Search Travel Market Report

alg
ALG Sponsored
mainlogo
www.travelmarketreport.com
  • News
  • Packaged Travel
  • Cruise
  • Hotels & Resorts
  • Destinations
  • Retail Strategies
  • Niche & Luxury
  • Air
  • Training & Resources
  • Who We Are
    • Brian Israel
    • Briana Bonfiglio
    • Dan McCarthy
    • Dori Saltzman
    • Jennifer Arango
    • Kelly Fontenelle
    • Keri-Anne Slevin
    • Louis Intreglia
    • Tom McCarthy
Sponsored By ALG
Sponsored By ALG

The 8 Things Longtime Travel Agents Wish They’d Known When They First Started

by Dori Saltzman / April 12, 2022
The 8 Things Longtime Travel Agents Wish They’d Known When They First Started

Becoming a successful travel agent may be harder than you think. Photo: Shutterstock.com


No matter the jobs, people have certain expectations coming into them. For many travel advisors, early expectations might include low-cost, carefree travel, daily client inquiries and bookings, and never-ending commissions rolling in.

Sure, most new advisors understand it’s not going to be easy, especially in their first year or two. But the actual experience of the first couple of years of business often jars with that initial theoretical understanding of what’s required.

To help shortcut the learning curve for new advisors, Travel Market Report spoke to experienced travel advisors to find out what they wish they’d known when they first started out.

(This is the first in a five-part series in which travel advisors who have been in business for at least 10 years share the wisdom they’ve learned over the course of their careers.)

1. It’s harder than you think. Expect to be cash poor your first year.
“When you start in this business, the first year is very, very tough,” said David Locke, co-owner of Seize the Seas, an Avoya Travel member agency.

Alan Rosenbaum, owner of an Atlanta-based Dream Vacations franchise said much the same thing. “I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I didn’t realize how hard it would be. It’s harder than you think. ”

Essentially, Locke said, you’re working for free. “You work, you learn, you ‘learn on the job,’ and you build a book of business. But you don’t get paid until the people actually travel.”

Because most people tend to use an advisor to book travel in advance, you could make next to nothing in your first year of business. It often takes until the second year for money to start coming in. If you’ve done a good job with those clients, you’ll also start to see people rebook new travel with you.

“Your cash comes in and your business snowballs,” he said of getting past the first year.

For that first year, he added, new travel advisors need to understand they may need to live off of credit or dip into their savings to get by. It also helps if someone else in the family is bringing in a steady paycheck.

2. Project confidence, even if you don’t feel it.
It may be cliché, but “fake it ‘til you make it” can be a critical skill in your early days as a travel advisor. People need to feel comfortable trusting their money – and more importantly, their vacation time – to you.

“Believe in yourself and exude confidence,” said Richard Stieff, owner of a Boynton Beach Cruise Planners franchise. “Even if you don’t feel it, show it.”

He added, “The way you deliver information to the guests will set the tone on the relationship you are developing with them. With confidence, you show the guest you are a professional, not someone just dabbing their toes in the industry.”

“Never say ‘I don’t know,’” Rosenbaum added. “If you don’t know, say ‘I’ll find that out and get right back to you.’”

3. Ask questions. Learn to qualify guests and start the relationship.
It’s easy to assume that most people know what they want when they reach out to a travel advisor to book a trip. But in many cases, even those who think they know, don’t actually. Perhaps, they call because they want to take a river cruise and they’ve seen numerous Viking Cruises ads. But they’re actually high-end clients who enjoy a more luxurious experience. Without asking questions, you’d never know that and book them on Viking, just like they asked. When they end up unhappy, there’s a good chance they’re never coming back to you.

“You must build a relationship with your guests,” said Ray Teet, co-owner of a Palm City, Florida Dream Vacations franchise, who started out in the industry years ago as a cruise line phone agent where he was taught not to qualify customers. But the emphasis on closing the sale quickly never felt right and he naturally fell into advising his customers instead.

“Go beyond the initial ask of ‘how much for an inside cabin on this cruise?’ They must be willing to answer your questions about their vacation and what they are seeking to experience.”

4. Maintain meticulous records.
Part of being able to have a good relationship with your clients (and your suppliers) is to keep really good records.

“Maintain data on your clients, their travel, and what you’ve done for them,” said Ann Sadie Osten, president of Sadie’s Global Travel Ltd., a TRAVELSAVERS member agency. “Create files electronically on destinations and include feedback from your clients in the files.”

These records can help you serve both your current and future clients better. And don’t forget to back those records up on a regular basis.

5. Pay as much attention to geography and logistics as everything else.
“How much you know about geography will aid you in properly selling travel and guiding your clients,” said Justin Smith, president of The Evolved Traveler, an Ensemble Travel member agency.

Understanding how to get people from place to place – or if it’s even possible – is critical to serving your clients. Just because two cities are on the same continent doesn’t mean they make for an easy two-city getaway.

Smith cited a time a client asked to go from Iquitos, Peru to Rio de Janeiro for a weekend trip. The travel alone would have taken half the time they had. Try to learn as much as possible about the geographic areas you sell so you know what is and isn’t possible.

6. Don’t forget local marketing.
Many travel advisors work with host agencies or agency consortiums that provide national marketing, but local marketing is just as important, said John Gawne, co-owner of a Virginia Beach-based Dream Vacations franchise.

“It took me two years to realize I needed to join the local Chamber of Commerce, which really paid off,” he told TMR.

Gawne attended meetings in his own city, as well as nearby cities, and gained “numerous customers” from his efforts.

7. Learn from others.
Whether you’re working for someone else or going it alone – and especially if you’re a solopreneur – taking the time to learn from others with more experience can be immensely helpful. If you encounter a problem, chances are someone else has a solution.

“Find a good mentor and learn as much from them as possible regarding all the detailed steps before and after booking clients,” said Penny Rushing of Four Points Travel, an Avoya Travel agency.

8. Sell the experience.
Last, but not least, John R. Schmitt, Jr., president of Frankenmuth Travel, a TRAVELSAVERS member agency, said it’s critical that advisors sell their clients on the experience they’ll have. Not the price they’ll pay.

“In the early days (the 1980s), it seemed that our objective was to be best at finding the lowest prices,” Schmitt, Jr. told TMR. “This took the focus off of the needs of travelers. Travelers seek adventure, experience, and opportunities for learning. For this reason, travelers are willing to pay for what they want as long as there is proof of value. This is where the ‘Advisor’ role is key.’”

  73
  0
ALG Sponsored

MOST VIEWED

  1. The Best Black Friday and Cyber Monday Travel Deals for 2023
  2. The Ten 'Most Christmassy' Towns in the U.S.
  3. U.S. State Department Warns Travelers About GPS Dangers in South Africa
  4. The Worst Airports for Holiday Flight Delays
  5. What Will Be the Biggest Travel Trends of 2024?
  6. Royal Caribbean Monitoring Haiti Violence


  1. Here Are the New Cruise Ships Debuting in 2024
  2. Dondra Ritzenthaler to Join Azamara as CEO
  3. Iceland Travel Update: Southwest Earthquakes Heighten Risk of Volcanic Activity
  4. The World's Most Expensive Flights
  5. CBD Gummies Result in Lifetime Passenger Ban for Carnival Cruiser
  6. Southwest Pilots Set Up Regional Strike Center in Preparation for a Strike
TMR THIS WEEK
Presented by Windstar
//services.travelsavers.com/AMGService.svc/REST/GetImage?ImageID=31e281c0-9d92-ee11-adc6-005056a855ed&Width=350&Height&250

Consultative Selling for Travel Advisors: Why It is Important and How to Do It

With consultative selling, a travel professional is viewed as a trusted advisor (more akin to a lawyer, financial advisor, or other high-level consultant). 

Read More...
TMR Subscription

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

Subscribe to TMR

Top Stories
Mazatlán – A Colonial City on the Beach
Mazatlán – A Colonial City on the Beach

If you pride yourself on recommending fabulous vacation destinations that aren’t the typical hotspots, consider Mazatlán, the Pearl of the Pacific. 

Read...
10 Things Travel Advisors Need to Do to Wrap Up This Year & Prepare for the Next (Part 1)
10 Things Travel Advisors Need to Do to Wrap Up This Year & Prepare for the Next (Part 1)

The first five of 10 things advisors told TMR they do to wrap up the year and position themselves for an amazing next year.

Read...
Willamette Valley Oregon to Serve as Host of Tourism Cares' 2024 Travel Summit
Willamette Valley Oregon to Serve as Host of Tourism Cares' 2024 Travel Summit

The 2024 fall Meaningful Travel Summit will be held in Eugene Oregon, Sept. 30 to Oct. 2. 

Read...
Survey Reveals Americans Seek Mindful Travel in 2024
Survey Reveals Americans Seek Mindful Travel in 2024

Travelers are taking more factors into consideration for their 2024 trips.

Read...
Classic Vacations Partners with Freelance Marketplace Provider for Low-Cost Advisor Memberships
Classic Vacations Partners with Freelance Marketplace Provider for Low-Cost Advisor Memberships

Membership gives advisors access to a marketplace of pre-qualified administrative assistants, content writers, and more. 

Read...
The Battle Against Junk Fees: Big Business Defends Deceptive Practices
The Battle Against Junk Fees: Big Business Defends Deceptive Practices

The resistance to rules requiring advance disclosure of the total price of services is across the board from big businesses.

Read...
OUTLOOKS & WHITE PAPERS
Trends in River Cruise, 2023
European Travel Trends 2023
Winning in The Tech Era: Essential Insights for Travel Advisors
View All
Advertiser's Voice
//services.travelsavers.com/AMGService.svc/REST/GetImage?ImageID=c0852062-a67c-ee11-adc6-005056a855ed
Swan Hellenic: Beyond Ordinary
ALG sponsored
About Travel Market Report Mission Staff Advisory Board Advertise
TMR Resources Webinars 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
News |Packaged Travel |Cruise |Hotels & Resorts |Destinations |Retail Strategies |Niche & Luxury |Air |Training & Resources |Who We Are
© 2005 - 2023 Travel Market Report, an American Marketing Group Inc. Company All Rights Reserved | 243 South Street, Oyster Bay, NY, 11771 USA | Telephone (516) 730-3097| Terms and Conditions
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy