The truth is that it is only slightly more work, a lot more efficient and much more profitable to create and sell group packages over a one off, individual vacation. While I am not advocating turning away individual business, by concentrating on group business your client base will grow faster, your income will be higher and your clients will love you. Though selling group travel may be a great way to grow your profit margin while giving your clients a unique and an amenity rich experience, it's also requires attention to detail and foresight.
There are two ways to approach selling groups. You can either find a group leader (pied piper) or host a group yourself. A pied piper is a person who is well known to a group of people that works with a travel agent to publicize and attract people to a cruise or tour. Typically, the pied piper will be designated as the "group leader" and receive free or reduced passage for the trip. The term is derived from the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. If you travel with the group the free passage goes to you as the host.
Finding a Pied Piper
Every group or organization has someone who is the “go to” person to get things done. They seem to be on a lot of committees and are always busy. This person is generally the influencer (pied piper) and leads in the decision-making process. When you know or can identify a person like this you do NOT want to go to them and start selling your product or idea. Instead set up a short introduction meeting, maybe over coffee, to discover what their problems and pain points are so you can potentially help with a solution.
They will have their own agenda and it is important to know what that is before you will know if you are a good fit for each other. Whatever transpires it is important that it is a win for both parties. Taking the time to develop a relationship where they learn to know, like and trust you decreases the possibility that they will shop you and drop you. Having an expertise is important in getting their trust so they will realize that you have the know how and the means to help them. When you first start out it is tempting to give into all demands, reasonable or not. Don’t be so desperate for business that you are willing to give away everything and work for next to nothing. It won’t serve you and it ultimately won’t serve the client. If it isn’t a win for all parties one or both of you will end up resentful.
However, before you can have a conversation with a pied piper you first need to find them. When you finally get in front of them, I am going to repeat because this is a critically important point, DON’T SELL. Look for a way you can solve a problem that they have.
So, how do you get in the door:
1. There are several ways to begin the process of deciding on a destination when you will be traveling with the group. One way is to create a SURVEY. With just a few questions, you can get information where you are able to create a trip with input that includes your client’s interests. Some survey question examples might be:
People are busy and surveys are becoming more and more prevalent and easy to ignore. I also discovered that while people may express an interest in a destination the reality of time away from home and finances may keep them from actually going. . I learned this the hard way when we planned a trip to Australia and New Zealand. Since it is really a punishing long flight and crossed the international date line the trip was 16 days – it was too long for many people who were had limited vacation time. Australia and New Zealand are large countries and to make the most out of the destination there were a lot of flights putting the trip out of the budget of potential travelers. Consequently, what I started out thinking would be a high profit trip turned into a break even trip. While my husband and I got to go and experience the amazing culture, food and wine of these countries we are also in business and breaking even is better than losing money it is still not a good business model.
2. Another option is if there is a trip that you really, really want to go on - book it and invite people to join you. It is important to let people know that because you are traveling, not everyone is invited – just people that you like. Send an invitation (see template) to join your group but make sure it is personal, and that they are being invited because you like them. Also, make sure that there is no pressure to book or attend a presentation – it is an invitation. People don’t feel comfortable being sold to. Also, without the freedom to say no they are less inclined to say yes. Ironically, keep in mind that “people first, money second” is the lucrative way.
TIP: It is important that you COMMIT TO GOING. If you say something like “If I can get enough people, then I will go.” Your group will flop. If you won’t commit, how can you expect anyone else to commit? I understand that this can be a scary step so choose a low cost destination such as China, Costa Rica, Thailand etc. for your first group that will be interesting enough to attract clients yet affordable.
3. Never sell an “off the shelf” trip. Make your trip unique and special by always including extras such as a special tour, a welcome dinner, pre or post hotel stay, etc. In the case of a cruise, stay away from offering onboard credit. You want to emphasize the experience. Sell the trip as a package - do not give separate pricing for the components. However, offering optional extensions afterwards is a good way to customize the experience for clients who want a longer trip while increasing your profit.
4. Have a why…I have always wanted to go to -------- because------------. You are likely to get people to sign up because they are interested in the destination. Also, by sharing your “why”, this may generate interest for people who hadn’t thought about the destination that you have chosen.
5. Create an invitation and email it out individually rather than as a group or cc email. I know this is a lot more work but it is also more effective. No one wants to feel sold to and, after all, this is a personal invitation to someone you like and want to travel with. You can also create an invitation with a video introduction that makes it more personal.
6. If your clients are local have a presentation in your home, club, church, or organization. Some, but not all, of the sales reps are very experienced in giving presentations on their products. You can serve food from the country you are traveling to which helps people get over the fear of “it will be different”. David and I did a presentation in our home with the sales rep from African Travel Inc, Kevan Cowie, who is an amazing presenter because of his bubbly personality and his deep first-hand knowledge of Africa. We served South African wine and light bites and almost everyone who came booked.
7. Make it exclusive. Because I am going, I am not inviting everyone. I must like you and feel you will fit well into the group. By appealing to the exclusivity of the invitation list it will make your clients feel special and appreciate the trip and you more.
8. Offer optional extensions. Extensions allow you to offer a customized trip by adding onto the core trip. This concept evolved because I had people telling me that the trip to South Africa was too short for such a long flight. With input from my clients, I was able to offer extensions to Victoria Falls, the Seychelles and Madagascar that allowed people to travel who wouldn’t have otherwise while still allowing people who could only afford a shorter trip to go while increasing my profitability. A win for everyone!
9. Ask for help. We may have ideas that you haven’t thought of, contacts with vendors that can help you get things you can’t get for yourself, or lessons to share from mistakes we have made. Sales reps and vendors are another valuable resource especially if they have traveled to where you are going.
10. Follow up. You are going to find that many people may not respond to your invitation. Don’t take it personally. Use it as an opportunity to follow up by saying something like: “I didn’t hear back from you and I really would like the opportunity to travel with you”.
11. Create an Excel spreadsheet. List: names as they appear on their passports; base trip cost; extension – if booked; profit. List the cost of the insurance cost and profit separately as insurance is paid the next month where the trip, depending on the vendor, may not be paid until after travel. An excel spread sheet allows you to see everything in one place, who is doing what and your exact profitability.
HERE’S A TIP: Have clients scan their passports and send them to you and keep them on file or store them in ClientBase in their profile. Sometimes clients will think that they remember their name on the passport and, if it is incorrect, it can cause a big headache for you and change fees for the clients. You would be surprised at how often this happens! If their passport is due to expire you can remind also them to renew. If you save just one client a major headache, they will become a raving fan of yours and a client for life. A simple way to differentiate yourself from everyone else.
12. Cruise lines and tour operators offer free passage to a group leader with certain number of paying passengers. For cruise lines it is referred to as a Tour Conductor or TC for short while tour operators call it Free OF Charge or FOC. The number of passengers needed can vary greatly from a s little as 9 to as many as 24. This should be one of the first questions that you ask a vendor.
13. Sell travel insurance. It protects your client and it protects you. You never know when something will happen. Illness? Death of a family member? Lost luggage? Missed connection? Here is a video of a client who reluctantly bought travel insurance and then needed it on her trip to Peru.
In short, trip cancellation coverage, such as what you may get with a credit card, only provides coverage for the money you would lose if you had to cancel, while travel insurance coverage provides everything trip cancelation coverage does plus trip interruption if you had to cut your trip short as well as medical coverage, emergency evacuation, lost luggage, and more.
When you promote and sell groups and follow the process discussed you create a better trip for your clients, create loyalty while creating more commissions for yourself.
There are two ways to approach selling groups. You can either find a group leader (pied piper) or host a group yourself. A pied piper is a person who is well known to a group of people that works with a travel agent to publicize and attract people to a cruise or tour. Typically, the pied piper will be designated as the "group leader" and receive free or reduced passage for the trip. The term is derived from the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. If you travel with the group the free passage goes to you as the host.
Finding a Pied Piper
Every group or organization has someone who is the “go to” person to get things done. They seem to be on a lot of committees and are always busy. This person is generally the influencer (pied piper) and leads in the decision-making process. When you know or can identify a person like this you do NOT want to go to them and start selling your product or idea. Instead set up a short introduction meeting, maybe over coffee, to discover what their problems and pain points are so you can potentially help with a solution.
They will have their own agenda and it is important to know what that is before you will know if you are a good fit for each other. Whatever transpires it is important that it is a win for both parties. Taking the time to develop a relationship where they learn to know, like and trust you decreases the possibility that they will shop you and drop you. Having an expertise is important in getting their trust so they will realize that you have the know how and the means to help them. When you first start out it is tempting to give into all demands, reasonable or not. Don’t be so desperate for business that you are willing to give away everything and work for next to nothing. It won’t serve you and it ultimately won’t serve the client. If it isn’t a win for all parties one or both of you will end up resentful.
However, before you can have a conversation with a pied piper you first need to find them. When you finally get in front of them, I am going to repeat because this is a critically important point, DON’T SELL. Look for a way you can solve a problem that they have.
So, how do you get in the door:
- If you are a member - If you already belong to an organization then it is likely that you know who the pied piper is and may even be aware of a travel solution to a problem that exists. It is important that your goals are in alignment, so you are not working at cross purposes and getting frustrated with each other. Can a group trip increase membership? Can a group trip be used to generate needed revenue for an organization? Can it bring the membership closer together? Can a trip be used as an incentive?
- As a referral – While not quite a cold call you will need to use your introduction to your best advantage. Think of it as an interview process where you will need to prove your value. Once a relationship of trust has been built you can broach the subject of a mutually beneficial relationship. However, it is important to keep the focus on what is in it for them.
- As a customer – If you are already a customer and a fan of a company you can be a third-party endorsement which could make it easier for you to work together for mutual benefit. It will be easy for you to recommend their product or service because you are already an existing customer. Explore ways in which travel is a solution to the business owner.
- Fund raising – you can use a charity that you are passionate about to create an opportunity to raise money for them where travel could be in the mix.
1. There are several ways to begin the process of deciding on a destination when you will be traveling with the group. One way is to create a SURVEY. With just a few questions, you can get information where you are able to create a trip with input that includes your client’s interests. Some survey question examples might be:
- Where have you always wanted to go: Europe, Asia, South America, Africa
- I prefer: cruising, tours, independent travel
- My interests include: Nature/scenery, culinary/wine, different cultural experiences, interaction with local people
People are busy and surveys are becoming more and more prevalent and easy to ignore. I also discovered that while people may express an interest in a destination the reality of time away from home and finances may keep them from actually going. . I learned this the hard way when we planned a trip to Australia and New Zealand. Since it is really a punishing long flight and crossed the international date line the trip was 16 days – it was too long for many people who were had limited vacation time. Australia and New Zealand are large countries and to make the most out of the destination there were a lot of flights putting the trip out of the budget of potential travelers. Consequently, what I started out thinking would be a high profit trip turned into a break even trip. While my husband and I got to go and experience the amazing culture, food and wine of these countries we are also in business and breaking even is better than losing money it is still not a good business model.
2. Another option is if there is a trip that you really, really want to go on - book it and invite people to join you. It is important to let people know that because you are traveling, not everyone is invited – just people that you like. Send an invitation (see template) to join your group but make sure it is personal, and that they are being invited because you like them. Also, make sure that there is no pressure to book or attend a presentation – it is an invitation. People don’t feel comfortable being sold to. Also, without the freedom to say no they are less inclined to say yes. Ironically, keep in mind that “people first, money second” is the lucrative way.
TIP: It is important that you COMMIT TO GOING. If you say something like “If I can get enough people, then I will go.” Your group will flop. If you won’t commit, how can you expect anyone else to commit? I understand that this can be a scary step so choose a low cost destination such as China, Costa Rica, Thailand etc. for your first group that will be interesting enough to attract clients yet affordable.
3. Never sell an “off the shelf” trip. Make your trip unique and special by always including extras such as a special tour, a welcome dinner, pre or post hotel stay, etc. In the case of a cruise, stay away from offering onboard credit. You want to emphasize the experience. Sell the trip as a package - do not give separate pricing for the components. However, offering optional extensions afterwards is a good way to customize the experience for clients who want a longer trip while increasing your profit.
4. Have a why…I have always wanted to go to -------- because------------. You are likely to get people to sign up because they are interested in the destination. Also, by sharing your “why”, this may generate interest for people who hadn’t thought about the destination that you have chosen.
5. Create an invitation and email it out individually rather than as a group or cc email. I know this is a lot more work but it is also more effective. No one wants to feel sold to and, after all, this is a personal invitation to someone you like and want to travel with. You can also create an invitation with a video introduction that makes it more personal.
6. If your clients are local have a presentation in your home, club, church, or organization. Some, but not all, of the sales reps are very experienced in giving presentations on their products. You can serve food from the country you are traveling to which helps people get over the fear of “it will be different”. David and I did a presentation in our home with the sales rep from African Travel Inc, Kevan Cowie, who is an amazing presenter because of his bubbly personality and his deep first-hand knowledge of Africa. We served South African wine and light bites and almost everyone who came booked.
7. Make it exclusive. Because I am going, I am not inviting everyone. I must like you and feel you will fit well into the group. By appealing to the exclusivity of the invitation list it will make your clients feel special and appreciate the trip and you more.
8. Offer optional extensions. Extensions allow you to offer a customized trip by adding onto the core trip. This concept evolved because I had people telling me that the trip to South Africa was too short for such a long flight. With input from my clients, I was able to offer extensions to Victoria Falls, the Seychelles and Madagascar that allowed people to travel who wouldn’t have otherwise while still allowing people who could only afford a shorter trip to go while increasing my profitability. A win for everyone!
9. Ask for help. We may have ideas that you haven’t thought of, contacts with vendors that can help you get things you can’t get for yourself, or lessons to share from mistakes we have made. Sales reps and vendors are another valuable resource especially if they have traveled to where you are going.
10. Follow up. You are going to find that many people may not respond to your invitation. Don’t take it personally. Use it as an opportunity to follow up by saying something like: “I didn’t hear back from you and I really would like the opportunity to travel with you”.
11. Create an Excel spreadsheet. List: names as they appear on their passports; base trip cost; extension – if booked; profit. List the cost of the insurance cost and profit separately as insurance is paid the next month where the trip, depending on the vendor, may not be paid until after travel. An excel spread sheet allows you to see everything in one place, who is doing what and your exact profitability.
HERE’S A TIP: Have clients scan their passports and send them to you and keep them on file or store them in ClientBase in their profile. Sometimes clients will think that they remember their name on the passport and, if it is incorrect, it can cause a big headache for you and change fees for the clients. You would be surprised at how often this happens! If their passport is due to expire you can remind also them to renew. If you save just one client a major headache, they will become a raving fan of yours and a client for life. A simple way to differentiate yourself from everyone else.
12. Cruise lines and tour operators offer free passage to a group leader with certain number of paying passengers. For cruise lines it is referred to as a Tour Conductor or TC for short while tour operators call it Free OF Charge or FOC. The number of passengers needed can vary greatly from a s little as 9 to as many as 24. This should be one of the first questions that you ask a vendor.
13. Sell travel insurance. It protects your client and it protects you. You never know when something will happen. Illness? Death of a family member? Lost luggage? Missed connection? Here is a video of a client who reluctantly bought travel insurance and then needed it on her trip to Peru.
In short, trip cancellation coverage, such as what you may get with a credit card, only provides coverage for the money you would lose if you had to cancel, while travel insurance coverage provides everything trip cancelation coverage does plus trip interruption if you had to cut your trip short as well as medical coverage, emergency evacuation, lost luggage, and more.
When you promote and sell groups and follow the process discussed you create a better trip for your clients, create loyalty while creating more commissions for yourself.
- The trip becomes a better value because of the buying power of volume
- Clients travel with people they either know or have a common interest with
- Optional extensions create a custom experience for clients
- Single travelers can travel in a group
- Increased profitability with less work