Search Travel Market Report

mainlogo
www.travelmarketreport.com
U.S.A.
English
Canada
English
Canada Quebec
Français
  • News
  • Packaged Travel
  • Cruise
  • Hotels & Resorts
  • Destinations
  • Retail Strategies
  • Air
  • Training & Resources
  • Luxury Travel Report

Ask An Advisor: How Do I Nudge My Clients for Referrals Without Seeming Pushy?

by Daniel McCarthy  September 27, 2023
Ask An Advisor: How Do I Nudge My Clients for Referrals Without Seeming Pushy?

This is the fifth edition of TMR’s Ask an Advisor series, a regular column where a team of travel advisors tackles questions from others in the industry. All questions from this series have been submitted by TMR readers and vetted by the TMR editorial team. The fifth question comes from an advisor who wants some advice on asking for referrals and not seeming pushy.

Dear Ask-an-Advisor,   

I’ve been an advisor for two years now and really enjoy being a part of this industry. My background is in another industry and I’ve been able to parlay a good amount of my contacts from that industry into a decent starting client list. What’s surprised me is that I’m not getting the referral business I had expected, and as a result, my client list isn’t growing. In my old industry, I never had to ask for referrals. They just came. How do I now ask for a referral without sounding needy? 

Annie Jones, Owner & Luxury Travel Advisor, Telos Travel
Asking for referrals can definitely feel uncomfortable, but reviews and referrals from quality clients are what fuel our small businesses, so it’s essential that you cultivate those. I believe there is a common misconception that asking for a referral sounds desperate or needy. We aren’t begging – simply asking that if a client has a positive experience with us, they share that experience with their network! The foundation of asking for a referral starts with having honest and authentic relationships with your clients. The more you build a partnership with them and build their trust in you, the more comfortable you will feel asking for that referral. I’ve personally found it helpful to speak with my clients about how important it is to me that they share their experiences with friends and family, what it could mean for my business by doing so, and how much their advocacy really means to me. Most people will already want to support your business, you just need to show them how.

If you feel awkward or think you sound needy while speaking on the phone with your client, try starting with an email. After the conclusion of every trip, I send my clients a welcome home email with a very short survey to see what they enjoyed most about working with me and where I could serve them better. For a client to even consider referring you to a friend or family member, you need to stick out in their mind as providing exceptional service. If you’re not feeling confident, a short survey is a great way to collect feedback from your clients in addition to having a post trip call. Receiving that positive feedback will give you an easy segue to thank them for their support and ask for that referral. The more you do it, the more natural it will sound and feel! If asking outright still feels strange, incentivize it by creating a referral program where you offer a credit towards their next trip for each referral that ends up booking a trip with you.

 Annie Jones created Telos Travel in 2021 to share her deep passion for sustainable luxury adventure travel with clients. Telos is an affiliate of Avenue Two Travel, is based in the Greater Philadelphia Area and works with clients and partners all over the world.

Kyle Stewart, Director, Scott & Thomas Travel Personalized
This is such a good question. I have a tale of two agents, one that gets lots of referrals and great reviews, and another that has very happy customers but they don’t tell anyone. Agent A asks for referrals on a follow-up call after the completion of their trip along with what we can look into for their next trip, what did they like about the last trip, and what will they avoid in the future? Agent B has less formalized follow-up calls.

Reviews are very important to both the agency and the agent. On Google My Business (GMB) almost every rating mentions the same Agent A by name, Agent B has no reviews from their clients. In the case of both these agents, we sent out an email asking for a review and received zero responses initially. Agent A sent a follow-up starting with their best clients and asked if they wouldn’t mind reviewing, included the link, and stated how important it was to them. Agent A’s reviews started rolling in and as you might suspect, when someone sees those reviews all mentioning the same agent, it’s who they ask for when they call.

Like you, I came from outside of the industry and like you, I feel like asking for a referral can come across as needy. But what I realized is that in this industry, consumers need to know they can trust who they are calling and it’s much easier to give a referral in this business. “I just got back from Greece and it was amazing” might be something your client would say to a friend over lunch. By letting your client know (on that post-trip communication) that referrals are important, the next sentence might be, “My agent took care of everything” which will lead to a very natural situation for them to share your details without feeling an obligation or being pushy.

If you don’t get anything back from your clients on post-trip emails or phone calls, I think it’s also okay to ask, “Was everything okay on your trip? We want to make sure you had a great time and that you’re 100% satisfied.” There may be something they are holding back until prompted, but in most cases, clients are just extremely busy and if they sense that it’s important they will prioritize communication with you and hopefully their friends.

Kyle Stewart holds several roles within the travel, miles, and points world. He is a Partnership Manager for BoardingArea.com (and the Freddie Awards), a writer at LiveAndLetsFly.com, and a freelance writer for several publications. He is also the Director of Scott & Thomas Travel Personalized. 

  
  
Related Articles
Ask-an-Advisor: What Makes You Loyal to a Travel Supplier?
Ask-an-Advisor: How Do I Know When It’s Time to Fire a Client?
Ask-an-Advisor: Should I Prepare for a Possible Slowdown? How Do I Even Begin?
Ask-an-Advisor: How Do I Strike the Right Balance Between My Budget Conscious Clients and Maximizing My Income?
Ask-an-Advisor: How Can I Start With Groups? Should I Let Other Advisors Sell into My Groups?
Ask-An-Advisor: Do You Ever Warn Clients About Entry Requirements or Possible Denials?
Ask-An-Advisor: A Supplier Messed Up. Is There Anything I Can Do to Make It Up to My Client?
Ask-An-Advisor: Why Would I Use a DMC Instead of a Tour Operator?
Ask-An-Advisor: Can I Be Selective and Not Charge Some Clients Fees?
Ask-an-Advisor: Do Successful Advisors and Agency Owners Have a Responsibility to Bring Others Along?

MOST VIEWED

  1. Norwegian Cruise Line Cancels 40+ Cruises on Two Ships
  2. U.S. Issues Worldwide Travel Warning for All Americans Traveling Abroad
  3. Travel Leaders Network President John Lovell to Depart for Cruise Role
  4. Hilton Rewards Reservations Canceled Amid Transition of Playa Hotels to Hyatt
  5. Here Are All the New Cruise Ships Coming in 2026, 2027, and Beyond
  6. Ask-an-Advisor: How Do I Know When It’s Time to Fire a Client?


  1. U.S. and International Airlines Halt Dubai, Mideast Flights Due to Iran-Israel Conflict
  2. Overtourism Backlash Heats Up in Europe as Summer Season Kicks Off
  3. New Greece Cruise Passenger Tax Coming this July
  4. What Does Success Look Like for a Travel Advisor?
  5. Two Wins and Two Losses for Travel in the New U.S. Budget Bill
  6. New U.S. Travel Bans Would Hinder Tourism, Industry Leaders Say
TMR Subscription

Subscribe today to receive daily in-depth luxury coverage, analysis of luxury news, luxury trends and issues that affect how you do business. Subscribe now for free.

Subscribe to TMR

Top Stories
As the Market Holds, Here Are Four Trends Keeping Advisors Busy 
As the Market Holds, Here Are Four Trends Keeping Advisors Busy 

While a slowdown in travel bookings hasn’t materialized as a trend this year, other trends have emerged.

Travefy Launches CRM Suite for Travel Advisors
Travefy Launches CRM Suite for Travel Advisors

Travefy said the new tools could help advisors save hundreds of hours each year.

Forget the Headlines — Here’s What’s Really Stressing Consortia, Host, & Franchise Execs
Forget the Headlines — Here’s What’s Really Stressing Consortia, Host, & Franchise Execs

“There’s all kinds of noise out there that we can’t control…”

Ask-an-Advisor: What Makes You Loyal to a Travel Supplier?
Ask-an-Advisor: What Makes You Loyal to a Travel Supplier?

What tips the scale when choosing who to work with again and again?

Michael Yitzhakov Named Director General of the Israel Ministry of Tourism
Michael Yitzhakov Named Director General of the Israel Ministry of Tourism

Yitzhakov has served as the chief of staff to the minister of tourism since 2023.

Travel Agency Groups Still Up Year Over Year Despite Fluctuations
Travel Agency Groups Still Up Year Over Year Despite Fluctuations

An interruption in bookings in spring did flatten the growth curve, but it also led to a rise of close-in trip planning.

TMR OUTLOOKS & WHITE PAPERS
View All
Advertiser's Voice
AmaWaterways’ Unrivaled Christmas Onboard Experience
About Travel Market Report Mission Meet the Team Advisory Board Advertise Syndication Guidelines
TMR Resources Calendar of Events Outlook/Whitepapers Previous Sponsored Articles Previous This Week Articles
Subscribe to TMR
Select Language
Do You Have an Idea Email
editor@travelmarketreport.com
Give Us a Call
1-(516) 730-3097
Drop Us a Note
Travel Market Report
71 Audrey Ave, Oyster Bay, NY 11771
© 2005 - 2025 Travel Market Report, an American Marketing Group Inc. Company All Rights Reserved | Terms and Conditions
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Manage cookie preferences