The Travel Agent Guide

Stop Acting Like a Booking Agent (If You Want to Make Real Money)

• Byrd Bergeron and Haley DeCarlo

Share episode

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 43:14

Is AI replacing travel agents? Or is this the moment travel advisors become more valuable than ever?

In this episode of the Travel Agent Guide Podcast, we unpack how the travel industry is evolving in the age of AI, Google searches, and online booking platforms — and why human connection is still the ultimate competitive advantage.

We dive into the powerful shift from being a transactional travel agent to becoming a trusted travel advisor who delivers personalized experiences, emotional support, expert guidance, and real advocacy when clients need it most. From consultations and relationship-building to handling travel emergencies and creating unforgettable milestone trips, this episode reveals what truly sets successful advisors apart.

You’ll learn why clients still choose to work with real people, how emotional intelligence can elevate your service, and practical strategies to create loyal repeat customers in today’s digital-first world.

Whether you’re a new travel advisor or an experienced industry professional, this conversation will help you future-proof your business, strengthen client relationships, and confidently position yourself as an indispensable travel expert.

Time Stamps:

00:01:00 - Understanding Your Value as a Travel AdvisorExploring the importance of recognizing the true value of travel advisors beyond just booking trips.

00:02:00 - Transactional vs. Transformational Travel AdvisorsDiscussing the difference between transactional agents and those who build relationships and provide concierge-level service.

00:05:00 - The Evolution of Travel AgentsHow the role of travel agents has changed from transactional to relationship-focused due to the rise of the internet.

00:08:00 - The Importance of Human Touch in TravelWhy clients prefer the human touch over AI and online tools when planning their trips.

00:10:00 - AI's Limitations in Travel PlanningUnderstanding the areas where AI falls short compared to human travel advisors.

00:18:00 - The Importance of CommunicationHow effective communication can enhance client relationships and service.

00:20:00 - Mistakes and AccountabilityThe importance of admitting mistakes and how strong relationships can mitigate negative reactions.

00:22:00 - Human-to-Human Connection in TravelEmphasizing the need for personal connections in a business-to-consumer industry.

00:25:00 - Elevating Client ServiceStrategies for providing exceptional service that goes beyond basic expectations.

00:28:00 - Understanding Client BudgetsThe necessity of discussing budgets and expectations to ensure a successful trip planning.

Follow us on social media to stay updated: 

📲 YouTube:⁠⁠ ⁠https://bit.ly/4c6QyGn⁠⁠⁠

Spotify:⁠⁠ ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5K53T5NZLJquHPqp7n9cqc⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcast:⁠⁠ ⁠https://bit.ly/4dEqnYT⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠ ⁠https://bit.ly/3OgmpeE⁠⁠⁠

Facebook:⁠⁠ ⁠https://bit.ly/4mbwMgm⁠⁠⁠

#TravelAdvisor #TravelAgent #TravelIndustry #TravelBusiness #TravelTips #TravelMarketing #LuxuryTravel #TravelEntrepreneur #TravelProfessionals #AIInTravel #TravelPodcast #WomenInTravel #TravelAgentLife #ClientExperience #TravelIndustryTrends #TravelAdvisorSuccess #TravelGoals #TravelCommunity #TravelExperts #TravelAgentGuide


SPEAKER_00

Learning to become a trusted advisor and a problem solver and an advocate for your clients and building those relationships, that's what's going to change everything. That's how you're going to position yourself in the business. I think, you know, one of the first things I definitely want to dive more into is where people feel like the internet, Google, and AI is their constant competition. Is it it? I mean, to a sense, but I think if somebody truly wants to hire you as a travel advisor, they value you, they trust you, they don't want to do the work themselves. If you can sell it like that, then they're never gonna question going to AI. They're never gonna worry about that because they want that human touch. Welcome to the travel agent guide, the podcast pulling back the curtain and what it really takes to be a travel agent. We're talking real life, the challenges, the wins, the money, the mistakes, and the growth. Whether you've been in the travel industry for years or are new to it, we're in this together and you're exactly where you need to be. All right, welcome to today's episode travel agent guide. I'm really excited about this episode as we dive in, because today I want you to understand what your role in the travel industry truly is, because you're not just booking trips, there's so much more to that. So, have you ever questioned your value as a travel advisor, struggled with charging fees? Have you felt intimidated by the littlest things on the internet, or wondered how successful you can actually be in building clients? This episode's for you. You know, with tools like AI, we kind of dive in to can AI take our job? So we're gonna dive into this conversation a little more with Bird, and I'm super excited. So I can promise you by the end of this episode, I want you to fully understand why travel advisors are still incredibly valuable today and why advisors who learn how to position themselves as true experts and relationship builders are going to actually stand out more than ever before. And I promise you, you don't have to worry about AI. So let's go ahead and dive in. All right, bird. Um, so I guess one of the biggest mindset shifts that I had to make in this industry was realizing that I'm not just here to book vacations. I think as we all come into the industry, you know, we, oh, here's a travel agent. I'm gonna book a vacation and it's done. And you get your commission and you move on. I quickly realized that is in fact not what we do. And there are travel agents who do position their business like that, which I, you know, have nothing against at all. It just wasn't for me. Um, so let's kind of dive into that a little bit. So, what is your take, Bird, on travel agent versus travel advisor? I feel like this is a common question in the industry, and I want to kind of dive into it today.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I mean, I think it's really simple. And if you think about kind of the evolution of this role, you know, think about back in the 80s and the 90s, pre-the interwebs. Yes, I remember them. Um, the reality was like you would pick up the phone and call into a travel agent and they would write the ticket. And it wasn't as much of a, let me tell you all the nuances, let me give you my advice, let me tell you all the different things. It was a lot more transactional. And over the years, that's not needed. So I guess my word of warning as we frame this conversation here is the reality of the agents that are extremely transactional, those jobs are easier to replace. I mean, period dot. You can't really argue with that. So if you're somebody who simply, you know, texts some quotes about cruises or all inclusives, they text back, yes, they want to do it, and then you book it. And that's really the only thing you're doing for the client, that job is very easy to take or to lose if you're the person doing it. And I everybody else out there that is taking it one step above that, right? So taking it to the, I think there's different layers of this role of what you could do. So one step above that, I really mean saying, like, well, I chose this for you because, and giving them some more insight into why it's unique and special to their family and why their experience will be better if they choose this one over this one, right? So I would say that's a step above transactional. You're really showing them that you hear them and that you understand them. And then there's the other step. After you book it, you're really still the concierge. And that's the step that Haley and I have chosen to take. We really do the dinner reservations of spa appointments. I answer every question. I'm gonna talk to you if you need to, you know, help during your travels. I'm gonna call you when you get back because I want to hear all about it. And I really do. And I think that is a very different role than I texted three quotes for some cruises and then I booked it, and then I never talked to you again, right? So today we're gonna talk about like what does it look like to elevate and what does it look like to climb that ladder a little bit? And if you are transactional and you want to stay transactional, maybe how to insulate yourself a little bit better because AI is absolutely coming for the transactional advisors.

SPEAKER_00

I love that. I feel like when you put it in that perspective of a transactional advisor, you're absolutely right. Like back in the 90s, we had brick and mortars downtown. You would walk into it, they would sit with you and honestly book your trip right then and there, print you your documents and off you went. Maybe you would follow up before. But that makes perfect sense now. I never really thought of it like that. I always truly wondered why people chose to do it this way.

SPEAKER_01

But I think that's kind of how you know agents in this industry really truly started out before they were like, wouldn't it be nice if the clients just like book the trip as soon as they walked in and then you never talk to them again? Like, I mean, genuinely. I'm a bit jealous of that, but it's definitely not the role you and I have chosen to take. And honestly, the people that are spending 30, 40, 50,000 on a trip, they're expecting something different. You know, if they wanted to book their own trip, they would have done so. Those people have the capabilities. Um, so if you're looking to get into higher dollar trips, this is where you really need to look into the mirror here and say, like, well, what am I offering those people? Why would they be interested in working with me?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, exactly. So I think developing what your actual role is is super helpful. Do you want to be a transactional travel agent? If that's what you want to do, create the plan that works for you, the business strategy, run with it and go for it. Um, and you know, when we dive into really travel advisor, like you said, Bird, the whole concierge aspect and really working and fostering relationships with our clients. So they come back and they become repeat clients. That to me has always been the core of my business, right? It's where I feel like I am great in this industry, if that makes sense. I, you know, I like my clients. I like having those relationships and just seeing where it goes. So, right, you're obviously the same exact way, right?

SPEAKER_01

No, absolutely. And and to go back to kind of the evolution, you know, we saw a big dip in our industry in the early 2000s. And when you think about it, that's when Expedia and Google Maps and all these other companies were really founded and took off. And what happened was it took all the information that the travel agent had and it just gave it to the client very easily, right? So now I could go on the internet and I could see all the different flights that were available to me. Now Google Flights wasn't quite around yet, but it was soon to be. And instead of being, you know, I was in real estate before. And in real estate, you were basically you were the gatekeeper as the realtor. You were the only one that knew all the houses were for sale. It was kind of the same in travel. You were the you had all the information about all the things that could be booked, right? Well, now all the information moved to the client's hands. So now what is your role? If they have all the information and they have AI telling them all of the stuff that they need to know, what value are you bringing to the industry? And that's really what we're gonna answer today.

SPEAKER_00

Right. And I think becoming learning to become a trusted advisor and a problem solver and an advocate for your clients and building those relationships, that's what's gonna change everything. That's how you're gonna position yourself in the business. Um, I think, you know, one of the first things I definitely want to dive more into is where people feel like the internet, Google, and AI is their constant competition. Is it it? I mean, to a sense, but I think if somebody truly wants to hire you as a travel advisor, they value you, they trust you, they don't want to do the work themselves. If you can sell it like that, then they're never gonna question going to AI. They're never gonna worry about that because they want that human touch.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. And I mean, also, there's different types of travel, and some's gonna be easier for AI to get into than others. So think of it a lot like the Costco game, right? When Costco travel first came out, did they immediately go and do a two-week FIT across Asia? No, you know, what they did was they went to the all-inclusive market and they went to the Caribbean cruise market and they went to the things that don't have as many options, right? If I want to go on a Caribbean cruise, there's a handful of lines. You can even narrow that down by my budget and probably narrow it down to three different cruise lines. Well, then it's what ship am I going, what time of year, those type of things, right? So it was easier to narrow it down versus I'm doing two weeks across Europe. Well, that's a, you know, there's literally thousands of hotels in every city, and there's a lot more moving pieces to that. I am not trying to belittle any travel agent out there that just does the Caribbean. That's not what this is. I am simply trying to show you AI is going to be easier to attack certain parts of the world than others because there's limited options in certain parts, there's almost unlimited different options in others. Now, there's still a lot of pieces of the puzzle, and there's still a lot of ways to insulate yourself if you are a Caribbean only agent.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I think you're right. It's hard for me to be like, yeah, Caribbean only agent, because I think of these traps, I'm thinking beyond the Caribbean. But I think to, you know, when we look at the human touch with AI, we kind of the things AI cannot do, which you just have to reiterate to yourself and remind yourself, they can't understand emotional um nuance, right? They cannot calm your nervous travelers. If your travelers coming to you because they want to build out a special 20-year anniversary to the Caribbean and they have specific ideas, I'm sorry, AI is gonna fall short of them. I promise you. So by selling that and putting your value out there, they're not gonna want to have to go to AI. They're not gonna want to have to cross-check or double check it. Um, the other thing is too, like travel emergencies when flights change, AI can help me put it together, but are they gonna help me change my flights a month before travel? That's another thing, too, right? Is just reminding your clients that they don't have to do anything. This is what you're doing. AI cannot and will not call Delta and fix your comfort flight that you get kicked out of because of whatever, right?

SPEAKER_01

So you guys remember the like nonstop frantic phone calls in March of 2020 from clients that had bugged through Costco and they're just like, Can you help me? No, no, I cannot help you. But think I'm over here, you know, getting rid of my own commission. I'm not trying to also get rid of somebody else's. And I think like that actually brought a lot of people back to our industry and they wanted somebody else to take that responsibility off of them because that was such a huge and kind of life-altering moment to have to deal with that on their own. Most people get to travel and things don't go wrong and all hunky tory, and that's where you can hang your hat on. Yeah. But when it's not, I'm here for you.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And I think a lot of times too. I mean, how many times do you resolve an issue for a client and they don't know about it? But I always want to make sure they know about it, right? Like I had, I don't know if I already told this, but I had uh there was a fire in a hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland. And this just happened recently. And I went in, found the hotel, came back, was able to get them to adjust the breakfast and all that. And I just went back to my client, like, hey, I just want to let you know. And I do kind of throw in there, like, I have been, you know, all day I've kind of been working on this. So they're like, oh my God, you're amazing. And you know, sometimes the situations take a few hours and it's not a quick, easy fix. And I try not to worry my clients until I have a solution. So don't get the email and then text your client, like, holy shit, there was a fire at your hotel. And don't do that. Come back in with a solution before you go and present it to them. But by seeing this, right, that client is gonna come back to you because they're they know AI is not gonna be able to do this, right? They're they need Haley, they want you as a travel agent to be there to back them up. Um, so yeah, I think just kind of understanding AI can get you a really cheap trip, but are they gonna service you? Absolutely not.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. I would also back up to like just the actual advising part of it. Um, while I think AI is getting a little bit better, there's lots of studies already out there kind of showing the reality that it tells you what you want to hear. How many people have asked? Has anybody out there just said, like, okay, I've got this great idea. What do you think to Chat GPT? You know what it thinks? It thinks it's a great idea every time, no matter what. So do not ask it for investing advice. Do not ask it um, you know, for for those type of that type of feedback. But what I'm I'm getting at here is there is a piece of advising that is making your client feel heard. And if you're a really great travel advisor out there, that's a cornerstone to your consultation. So if they say, I want to go on a couple's trip for my 10-year anniversary, great. But what they're really saying, and I what I hope you're asking is like, what's the goal of the trip? What do you hope to get out of this? What do you hope to experience? I hope you're asking those questions. But if you're not, at the very least, if it's an anniversary trip and it's a couple, we can assume they're really looking to make a connection. Well, therefore, I should be looking at um experiences that are gonna foster that connection. So I shouldn't just book them the tour of the Coliseum. I should book them something private. I should try to book them a dinner in a vineyard. I should try to do something that is again just gonna foster that that closeness. Could we do a couples massage somewhere that's a little bit more special? Whatever it looks like, it's letting them feel heard. So when you do the proposal, you can kind of say, like, oh, and I just, you know, I heard that you were looking to create more connection with your husband and find that time. But this particular afternoon where you're gonna go on this adventure, it feels like it'll really be special to both of you, right? You get to say that that advisor piece is the most important thing of what we talk about today.

SPEAKER_00

That's perfectly said. I think that kind of goes hand in hand with the overwhelm, right? How many, how many clients come to you and they've started some research, but they can't get it together to be like, I don't even know what's right and what's wrong, and I truly need your support. So that's another advantage to look at and kind of sell yourself. Clients want reassurance, right? They want you to come in confident, say, okay, if it were me, let's go with this hotel and this is why I've been there or I've done a site visit or whatever that looks like. So I don't know, definitely AI is not gonna take your job. I promise. It's just how you're gonna pitch yourself, it's how you're gonna, you know, describe your value to your clients because people still want humans. I'm sorry, but they do.

SPEAKER_01

Well, and the other thing that advisors are doing that it will be really hard for kind of a computer system to be able to do is the puzzle making aspect of what we do. I I don't know about you guys, I love puzzles. Like I could sit there, it's my least favorite thing about having little kids because I can never do a puzzle in my house anymore, but I love doing puzzles. And I think that's what this job is a lot of times, right? We're fitting the flights together with the transfers and well, and I need enough time to get to the train and what time is here's where they're gonna get to their hotel, and how far is this to get to dinner? And you know, you're putting together the puzzle. So while AI can probably suggest a great hotel that's within a certain budget you're looking for, it's not gonna put together the puzzle. So I do a lot of work explaining that to my clients. Like, look, this was it's not just about the hotel, it's all of the little pieces around the hotel that really create a wonderful experience.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I can conceptualize your trip. AI cannot, right? I can come up with the little details and they just can't do it. I love that. Um, all right. So let's we talked about transactional versus like transformational. Um, so a transactional advisor, I think, you know, typically you're just sending quotes, whether it's a Caribbean package or a cruise line. I feel like that's really common though with that type of travel. I wouldn't recommend it for the big in-depth bucket list trips, right? Like if you're going to Galapagos, I think you should really spend the time diving into what your client's spending 30, 40 grand on. That's just me. By setting yourself apart that way, it's gonna make a big difference for sure.

SPEAKER_01

I wouldn't even recommend it for the the smaller Mexico trips either. And and I say that specifically as at least the very first time you meet somebody. Relationships are so important in in this industry and in success. If you are really looking to make this your career and be a million-dollar plus agent one day, you're going to do it on the backs of your relationships. And sending a text with some quotes does not deepen my relationship, my affection towards you in any way. I don't get to know you, right? So the phone call is not always for the client. The phone call is often for you. The the Zoom call is so you can see their face, you see their facial expressions, you ask about their kids, you just do the small talk thing that actually can really build relationships over time. Now, I would encourage you to move out of small talk as quickly as possible, and uh because real relationships aren't built on it, but you're not gonna have the opportunity for a deep conversation over text or over email. So you're cheating yourself out of it. I love Haley always does this one thing that I think is a game changer. And I'm gonna call you out for a second. But after Haley books the trip, like as soon as she takes payment, she calls the client. You know why? They're always gonna answer. They will always answer that phone call when they just got charged 20 grand of their credit card. So they're gonna pick up the phone and and what she does is says, I have your trip all booked now. I just wanted to let you know, like, we're all good. I'm so excited about this. Are you guys excited? And she builds up that that momentum, right? They are now at the peak of the peak of the peak. It's happening. We've been talking about it, it's all locked in. This is so exciting. Great. I love working with you. You are absolutely my ideal client. I want to work with people just like you all day. Do you know of anyone else that is looking to work with a travel agent or looking to travel soon? Like, it's such a perfect moment to ask for a referral, but it's also such a perfect moment to build the relationship that one step for forward. Um, anybody that's ever dated, married out there, you remember the first time your significant other said, I like you? It mattered. You had all these butterflies in your stomach and it was so exciting, right? Like it was so exciting. This is a moment where you verbalize your affection towards your client. And if you don't like them, don't verbalize, don't lie. People know. But like, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

You have to put yourself out there to know if you like them, right? So if you're not giving them the opportunity to, you know, have this small talk and dive into a deeper conversation, then how many people do you just text with or get an inbox from and you're like, how do you want to deal with this? But then you get on the phone and you hit it off. You're like, oh my God, I love you. I want to book all your trips forever. And it it definitely changes your mindset. Um, but it also helps you realize, okay, this isn't the match and this isn't gonna work. And I need to let me find you another advisor that will work with you, right?

SPEAKER_01

So one more thing I would say about the the video call and the building the relationship, we've said it, but you will mess up. Period. Dot. You will mess something up in this business. It just happens. You'll make a mistake one day and it's gonna suck and it's gonna cost you a lot of money, and you're gonna be super sad about it. You're gonna be pulling your ENO insurance and being like, how do I get out of this? If you have a really strong relationship with that client, their reaction towards you will be fundamentally different than if you are texting them a quote and booking the truck, right? I swear I've got clients that their damn cruise ship could literally sink and they would be like, We miss you. That is a completely different reaction. And I just I genuinely think it's worth your time. I know nobody likes to get on a Zoom call or even a phone call in 2026, but I think it'll make a huge difference in your world if that's just part of your workflow.

SPEAKER_00

I here's another story from Haley. Um, so, anyways, this is a true story, and it's a mistake I made with a client who spends a lot of money on big trips, right? And one day, it was a month before his trip, I did a black lane transfer for the client, and I woke up to a text or an email from the driver. I saw all the information. The driver was there to pick him up, he couldn't find him, all blah, blah, blah. They tried the transfer was like $300. Like it was in Paris, whatever. Um, and I'm like, oh shit. They just charged his credit card and he wasn't there. I need to call and tell him right now. And I did it before he figured it out. And I said, listen, listen, Rich, I we gotta talk. I made a mistake, and I'm gonna be completely honest with you. What did you have, Venmo? I'm just gonna send you over the money right now. Um, truly sorry, I'm gonna get the other transfer all set and aligned. And that was it. He said, I just want to say thank you for admitting you effed up, right? For coming to me and and being honest with me instead of trying to like, and he really valued it. So don't be afraid to admit it. When you do something wrong, it's gonna happen all the time.

SPEAKER_01

Um we're all humans. I think too many people forget that we're in a B2C industry, we're in a business to consumer industry, right? And at the end of the day, we're in a human to human industry. I like to in real estate, we always said it's a belly to belly industry, and that's what I very much believe. It is a human to human. And at the end of the day, there's not a human on the planet that is perfect, no matter what they think. And the more that you can humanize yourself to Your clients, just the better off you're going to be. You're going to enjoy the job more because you have closer relationships, you're going to be more excited. They're going to want to give you those referrals because they want to help someone they like. That humans love helping other humans. It is just the way our brain is powered. So if you can create that true relationship with the client and then say, I'm trying to grow my business. I'm super excited about this. Can you help me? They want to do that. They absolutely want to do that.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

I think with being that type of travel advisor, building relationships is huge. Um, it's gonna make the client just feel confident in every decision that you bring to them. They're gonna love it. I'm to the point now where I have clients like Haley, that looks perfect. Let's just do it. I trust you at this point, right? Once they become a repeat client, they already know what to expect, which is fantastic. Again, we go down to solving problems, you know, transactional advisors. Here's your quote. I mean, I'm sure they have to solve problems on a certain level, um, but I'm not sure if it's really, you know, like a travel advisor going in above and beyond to what that actual problem is. Yeah. Um, I always approach it in a sense like, okay, so this really sucks. I'm sorry, you got rerouted this way, but let me show you something amazing that you didn't think, and you're not even gonna realize when it's all said and done. So yeah, that's definitely the type of approach that I take in my business today.

SPEAKER_01

Well, not only the emergency solving aspect of it, but I also want to highlight like I talked about taking it a step further and being like a true concierge. So we will send out an email 60 days prior to the client's travel, which is a list of things that we don't make a dime off of. But they they polish the trip, they make it better, they make it just better at the end of the day. So the list of things is very simple. So essentially we say, look, your trip's 60 days out. We're so excited about this, it's gonna be amazing. Here's what we can do to put the finishing touches on it. And of course, it's the dinner reservations, the spa appointments, but we take it a step deeper. You know, if you haven't given us your TSA or KTN numbers, if you haven't given us your frequent flyer numbers, send those over. Um, tell me all about is is there a special occasion you haven't already talked to me about? I want to, you know, if it's a birthday, I'm gonna have in that email like, okay, so what are we doing to celebrate Jim's birthday? This is so fun, right? Like, I'm going to ask about that. Um, we're gonna suggest taking family photos. When's the last time you took photos? Now that we actually can make commission off of if you're doing it the right way. Um, but we're gonna, we have this bulleted list of here's five or six things that will make your trip that much better. And the idea is not necessarily create more work. Cause I think several of you are probably out there hearing me and saying, How much time do you have? Like that is absolutely a worry. And I hear you. But if you are servicing clients that are spending $20,000 plus dollars on a trip, that's the level of service they're gonna want if they're gonna stay with you. If not, they're gonna go to a different advisor. You know, it's just the reality of the matter. They will go to a different advisor because they want higher service. They're used to that, right? Anyone that expects to get out of their private transfer and have somebody else carry the bags up, they also expect you to make their dinner reservations. So if you want to work with those people, you have to treat them the way that they want to be treated. And if you're like, again, I don't have time, that's not a task that should be on you. That's a task that should be on your assistant. So at Sava Travel, we have fully trained assistants. All of our agents are welcome to use them. That's that's super, super important to me because if you're great at sales, you need to be focused on sales, but you cannot not deliver that level of service. And if you're somebody, just one more quick thing on that. If you're somebody that's like, oh girl, I only book AI in Mexico. That's that's the only clients I can have. Well, I have to tell you, I'm gonna challenge you to take the step and offer the service anyway. And I say it because this if you elevate your service, you are more likely to get elevated clients over time. You may need to build it, you may need to hustle a little bit. But I think if you were just delivering that baseline service, you're gonna continue to get the baseline client. However, if you take it a different direction and say, look, this is what I'm now offering. And if you can't justify an assistant or whatever, charge a fee for it. Say, look, I charge this, but this is what I do, and I'm so excited about it. Let's work together, right? There's a lot of ways around that problem. But I think not offering the services, um, hell, I made a hair appointment for a lady the other day. She was going and had like a special occasion while she was on her vacation. She was doing this like gala thing that night. She like, so she had traveled to Europe to do this. I made her hair appointment. Like, you know what I mean? Like, I there's no, well, hold on, hold on. My guest experience manager made that hair appointment. Let's let's give credit where credit is due. I didn't do anything. Um, but I, you know, our agency made that hair appointment. And it's just something where she wasn't at home, she didn't have a hairdresser there, she needed her hair done for the event. And we didn't even wait for her to ask. We asked in advance because I knew she was going to this event. I was like, Do you want to go get your hair done before? Like, oh, I didn't even think about it. That would be amazing. Yeah, let's do a whole day around it.

SPEAKER_00

And now she's just jazz, like, burn, you're the best. Thank you for even making this possible for me, right? I think that's amazing.

SPEAKER_01

That's different. That person will not go, like anybody out of the blue could go and be like, Oh, I'm a travel agent too. Can I win over your business? And it's not gonna happen. Sharon's not going anywhere. Like we'll be around.

SPEAKER_00

I think that kind of ties into understanding your job. And your real job as a travel advisor is truly understanding your people, understanding your clients, right? So getting to know their personality or their travel styles, um, what their budget's like, I think it's all super important to realize you need to know this, right? If you go into a trip and you have no idea what their expectations of spend is, you're always already doing them and yourself a disservice and you're setting everything up to fail. So having, you know, taking that time to get to know your client again ties back to that consultation call. Um, I think it really truly is part of our job and what we should be doing to understand and create these memories and create these experiences and drive those repeat clients.

SPEAKER_01

Well, and let's dive deeper into the budget aspect because I think that's somewhere where a true advisor really shines. Like Haley, when someone says, How much does it cost to go to Italy? What's kind of your go-to response here? Because we've all had it.

SPEAKER_00

I say at minimum $500 per person per day just for land. That's without flights. And I say if that's not realistic for you, then I I'm not gonna be able to work with you, right? And then I'm like, oh, well, I'm already gonna charge you a $400 fee. So now that knocks us down, it's just not realistic. I actually just had an Italy consult about this, and they came in with the most unrealistic numbers, and I sat there and did it. Then all of a sudden, okay, that makes sense. So $500 per person per day at the minimum plus flights. Let's start there and go from there, right? So I think just having these conversations and you have to put yourself out there. It could be uncomfortable. I'm to the point where I'm not uncomfortable anymore. And I tell everybody, like, I want to make this work, I want to be your best friend, I want to plan these incredible trips, but I can't just pull every, I can't just make magic happen. It's it has to be realistic. So I think if you go into that with that mindset and mentality, it will change your clients. And now you're giving them some facts, right? So if you leave that consultation not telling them this, wait a week, come back to them and say, hey, I'm so sorry. They're this $5,000 budget is just not gonna work, then that trust is kind of gone at that point and you've wasted everyone's time, right? So I think adding that value right from the beginning is super important, is understanding the people and the clients that you're working with, especially if they're honeymooners. The reality is they're spending money on a wedding, right? I always ask, are you paying for your honeymoon yourself? Is it sometimes it's gifted, right? So I think just having these conversations really truly helps you understand what that budget will look like so you know what to expect. A honeymooner Italy trip versus clients in their 60s, retirees Italy trip, it's gonna be a completely different trip.

SPEAKER_01

Um so I'm gonna challenge you on that a little bit. Um, I'm a big believer in the negotiation tactic that he who speaks first loses. So I will not ever throw out a number on it. What I will do is if they say, like, look, I want to go to Italy, how much does it cost to go to Italy? I kind of take, and typically the budget doesn't come till the very end of the consultation. So you do know in your head what it costs to plan their trip to Italy, right? Like we all know what we know the number we're hoping for at least. Um, and it's not five grand in case you're curious. But I like to basically explain to them and say, hey, here's the reality. I can plan a trip in lots of different budgets. I will tell you what I specialize in, I'll tell you what I can do and what I can't. But I want you to explain to me what you have in your head and what you're you're angling around so I can help tell you if it's realistic. We can also talk about like a range. You don't have to give me this is the one number. You can say, like, look, we're really targeting this. And again, I'm making sure to not give any examples of numbers here, right? So I say, like, look, I you can tell me we're targeting this, but you would be open to seeing something that's over here too, right? You don't have to give me one number, but what I do need you to do is give me the number that you have in your head because I don't want to overwhelm you in any way. If they still come back and they say, I really don't know, like, can you anchor me? Can you, I really don't know, I have no clue what it costs to go to Italy. Great. I plan trips to Italy that are way over a hundred thousand dollars. If that's not true, it doesn't matter. They don't know that. Just say I plan trips are $100,000. And the idea is to anchor them in something that's so outrageous, they're not spending that. So to say, like, I plan them for that and I could absolutely come back and propose that. But here's what's gonna happen. You're not gonna book that, and then I'm gonna waste everyone's time. So just give me a ballpark and then we'll come back and talk about what I can do for that ballpark. And they will give you a number. I mean, I I will 10 toes down, just grind my heels in. I'm not giving you a number, and then I'll wait. Now, Haley, if the number comes back that is lower than 500 person, $500 per person per day for land only, that's when I start saying, okay, but this is what I specialize in. And then we have the conversation.

SPEAKER_00

The 500 per person per day comes in if they're not giving me a general idea of what they want to spend, right? And and then I say to them too, like, okay, so we're doing like four-star moderate, like I will not book three-star, or are we focusing on five star luxury trips and trying to understand what their travel style is like, right? Are we doing, do you want white glove service? Do you expect five-star, you know, laydown service and all the things and bells and whistles? So it's really important to understand your client so you know how to approach it. Cause if not, it's just you're wasting so much time and you're gonna be so upset with yourself.

SPEAKER_01

I would also be very hesitant for any of the advisors out there that lean on AI for that. Hey, how much does it cost to go for on a trip to Italy? Um, I've just found several times um I've done it like live through AI coaching, and it's it's coming in way less than I think you would want it to. Um, and you have to remember, there's I'm I'm using Italy over and over because it's our number one seller, but let's just say Europe in general, there's a wide, really the world in general, there is a wide range of stays. So could I plan a two-week trip to Europe for five grand? Absolutely. I personally have been to Europe for six weeks and only spent five grand. Now I was 24 and I was staying in hostels and I was eating peanut butter and jelly, but it's doable, right? Like it's absolutely doable. So that's where I kind of explained to my client, like, look, I can't be an expert in everything. And what I specialize in is four and five star, and the budget you're communicating, it doesn't get there. That's absolutely okay. I'm just not the right travel agent to work for you.

SPEAKER_00

Exactly. Leave it there. Yeah, that's a good way to put it. Don't be afraid to just say, okay, is it? I always ask, is that is this what you're looking for? So I go into the detail. I'm like, is that what you're looking for before I pitch my faith? Then after they say yes, I said, okay, so here's what we do from here. Um so yeah, just important to kind of get that out. Understand your people, understand the ones traveling.

SPEAKER_01

Um Well, and if you're if you're thinking like, well, I don't do Europe, I do cruises in the Caribbean, and that's all I do. So this budget conversation is I've gotten a couple of times where clients have been or advisors have been like the budget's irrelevant because I only sell cruises and I don't get to make the budget. That's not accurate in any way. Um, and here's here's why I'm gonna push back on that. The reality is that a cruise has a ton of different cabins. So if they give you a budget that they have in mind first and maybe a scare point where you can kind of give them some options, yes, maybe they wanted a balcony, but you can have this balcony or you could actually upgrade to a concierge balcony at this one or a whatever suite or whatever it looks like. So the idea of getting a budget from them is not just a big FIT trip in Europe. Like it truly is every trip. You want to understand what they're willing to spend, what they're interested in spending, so that you can go back and say, look, this is what you asked for and this is how much that is, but this is something else we could do that's still within your budget. Here's all the perks of doing making that choice instead.

SPEAKER_00

I love I one of the questions I always ask is, how do you like to fly? I feel like by kind of if they come in and they're like, yeah, well, we usually fly premium economy or first class, I think that kind of gives me a good indication of what their trip is going to be like or what they're expecting. Not often you're gonna get somebody flying first class and staying in three-star hotels and hospitals. It's probably not gonna happen, right?

SPEAKER_01

So I think there's tons of different questions you can put together to kind of understand your travelers and and how you're I did have a guy a couple of weeks ago that I found it so interesting because he's like, no, I want to fly like under the plane. Like whatever the cheapest you can give me, that's how I fly. Um, but every every hotel needed to be five stars. He's like, I just don't value the flight. And I found it. Okay, fair enough.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. You know where you want to spend your money. I well, I'm the same way. Like, I'd rather go stay in a bougie five star than sit in first class. But I'm gonna be honest, I've never taken a first class international flight. So until that happens, I'm not gonna know. And I don't kind of want to do it because you're what's gonna happen. Yeah, I know what's gonna happen, and I'm not ready for that change in my life yet.

SPEAKER_01

So well, and in the flip side's easier, right? The flight short, the hotel you're staying in a lot longer. Um, I'm I'm the type of traveler that I could easily stay in a hostel, but I want to eat a Michelin star dinner every night. Like that's where my money goes towards food. Um, but that's how I was raised. I love food. Okay, so that that budget piece of it, I just think is so much part of the advisor versus agent. An agent's gonna give you whatever price the computer spit out for that particular thing that the client asked for. An advisor is gonna talk to you about what your budget could do, what a um, I call it scare point. If you haven't heard that term before, I describe it as what's the point where you say, no, don't even show me something over that. I'm not willing to spend that on this trip, right? And I make sure to explain to the client if they're a bit hesitant. I'm not asking how much money you have. I'm asking what you think this trip is worth investing in, right? Um, because that's those are very different. Some people may say, like, I've got the money, but I don't want to spend that. That's fine, Jim. You're fine. I'm not questioning your net worth, buddy. Asking what you want to spend on those. But I've noticed by asking that um, that scare point question, and I explain, like, I'm gonna show you multiple options and I want to make sure that I really get a range of everything that you're willing to experience so you can see what's best for you, right? And they will come back with like dramatically different budgets. I mean, I remember one of my first ones that I was like, excuse me, she said her budget was 15 and her scare point was 25. And I'm like, those are dynamically different trips. Like, that's not the same. But had I not asked, I would have never known. And guess what she booked? She booked the $24,000 trip, you know? Like I just wouldn't have known if I had, I would have never gone with a $15,000 budget and pushed it to 24. Um, so take the time and advise them on what their money could do.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, perfect. Um, yeah, I think with kind of understanding your role in this industry, it's just important to kind of know what skills you really need to develop and which ones you can wait on, right? So memorizing destinations, knowing every supplier, and just being perfect, that is all gonna take time and it's gonna take many years. It's not gonna come overnight. Um, the skills that really matter right now to position yourself in the industry is confidence, communication, um, you know, caring about your clients, showing that emotional intelligence in problem solving, being consistent and just overall relationship building. So yeah, just remember you're here for those relationships and continue to build, right? Any other final thoughts?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, can I give one more on the relationship building aspect that I push really hard and most people don't take my advice, but I do think it makes all the difference in the world. Um, have any of you ever gotten on a call with someone and it kind of felt like they knew you? You were able to just relate to them really, really quickly. You're automatically talking about your favorite sport team or whatever. This is how much I follow sports, your favorite sports team, I don't know, whatever you would call it. Um, I think it's really, really important to take the time and attempt to search for your client online before you get on the call with them. So if it's a referral, I'll go to my friend, you know, whoever referred them, I'll go to my friend's Facebook page and search their friends and try to find Jim and I'll pull him up and I'll see his last couple of posts and I'll be like, okay, he's got two kids. They're both daughters. Great, we can relate on that. And it's not inauthentic because I truly care about building that relationship. Um, it's not sneaky because I will, I'm talking about the way that I bring it up, I don't say, hey, Jim, saw on Facebook you got two kids, me too. Like that's not how you do it, right? Instead, when you're on the consult, you're just very quickly like, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I'm Bird. I've got these two wonderful daughters. I'm obsessed with them. They're six and three. What about you, Jim? Do you have any kids? And he's like, Oh my God, I have two daughters too. But had he had zero kids, I probably wouldn't bring that up. I'd probably be like, you know, I'm Bird, the Saints are my team. And he's like, ah, go Chiefs, or I don't know, whatever. Did I get football right? I think I got.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, that's that's a that's a good call out for sure. I definitely go in and I dive, like, I'll look up clients online all the time. If we've gotten to the booking process, obviously, like at the first initial requests, I don't go friend them yet. I wait until we actually get a booking.

SPEAKER_01

I don't friend them. So it's only whatever I can see publicly. But my my idea behind it is just how quickly, because you don't have a lot of time to make that first impression, right? Exactly. And how quickly can I create the relationship and just create some no like and trust really, really early on? Because then when it gets to the part of whatever question that I don't know how to answer, and I say, Jim, I really don't know, but I'm gonna look up and find the answer for you. He already trusts me. He's like, Bert's got this, she's gonna do it, it's gonna be great.

SPEAKER_00

She's a mom, she has two kids, and we're we're in good area.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. So yeah, I think it's important to give yourself the leg up. And that's that's all that is. You're giving yourself a leg up on making this happen that another advisor is not gonna do their homework. Another advisor's most clients nowadays are talking to multiple advisors. So make yourself stand up, stand out by creating that relationship.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, perfect. I love it. Yeah, so I think at some point in your career, the sooner you do it, the easier it's gonna be for you. But you need to make a decision. You have to decide are you just booking trips? Are you sending quotes to clients, or do you truly want to build a business based off trust, based off of positioning yourself as a true expert, as an advisor? Because honestly, they're two completely different paths in this industry. So hopefully after this call, you can, or after this podcast, you can understand what is the better path for you and your career.

SPEAKER_01

I love it. All right, one more thing before we wrap up, guys. I want to make sure you have the save the date on your calendar. We are doing a live recording of the Travel Agent Guide podcast um in November. So it's Friday, November 6th. We're gonna be doing it in Charlotte, North Carolina, and we're not just doing a live recording. We're doing a full day deep dive research or deep dive conference just for travel agents. So this is not gonna be a bunch of vendors pitching their wares. Um, vendors will be there for you guys to meet BDMs, but we are more focused on um helping you on all of the problems that you need help with. So getting marbles out of your mouth, feeling more confident, finding leads out there, and doing all the things that you need to do to be successful in this industry. So mark it on the calendar Friday, November 6th. We cannot wait to see you guys.

SPEAKER_00

I'm excited. It'll be here before we know it. Awesome. Bye.

SPEAKER_01

Bye bye.