Course Summary:

Business travel and expenses are one of the highest single expenditures for any organization, and every opportunity to reduce travel costs can make a real impact on the bottom line. As you seek to serve your corporate clients better, this course will show you how to help your clients gain control of their travel expenses.

As a sales or account manager of a business travel agency, or Travel Management Companies (TMC), you are expected to balance cost with traveler expectations while also presenting important travel and financial data to your clients. You must also operate successfully within an industry that is increasingly technology-driven and self-service oriented.

This course will demonstrate how to deal with these challenges, whilst gaining control of travel and expenses through strategic management of a corporate travel program. Using practical exercises, case studies and industry best practices, our highly experienced trainers will provide you with the right tools and resources to take back to the workplace.

Course Objectives:

• Overview of corporate travel management
• Structure of corporate travel and expense programs
• Sales processes
• Strategic business planning
• Buyer and supplier relations
• Travel program administration
• Payment and expense management
• Data and analysis
• 21st century travel management

Course Outline

Importance of business travel

• Return on Investment (ROI) for corporations
• Business travel trends
• Travel technology disrupting the western hemisphere

Travel and expense management

• Market study

21st century travel management

• Structure of a travel program
• Travel program costs
• Travel program processes and best practices

Travel agent or travel management company?

• Business models – pricing and profit
• Management and staffing
• Customer base
• Technology
• Operational configurations
• Sales and account management

Understanding travel budgets

• Using data to manage travel budgets
• Trip modeling
• Zero-based budgeting

Developing a travel and expense policy

• Stakeholder engagement and compliance
• Authorization for reimbursement
• Communication policy

Travel process best practice

• Reservation, booking, and self-booking
• Approval and authorization

Supplier management

• Fact-based analysis
• The art of negotiation

Payment options

• Corporate, lodged, virtual, and purchasing cards
• Improving traveler reimbursement
• Mobile payment case study

Reviewing expense processes

• Analyzing and optimizing reporting processes
• ROI of automated solutions
• Best practices in booking and payment

Overview of the market

• Travel Management Companies (TMC) and
• Online TMCs (OTMC)
• SBT (Self Booking Tools)
• OTA (Online Travel Agencies)

Collaborating with Next Gen Travelers

• Engaging the modern traveler
• Leveraging customer loyalty
• Making smart choices fun

Sales Best Practices

• Aligning sales and marketing strategy
• Team structure and competencies
• Sales methodology and process

Account Management Strategy

• 6-step solution selling
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
• Supplier Relationship Management (SRM)

Future of Travel 2020 – 2060

• Predictions for the travel industry
• BRICs nations on top
• Open booking
• Evolution to mobility management
• Futuristic technology