Nadia "Sparkle" Henry
It's the dawn of a new year, a good time to start planning group travel for the summer or festive season.
Offering a group trip at the beginning of the year gives clients the ability to start a payment plan of six to nine months in advance for their dream trip. An interest-free payment plan is a good selling point for attracting new clients.
These are the best ways I've found to create those groups:
• Most advisors know that school organizations such as the PTA or other parent involvement groups offer wonderful opportunities to network and prospect. I have secured a lot of group business as my son moved through grade school, middle school, high school and even college.
But you might want to take it a step further and become an officer of these associations and councils. I was elected vice chairman of one of the parent associations at my son's school, and while interacting with other parents regarding student activities, they learned I owned a travel business. I ended up organizing and accompanying a group on an amazing parent-child trip to Ghana.
• The same holds true with clubs, including women's clubs, men's clubs, sports clubs, etc. When getting together regularly with the same group of people, talk will surely gravitate to everyone's favorite topic: their last trip. That's a perfect lead-in to talk about what you do and to see how you can be of help.
• Church, synagogue or mosque. I find groups formed within religious communities tend to have a more serious purpose and will often revolve around an educational or even business theme. Nonetheless, there's plenty of potential for leisure, as well.
• Social media. If you're not getting the word out on Facebook, Instagram, etc., about any of these groups you're organizing, you're leaving money on the table.
So, your idea for a group has come together; what next? As you approach people, it's never too early to up-sell rooms. Clients could choose a standard room, but you'll really be doing them a favor by letting them know there are options to move to a room with a view or one with a balcony, or even a suite.
Flights will typically get you an extra 3% to 5% commission, but again, that can become very meaningful if clients are interested in flying business or first class.
Unless the trip is rigidly scheduled, I always offer excursions for those times when nothing is planned. And I find that the ones who take me up on those excursions report they have gotten more value from the trip than those who don't.
Similarly, the time "before" and "after" the heart of a trip is filled with opportunity. Pre- and post-trip options are especially attractive to clients going on a group cruise who might want to experience the embarkation or final destination port in more depth.
And, whether a group trip is cruise or land-based, also offer a pre- or post-trip to a neighboring city or country.
I find this can be very lucrative. I escorted a group to Bali last May. The trip involved a change of planes in Singapore, so I created and offered a three-night hotel-and-tour package in the destination, in case anyone had the time to go early.
Once offered, every single client in the group opted to take the package. Total additional commission for 30 people, double occupancy: $13,250.
The bottom line: Be creative when you plan group travel. It is not about how many people are in the group, it's what you can do within and around the trip that makes it worth your while -- and theirs. Happy planning and selling for 2024!