In our special issue focused on luxury travel, the cover story, looks at whole-property buyouts. This is clearly a big-ticket vacation and a lucrative opportunity for travel advisors, and one question Executive Editor Mindy Poder got asked a lot as she did research for the story was, “What can I do to get more of this type of customer?”
That makes a lot of sense, of course. You can be ready and able to plan a buyout, but never get the chance to do it because you just don’t have the right client for it.
There are many answers to this question, but the one I keep thinking about was mentioned by Albert Andrew Valera, travel advisor/founder of Everything Travel Guy. He says he just tries to get the information about his services out there, because he never knows where these clients are going to come from. Valera has found that many times a small booking will lead to a referral to a friend or relative — or someone with a special occasion — who has a bigger trip in mind.
“You often get introduced organically, and once someone knows you, suddenly they can connect the dots on a major trip,” he said. “Exposure in publications and via social media is important, as well. Posting about these things lets other people know you’re able to arrange a dream trip.”
To me, what this strategy relies on is doing your best work for all clients. It sounds simple, but you never really know when a small trip is going to lead to a major client.
Joe DiMaggio, the great outfielder for the Yankees, once said he played hard every day because he knew someone in the crowd was seeing him for the first time, and he didn’t want to disappoint them. Advisors also need to consider that initial impression of their value — even if it’s not necessarily driving a lot of revenue now, it can lead to greater things later on.
