Creating Dream Experiences and Increased Profitability

Being a travel professional gives you the opportunity to make your client’s vacation dreams reality through unique, memorable experiences. That experience can mean many things, from sitting in first class on a flight to staying in the most fabulous upgraded rooms. However, selling the experience of a dream vacation for your client extends far beyond just advising which airline to fly or which hotel they should settle into. You are a crucial part of the vacation experience for your client, ensuring they’re fully equipped with the knowledge that will touch so many facets of their trip. Are you advising on best restaurant picks, entertainment options, shopping venue secrets, or can’t-miss spa treatments, to name just a few? Ancillary sales, or “selling the extras,” can afford many benefits for you, not only toward building credibility with your clients, but adding another layer of profitability to that booking.

Use Your Supplier Resources

Destination tourist boards are great resources to help you provide a wide view of the many experiences available to clients. More importantly, those destination tourist board organizations can help connect you with suppliers that may also pay commission to travel professionals on tours, attractions, shows or other products. Contacting hotels directly is another supplier resource to help you identify the unique and over-the-top experiences offered at the property that will enhance the client vacation experience.

Don’t Leave Money on the Table

In some destinations, you can find suppliers selling ancillary products and offering very lucrative commissions, so don’t settle for the commission you’ll earn merely selling air and hotel to clients. Consumers may have some ideas about what they want to experience during their trip, but they aren’t the expert, and taking the time to find the right ancillary products to add to their trip can give you an even bigger share of wallet from their overall budget. This creates the ideal opportunity for you to provide the expertise and advice that will result in their dream vacation, while also improving your profitability.

Build Loyalty for a Lifetime

Taking that extra time to sell the extras can increase your profitability on the booking, and shows the client your extra effort to make their vacation experience the best it can be. Retaining client loyalty, even on vacations that may be short or not the highest dollar value, can still ensure the client will come back repeatedly, including for higher dollar value bookings. It can also help open the path for referral business to your agency.

Consumers Need Help

Your clients want the expertise you bring, so remember to offer recommendations and options. Continue to pursue the ancillary sales, because clients want to maximize the experiences available through their vacation budget, and you can help them achieve that goal.