I host a podcast series that involves interviewing advisors who have achieved remarkable success.
Frank Belzer is senior vice president of sales and partner relations at Margaritaville at Sea and before that served as an executive with Icon Park in Orlando and Universal Parks & Resorts. He has been a regular speaker and panelist at travel trade conferences.
One of my go-to questions to my guests is, “What do you consider your special sauce?” There is little hesitation with the response; advisors quickly reply with one or two essential habits that they believe differentiate them from their competitors.
Lately, I have watched how some advisors have broadened their scope and focused on more than just a single booking or two for a family. Of course, that is typically their foundation, and they are very good at that. However, by expanding into groups, some of the skills that were honed working with individual travelers and families are having a significant impact. At Margaritaville at Sea, where I serve as senior vice president of sales, we have watched our travel agent group business grow dramatically, and this growth pushes me to ask, “Why?”
My observations have determined that some of the hallmarks consumers love about working with travel professionals are the same secrets enticing anyone planning travel for a group.
For the sake of this Forum, I will use my cruise vertical as a framework. However, these principles are adaptable and can be applied across all travel verticals, empowering you to broaden your scope and enhance your skills in the industry.
And it’s not just my idea; there is research that backs this up.
Research conducted in 2020 and posted in the International Journal of Hospitality Management cited why so many consumers are still resistant to booking on digital platforms despite the millions of dollars being spent every year by OTAs and others attempting to make them better and more personalized to the consumer. The average consumer still lacks trust; conversely, professional travel advisors score very high on the trust index with consumers.
These higher levels of trust are built on six best practices.
- Better understand the guest: One key factor that sets great advisors apart is this ability. Whether it’s a single cabin or 50, they invest time and effort to grasp precisely what the consumer wants from their trip before presenting options and recommendations. This level of understanding is not just a skill but a testament to their empathy and attentiveness.
- Push back on any mixed messages: For example, great advisors don’t allow consumers to say that they want a “premium experience for the lowest price possible,” because they know that those goals are often at odds. Instead, they ask more questions to determine precisely what the person means and whether those expectations are realistic.
- Demonstrate your expertise: It is one thing to have expertise, knowledge and insight, and it’s an entirely different thing to share that effectively and at the appropriate time. Great advisors have several moments in the discussions where the future guest says things like, “I don’t know,” “I didn’t think about that,” or “Oh, what does that mean?”
- Eliminate friction: When planning any trip, there are multiple opportunities for friction. It is rarer to have no friction than to experience some. The best advisors know how to smooth these points over and practically conceal them for their customers.
- Maintain the excitement: The dreaming and visualization phases of vacation planning are exciting but quickly tarnished by the tedious steps of formalizing bookings and making definitive plans. As advisors, you take most of the bore away from the client. Still, only the best advisors utilize this service to maintain and even build excitement and anticipation for the vacation.
- Make them feel special: Advisors often emphasize the importance of relationships with their clients; one key is making the guest feel special. That comes in many forms: Some want to feel important, others want to feel listened to, still others want to feel helped. Usually, a combination is desirable, and the best advisors are skilled at identifying and adapting to each guest.
These six best practices apply equally, if not more so, when travel advisors sell groups. I have watched some great travel advisors thrive in this role, especially over the past eight months while I have been with Margaritaville at Sea.
No vertical other than cruise is so dependent on the travel advisor; our offering is complex, and these agents step in and make things easier. When great travel advisors can apply these same best practices that work so well with FIT to all their group bookings and prospects, the effect can be satisfying for the client and very profitable for the agent.
I am developing a workshop that identifies four areas of opportunity for skilled travel advisors to grow their agency through a more strategic approach to planning and marketing groups for our cruise line. No doubt, many of my peers in the cruise, hotel, resorts and theme park spaces are doing something similar. If you are a travel agent looking to become a trustworthy travel advisor, learning and improvement is a significant first step.
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