Staying in the Know for Your Clients

Would you want to buy a vehicle from a salesperson without experience? If they’ve never even driven the car you have your eye on, would they know how to answer your questions about all the features and compare the various offerings in the different types of vehicles available on the lot? Probably not.

The same goes for your clients. If you aren’t familiar with the products and destinations they are interested in booking, chances are they won’t want to work with you. Staying in the know is one of the keys to continued success in your travel business, and here are some ways you can do so.

Travel and In-Person Events

If you’re positioning yourself as a travel expert, you’re going to need to travel. You’ll want to tour resorts, become familiar with cruise ships and explore the destinations you sell.

One of the most cost-effective ways to do this is through FAM trips. Attending a FAM trip usually reduces the prep and planning on your end, saving you time to focus on your sales. You’ll be able to do site inspections in order to become familiar with room categories, restaurants and available activities. You’ll also gain destination knowledge, including the airport experience, so you can provide tips to your clients.

To learn more about brands and destinations, it’s also important to attend events. Whether it’s an industry conference, a supplier presentation in your area or a BDM visit to your office, these interactions can help expand your knowledge of the products your clients are booking. Make the time to include these in your schedule.

Prioritizing Time Away

It is absolutely essential for advisors to attend FAMs and supplier events, but this doesn’t mean you need to say yes to every invitation that hits your inbox. Being on the road allows you to gain firsthand insight, but being on the road constantly can put you behind.

When you’re deciding which FAMs and events to attend, think about which products and destinations align with what your clients are looking for. While tempting, it’s not always beneficial to attend every FAM you’re available for. Prioritize the ones that make the most sense to your business.

Virtual Education

While attending events throughout the year is vital to your success, being at everything is not always feasible. To fill in the gaps, you can turn to virtual education. Many suppliers have online specialist courses you can take, and on VAX VacationAccess there are plenty of resources to utilize as well.

For example, the destination pages on VAX can help position you as a destination expert even if you haven’t had a chance to visit the place yet. These pages also have a shareable guide you can download and send to your clients.

Also, on The Compass there is a section dedicated to resort reviews called “I Stayed There.” Here you’ll find articles on different hotels and cruise lines written by the VAX staff and travel advisors. Having firsthand info and photos to share might help sell the product to your clients.

As your sales increase, it might be easy to brush off trips, events and education thinking you’re too busy for them, but this is an important part of the job. Advisors need to stay up to date with what’s going, and traveling and education certainly help with this.