Jamie Biesiada
The Rolodex was, for years, one of the most essential tools in a travel advisor's arsenal. Combined with a desktop phone and glossy brochures, it was a sales toolkit that couldn't be matched.
Over the years, new technology was added to that toolkit: CRMs, web-based interfaces and booking portals. Somewhere between then and now, though, there was a stagnation of tech development for advisors.
Not so today. In the past handful of years, the technology space has proliferated, and advisors have their choice of CRMs, itinerary builders, communication and marketing tools and even tech that employs generative AI.
From a technology perspective, there has never been a better time to be a travel advisor. There are options aplenty; Host Agency Reviews has even created a category of profiles on the site featuring advisor-facing tech companies. The sixth season of "Trade Secrets," my podcast, is dedicated entirely to featuring those companies and the solutions they offer advisors.
With the profusion of tech available, though, comes the burden of choice. It's one Brownell (No. 53 on Travel Weekly's Power List) knows well: The Birmingham, Ala.-based host agency last August decided to pivot away from ClientBase Windows and Trams and sign on with TripSuite. TripSuite, founded in 2022, offers a full CRM that includes commission tracking and accounting.
It took about two years of platform-vetting to pick TripSuite, said Rene Alldredge, Brownell's COO. The host underwent several rounds of beta testing and feedback sessions. The team was "blown away with TripSuite" thanks to its simplified way of getting things done.
And, as TripSuite is still developing new features, Brownell has had a chance to collaborate on shaping the platform and its functionality, said A.C. Reebals, the agency's director of hosting operations.
For advisors, Alldredge said, "it was a big change." But Brownell is starting to see the benefits: It's easier to get daily tasks done, and advisors can run their own reports, giving them greater insight into their business.
TripSuite is also open to working with other platforms, Alldredge said. For instance, Brownell is also making a software migration to TravelWits, a hotel booking tool; there is already an integration between TripSuite and TravelWits.
TripSuite also integrates with itinerary tools Axus and Travefy, Reebals said. She called those integrations "huge," as Brownell's independent contractors use various itinerary builders.
"Again, just simplifying things for the advisors," Alldredge said.
The focus on integration and simplification isn't unique to Brownell. It reflects a broader industry shift toward greater flexibility.
The ability to integrate with more tech providers has been a growing trend in the industry. In recent years, Signature Travel Network has moved to become CRM-agnostic, giving its members more of a choice outside of its longtime CRM ClientBase. Travel Leaders Network has announced it would do the same.
In an industry with so many different business models, there's never a one-size-fits-all technology solution. Anything that affords advisors more choice in how to run their business is a good thing.
At Brownell, the transition to TripSuite dominated the past six months. Now comes the next phase of using the platform, or the "201 level," as Reebals calls it.
She plans to focus on educating advisors on leveraging information to get to the next level of analytics and reporting.
"Technology can be scary for certain types of advisors who are not comfortable with change, so getting people comfortable and providing opportunities for [my team] to train them," Reebals said.
The Rolodex might be gathering dust, but advisors have never been more productive.