Tatiana Aragón
Business Development & Operations Specialist at Wonder Travel
Tatiana works as a business developer at Wonder Travel, a platform that not only sells and facilitates travel services but also sells experiences. Wonder connects travelers interested in a destination with local hosts. They ensure this experience is comprehensive, leaves a mark on both travelers and hosts, and always involves elements of community work, nature, and adventure. What better country than Colombia to bring together these three components?
What Tatiana Shared with us
The first question we asked was how Wonder finds a differentiating factor that makes customers choose them over the plethora of competition from other travel agencies. Through this question, we wanted to understand how they sell their value proposition to customers. Tatiana responded that the first thing they do is personally experience the offering, especially in terms of quality and safety. To ensure this, members of the Wonder team travel to these destinations to understand and firsthand experience what they will sell. Additionally, she explained that Wonder focuses on selling unique experiences that aren’t easily found in the tourism market.
In addition, at Wonder Travel, they ensure education and support for their suppliers to guarantee the best experiences. But for Tatiana, the most crucial aspect of Wonder is that everyone working there believes in the impact they’re generating on a national level: the impact of changing lives and continuing to build the country by providing opportunities in remote places.
What do yo Think are the Indispensable Characteristics a Person Selling Experiences Must Possess?
For Tatiana, the first and most essential is customer service. She explained that travelers often lack knowledge for such experiences, so continuous team support is essential to ensure customer satisfaction. Secondly, it’s imperative for the salesperson to have complete knowledge of each destination they offer. With this knowledge, the salesperson can communicate all travel details to the customer regarding accommodations, surroundings, itineraries, thus preventing unexpected and unwanted surprises. By doing this, they consistently meet traveler expectations.
“I believe a salesperson is born and made. Certain individuals are born with the ability and find it easier to communicate, perhaps growing up in a more social environment. However, a salesperson can be made by training extensively and with discipline.”
Tatiana Aragón
How do you Think your Sales Process would Differ if you Worked in a Larger and Less “Niche” Company?
In the tourism industry, Tatiana believes her sales process wouldn’t change much as agencies operate as retailers and wholesalers. Wonder operates as a retail agency, and Tatiana is responsible for selling products, packages, and experiences to wholesale agencies, which then operate through Wonder Travel. However, changes would occur in key aspects such as the target customers, as those approaching a wholesale agency are typically older individuals. Additionally, in different agencies, she thinks there’d be more face-to-face interaction, whereas Wonder Travel, being a modern agency, operates primarily through digital tools.
Delving into Wonder Travel’s relationship with wholesale agencies, we asked Tatiana how she manages to transmit the passion she has while selling packages to them. How does she train these agencies to sell packages with the same passion? They not only provide training but also invite wholesalers to experience the journey themselves to convey the magic of the destinations they offer.
What are the Three Most Important Habits You’ve Developed in your Sales Journey?
Tatiana’s most vital habit has been resilience. She’s had to adapt, like any salesperson in any industry, to receiving more NOs than YESes and to set aside embarrassment in order to persist with potential clients. The second habit Tatiana has acquired is discipline, ensuring control over all operations in the sales process and meticulous planning to allocate tasks effectively. The third, more of a skill than a habit, involves identifying the person she’s talking to, studying them, and approaching them in the best possible way.
Before closing with our flagship question, we couldn’t resist asking Tatiana for her recommended travel destination. Though this question largely depends on individual tastes and interests, Tatiana suggests the Cerros de Mavicure in the Guainía department of Colombia. To Tatiana’s eyes, this destination boasts incredible landscapes, from mountains to red rivers, embodying Colombia perfectly.
Are Salespeople Born or Made?
For Tatiana, salespeople are both born and made. She believes some individuals are born with the ability and find it easier to communicate, depending greatly on their upbringing. However, she also believes salespeople can be made through extensive training and discipline. Tatiana leaves us with the phrase: “Like everything in life, everything is achieved through discipline until success is reached.”
