You can listen directly here. 

We all know that automation is key to our businesses’ growth. However, we can’t just leave personal contact and connections behind. 

 

Connecting with clients is a huge component in the sales process and we have talked about this a lot over the last couple of months. Even during the tough times! Being present and letting them know that we are there for them.

 

What platforms do you use in doing this? Do you personalize the messages that go out to your clients?

 

Connecting with clients on a PERSONAL LEVEL is as important as automation in your business. Can both of these co-exist?

 

A solution to our problem is BONJORO. A personalized messaging tool. It is an application that allows users to send quick, personal video messages to their clients. 

 

This comes in handy for someone who doesn't know much about video editing and doesn't have enough time.

 

It's real, authentic and shows your true personality. It is different from sending an email or text or even a phone call! It is fast and easy to use. 

 

In this episode, Matt and Ros discuss how video and personalisation plays a key role in business these days. An opportunity exists for travel agents to strengthen relationships that can turn into business opportunities. 

 

Taking a deeper dive into email open rates and how the power or a personalised video is a LOT higher than a general email. It’s time, now more than ever to look at how you can also automate a process, but not the travel agent and travel client relationship. 

 

Matt Barnett, CEO of Bonjoro also gives us advice on how we can maximize our use of this application.

 

Want some unique ideas on how you can use bonjoro in your business? Make sure you download the FREE PDF with a number of suggestions on the day to day use to increase your client engagement and client retention for your travel business. 

Show Transcription:

 

Announcer: Welcome to Travel Agent Achievers! The place to learn how to grow your travel business and have fun with it. Join Roslyn and her guests as they walk you through proven steps to a fulfilling and profitable business. 

 

Ros: Hey guys, welcome back to another episode of Travel Agent Achievers. I'm very excited today as I have a special guest with me, Matt, who is the chief Papa Bear from Bonjoro. He's really the CEO, he runs the company and started that with a friend of his. 

 

And I'm delighted to have him on because today we're talking about surprising and delighting your clients. We're going to automate processes, not relationships, and Matt and I are going to discuss this with you. We've known each other for a few years now, and I'm thrilled to have him on so let's jump straight into it.

 

So thank you, everybody for listening in today and I have my very special guest, Matt Barnett, who is the Papa Bear, which I'll get into explain but also the CEO of Bonjoro. And Matt, welcome. I would love for you to tell us about you and Bonjoro. 

 

But we met back in 2017, which I believe is just after you launched Bonjoro. Is that right? 

 

Matt: Yeah

 

Ros: So it was actually quite awkward for me because you're wearing a bear suit. And what even made it even more weird was that my husband sent your team a Bonjoro while sitting in a bathtub. 

 

And he ran an underwater company and wanted to work with Bonjoro so desperately that he put together his own little video. But I wanted to ask you what is with the animal suits? 

 

Because you then gave out animal suits to a number of people who were doing a lot of Bonjoro. 

Oh, so is this a marketing tactic for you? But can you tell me what is Bonjoro? 

 

Matt: Should I start with the Bonjoro or the brand?

 

Ros: Tell me that tell me the brand. And then we'll get into the specifics.

 

Matt: So yeah, so when you come across us you'll see that we do a lot of things bear related. We obviously were looking for name at the beginning with Bonjoro. I remember looking for sub brands very important I think for any new business. 

 

I don't think enough new businesses can sell this early enough, I would say as well as customer service like excellence, the one that you compete on day one is brand as well. And you don't need to build more stuff for my brand, I don't mean just a logo. 

 

I mean, the whole ethos of the company is how you speak to customers, like what you do and so we knew that we were going to build something fun because, you know, we work in this business every single day. It's our life. 

 

So why would we do anything there wasn't us. And obviously what we're doing here is video so we're trying to get people to open up. The reason I came with the bear is literally we were having drinks trying to look at logos and one of the guys found a picture of a bear waving his like How about that? 

 

Well, that's perfect, but then escalated where mean, we just started doing more and more bad stuff, we've got stage now where every person who joins the company, we have a bunch of old grannies in the north of the UK who knit them custom onesies. 

 

Ros: Oh my gosh. 

 

Matt: The logo on their own like colors and specifications. We give away bare suits to customers and their kids when they hit some milestones, which we found has been like a wonderful piece of delight. 

 

People love it, I can't get it, that is what’s amazing with our brand, which is amazing. When you think about it. It's quite unexpected. So it's just kind of take, we just got to find that rabbit hole where it goes, people have a lot of fun with it. 

 

So we just continue doing it. And I think again, for us, it's that idea of being not that serious a brand. You know, how you made a characterization, having some fun, while at the same time being essentially a business software.

 

So there is a lot of difference within the space which helps us stand out.

 

Ros: I love that. I agree with you with the branding and how you guys are quite fun. But the other thing that I noticed with you, as well as your ethos, and who you actually all are, and what you you believe in. 

 

Which is really important when you are looking at the big overall picture of a brand, how you want to surprise and delight, but it's also about respect and and you know the relationships that you personally form with your clients as well. 

 

So can you tell me now what is Bonjoro?

 

Matt: So essentially, it's a one to one personalized video messaging tool. So what we have found is that at certain points on a customer journey, rather than just sending a generic email, as as we all do, it, it pays to actually reach out in person and drop a personal note to somebody and then using videos and medium because it's very transparently honest and people know it's real. 

 

So for instance, I have a new inquiry come in. I'm out. I'm out for day. I'll get back some late later on, but When they come in, I just send a message and say, hey Judy, I saw you just inquired about flying to Madagascar. I've been there myself, you know, been there for three months. I was younger. I'm gonna tell you all about it. Yeah, I'm at the moment. Let me get back later on and send you some more info. But really excited to work with you. 

 

Now, if Judy gets that within the first hour of inquiring, and she's inquired three travel agents, and you're the one that says that you're going to get her business. 

 

Ros: Yeah. 

 

Matt: And so the way this works is it plugs into if you have CRMs or you have lead forms or anything else, you can plug it you can decide when you want to send me some people send it you know, for new leads, somebody will send it with existing clients on anniversaries or check in. 

 

But the point is making a very quick video using your your iPhone or or desktop really actually gets through to customers. It's not about looking at Sunday best. It's about taking a minute of your day. When you having a coffee, just say hey, look, you know, thanks. Thanks for being here. Here we are.

 

Ros: I was just gonna ask you about that because even in travel, travel agents are quite nervous to get on camera we're so used to talking to people face to face. And now more than ever, we're working from home and talking to our clients via email and phone. 

 

But to get a travel agent to jump on and do a Facebook Live or an Instagram Live or something is very daunting. So I completely agree with you by picking up the phone and doing a personalized video and sending it to a client. 

 

It's something unexpected and very different. So do you find that the more natural it is the better it is like with your open rates and people actually looking at Bonjoro? 

 

Matt: Yeah, so look 100% look out rates about 70-80% like our average really the ones that work so what really matters is do people come back and they go wow, this is amazing. Yeah, that's that's actually the ultimate result you're after. 

 

And then today engage the look, if I just look at that customer base, and bear in mind, look, we do have travel, but we also have every industry under the sun in that. And so it's not so much about industries. 

 

But when we were using it, we see like 20% of the videos, at least were done during the commute to work. So literally walk into work on trains, getting coffees, the stuff that is you, yourself. 

 

And the caveat here is, obviously make sure that matches with your brand. So maybe if you're if your corporate travel, if your corporate travel with CEOs, you might want to make it a bit more professional. But you're saying that we have, we have wealth managers who do with their kids. 

 

So you know, it really depends on where you are and level connection that that works for you. But the more honest, the more transparent. That's what people like because it's no different to going into the back end. 

 

They're going to legal gross on it, and they know who you are. Yeah. And that's just them. And it's very honest. And that's it people are I think there's a move in the industry as a whole towards knowing who they can trust. 

 

I think it's because we've done this whole scale thing. We've done the whole automation thing and we've hit a point where everyone I don't know who to trust, because I don't know if this email that's written to me is actually for me. Well, it's just an automation with some smart wording in there.

 

Ros: I absolutely agree. It does come down to those relationships. And I think automation, even though it's really important, and I believe that it has a place in what we do, and particularly with the step by step, it's not about the automation isn't necessarily about the relationship. 

 

It is really that process. And I think one of the things that I love about Bonjoro is one of the taglines that I've seen, which is to automate processes, not relationships.

 

Matt: Yeah, exactly. So again, like I agree, like automation we use all the time, it's awesome. The way automation exists is to make all the stuff that doesn't involve the customer part. 

 

All this though, or all the stuff that doesn't, that doesn't need to be your time inputs. It gives you back more time to spend that time and reinvest it into customers, which again, especially if you're new business is the number one thing you can do for any life business. That's why people use you

 

Ros: Absolutely. And it is about the trust as well. So you designed Bonjoro for a previous business. And then you went, hey, this is actually really working. We lost yourself to everybody else. Is that what you did?

 

Matt: Yeah, so we had an agency, cost startup agency. We're here though there were three of us. And we ended up with customers in the UK, London and New York. We dealt with large FM sets so fast moving consumer goods clients, so like, yeah, you didn't know and you crafts it. 

 

We're all headquartered overseas. And so we would it was very much a sales process. We would have to talk to them in person. Yeah, absolutely. And so leads really important to us but leads would come in and we do the whole drip drip email because we'd be asleep. 

 

Australia, I love Australia. So we started sending videos every lead that came in each one is the first piece of communication they ever got offers will be a video of us, saying hi and we do it. I mean, I would do it taking a ferry to from manly to the city. 

 

Ros: Yeah, that’s my commute, too. 

 

Matt: And it was like it's a good looking commute. Yeah. So I went to the opera house. And then I'd be like, hey, Jamie from Ogilvy awareness. So he signed up here. This is Matt here, obviously in my in London. 

 

But hey, just want to say, you know, thanks for getting in touch, I'm going to send you some more credentials off this off this message. If you don't have a chat, we're going to hop on a zoom or I'm in London, you know, six weeks time when I just come in and bring coffees for Pune team and have a chat. 

 

And we will send these emails out and we tripled our response rate, like straightaway,

 

Ros: Which then had a flow on effect with sales for you as well.

 

Matt: So we took the business off the back of it. Yeah. You know, like, I would walk into meetings people would be like,  your bad guy. 

 

Ros: We hate you. 

 

Matt: Yeah. Like the conversations already there. Yeah. So it's quite funny and it just made for me it made selling a lot easier. Okay, that we weren't doing anything that wasn't aligned with our brands. 

 

So we were like this, like in post anyway, we were building creative. We were very easygoing, you know, we didn't really have much ego. So people seem to like that, and it came across, and then do all those customers are asked if they could use it. 

 

And we let them and then one of their customers asked if they could use it, and then it crushed the first business within about a year.

 

Ros: Wow. Okay. And so you're all now the three of you came across, didn't you to Bonjoro. So the three of you have continued Bonjoro? 

 

Matt: Yeah, that we, we put a separate team on there as a business that still runs and we let them say it again day I ends up making a decision to go full time because they had to focus. So let me put a team in who could run the other business out of Europe, which makes timezones a lot easier. 

 

The rest of us in Bonjoro are now in like six countries, so we're a little bit scattered around the place

 

Ros: Which is awesome, and you'll get to catch up by here as well. You have some remote catch ups and you like camping but you're doing anything else these days? But not at the moment.

 

Matt: We had half a team flying out here, we had to cancel the flights. Because it happened like to the day and it was like Sunday. And we're like, what couple of guys like we're still coming. And I'm like, I don't know if you guys could become a stock side of it. 

 

Yeah, we try and get to, I think you have to break bread at some point, you know, like you have to share if those team members drink. I think that's very important in building the right culture and, you know, a culture where teams are happy to talk to us like where they happen to have conflict. 

 

So where you have disagreements, political strategy, be able to have healthy conversations around that. And when he met each other, it's much easier because you know that you trust each other more. 

 

Otherwise, we do weekly Stand Up Calls with like all hands, which is getting harder because of time zones. Somebody's always got a coffee, someone's always got a glass of wine. We do those and then we do team dependent calls as well. 

 

You know, we do a lot online I think. I mean, it's about a video. Yeah. What Remote is a loan process, it takes six months, I would suggest use video more. 

 

So rather than writing, you know, a slack message, you know, or on email, which is 18 paragraphs long, how about have a two minute phone call hang up, you know, have a two minute zoom call.

 

Ros: I think that that's really important. And it's something that we as travel agents can rely on as well, because we do need to have rules and you know, all of the policies and procedures in writing, but I agree with you, I think a phone call is extremely important, as well as video because clients get to see us and the majority of agents that are listening here to travel agent achieve this podcast, they are work from home. 

 

So they're they're quite isolated in themselves, and they're not getting out or have clients walking through their front door to get to see them. 

 

So it is really important to be able to have different forms and different tools and things that they can use in order to make those human connections, which is what builds that relationship and strengthens it to obviously increase business and moving forward. 

That's really important in Any business that you're going to have that human connection, I completely agree with you. With regards to Bonjoro? How long does it take to set up? 

 

Matt: Or to get the best setup? You're probably looking at about 15-20 minutes.

 

Ros: That's really easy. Now for somebody who's not really a tech kid, is it a step by step process?

 

Matt: Most of us easy, there is one thing we ask you to do, which is optional, which is you can just set it up. So when you're sending videos, they come from your from your business email. 

 

Yeah, this is one thing that you might need a bit of help with. But we give you the support documentation where we're online, 24/7, and we're human. So if you need help, we're always there. 

 

Obviously, if Australia, you're going to get us here. If you're, you know, other countries, we have Tim in the US, UK and South Africa. So pretty much online, you'll get your feedback for us within half an hour normally,

 

Ros: That's amazing. And you also have a number of processes and documentation that you also send out and we'll have all of those for our listeners as well that people can download. And, and look at the different flows and the possibilities. 

 

So to automate as much as possible but a human connection, you still need to do the video obviously, at the end of the day working within the travel industry. Have you had any ideas like as a traveler yourself and somebody who does travel? Where would you see Bonjoro fitting in to a process a customer journey process?

 

Matt: So I think there's probably a few points. Like I was suggested, by the way, like, these are things to test and I like like, different brands, different customers, like try these things. It's not hard to do. If a video is a minute long, try 20 on each on each step and just see what makes sense.

 

Ros: Awesome. Trial and error. 

 

Matt: I've always worked well with agents, like over the years. Relationships are key. You know, I fly with Virgin. Because they were awesome and they've helped me out so many times and I would never, you know, I would never go to go to the Quantas because I've had bad experiences constantly. 

 

I've always had amazing experiences with Virgin, like from the people. So I'm a customer for life. Yeah, same will be with agents and with other travel industries for me like that matters, like the confidence and the Trust is everything. So I'm also a people person. So if I came in and I like I would always, if I was looking to travel, I would always talk to a few agents. 

 

Yeah. Anyone who goes above and beyond for me is going to get my attention straight away. And it doesn't take much. So doing a live seven minute video when you have a new inquiry come in and doing that within the first hour. 

 

So fairly quick. Yeah. I'd say look, I'm gonna say some more stuff. But this is me. That's great. Because I want to work with a person and right now especially with me not walking into into shops. It's nice because I'm online. I'm biased. I'm not gonna walk in shops anyway, probably. 

 

I still want to know who it is I'm working with. So that first piece of comms is awesome. I think now then, the other ways are any lapsed, customers, maybe haven't heard them in a while checking back in again. Yeah, it's a great thing to do. 

 

It's one of my main use cases is problem I can be like I'm still here and they can do to help. I think with the industry the way it is right now it's a good time to strengthen those relationships I think any customers you've had, especially for for a long time, check in and just you know, see how they're going for no other reason. 

 

Just you know, just to say that you care really that's true. Yeah, anniversaries you know, things are in Australia things are starting to open up I know it's early days but things we came back and like I'm pretty sure this weekend, which is which is a long weekend and they're finally things opening up within each state's everyone's gonna be on the road traveling that means that when I think flights open up, everyone's gonna be out and traveling. 

 

Yeah, and obviously domestically at first but then internationally. Like I know what I'm British originally. A second ago, I can fly to the UK we're going yeah. 

 

Ros: You've probably got enough credit in order to do so as well with legit right?

 

Matt: I think like, I think now is the time where we started to think about travel. In this country, definitely the US. I know my team, they're starting to talk about it. I think that again, that will follow after Australia may be a bit delayed. 

 

So when it comes people, people need to get out, like even even Australia, where I think we've been more lucky. And yeah, we do have more space, but still, everyone on my team is, you know, like, there's an underlying stress from being locked down. 

 

As with every industry, so all of us like all of us have got itchy feet. So I know most of us are traveling so yeah, like, be the ones who like when when you're ready. We're here or if you want to start playing now, what do you have time? 

 

Why don't you look at some, you know, very different locations and very different things even if it's a year away. Yeah. You have time to plan the perfect dream holiday like like I'm here to help. 

 

Ros: Yeah, it is all reconnections right now and connecting with clients that may not have been possible process or you haven't dealt with over the last couple of months or they were there initially when everything stopped and we weren't able to travel anymore. 

 

So it is the time now to be reconnecting with those people. So I love that with Bonjoro, you can bring them back into your sales process. And and for marketing purposes, I would love to be able to have any of my clients as well say, Oh my gosh, I received this video message from Ros like that, that sort of communication and then the referrals that can potentially come from those as well is really important.

 

Matt: Yeah, referrals and testimonials. Yes. When I first mentioned is with with past customers who've had a great time and you know, it's a great time to reach out and say, hey, look, we just wrapped vampy up all that all that marketing material. 

 

You know, I'd love to get Customer Testimonials up. I know you had a great experience with us last year would you mind, either do me a testimonial, or leave me review on trustpilot on Google reviews. 

 

This really helped by now. Thomas, if you take the time to video everyone's gonna be like, Yeah, of course. Yeah. He will kick in referrals like as well. I mean, I'm cheeky. I like to ask for stuff. You know, he'll ask me for a farewell I'm like, okay, like it, think about it and think we can go for referrals interesting. 

 

And these were things where a lot of people will refer you a lot of people like our, if you do NPS like net promoters. The reason they necessarily don't do referrals is just because they're not thinking about it because it takes effort. 

 

So if you ask somebody and you remind them, hey, do you know anyone who's looking to go to Indonesia? Because that's my expertise. They're going to thank you. Actually, I do. 

 

Yeah. But if you just leave them to it and don't ask them, it's not they wouldn't prefer they're just not thinking. So again, a little nudge.

 

Ros: Ask a little ask for it. Absolutely. Now you have several different plans available for Bonjoro. And it is really easy to get started. But the best part of it is that you can actually get started for free.

 

Matt: Yes, we have a completely free plan. So get on there, test it out. Even little pay plans are free trials, no credit cards, so have a mess around and talk to us to help you get set up. If you like, I'm not gonna lie, we are a little bit biased towards Australian.

 

Ros: That's right. That's right.

 

Matt: But if you want to talk to anyone if you want done and if you want to walk through, that's fine. If you But hold on board, try it out. It's free. If you're trying out. If you then decide on your pay plans. They start like $50 a month.

 

Ros:  Yeah. And that's in US dollars or in Australian dollars. 

 

Matt: It is US Dollars

 

Ros: US dollars. Okay, so to get started, just go to travelagentachievers.com/bonjoro. There are free plans, a basic plan, which is $15 a month or $150 a year so there's a bit of a discount for an annual plan as well. 

 

But check it all out and let us know how you go. I'd love to see somebody send me a Bonjoro after this and and we go from there. 

 

Hey, Matt, thank you so much for your time this morning here in Australia. It's nice and early. Really appreciate it. We do love Bonjoro, I can't wait to get to use it more and I'm certainly going to be telling you about my conversion rates and how much they've increased and all the rest of it over the coming months.

 

Matt: Awesome. Thanks for us.

 

Ros: So thanks for listening today guys to Travel Agent Achievers Podcast now to get access to two awesome tools that are free right now for you, go onto our website, the show notes and make sure your check out and request for a PDF which is going to be and is for you a number of suggestions Matt and I discussed. 

 

And also I’ve put together ways on how you can use Bonjoro for your business. So that’s the first thing. 

 

The second things is that Bonjoro has also given us access to 30 proven video funnels to convert more customers and turn them into super fans of your travel business. So this is the second PDF download that you have access to which are proven templates on how you can use Bonjoro in your business. 

 

Make sure you get started on it. Don’t forget this, the free version but you can also upgrade for just $15 a month and that’s $150 a year so you can have an annual plan as well where you can send out 50 videos a month. 

 

You’ve got custom branding, you can also do screen-recording, messages as well plus all these handy features. It’s an absolute bargain. Something that you will see an awesome return of investment. I’d love to know how you go with it. Don’t forget to get started for free and send me a Bonjoro. I’d love to hear from you and see what you think. 

 

Don’t forget to review the podcast if you love it on iTunes or wherever you’re listening to it and reach out to me. Let me know what you think of this episode. And if you have any cool tools that you love to use for your business, let me know. I’d love to hear about them as well. 

 

Alright, have a great day guys. So good to have you here with us and I’ll speak to you soon.