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sales tips
Sales is a topic so broad that countless books have been written on it, people go to school for it, and so many online courses exist for it. We're not going to teach you how to sell - you have to determine what works for you. But we'll give you some tips and point you to some other great resources.
Sell groups
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Love organizing things? Are you super detail-oriented? Groups can be a very lucrative part of travel and these might be a good fit for you.
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Consider a niche
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It's hard to be an expert in all the things and there's probably travel elements that you enjoy selling more than others. Consider specializing in specific areas of travel and focus your message to support what you want to sell so you can attract clients that are interested in it.
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It's not all about you
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Focus on travel experiences your clients would be interested in, not just travel experiences you've have or want to have. Keep up with 'hot' destinations and travel trends. Be realistic and flexible with your policies - you may not want to work nights and weekends, but those may be the best times for potential clients.
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Stay top-of-mind
Find creative ways to stay top-of-mind for potential clients when it comes to all things travel (or specific travel elements you focus on). Be careful to find the right balance between being visible and being annoying.
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Ask for the sale
Imagine you've run a marathon but stopped just before the finish line. Many travel agents do this. They do the work. They show off their expertise. But they don't ask the potential client for the sale. This doesn't make you a 'slimey sales person' - when someone requests your help in buying something, this won't come as a shock to them. Always be honest though - a lot of sales training talks about scarcity as a closing technique, but it needs to be true.
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Past clients matter
In the constant hunt for new clients, many agents ignore their past clients. Keep in touch with them, learn their travel preferences, send them offers (occasionally) that may appeal to them. They've already come to you once - it's not crazy to expect they may want to work with you again if you did a great job.
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Be careful what you advertise
Always advertising deals, being the best price, not charging fees, and similar content will attract price-focused shoppers. Be careful if doing this, as this type of prospective client may book elsewhere for very minimal savings, possibly after you've done a lot of research for them.
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Embrace technology
Work smarter, not harder definitely applies to this industry. Make use of the tools available to you. If you find a pain point in your quoting/booking/supporting process, search for tools that may help.
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Million Dollar Travel Agents Share Their Sales Tips
15 Priceless Sales Tips
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overcoming objections
'Why should I book with you when I can just book myself online?'
This is something you may encounter often in this business and you'll need to be able to confidently answer this question.
Below you'll find some excellent articles on why people should use a travel agent. They'll give you a better idea of how to answer this question.
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​7 Reasons Why You Should Be Using a Travel Agent
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Travel Agent vs Skyscanner: Why you should be using a travel agent instead of the internet
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Benefits of Booking with a Travel Agent vs Booking Online Yourself
Why Use a Travel Agent
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Why should someone book with a Go Travel agent when it's so easy to book online?
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Get comfortable being able to answer this question in a way that feels authentic.
Consider highlighting things like:
- personalized service
- they can reach you at any time
- no hold times
- Canadian/local business
- team of highly-trained experts
- supplier relationships