How do you build the perfect vacation package? Listen to your clients, then make a judgment based on your knowledge of the wholesalers that can best provide the most appropriate package for your clients’ needs.

Listen

Marilyn Downing Staff, founder and president of Asia Transpacific Journeys, says that listening is a subtle skill. “We find that we are able to create that ‘the perfect trip’ by listening carefully to what the passenger is seeking,” says Staff. “The most perfect trip is personalized carefully to the traveler. My perfect trip and theirs can be two very different things. We listen carefully and dig deep into their hopes, dreams and requirements for a trip, and build one that works to satisfy their desires.”

Adds Tom Armstrong, Tauck corporate communications manager, “To sell the perfect vacation, agents need to really listen to their clients because everyone’s definition of ‘perfect’ is different — and what makes a vacation perfect may not even be 100 percent clear to the clients themselves. For example, a traditional ocean cruise client could be an ideal candidate for a European river cruise, but they might not be aware of river cruises as an option.

“For another client,” Armstrong adds, “the idea of having someone else handle all the details of travel may be more important than the actual destination. This might be the sort of person who historically has vacationed at an all-inclusive Caribbean resort because they enjoy a hassle-free environment, but that same client might also be a strong candidate for a cruise or escorted tour for exactly the same reason — all the details and hassles are handled by the cruise line or tour operator. The key is taking the time to really engage the client in conversation, and ask probing questions to determine what the client is really trying to get out of their travel experience.”

Get to know your clients

The better you know your clients the more qualified you will be to satisfy their deepest needs. It begins with listening to what they say, asking probing questions to find out what they like, what moves them, what they have done before and how they have reacted to various aspects of their travel experiences.

Ady Gelber, president and CEO of IsramWorld, says, “The key to selling the perfect vacation is simple: know your client. Agents should spend time building a customer profile. Ask clients about special interests, hobbies, etc., and incorporate these specific likes into the itinerary. Customized itineraries are becoming more and more popular, and getting to know clients not only builds a strong agent/client relationship, but also enhances the agent’s ability to sell the perfect vacation. Of course, choosing the right tour operator is key as well.”

Ask the right questions

Jim Tedesco, director of marketing for GOGO Vacations, says, “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. The more you know what it is they want, and what budget, the more you can help them. That’s what will turn a client into a repeat client. Simple questions, such as whether they prefer pool or beach, nightlife or quiet environments, direct flights or are fine with layovers, will help really narrow in on exactly what they want and will help your preferred wholesaler, like GOGO, help you find the right place for them. And never be afraid to follow up your recommendations by asking for the sale. It shows confidence in your knowledge.”

Use your intuition

Listening to clients in order to discern what to offer them is not a passive process. It begins with being receptive to what they are saying and intuiting what they need from what they say, and to go beyond what they know. Steve Jobs, founder of Apple and one of the world’s greatest marketers, famously said, “People don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” What worked for Jobs is also true in the travel industry. People who come to you for travel advice don’t have the benefit of knowing everything that the professional who works hands-on in the business day after day knows. And one of the most important pieces of expertise you can bring to bear on the subject is your knowledge of the range of wholesalers and what they offer.

Maintaining a good database on the client is an important way to build the knowledge you need for catering most perfectly to the client’s needs and aspirations. But there is always a first time. If it is the first time you have met the client, you have to reach that level as quickly as possible by asking the right questions and paying close attention to the reactions. Where have you gone on previous vacations? What did you like and what didn’t you like? How do you like to spend your free time? These kinds of questions can help you determine what inspires them.

Be proactive

“It is up to agents to be proactive in pulling the information from their clients, then reaching out to travelers who may not be confident enough right now to be calling on their own,” says Steve Born, vice president of marketing for the Globus Family of Brands. “But the power of suggestion, particularly when it’s fueled by relevant customer information, is the most powerful agent tool.”

Don’t sit around waiting for clients to call, go after them, says Harry Dalgaard, president of Avanti Destinations. “Pick a few different FIT packages to a few destinations that you love, add in a few special experiences like a whiskey tour in Scotland or a great restaurant in Italy or France. Then send them off to clients who you believe would love them. This way, you’re reconnecting with them, telling them you were thinking of them and sharing your knowledge and passion about a few destinations. FIT is personalized and that makes all the difference in this current market.”

Choose wholesale partners

The smartest people are not the people who know everything, but the people who know where to look to find out what they need to know. As a travel agent, your best source of information about the daily changing travel market around the world is the wholesalers that specialize in the areas you are interested in for your clients.

Wholesalers work closely with hotels and destinations and are the best sources of current information on products and properties available in the market at a given moment. “We are continually working with our hotel partners to highlight niche aspects of their properties, including culinary, eco-friendly, kids-free, rooms and suites for large families,” says Tim Mullen, president of Travel Impressions. “If your clients know they want a beach destination but want to narrow down their choices to fit their specific interests, we have the information.”

Wholesalers are the travel agent’s key to what the world offers to the traveler. They are the specialists in the destinations to which your clients seek access. That expertise includes the types of accommodations and activities available in those places.

Choosing the right wholesaler requires doing some research to learn which wholesalers are in the market and what they provide. The more experience you gain, the better equipped you will be to find the right wholesalers for you and your clients.

Jack E. Richards, president and CEO of Pleasant Holidays, says, “Knowledgeable travel agents know that when working with a wholesale travel provider, such as Pleasant Holidays, it can be a win-win for themselves and their clients. The tour operator has a vast network of resources that can often make the difference at each step of the journey — for both the agent and their clients.”

Build partnerships

As you determine which wholesalers are best for you and your clients, you will want to form partnerships with them. It starts with researching and using your intuition as to which ones are the best fit for you, and gradually narrowing down the possibilities so that you can focus your attention and your buying power on the few that are most appropriate to your needs and most simpatico with your working style and personality.

Wholesaler partnerships give you access to the best prices. “Usually if you book a hotel yourself, you’ll be quoted the rack rate,” says John Hanratty, senior vice president of travel agency engagement for The Mark Travel Corporation’s managed brands. The wholesale rate will be substantially cheaper and hoteliers are careful not to undersell the wholesalers they rely on to ensure that their hotels stay well occupied. “Most partners wouldn’t knowingly undersell us,” says Hanratty. “If we found that to be the case, we’d be all over them.”