Dear Travel Agent,

I hope you are starting to enjoy the spring season! As we know, spring starts in April in the northern hemisphere of the planet, at the same time as the southern hemisphere starts to experience the beautiful changing of colors of the autumn, or fall.  The end of June starts the summer in the northern hemisphere, and winter in the southern hemisphere.

Countries closest to the equator experience very little change in terms of temperature: Ecuador, Uganda, Kenya and other countries. (Please see world map.) For example, as most of Ecuador is in the southern hemisphere, June to September is considered to be winter, and winter is generally the dry season in warm climates. Spring, summer, and fall are generally the “wet seasons” while winter is the dry (with the exception of the first month of fall being dry).

Why am I telling you all of this?

There are two big factors that can influence a prospective client’s decision to visit different countries:

1.  With climate change, as we can all witness, even though it may be spring season, in many countries or parts of countries it is still snowing. So, make sure you don’t promise sunny weather in April when you have no control of delivering on that promise.
2.  The seasons and weather (rainy or dry) will determine if it is high, low, or even shoulder season for travel. Prices change completely. When is very inexpensive to visit a country, make sure your prospective client is aware of the weather he/she will be experiencing. For example, while offering a beach lover Australia in August just because the price is right, you will be looking for lots of complaints.

It is smart to have a disclaimer that we can never guarantee good weather during the time of travel, but some homework from the travel agent is required to make sure the client will enjoy the vacation based on his/her expectations and the value of the tour package.

Feel free to pick my brain for more ideas on how to provide the best information to your prospective clients.

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Blogs @www.travelWithRosana.com

 

 

 

Dear Travel Agent,

As my followers already know, I like to compare travel agents with doctors. Some doctors specialize in an area of medicine, and others prefer to be a general practitioner.

I want to talk about advantages of being a travel agent with a specialty:

• Chances are, you know the destination better
• You are able to offer a better value for the price you quote
• People are more likely to recommend you
• It is easier to target your network
• You can have a better focus in advertising
• Your specialty is something you are personally passionate for

However, if you decide to specialize in a very narrow aspect of travel, you will have a smaller audience. For example, a travel agent who specializes in doing wine tasting only in Mendoza, Argentina would not have as broad of a specialty as one who specializes in wine tasting around the world. So, for example, people who love Malbec could offer the experience of comparing the tastes of the Argentinian Malbec and the California one.

You could broaden that to an even larger audience by offering tours for wine and different spirits in different countries, with classes and blind taste tests.

A nice way to promote certain destinations to an undecided group interested in travel that includes wine and/or other spirits, is to have an event and offer different bottles of wine/spirits from different countries. Do a blind taste test by covering the bottles. People in the group give points for taste, and the winner could be the country or destination the group will visit.

Creativity is the name of the game!

Feel free to pick my brain for other ideas for becoming a specialist in an aspect of travel, and how to promote your specialty to groups.

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Twitter @travelRosana
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Blogs @ http://www.travelwithrosana.com

 

Dear Travel Agent,

In this world of social media, it is sometimes complicated to differentiate between a flattering compliment and something not as nice when someone replies to a post with the word, as I quote, “Stealing!”

I am sure that most who replied to my post with that word loved what I said! And I love to create quotes that travel agents want to REPOST (share) with their audience, OR COPY, but adding my name at the bottom, because I was the one who created it.

Anyone can STEAL posts, and add to them, or make believe that they were the ones who came up with that quote. I can’t COPYRIGHT each and every one of my quotes or the blogs I create, nor is my intention.

I believe for some people, REPOSTING (sharing) is like second nature. They see a post they like, they share it. Not another thought will come to them. But others, the same way, will not think twice but to like a post and “STEAL” the idea, and then post it on their social media as though they created it.

Honestly, I am not judging anyone.
I am trying to explain my side, where I spend hours creating quotes and blogs with the intention of giving travel agents more enthusiasm in their work, and paying forward what I got for over 23 years. I’ve worked with so many agents by having a tour operator business, being a cheerleader, and offering to all my guidance for FREE.

Maybe in a world where everything has a price tag on it, it is hard to believe that someone like me could really and honestly want to guide and help travel agents to succeed for FREE, just for the pleasure of seeing others achieve what I did.

Yes, I said it, feel free to pick my brain for FREE. Feel free to ask me questions, feel free to schedule conversations with me so I can GUIDE you to succeed in your business. ALL FOR FREE!

But please, REPOST (share) my quotes and blogs but don’t “STEAL” them. I deserve the respect of getting credit when I create something.

Follow me at:
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Instagram @travelwithrosana
Twitter @travelRosana
Blogs www.travelwithrosana.com

 

Dear Travel Agent,

There have been warnings to travelers about criminal attempts and incidents since long before I started my first tour operator business. I could write a whole book of stories about travelers and travel agents who felt scared to go places once something bad had happened.

After 09/11, people were afraid to travel to Europe. Honestly, there was no severe warning or specific threat to people who traveled there. Therefore, travelers were unable to cancel their travel plans without penalties, nor were they able to use their travel insurance because of those incidents.

I clearly remember another time when there was an explosion in a mall in Kenya. We were planning a FAM Trip to the country, and a couple wanted to cancel the trip based on this incident. Unfortunately, the threat to travelers was not sufficient to get the cancelation without penalties and fees.

The same thing happened in 2014 on a FAM Trip to Israel when we took 2 groups of 20 people. One couple was completely concerned about their safety in Israel.

Check the website https://travel.state.gov and if a country has a DO NOT TRAVEL warning, then it is time to ask for your money back. Otherwise, consider traveling, and exercising normal precautions.

Common sense: Traveling is a time that should not be filled with worry about anything else but having fun and creating the best memories. Do not travel with expensive jewelry, don’t become a target by wearing Hawaiian shirts and a camera around your neck, don’t flash your brand new and latest model cell phone, especially in third-world countries where they barely have money to eat and the chances of being pick-pocketed are high.

My advice is to travel with tour guides and in small groups, even if you speak the language and think you know the country. Common sense is a precious component to having the best trip ever, and a step toward guaranteeing the utmost security.

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Twitter @travelRosana
Blogs@ http://www.travelwithrosana.wordpress.com

 

 

Dear Travel Agent,

Now is the time to present yourself to the world (your world) and proudly introduce you!

First, find a title that best matches your personality and that people can easily relate to you. Many like to be called Travel Agent. Some prefer to be called Travel Expert (perhaps they specialize in a specific area) and others call themselves Travel Consultants.  My two-cents on this is to be creative, yet at the same time, don’t make them run away from you. If you wish, find a title that can used as a conversation piece once anyone asks what do you do, but by the same token, don’t be so creative that you scare them away.

I compare this with choosing a name for a child. It is nice to have a unique name, but you need to consider that they will have to spell it at school and at work, or that it might lead to a nickname you’d prefer they didn’t have.

I could write his whole blog post about your title, but let’s move ahead and talk about YOU. Let’s make you shine! How? I like this question a lot (LOL!)

We will not talk about social media now, let’s talk about another way of presenting yourself. Do you go places? Do you interact with other people? Do you have a job? Choose to wear pieces that will provide a conversation starter; wear a pin from Alaska, a scarf from Cancun, a bracelet or tie from Jamaica, drink from a bottle from Barbados. When traveling, purchase different souvenirs and wear them on regular basis. Let people ask you about where you got that item, and then talk about what you do. Then, give them your business card. Always have them handy!

And if they don’t talk to you? Talk to them! People like compliments; say something nice about what they are wearing or their hair (be careful in this department – men are sensitive about their baldness, and women don’t always like theirs) and they’ll talk back. Show and tell, like and be nice.

For your business card, and most importantly, on all social media, I recommend that you have your picture, at least of your face. Don’t use one from when you were in high school, but choose a newer one, and SMILE! The most beautiful feature on any person is a sincere, friendly smile.

Now you are ready to make your presentations and send your proposals!  YOU ROCK!

Feel free to pick my brain and follow me at:
Facebook @travelwithrosana
Instagram @travelwithrosana
Twitter @travelRosana
Blog @ http://www.travelwithrosana.wordpress.com

 

Dear Travel Agent,

As many of you remember. I had a tour operator business for over 23 years. I worked hand-on with travel agents, talking with them, and teaching them how to best serve their clients.

One point we always stressed was how to present a proposal to the client and prospective ones.

The biggest question was how much information to send, and how to send it.

Many agents just wanted to send a price and what the tour package included. I used to say that that was fine for those clients who wanted to compare with another quote. Like going to a farmer’s market and shopping for tomatoes: people have choices and can clearly see size, color and price. In some cases, they are lucky enough to be able to taste a little piece to help them make up their minds.

With tour packages, you are not just selling a product, you are selling more; a dream with your services attached to it. Give them what they really want. Send them some pictures, some tips about the destination, some important information about traveling. I said SOME not all, engage them to let them know you are not just a middle person, but your knowledge and experience will help them have a successful trip. Sell yourself in this proposal.

I remember my first proposal as a travel agent, 25 years ago. It was a honeymoon to Greece. Honestly, I didn’t even know where Greece was. I couldn’t Google, it did not exist yet. I personally went to a library and learned as much as I could. Then I got a tour operator who helped me. With all this new knowledge, my prospective clients became my first clients. Unfortunately, their marriage didn’t last – but they loved their honeymoon!

Your proposal is your chance to sell yourself! Learn more, and feel free to pick my brain!

Follow me at:
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Instagram @travelwithrosana
Twitter @travelRosana
Blogs @www.travelwithrosana.wordpress.com

Dear Travel Agent,

Let’s talk about a very common mistake that people make when they use the word expensive. Every time someone uses the word expensive, they are also making a judgement. A judgement is a characteristic that is determined by a person, but not by a search engine.

As travel agents, we need to get rid of any judgement when quoting a price to a client or a prospective one. The only thing we are entitled to do is provide is a reality check (when the budget is too small for what they are requesting), so we do not waste anyone’s time.

But, the word or notion of expensive should be erased from any travel agent’s brain. I have seen clients coming in with a budget of $10,000 per person to destinations like Tanzania in high season (migration), and who then ended up spending over $20,000 per person for accommodations, private tours and vehicles, once everything else was included.

Remember that what someone else’s priority is, may not necessarily be yours. What someone else’s lifestyle is, is not necessarily yours, so do not pass any judgement by thinking that anything is expensive, or even worse – saying it!

I strongly believe that this is one important factor for the success of any travel agent. Once all judgement is off the table, clients will feel much more understood and comfortable in recommending their travel agent to friends and family they really like.

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Instagram @travelwithrosana
Twitter @travelRosana
Blogs @ http://www.travelwithrosana.wordpress.com

Dear Travel Agent,

We all know that travel agents get their commission when they sell a tour. But how do travel agents tell their prospective clients how different they are from an average sales person, and from search engines? They need to SHOW IT OFF!

How?

Let’s make a list of many attributes of a good travel agent, as compared to just a salesperson, or a search engine:

• knowledge
• caring
• communication
• some can offer specialization
• time
• patience
• sense of humor
• offering opinions and ideas
• truthfulness

Some travel agents are stronger in some areas than others, but all travel agents definitely have greater strengths in these areas as compared to a simple sales person or a search engine.

My recommendation is to learn more about yourself, explore more about who you really are, and SHOW IT OFF to everyone, everywhere. Let your clients and prospective ones know where you shine, and they will come to you.

In my opinion, a great attribute to have is a sense of humor. Working with a travel agent who has a sense of humor makes planning any trip much more fun. A nice way for you to show off your sense of humor would be to show pictures or funny cartoons about travel, fun facts about different destinations, and funny quotes about travel or life experience on your different social media platforms. Combining that with other attributes you have, enable you to show how special you are without using a CV or a resume.

People can read between the lines. You will attract the right clients by posting clues about your attributes in a creative way. Be positive and pleasant – after all, there is too much negativity on social media. The more positive you stay, the more you will reach the right target.

Remember that it is not the number of clients you have, but the quality of those clients who will bring you greater results. At the end of the day, it is better to feel rewarded, and not overwhelmed by the wrong type of clients.

Follow me at:
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Instagram @travelwithrosana
Twitter @travelRosana
Blogs @www.travelwithrosana.wordpress.com

 

Dear Travel Agents,

I’d be rich if I got $1 every time I heard someone make one of the following statements: if only I could be more like her/him; be more assertive; charge a fee for my services; tell clients upfront not to waste my time; or…  Every time a travel agent comes to me for an advice with matters like these, I tell them – be yourself, everyone else is already taken. DO, SAY and TREAT your clients the way you would feel comfortable being treated. Don’t try to imitate someone else, otherwise, you will not be YOU.

Learn from your own mistakes and try to correct the best way you can, not by being someone else, but by being you.

For those who are not comfortable charging fees for your services, take my advice to avoid feeling used.

I always tell travel agents not to multitask when talking to a client or prospective ones; be 100% present and listen to them. Ask the important questions:

• where?
• when?
• how many people?
• how much is the budget?

How does the client (or prospective one) sound?

• very assertive with their answers?
• flaky and not so sure?
• so automatic it sounds like they have said this over and over?
• multitasking and not 100% there?

The answers to these questions provide you with big clues about who is seriously booking, who is shopping around, and who is just browsing and wasting a travel agent’s time.

For the flaky ones I usually say with my sarcastic sense of humor (that is who I am!) to call me back when they are ready to book, and have done all of the “homework” (answering my questions).

For the ones who speak like an automated computer, I ask them to send me what they perceive to be a good itinerary. About 90% of the time, they will forward me another travel agent’s itinerary. Then I ask if they are looking for a better price or service. Now we know who we are dealing with.

For the multi-tasking ones, I ask when is a better time to talk so we can both be totally present with no distractions during this important conversation.

Most of the time, when you will get the assertive and ready to book ones, after listening carefully you’ll be able to get them a quote.

Follow up on the same day with your quote, and if it will take few days to prepare, keep them posted and in the loop.

Sometimes you will be wrong, and the ones you thought were so ready to book will never respond to you, even after you have followed up a few times. It is normal to take it personally. After all, we are humans – I have felt that feeling many times. But for a moment, consider how childish and scared this person is behaving. Instead of wearing the big-boy pants and saying something like: Sorry, I am not interested now, or, Something came up, but I will get back to you in the future. Instead, this childish and immature person would rather burn all bridges with you, and not respond at all. Shame on her/him.

You have now learned about that person – not to work with him/her for free again, or not to work with them again at all. But you shouldn’t change yourself. After all, there are a lot of people very eager to have a travel agent just like YOU!

Follow me at:
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Twitter @travelRosana
Blogs @ http://www.travelwithrosana.wordpress.com

 

 

 

Dear Travel Agents,

I love following the threads on Facebook in the different groups I belong to. It is fun to see other people’s opinions, and I love to learn from them.

An interesting question recently discussed was what do you, as a travel agent, suggest to a person who has never traveled before?

I like to believe that a person who has never travel before and is looking for a travel agent, is thinking about traveling to a foreign country much more than traveling locally.

My reply in that online discussion was to suggest travel to an English-speaking country. To be perfectly honest, my opinion would be to suggest travel to any country where the person feels comfortable with the language. So, for Spanish speakers I would suggest a Spanish speaking country, and so on.

I remember the first time my husband and I went abroad after coming to the US from Brazil. We traveled to Spain and Portugal because we are both fluent in Portuguese and Spanish. Even though we had a tour package, we felt comfortable knowing we could speak to the locals and understand them.

Some travel agents suggested a cruise. That is a very specific suggestion. Some travelers would be uncomfortable thinking about being on water all the time. Others find a large ship overwhelming and sometimes crowded. Honestly, one only knows after having the experience, but it would not be my first choice. They will either love it, or hate you for suggesting it. LOL!

I was interested to note that some travel agents suggested local places, or countries where one doesn’t need a passport for entry. To me, this compares to when a kid is about 16 and starting to drive with a permit. They always need a responsible adult or someone with a driver’s license next to them while driving. How great it then feels to finally pass the exam and have your own driver’s license! They can then drive freeways, roads, and anywhere they want to.  Having a passport is important for all citizens. It allows them to feel the freedom to book a trip anywhere they can visualize and dream. The expiration date is as long as a person’s dream and bucket list. Each page holds the secret of a destination, and the owner of that passport has the right to fill it.

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Twitter @travelRosana
Blogs@ http://www.travelwithrosana.wordpress.com