I have chosen to start the training by taking about specialization because your marketing, your sales success and client satisfaction stems from here.
A specialty, also sometimes called a niche within the travel industry, is an area that has appeal to clients built around a well-defined interest. Clients have become a lot more sophisticated and are looking for deeper expertise to help plan their travel experiences. Focusing on a specific type of travel, shared interest or destination will allow you to become a true expert and help you find clients that are eager for your guidance.
Many travel agents believe they should keep their services broad, appealing to a wide range of clients. While it may seem like a good idea to appeal to as many people as possible not specializing makes it harder to market and ultimately make sales. Without a clear message, your marketing efforts (like when someone asks you what you do) become much more difficult for you to create, and much more difficult for potential clients to understand. When people are confused, they don’t act, which means your marketing is ineffective. A specialty makes your job easier both for you and your prospective clients. By becoming an expert in one area, this gives you insider knowledge of your clients’ problems and solutions to those problems. You won’t be begging people for their business; clients will naturally be attracted to you because you are a good fit by solving a problem for them.
For example, telling someone you are a travel agent doesn’t give a prospective client a good idea of what you do. In fact, you are likely to get responses like this:
“Do people still use travel agents?”
“I can find everything I need online and I enjoy doing the research.”
In other words, you have not differentiated yourself from everyone else and it puts you in the position of trying to convince someone of what you do and of your value when they have already made up their mind about it. With a specialty, you are solving a problem for a specific group of people. Let’s take example: You are asked what you do and you say “I specialize in African Safari’s” or “I help family’s plan vacations where there is something that is appropriate for all age groups” or “I take single women to exotic destinations so they don’t have to worry about traveling alone” or “I put together faith-based trips so people can experience a sacred destination or a spiritual retreat”. If anyone is interested in any of the topics mentioned, they will engage in conversation about it potentially leading to a sale. If they are not interested, it is also good news because you are not going to waste your time trying to convince someone that they need what you are offering. Like the joke says “Never try to teach a pig to talk. It wastes your time and annoys the pig”
How do you choose a specialty? Identify what “speaks to you “ or inspires you. If there is a hobby or subject that you are passionate about, your natural enthusiasm will excite you and help attract your ideal clients. It will also help keep you positive when you encounter the inevitable disappointments.
To help narrow down what might be a good specialty for you start by compiling a list of your travel experiences, hobbies, interests, and favorite destinations to get your brain going. Who are or could be your clients? Are you a member of the PTA? Do you belong to any clubs? Are you in a condo association? Who are your friends and what are their interests? Are you a member of a church or Synagogue? Is there a certain age range or common interests among the people or groups you know? Do you know more couples or families? Do you know a lot of single women or men? Answering these questions will help you spot opportunities, some that may be hidden, and aid you with finding your specialty.
By having a specialty, you might think that your focus will be too narrow. However, you will discover that unexpected opportunities appear as a result of your specialty. If your specialty is faith-based travel, your market would be the religious community. It is straight-forward to recognize that people who go to church or temple regularly or belong to a religious organization that you belong to would be potential clients. However, within this community you may find people that want a trip that is a faith- based experience but also combines interests such as regional cuisine, archeology, art or bird watching so you attract people that have multiple interests yet are still in your niche. Another example could be if you are passionate about travel to a destination such as Africa. You could sell safari experiences to anyone who has a safari on their bucket list. A sub niche could be a safari as a multi-generational family trip, a bar mitzvah, a honeymoon or as a way for empty nesters to reconnect.
By looking at your specialty as a way to more easily find clients who want what you have to offer, you are able to find divergent sub-niches to help people who need your deep expertise in an area.
Below are a few ideas for possible specialties and the problems they solve:
A specialty, also sometimes called a niche within the travel industry, is an area that has appeal to clients built around a well-defined interest. Clients have become a lot more sophisticated and are looking for deeper expertise to help plan their travel experiences. Focusing on a specific type of travel, shared interest or destination will allow you to become a true expert and help you find clients that are eager for your guidance.
Many travel agents believe they should keep their services broad, appealing to a wide range of clients. While it may seem like a good idea to appeal to as many people as possible not specializing makes it harder to market and ultimately make sales. Without a clear message, your marketing efforts (like when someone asks you what you do) become much more difficult for you to create, and much more difficult for potential clients to understand. When people are confused, they don’t act, which means your marketing is ineffective. A specialty makes your job easier both for you and your prospective clients. By becoming an expert in one area, this gives you insider knowledge of your clients’ problems and solutions to those problems. You won’t be begging people for their business; clients will naturally be attracted to you because you are a good fit by solving a problem for them.
For example, telling someone you are a travel agent doesn’t give a prospective client a good idea of what you do. In fact, you are likely to get responses like this:
“Do people still use travel agents?”
“I can find everything I need online and I enjoy doing the research.”
In other words, you have not differentiated yourself from everyone else and it puts you in the position of trying to convince someone of what you do and of your value when they have already made up their mind about it. With a specialty, you are solving a problem for a specific group of people. Let’s take example: You are asked what you do and you say “I specialize in African Safari’s” or “I help family’s plan vacations where there is something that is appropriate for all age groups” or “I take single women to exotic destinations so they don’t have to worry about traveling alone” or “I put together faith-based trips so people can experience a sacred destination or a spiritual retreat”. If anyone is interested in any of the topics mentioned, they will engage in conversation about it potentially leading to a sale. If they are not interested, it is also good news because you are not going to waste your time trying to convince someone that they need what you are offering. Like the joke says “Never try to teach a pig to talk. It wastes your time and annoys the pig”
How do you choose a specialty? Identify what “speaks to you “ or inspires you. If there is a hobby or subject that you are passionate about, your natural enthusiasm will excite you and help attract your ideal clients. It will also help keep you positive when you encounter the inevitable disappointments.
To help narrow down what might be a good specialty for you start by compiling a list of your travel experiences, hobbies, interests, and favorite destinations to get your brain going. Who are or could be your clients? Are you a member of the PTA? Do you belong to any clubs? Are you in a condo association? Who are your friends and what are their interests? Are you a member of a church or Synagogue? Is there a certain age range or common interests among the people or groups you know? Do you know more couples or families? Do you know a lot of single women or men? Answering these questions will help you spot opportunities, some that may be hidden, and aid you with finding your specialty.
By having a specialty, you might think that your focus will be too narrow. However, you will discover that unexpected opportunities appear as a result of your specialty. If your specialty is faith-based travel, your market would be the religious community. It is straight-forward to recognize that people who go to church or temple regularly or belong to a religious organization that you belong to would be potential clients. However, within this community you may find people that want a trip that is a faith- based experience but also combines interests such as regional cuisine, archeology, art or bird watching so you attract people that have multiple interests yet are still in your niche. Another example could be if you are passionate about travel to a destination such as Africa. You could sell safari experiences to anyone who has a safari on their bucket list. A sub niche could be a safari as a multi-generational family trip, a bar mitzvah, a honeymoon or as a way for empty nesters to reconnect.
By looking at your specialty as a way to more easily find clients who want what you have to offer, you are able to find divergent sub-niches to help people who need your deep expertise in an area.
Below are a few ideas for possible specialties and the problems they solve:
- Gay & lesbian – The issues that LGBT travelers face are different than other travelers. While there are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people all over the world, the laws and attitudes in some countries may affect safety and ease of travel. By understanding the safety, comfort and politics of destinations for this community you can educate your clients to ensure the best possible experience.
- Family & multi-generational – Traveling with grandparents, parent and children of various ages can be challenging because everyone has such varied needs and interests. By focusing on creating trips where the destination and activities are appropriate for all age groups will ensure that everyone has a good time.
- Accessible travel -Understand all the challenges that disabled travelers may encounter during their trip and how to overcome them. Providing all of the comprehensive information that someone in a wheelchair or with other mobility issues would need to make a trip. Expert planning, knowledge and research can make a dream come true.
- River cruises – When big cruise ships stop in European ports the number of tourists can be overwhelming. A river cruise provides a more intimate experience with 200 or less passengers disembarking in or near city centers. Also, river cruise products usually include tours, drinks and sometimes tips so the onboard expenses are minimal which means the client knows ahead of time how much the trip will be and the commissionable amount to the travel agent is higher. Ships are small for a more intimate experience.
- Destination travel – I.E. Africa, Asia, Europe, Israel, etc. – Offering insider tips to a destination can make a huge difference in a client’s trip by creating an authentic experience that they couldn’t otherwise have. Information on what to see, how to get there, when the best time to go is and if visa’s are needed is information that is valuable to your clients.
- Single Parents – While traveling with kids is a great way to form lasting memories and help family bonds grow while opening children’s minds to different ideas and cultures as a family single parents have unique problems such as what type of documentation is needed to go out of the country to keeping everyone entertained while getting there. For most single parents, just getting through a regular day with children is an exhausting challenge. Carrying everyone's belongings, getting everyone to their seats on flights, keeping track of the kids while they make their way through crowded attractions or airports can be enough to discourage a single parent from even trying.
- Disney - Family vacations are never easy. Every family’s needs, wants, and desires are unique. Helping a family to customize a vacation allowing the adults AND the kids to have fun can save your clients time, money and aggravation. In addition to the well known parks Disney also has cruises, tours and resorts all specifically designed for families.
- All-inclusive resorts – Couple’s only? Family friendly? What is included what isn’t? Intimate knowledge of the differences between the resorts can mean the difference between the perfect vacation and disaster.
- Culinary - The majority of American travelers are interested in some kind of unique food experience when they travel. Options can vary from cooking classes, a local in-home dining experience with a local, Michelin restaurants, markets, etc. Your clients can cook and eat their way to the heart of their destination’s culture as little or as much as they want.
- Wine – By focusing on tours and cruises to wine regions clients can meet vintners and experts to learn about wines and wine making. There are river cruises that partner with a vineyard or wine expert, who will deliver lectures and tastings during the cruise in wine regions of Europe. Perfect for people who enjoy wine but are not experts making it possible to enjoy wine without being a fanatic or collector. Tour options can include combining a safari in South Africa with a wine tour in the Western Cape, a tour to Australia and/or New Zealand that include wine tastings in some of the famous vineyards such as Marlborough in New Zealand.
- Health and wellness - Wellness travel promotes your health and wellbeing, both mentally and physically, through any combination of activities that you do during your trip such as Yoga, meditation, healthy eating or physical activity. Travel can be as immersive as week-long Yoga classes in India, active river cruises that offer included options hiking, biking and walking, or little as an ocean cruise that offers a gym with a fitness trainer. You can scale the activities to as much or little as desired while seeing the world.
- Faith based – Faith Based travel can deepen spirituality by understanding and appreciation of religious beliefs through exploring the roots of faith by visiting holy sites and interacting with like-minded believers. Gaining perspective on faith can also be a lot of fun!
- Adventure and Soft adventure tourism - Adventure tourism is a good option for many travelers. It includes activities such as surfing, scuba diving, shark encounters, hiking, biking and rock climbing. You could offer special interest soft adventures such as Northern Lights trips, birdwatching, or stargazing. The lucrative expedition cruise market also fits into this niche which involves smaller ships and adventurous itineraries where you travel with experts who provide in-depth insight and exploration.
- Friends of Bill – It is difficult for people with addiction problems to travel. By traveling with people who have a similar problem temptation can be kept at bay and enhance the travel experience.
- Corporate incentive groups – Large corporations have sales contests to motivate and reward the most valuable employees and salespeople. By handling the details of the trip you offer your expertise to make the trip flow smoothly (like ensuring everyone has the same dining and are at the same table on a cruise or arranging tee times at a resort) and save the corporate contact person time. This specialty also puts you in the position of being able to book the leisure travel for people within the corporation.
- Escorted travel – Surprisingly there are people who want to travel but are hesitant of going on their own. It is actually possible to attract clients by saying: “Hey, I am going. Why don’t you join me?” Also, if you are a member of a consortia, most of the bigger ones offer trips with hosts so if you don’t want to travel you can still provide your clients with the services of a host.
- Small ship cruises – Not interested in the mega ships but like to cruise? Small ship cruising can be as intimate as a 6-cabin barge cruise in Europe, an expedition ship with 100 passengers or a small ocean liner with a maximum capacity of 700. While you may feel that this is too limiting there are actually a lot of cruisers that don’t like the mega ship experience.
- Gardening – Garden enthusiasts to Master gardeners will enjoying seeing some of the magnificent and unique gardens of the world. From Kirstenbosch in South Africa to Holland's once-in-a-decade World's Fair of horticulture called Floriade. Closer to home there is Butchart garden, noted to be one of the top display gardens of the world, in Vancouver British Columbia. Combine it with a cruise to Alaska where you might be able to interest a local Master Gardener or nursery owner to join you. Alaska's botanical gardens are surprisingly prolific. With a short growing season the flowers and vegetables appear to be super-sized.
- Travel for singles – Many single people prefer not to travel alone and they do not to be seen as a third wheel with couples. While it is possible for romance to blossom this should not be seen as a dating service but a means of traveling the world while making friends. Single women, including women whose husbands stay at home, prefer to travel with other like-minded women.
- Destination weddings - If you’ve had any experience coordinating weddings or had a destination wedding yourself you will have an understanding of what it takes to put a destination wedding together. It requires tremendous organizational skills, patience and attention to detail. In addition to the wedding you will need to book the attendees which makes this a lucrative specialty.
