I think one of the biggest reasons travel advisors are leaving money on the table is because they're making decisions for their clients before they ever get the chance to make them themselves. You get an inquiry, you pull up the pricing and, instinctively, you start at the lead-in price. But what if that's costing you sales?
In Stuart Cohen’s “Are You My Travel Agent?” one thing really stood out to me. He talks about giving clients the good, better and best options. Not just the good option, not just the lead-in option. Good. Better. Best.
And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that's exactly what I've been doing without even thinking about it. When I went back and looked at some of my bookings from the past several months, I realized so many of my deluxe and upgraded bookings happened because I qualified first and quoted second.
Don't Start With Price, Start With Questions
Before I ever send pricing, I qualify my client by asking:
- What are they celebrating?
- Why are they traveling?
- What kind of experience do they want?
Those answers tell me far more than their budget ever will.
I had a gentleman contact me because he and his wife were celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. His daughter had referred him to me, and after going back and forth, we narrowed everything down to Barbados and the specific resort they wanted.
Now here's the important part, I didn't just quote the least expensive room, I asked about the experience they wanted. I said, "Would you like a luxury room? Would you like Club Level with concierge service and room service during certain hours? Or would you like Butler Service with 24-hour room service and someone taking care of everything for you while you are there?”
You know what he said? "We've been married for 60 years. We're going all in." I never would have assumed that. If I had simply quoted the lead-in room, I never would have known. Once he decided on Butler Service, we talked about location. Would they like an ocean view or beachfront room?
See how the conversation builds? You're not throwing upgrades at people. You're matching the experience to what they told you they wanted.
The Same Thing Happens With Disney Bookings
I had another client doing a mother-daughter trip. They were already staying at Disney's Contemporary Resort, but they wanted to add one night somewhere different. They were thinking about Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. She told me she probably wouldn't stay there for an entire vacation, but she wanted to experience it.
I quoted both Pool View and Savanna View. I could have just said, "The Savanna View costs more." Instead, I said, "If you're only staying one night, waking up with giraffes and zebras outside your balcony is part of what makes Animal Kingdom Lodge so special. My family loves grabbing breakfast from the quick service, bringing it back to the room, and watching the animals while we eat." She immediately chose the Savanna View. Why? Because I wasn't selling a room category. I was selling the experience. That's what your clients are buying.
Please Stop Assuming You Know Clients’ Budget
This one still makes me laugh. I had a client whose previous Disney trip was at Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter. When she called, that's kind of where my brain went. Moderate resort. Then she asked, "How much would it be to stay on the monorail?" I quoted Disney's Polynesian Village Resort and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. I also mentioned that there was a Club Level option and explained everything that came with it.
She listened for a minute and then said, "You know what? We haven't gone anywhere in two years. Let's do Club Level." Theme Park View. Club Level. At the Polynesian. I never saw that coming. And that's exactly the point. You don't know what your clients are willing to do until you ask.
Know the Experience
If you're going to sell Deluxe Resorts, you must know what makes them different.
- You have to know why someone would choose a Savanna View
- You have to know why Club Level matters
- You have to know why someone would choose Butler Service
Does that mean you personally have to stay in every room category? Of course not. But if you can, experience it. Book one or two nights, tour the resorts, read reviews, watch videos, listen to other advisors, read Facebook groups where guests talk about what they loved and collect stories because stories sell experiences far better than room descriptions ever will.
Don't Let Prices Scare You
Disney prices are high. Luxury all-inclusive prices are high. Everybody knows that. Your clients know that. Don't let the price keep you from quoting the vacation they actually want. Some clients are absolutely going to choose the lead-in room. That's okay. Others are going to surprise you. But if you never show them the better and the best options, they'll never have the opportunity to choose them.
The next time you're putting together a quote, stop before you automatically click on the least expensive room. Instead:
- Qualify your client
- Ask better questions
- Find out what kind of memories they're hoping to create
- Then give them the good, the better and the best
You might be surprised which one they choose.
About the Author
comments