There are two types of agents in the travel industry. The ones who make a lot of money and win all the sales awards, and the ones that struggle to make a decent living selling travel. Agents that do extremely well are the agents that have learnt to become specialists, the ones that remain just a travel agent, are the ones that will continue to lose their customers to the Internet.
Are you a travel agent or a travel specialist? Let’s find out.
Travel Agent
You spend most of your marketing efforts promoting last minute travel deals, and cheap vacation packages. Due to this, you end up with a clientele that cares about price more than service. More times than not you waste time doing research only to lose the client because of price.
Travel Specialist
You never talk about price or promise customers any savings. You instead choose to focus on the intangible values your service brings to a customer. Your clients come to you because your bring expertise and a high level of service. More times than not, they do not question the price when you send them a quote.
Travel Agent
You rely on your host agency for vendor relationships. You sell most of your travel through suppliers, consortiums and other middlemen. Without these establishments, you do not know how to find rates or put packages together. Because of this, your average commission stays below 15%.
Travel Specialist
You understand the value of forming relationships with vendors directly. Even though you work with suppliers and consortiums whenever they provide a better option for your clients, every opportunity you get, you work directly with vendors to establish your credibility and value. You understand that this is the key to unlocking the door to commission percentages of 20% or more.
Travel Agent
You don’t specialize in anything. This means you try to sell everything. You promote deals, your promote weddings your promote discount hotels while still trying to find high-end clients. You are unsure how to market yourself because you don’t have an identity. People know that you are a travel agent but they cannot identify what type of travel you specialize in.
Travel Specialist
You only work with a handful of vendors and suppliers exclusively. You very rarely try to sell anything outside of your exclusive niche market. People that know you, know that you are the go to person when they want to book any of your specialty products. Your vendor partners know you and love you because you bring them a lot of business. You have so much clout with these vendors that you can call in special favors for your clients at anytime. You are invite to their various award ceremonies and you keep winning awards to add to your resume.
Travel Agent
You do not think out of the box. Everything you sell are typical travel products that every other agent are selling and people can easily find online. You are afraid or unwilling to try anything new, or build a niche market of your own.
Travel Specialist
You have mastered the art of creating your own niche. You look for different interest groups and you use that to create new and unique reasons for people to travel. You are not just a travel specialist you are also a vendor because you have created your own products.
Sunset Destinations and Events Inc.
Travel. It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.
Sunset Destinations and Events Inc.
If we were meant to stay in one place, we'd have roots instead of feet he said.
Sunset Destinations and Events Inc.
Travel Brings The Power And Love Back To Your Life. - Rumi
Sunset Destinations and Events Inc.
The World is a Book, and those who do not Travel only read one page!
Sunset Destinations and Events Inc.
We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us. - Anonymous
