Dear Travel Agents/Advisors,

I am writing this blog from the incredible Celebrity Beyond. It cost over $1 billion to build and you can see what a beauty she is. I highly recommend that you experience this ship, and/or book your clients on her. Every detail is so well thought out, even on the at-sea days you don’t feel crowded.

Well, I am impressed indeed, but I am also a cruise lover and enjoy a good cruise when I take one – just like a wine aficionado, you need one to know the other!

Now, how can you turn a person who has never been on a cruise into a cruise lover? Or how can you make a non-traveler into a travel addict?

These people have always been my biggest challenges and my favorite future clients.

To sell a cruise to a cruiseaholic is easy, they are already shopping and the travel agent/advisor who shows them that they care the most gets the client (notice that I didn’t say best price!)

Now, how can you convert a traveler into a cruiser? Show them a cruise where the food is awesome, the nightlife has a bit of everything and is high quality, where they don’t feel crowded, they experience great service, and the price justifies the expense. Don’t base prices on YOUR budget, give them a product that they will love, and you will have a client for life. Not only that, they might just book their next cruises while on that cruise!

How do you convert a “stay at home, can’t afford it, and don’t enjoy travel” into a travel addict?

These are the forgotten clients, and honestly they are the best once you get them, and you can, for life, just hold their hands!

Fear is their middle name: fear of the unknown, fear of how to, fear of what can possibly go wrong, and fear of changes. They need someone with special powers to make them feel comfortable and explain every detail – even how to pay for the trip, how to get to the airport, what comes next, and after that. Many need help even with how to pay monthly, because for them, money is like water and it is so hard to save enough to pay all at once.

I know that not everyone was born to be a teacher and a bank teller at the same time, but after a couple of times it becomes like teaching a little kid to ride a bike and then, they will ride every time with YOU!

Finding the clients who were not available and making them your best clients is the best advice I can give for the new year! Happy 2023!

Cheers!

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Blogs @ http://www.travelwithrosana.com

 

 

Dear Travel Agents/Advisors,

We all know that most people enjoy traveling. I like to believe that ALL people do, but somehow, beyond my comprehension (LOL!), that is not true. We also know that many believe they can NOT afford to travel.

This is what I want to talk about, and no, I am not going to talk about teaching them to become travel agents!

I want to talk to those travel agents who are willing to go after the huge number of people who believe that they cannot afford to travel, and show them how to prioritize their wishes and make their travel dreams come true.

If you are the one of those agents, keep reading, because I can help you with many ideas!

First, we need to convince these types of people that everything is possible IF they wish and plan for it. People can see themselves doing things in the very short future; planning something for 2024 or 2025 seems too away. But, once we turn that thought around, it is already 2023, and those future dates will happen whether we plan for them or not. So, why not plan for something beautiful in their future, and give them something wonderful to look forward to.

Then we can offer some of the solutions for how to make it happen. I have heard many incredible stories from travel agents and/or clients. They have quit a bad habit and saved that money. Or tried eating healthier meals at home instead of eating out and putting the saved money aside. Drinking coffee at home or making it in a coffeemaker in the office instead of paying for the expensive Starbucks, and putting aside that money. Walking places instead of using the car …… Do you get the idea?

When you give travelers these examples of ways to save, and then multiply them by the days until the planned trip, you get a nice amount of money to fund a wish that they turned into a priority.

To that, you can add ideas to a bucket list with your prospective client and get them more engaged with you and what you can offer them.

There is a huge segment of the population who would love to have a travel agent guiding them and holding their hands as they plan to travel. Once you find them and show them what you can offer, they will trust you, recommend you to others, and keep you on file for their next trip.

Cheers

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Facebook @travelwithrosana

Blog @ http://www.travelwithrosana.com

Dear Travel Agents Advisors,

Have you been following my last 2 blogs? I hope so!

For those who have, we talked about seeing a “picture” from the client’s point of view, and last week I told you my “picture perfect” from the personal taste of a Travel Expert (per se).

Now, how can you put the two together? First, I know I love cruises so I can easily say that I would want to specialize in cruises and land tours (remember that I mentioned this in my last blog?) I also described my personal experience with cruising, so I know a bit. Also, I know that I don’t know enough about other cruises, so right away I know I should sign up to learn more about them. 

I could also prepare a spreadsheet with points that are important to most people comparing cruise details, including:

• restaurants
• dress code
• room service
• entertainment
• kid friendly
• kid’s clubs
• smoking areas
• cabin size
• handicap rooms
• swimming pools

I know some people are very good with spreadsheets, and you can see from my blog that this is not my forte (thank God I have 2 awesome sons, LOL!)

My point is, the more specific comparison your spreadsheet shows in terms of cruise amenities, the better you can assist your client in making their “cruise picture” a total reality, because YOU are the expert and YOU have the tools to do it!  When they ask you why you are recommending this cruise instead of another, you can tell them it is because the only phone call you want to get from them AFTER or even during the cruise, is to book another one! Or you can go over every point, and every pro and con of the cruise you feel is best for them. The choice is yours!

Cheers!

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Blogs @ http://www.travelwithrosana.com

Dear Travel Agents/Advisors,

Last week we talked about hair, haircuts and hairdressers, and even compared them to travel experts!

I hope you had the opportunity to think about this while talking to a client or prospective one, trying to see the “picture” they had in their mind, and not just listening to their requests.

As many of you know, I travel quite often (but not as often as I’d like to.) I love cruises and land tours (FAM TRIPS included).

I love to cruise with Celebrity and Azamara. Here are some of the reasons why: I like their itineraries a lot. Before dinner we enjoy a great show in the beautiful theater. Dinner seating every night is at the same table, and the maître d’ shows me the menu for the next night so we can modify it for my allergies. Once I get to our table where others are savoring the delicious bread and butter, I have warm gluten free bread and olive oil waiting for me.

After dinner we go dancing, and once we get back to the room, we prepare our request for a room service breakfast (we like our breakfast in the room for many reasons: portion control, my allergies, and less noise than in the buffet room) all at no extra charge.

It is very important to us that these cruises are not-so kid friendly (trust me on this!) IF they say they have a kid’s program, they probably do a superb job because I never hear kids screaming or crying anywhere. I have nothing against kids, but having adult sons and no grandchildren yet, I like to live my vacations scream free!

I honestly have tried cheaper cruises, but I don’t appreciate being nickel and dimed for extra money to send a sparkling water to my room, or paying extra money for room service, beyond what I have already paid for a package. Some other cruise lines like Celebrity unfortunately don’t fulfill some of our important requirements like a dining room or great shows.

There are some other more expensive cruise lines that we want to try, but they will definitely need to justify the upgrade in pricing for us to go for it.

Do you really know what you like?

Cheers!

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Dear Travel Agents/Advisors,

Who cuts your hair?

Seriously! This question is for everyone, including men and even the boldest of my followers. We all know that sometimes we make a mistake and get a bad haircut. But, it is just hair and we can wear a cap or even a nice wig and eventually it grows back. But for a while, we need to face the mirror and remember this bad choice we made, if we cut our own hair, or went to someone not well trained.

Now, I will be the devil’s advocate. How many times have you sat at a hair salon with a picture from a magazine, or snapshot you show to the hairdresser wanting the same cut? Yes, you really want your hair to look like that one on the picture.

First, a good hairdresser needs to understand clearly what you want and second, if it is will work for your hair type with the amount of time you want to spend styling it to know if what you want is even possible.

When we explain this using hair as an example, it sounds much simpler than when we explain the same type of considerations about a trip, right?

A travel expert has to know the exact expectations of the prospective client to avoid conflicts and misunderstandings. As an expert YOU know the best cruises, tours, all-inclusives, and what the client wants EVEN when they bring you a picture (especially since usually this picture is inside the client’s head!)

Think about this the next time you are talking to your client. Try to get “the picture” and sell what your client REALLY wants!

Cheers!
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Blogs @ http://www.travelwithrosana.com

Dear Travel Agents/ Advisors,

Welcome to Colombia, not Columbia!

Colombia has been on my bucket list since before the pandemic and finally, in October 2022, I realized my dream of visiting this country by being a leader on a FAM Trip. We spent 8 days visiting Bogota, Medellín and Cartagena. Along with me and my husband (the only man on the trip) were 9 awesome travel agents. 

I personally love to visit a country on a FAM Trip, I enjoy the fast pace and crave the energy of the group. Actually, I could live on FAM trips, but I know that not all trips are created equally, LOL!

I did not care for Bogota, there was not much to see or do there. Honestly, I don’t think that Colombia’s capital is a “must-visit” destination. I recommend flying into Medellín and starting from there. Another fact about Bogota is that the city is at a high altitude, some people can feel it and get sick. 

Medellin is the highlight of Colombia, in my opinion. From lemons, they have made delicious margaritas!  I highly recommend watching or reading about Pablo Escobar BEFORE going to Colombia. From that, you will have a better understanding of how one person was almost able to destroy a city, a country, so many lives, and was such a negative influence. 

Now it is a beautiful city, celebrated with the beautiful sculptures of famous Fernando Botero and enriched by the Comuna 13 neighborhood, with its series of urban escalators. Medellín’s policy of social urbanism is aimed at integrating previously alienated citizens into the city and investing heavily in progressive architecture and education. 

From Medellín we went to Cartagena. What a beautiful port city on the Caribbean Sea. The beaches and the history made the visit a must, especially the Palenque de San Basílio, a village almost 2 hours away. Here you’ll learn the real story of around 3,500 people descended from West-African slaves who escaped Cartagena and the surrounding areas in the 17th Century. The people in Palenque originated from the Congo and were brought to Colombia during the colonization of the Americas by the Spanish. Many fled Cartagena and other cities due to the harsh conditions and the poor treatment they were subjected to.

Colombia is rich in food, delicious coffee, chocolate, beaches and incredible history. I highly recommend adding Colombia to your bucket list. 

Cheers!

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Dear Travel Agents/Advisors,

We have talked before about how NOT to send proposals or deal with a client or prospective one over email or text, but to do so over the phone and in person if possible. This is because we don’t want a “Prize,” but instead a client who will stay with you and recommend you to others. For those who are LUCKY enough to send a proposal and “get” a sale, know that you got a one-time deal, and next time it could be another lucky TA!

Now that I have made my point about the difference between a one-timer and a client, let’s talk about complaints and endless questions from clients over emails and texts. This is one of the cases I call “embrace or hug a porcupine.”

Example: Client is on her/his vacation and sends text messages about the poor service she is getting at the restaurant in the all-inclusive resort where they are staying. Well, you don’t really know if the service is poor, or if she is having a bad day, or is upset because of personal reasons. So, don’t engage over text messages or emails. You can ignore them the first day, or reply with, “I am sorry to hear that.”

If this continues, ask your client to contact you by WhatsApp at a time that is convenient for you so you can give them all the attention they need

Once she/he calls, ask about the weather, about her husband or family or friend (whoever is traveling with her), ask about the pool, the ocean. I mean, take the driver’s seat and “drive” around the all-inclusive – everywhere BUT the restaurant (the problem). Let her tell you about everything she is enjoying. Or you might hear that she is a complainer and sees the glass so empty that it is almost broken. Write down everything she says and repeat it back to her.  Then, and ONLY then ask her about of the restaurant. One of two things will happen: She will see for herself that everything else is wonderful and she herself will find an excuse for the poor service, OR she will realize that she complains about everything, and that this is an awful all-inclusive (it is your fault, of course, so you will deal of her when she comes back!) but in any case – she feels heard. This is one example of how to EMBRACE OR HUG A PORCUPINE!

Can you give me an example of when you’ve hugged a porcupine?

Cheers!

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Dear Travel Agents/Advisors,

As I was planning my FAM trip to Colombia, I added Bogota, Medellin and Cartagena to the weather app already installed in my iPhone.  As the trip dates began to approach, so did my anxiety: thunderstorms were predicted practically all day long in all the 3 cities. I can deal with little rain during the day, but all-day thunderstorms were really making me think about changing my mind about going on this trip.

My husband decided to call his friend/client in Medellin while I was worrying about the prediction of another dark, thunderstorm-awful day on my phone. His friend told my husband that he was enjoying a beautiful sunny day and that there was rain during the night but nothing too bad!!!

During the whole trip we enjoyed great weather, and we talked about almost canceling because of seeing thunderstorms on the Weather App. Well, this is not the first time this has happened! While we were in Italy in August, we had the same experience. While we watched showers in one town on our phone app, our friends there told us the sun was out!

If your clients are watching the weather on their cellular phone and getting ready to cancel their trip, let them know about my blog. This seems to happen all the time. It might be that whoever is in charge of the weather app on the phone hates to travel and tries to convince people to be miserable before they travel or keep them from going someplace. It only seems to please people who like to travel in the rain! Not nice.

Now we all know!

Cheers!

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Blogs @ http://www.travelwithrosana.com

 

Dear Travel Agents/Advisors,

Travel is a true gift that we give to ourselves. The price depends on how much we can afford, but also how much we believe we deserve it.

Why? Some people are more generous to themselves and pay in installments towards a more expensive trip, while others don’t believe in spending more than they can afford at the time of booking. In both cases, the traveler gives themselves the pleasure of traveling. They celebrate life and are living without regrets.

I just came back from a trip to my 87th country, and tomorrow I will be celebrating my big 6-0, or as I say: my 39th with 21 years of experience!

I am writing this blog with tears streaming down my face. As much as I enjoy life, I am the first one in my family who will surpass the age of 59. My mom died at 52 from colon cancer, her mom (my maternal grandmother) died at 54 with same cancer. Honestly, I don’t know about my mother’s grandmother who was lost in Poland before WWII.

My goal is to continue enjoying life, to get to 120 countries at least once (some countries like Italy I have been 13 times, but I count only once, Israel 9 times, India and Peru twice, Spain 4 times and France 5). I am so happy to be breaking this curse of dying young by getting to “plenty-nine.” I have had colonoscopies since I turned 35, and even a virtual colonoscopy. Mentoring Travel Agents/ Advisors is something I love to do, especially knowing that some of them are doing awesomely in their businesses. I plan to keep doing so for many years to come!

Cheers to life!

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Blogs @ http://www.travelwithrosana.com

 

Dear Travel Agents/Advisors,

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a first client consultation and find that all parties are on the same page about pricing and expectations? But we all know that chances are, this will not happen, and that the first consultation will turn into two, three, and perhaps many more. Sometimes it will even come to a point that an email, message, or even his/her phone number on your caller ID triggers a bad taste in your mouth. So – how do we deal with this?

My best advice is to be honest and candid with your prospective clients, starting with the first communication.  In my opinion, it is best to NOT start any conversations through email or message. This can provide an opening to misunderstandings. Just tell your prospective clients: LET’S TALK!

If you speak over the phone, you and the other party will have better communication. If you get the feeling that the other party believes you can perform miracles, explain to them your knowledge and expertise. Most importantly, tell them that your commission is small and already included in the price of the cruise or package, and that you will receive it ONLY and IF the client takes the vacation, and it will be paid to you AFTER they are back. That means that until then, you are working for FREE.

It is important to explain this. Many prospective clients have a misconception that TAs have access to huge discounts on trips, plus that they make a lot of money with every payment on a client’s trip. It doesn’t matter how clearly you express this in writing, or how many times you share this blog with them, you have no control over their interpretation. You do have more control during a conversation over the phone with no distractions or interruptions. Even if they can’t afford the vacation, they will remember how kind and honest you were, and how you took the time to explain this to them.

If you want to, tell them that some TAs charge a service fee for this reason. You can either state your fee, or tell them that you don’t believe in fees, or don’t want to charge them. Whatever you feel is better for you and your business.

Building bridges and getting people on your side is the best way to make a business grow!

Cheers!

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Blogs @ http://www.travelwithrosana.com