Getting It Right

PHOTO: Judy Nidetz of Travel Experts and Shay Harrington of Tzell Travel. (Courtesy Judy Nidetz and Shay Harrington, respectively)

The challenge of successfully selling hotel and resort vacations is clearly not due to a lack of quality product. The rather daunting challenge instead lies in determining exactly which resorts will provide clients with the perfect vacation that they are looking for.

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“Our philosophy is that the beginning of arranging each trip is like a hunk of clay that we sculpt until we get the perfect vacation,” says Tom Kanes, a Vacation.com agent with LaMacchia Travel in Kenosha, Wis., adding that the first step in the sales process is actually listening to clients and digesting what they’ve disclosed about their vacation preferences.

“There is literally a world of possibility and every vacation is different,” says Shay Harrington with Tzell Travel Group in New York. “Knowing your clients preferences helps narrow the field.”

But that’s just for starters. We asked travel agents for strategies on how to qualify, advise and book customers on the best resort vacation. Here’s their advice:

Know your client. Obviously, the more information you can glean from customers, the better. “I like to know if they prefer adventure or complete rest and relaxation,” says Harrington. “I also like to know more about their favorite — and least favorite — vacation moments, if they prefer beach or pool, how far they want to travel, if they like to explore outside the resort and their overall budget.”

Chad Shields also stresses the importance of asking clients about their vacation experiences and which hotels and resorts they’ve stayed at in the past. “I don’t limit qualifying clients to just cost,” says Shields, who is a Nexion agent with 3D Cruise and Travel in Round Rock, Texas. “I then use my extensive knowledge of resorts and destinations to offer options that will result in an exceptional vacation experience.”

Regularly touch customers with direct marketing. Judy Nidetz of Travel Experts in Chicago takes advantage of marketing resources provided by her consortium. “I have a mailing list of my top 80 clients who receive lovely marketing materials from Virtuoso,” she says, adding that Virtuoso also enables marketing to be segmented. “For example, if I have a client who I know loves destination spas, I can segment Virtuoso marketing to send materials on spas to that client.”

Nidetz also makes good use of daily email marketing campaigns. “If I see a special or a good value that I believe would peak the interest of a specific client, I forward the email with a personal note from me,” she says. “This is especially useful if I haven’t heard from the client in a while. They might not be interested in this particular resort at present, but it shows they are on top of my mind and reminds them I am here to help plan their next adventure.”

Focus on relationship marketing. Forging strong relationships with clients is arguably one of the most effective ways in which to boost sales. “My business is much more about relationships and showing my value to existing and new clients than it is about promotions,” says Shields. “I believe that the best way to increase my sales is to make people in my network — friends, family, neighbors, networking group members — fans of me and my business and get them to sell me just as much as I sell myself.”

Shields says that he converts single bookings into multiple bookings by simply asking clients if they wish to invite friends and family on their vacations. “When they return happy from their getaway, I remind them of the types of vacations that I specialize in, and ask them for referrals and their business the next time they plan a vacation,” he says. “I have found this to be the most effective strategy for increasing my resort vacation sales.”

Capitalize on consortia’s value-added offerings. “This is probably the greatest selling tool when making a proposal to a client,” says Nidetz. “Virtuoso exclusive provides my clients extra amenities such as breakfast, possible hotel room upgrades and special welcome amenities from me and my agency. This is a very special selling tool, as my clients can only obtain these exclusives only when booking through me because of my relationship with Virtuoso.”

Similarly, Harrington has found the value-adds offered through Travel Leaders’ Select Hotels & Resorts hotel program to be an indispensable sales tool. “As an agent, I’m able to offer clients extra value and added worth to their vacation,” she says. “When I sell a Travel Leaders Group Select resort, I also know I’m working with a resort that values our partnership.” The program’s offerings run the gamut, and include free breakfast, upgrades, early check-in and late check- out, and VIP amenities valued at $100.

Take advantage of resort companies’ educational programs. While nothing beats the effectiveness of relaying first-hand resort experiences to clients, properties do, of course, undergo perpetual change. “I can visit a property in January, while in September there is a major refurbish,” says Bonnie Lee of Travel Leaders in Albertville, Minn. “Without continuing education, I am still envisioning what I saw in January.”

Resort and hotel educational programs also provide agents with a comprehensive overview of companies, including their structures and cultures. “These programs help you gain the knowledge you need to sell to a client,” says Harrington. “We learn what each resort offers as well as its demographic and key selling tools.”

Sell preferred suppliers. Generally speaking, there’s really not much of a downside to selling preferred suppliers. “I have to trust that the companies I partner with when booking vacations will take great care of my clients and are as dedicated as I am to their satisfaction,” says Shields. “There are also personal benefits to booking with preferred suppliers, like maximizing commissions, receiving perks and incentives, and partnering with their sales team to increase business.”

Preferred suppliers are also more likely to make clients feel special. “I want to know I’m sending my client somewhere they will be regarded with the highest level of importance,” says Harrington. “All of my clients are VIPs and a preferred supplier understands this.” And when something goes wrong, preferred suppliers are typically quick to remedy the situation. “If clients are unhappy with any portion of their vacations I know that I can turn to my preferred supplier and we can work through the situation together,” she says.

Sell up. The benefits of upselling are two-fold. The agent earns more and the client is afforded with a richer vacation experience. “I always attempt to sell my clients up from the basic experience they can get anywhere to the one they are dreaming of,” says Shields. “Sometimes this is upselling them from a resort someone else recommended to one I know will be a better fit for them. Sometimes it’s based on upselling their location or the amenities offered.”

If a resort offers Club Level accommodations, Nidetz explains to clients the value of those accommodations, which offer a host of food options, among other things. “I always like to start high, top down, while keeping in mind their budget.” If, for instance, a client’s budget is $500 per night, Nidetz would obviously be disinclined to recommend a presidential suite at $2,000 per night. “But I might recommend a Club Level room for $600 per night and give them all the extra added value that will come with it, making it a better value than the $500 room,” she says.

Leverage your relationships. “Having a relationship with someone on property makes everything easier for myself and my clients,” says Nidetz, adding that those relationships often result in special needs and requests being met seamlessly. “If I know a sales manager at a resort, he or she will go that extra mile for me and my clients, with a personal note and gift from me, or in that rare situation where an issue arrives during travel.”

Nidetz takes every possible opportunity to acquaint herself with sales managers of properties she currently sells or hopes to sell. “The best way is a face-to-face meetings, which I do while attending events like Virtuoso Week and regional meetings,” she says. “I also try to attend events in my city when I’m invited.”

Capitalize on your personal resort experiences. “I have seen over and over again that a sale is closed for a particular resort because I have been there,” says Julie Caldo of Concierge Travel, a Travel Experts affiliate in Wyckoff, N.J. “Clients have a lot more enthusiasm for and confidence in travel professionals who actually travel and experience the places they recommend.” Furthermore, sharing first-hand experiences can whet clients’ appetites.

“If you can convey the great time you had with pictures and stories, they will want to have just as much fun,” says Tricia Pirner of Travel Leaders in Maple Grove, Minn. “When I show a picture of me zip-lining upside down in Costa Rica and tell the story of how exciting and thrilling that was, they become very excited and want to have that same thrilling experience.”