5 Key Risks Travel Agents Face: How to Develop a Risk Management Plan
When starting a new travel business, your first concern is how to get clients. You ask questions like “How much money do travel agents make?” or “Where do I source the right travel marketing and media?” As clients begin to trickle in, you’re suddenly faced with a confusing mass of deeper questions. How do you […]
New Travel Agent Tips for Client Building (seasoned advisors too!)
After a challenging couple of years for travel, things are ramping up again. The travel industry saw nearly 60% of its travel agent salesforce leave the industry when vacationing was severely limited during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has created a wide opening for new agents to enter the market. If you’re just […]
Client Onboarding: Strategies for Travel Agents
Your prospect said YES! They are ready to work with you. You’ve successfully turned a lead into a prospect, and that prospect is now a new client. Woo-hoo! So, what’s next? Now that the customer is excited to work with you and is ready to sign on the dotted line, how do you get them […]
How to Get Travel Agency Clients (and keep them)
It Starts With Building Your Trust Bank I want to talk about TRUST. I believe it’s powerful to look at client relationships as a bank of trust, and every interaction is either a deposit or a withdrawal. But what does that mean? Whenever you give attention to your prospects or clients’ needs and keep your […]
Scope Creep: How Travel Agents Lose Money
Everybody is talking about fees, fees, fees. Yes, we all know that when you charge a fee, you: But, nobody is talking about scope creep! What is it? How does it affect your profitability? And, how can you get rid of it altogether? Scope creep is not a term that’s often used in the travel […]
Functionality Rules
Architect Louis Sullivan coined the phrase, Form follows function. His protégé, the renowned Frank Lloyd Wright, advanced the concept, as he designed what he referred to as organic architecture in harmony with humans and the environment. When you really think about it, it’s difficult to identify anything useful that does not affirm the importance of […]
Separating the Wheat from the Chaff
…navigating a new universe of travel gurus We, at TIS absolutely love our partners! By working so closely together on mutually beneficial projects, I and my partner organizations’ leaders have the opportunity to get to know each other very well. One of the results—all of which have been positive—is discovering how closely aligned our thinking […]
The Oasis of Organization
Over recent years, many people who had spent their entire lives as victims of disorganization and chaos have learned organizational skills—thanks to a global, self-help movement toward achieving a sense of order. Television shows about hoarders have earned surprisingly good ratings, and talk shows have featured psychologists and experts on order have touted the importance […]
Travel Agent Planning FEES
Most—if not all—travel professionals I’m speaking with right now are considering making a shift to fee-based planning. And if you aren’t, you certainly should be! Having gone through a year of losses, it’s critical to (at least) explore transitioning your business from a commission-only structure to non-refundable fee-based travel services. Advisors and agency owners who […]