program for travelers. Additional benefits, incentives, and corporate alignment help build a successful program and a partnership that better engages travelers.