Work Smarter, Grow Stronger: The Advisor’s Playbook for 2027
A new year brings fresh opportunities to fine-tune your business and set the stage for stronger growth. Heading into 2027, travel advisors are finding ways to save time, strengthen client relationships, tap into supplier resources, and focus their energy where it delivers the greatest return.
We asked successful advisors to share the smart moves, practical tools, and hard-earned lessons they’re taking with them into the year ahead.
1. Analyze performance and make adjustments.
Every travel agency has certain KPIs, market trends, and signals that the owner should watch closely. When reviewed and analyzed regularly (quarterly and yearly), this data is key to shaping priorities as the business moves forward.
“I’m watching the gap between sales and the work it takes to earn them,” says Beci Mahnken, VTA, founder & CEO, MEI-Travel. “A booking can look great in a sales report, but if an advisor spends hours repricing it or sorting out a supplier issue, that number doesn’t tell the whole story. We’re looking at how quickly we respond to new leads, how many become bookings, and what clients choose once they see the price.
“If leads aren’t converting, that points us toward training and how we handle the first conversation. If a supplier consistently creates extra work, that’s a conversation we need to have with them. Growth matters, but I want to know whether that growth is working for the advisors taking care of our clients, too.”
2. Apply technology strategically.
No one would argue that technology opens the door to enhanced productivity. But each travel advisor has to determine the best use of new tech and apps that will boost their workflow.
For Kes Sullivan, chief travel specialist & director of group reservation services, Xcent Travel, a project management tool keeps tasks on track. “For me, it has cleared my head (and planner) from remembering dates and just sends me notifications of when I need to do things. It creates my daily to-do list, allowing me to prioritize what needs to be handled first and organize my day accordingly.”
At Mahnken’s agency, embracing technology is a priority. She explains: “We’re teaching our team where AI and other tools can save time, such as organizing information or getting a first draft started, and where an advisor still needs to check the facts and use their judgment. We’ve also invested in a new CRM that we believe will make bookings and client communications easier to manage.
“When technology changes our industry, the advisors who thrive are the ones who adapt and find ways to use it to their advantage. The goal is to make the work more efficient, so advisors have more time for the human relationships that make this business work. Clients need our expertise, but they also need to know someone is listening and will be there when plans change.”
3. Correct redundant actions.
Another area to delve into as 2027 approaches is identifying where advisors spend too much time on tasks that could be streamlined, automated, or handled differently.
“I’d start with the work advisors have to repeat because systems don’t talk to each other,” advises Mahnken. “Entering the same client and booking details in multiple places, tracking down a supplier update, or repricing a reservation after a new offer comes out can eat up hours without improving the client’s trip. We can streamline some of that inside our agencies, but suppliers have a role to play, too. Every hour an advisor spends fixing a preventable process problem is an hour they can’t spend with a client.”
4. Separate busyness from profitability.
To build a stronger, more efficient, and more profitable business, advisors should track and separate busyness from profitability.
“Don’t confuse being busy with building a profitable business,” suggests Mahnken. “Pay attention to where your time goes, including the work after the booking. Which clients come back and refer others? Which suppliers help you solve problems, and which ones create more work than the commission can justify? Once you know those answers, you can make better choices about where to focus. You’ll have more room to take good care of your clients, and a business that’s healthier for you, too.”
5. Tighten client qualification.
Effective client qualification is critical for achieving and maintaining profitability. The process and the questions asked at the beginning of a client relationship help determine what the client really wants, set expectations, and avoid unnecessary work later.
“I ask them to tell me how they imagined their trip, from every detail of who is going with them, where and when they wanted to go, and how they wanted to spend their time while on the trip. This gives me the best idea of what their expectations are from their trip, and I can decide if it is realistic or not,” reports Sullivan.
For Mahnken, “I teach our advisors to have an actual conversation with a new client, not just collect dates, a destination, and a budget on a form. Pick up the phone or connect on Zoom. Find out what they’re excited about, what they’ve loved or disliked on past trips, who’s making the decision, and what matters most when they choose. Listen for the things they might not think to put in an inquiry. Investing that time upfront and asking the right questions helps us recommend the right trip, saves rounds of revisions later, and starts building the relationship that makes clients want to come back.”
6. Lean on your BDMs.
The best-kept supplier secret for successful advisors is often their BDMs, and those relationships are worth their weight in gold.
“The best thing is the relationship I have with my BDMs,” relays Sullivan. “If I need assistance that the regular support team is having a problem with, an email to my favorite BDM helps escalate the problem and find a reasonable solution. A good support team is crucial to maintaining repeat and referral business.”
Similarly, Mahnken says: “My best-kept secret for newer advisors is to build those relationships with business development managers before something goes wrong. Tell your supplier partners what you’re trying to grow and where your team gets stuck. Give them a chance to help you solve the everyday problems, not just the emergencies.”
7. Know and sell your worth.
Sullivan has one more piece of advice for advisors regarding building a more profitable business in 2027.
She says, “I would tell advisors to know their worth and sell the value they provide in addition to the product. Planning fees are really effective in securing the type of client you really want, but also learn to say no, even if they want to pay your fee. Not every lead is the right client for you.”
Onward to 2027!
The year ahead is full of opportunity. By making smart choices, travel advisors can take their business to new heights. Start with a few simple changes, build on what works, and make 2027 your best year yet!
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