Turning Travel Love Into a $2 Million Business

WHY IT RATES: Janel Fidalgo has experienced the positive outcome of working with Avoya Travel.—Codie Richards, TravelPulse Associate Editor

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Avoya Travel®, one of the travel industry’s most innovative brands, shares how Independent Agency Owner, Janel Fidalgo, turned her love for contemporary cruising into a $2 million a year business. Leveraging Avoya’s Live Leads™ program, group space and Avoya exclusive deals, Janel has built an award-winning, top producing business.

Since joining the Avoya Travel Network™ in 2010 and opening her Independent Agency, Janel Fidalgo Agency LLC, Janel has achieved top sales by specializing primarily in cruises, including Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean. She continues to produce millions in sales year after year and closed 2017 with more than $2 million in sales.

Like many travel professionals, Janel turned her love for travel and personal cruise experience into her own business when she needed a flexible, work-from-home career. After two years on her own and purchasing leads from other companies with minimal success, Janel joined the Avoya Network. In her first year, she earned Avoya’s Top Producer Award for Carnival and Norwegian and for the next six years was recognized as Norwegian’s Top Producer.

While over time Janel has diversified to meet her clientele’s needs, mass-market cruises continue to be her primary specialties. “Many travel professionals feel they have to focus on luxury vendors to make great commissions, but mass market products have distinct advantages and can be very lucrative too,” said Janel.

A big advantage for Janel is that with Avoya’s patented Live Leads program, new customer leads in contemporary products are plentiful, and with Avoya’s exclusive promotions and deals, she is able to close sales. Avoya’s Live Leads program helps Janel run her high-volume business with bookings that depart year-round—this means she always has commissions coming in weekly.

She credits the competitive advantage she gets from Avoya’s exclusive group space, extra amenities and marketing in offering the best value and making bookings quickly. All this, paired with the combined reputation of Avoya and American Express, has helped her agency set sales records year after year.

Through the years, Janel has built a strong repeat and referral business and has been able to cultivate frequent bookings from loyal clients. “Your clientele grows in their own experiences and their travel investment continues to increase. I have clients start in outside cabins, and I’ve helped them graduate to suites and penthouse cabins. Many of my customers started with one trip a year and now travel several times a year or book multiple cabins for extended family, which adds up in commission earnings.”

Having the right technologies in place to maximize efficiencies allows Janel to spend more time working with customers. She operates her business using Avoya’s Agent Power™ technology, which helps her organize and save time with CRM resources, calendars, commission tracking, integrated promotions, booking engines and access to professional education.

There is always something new in mass market cruising, so staying current with her specialties is key to Janel’s success. “I capitalize on the spike in consumer interest each new ship creates by being ready to sell it. Norwegian Bliss is opening a new market in Alaska and has already generated demand. I’m attending the inaugural this year and will have first-hand experience to share with clients.”

While she’s a travel industry veteran, Janel’s chosen specialties are what many new-to-travel agents start with and her advice to them is:

“Stick with it. There is a learning curve in this business, but agents can overcome it with education, first-hand experience and finding the right partner or host agency to complement their business strengths and weaknesses. Also, ask experienced agents for advice and best practices. I still get motivation and learn from my peers and friends in the Avoya Network.”

To learn more about the Avoya Network and a career in travel visit JoinAvoya.com.

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SOURCE: Avoya Travel press release.