As more independent, home-based travel agents enter the
lucrative market of leisure group travel, they are finding that there's much to
learn, says Stuart Cohen, an industry veteran who runs training programs. For
one, promotion is critical, and tough.
“This is an area, after the agent has signed an agreement
with a group leader, where so many groups fail,” Cohen said. “Agents work hard,
block all the space and then expect people to come and buy. But your job as an
agent is really just starting at that point.” Agents should put as much time and effort in launching a
promotional campaign as in designing the trip and booking the space, Cohen
said. One tip he has for agents selling groups: promote a date when you start
taking reservations, build excitement for the date and then give away “free
stuff,” perhaps a shore excursion or a cabin upgrade, to those who book during
the first 48 hours.
“Be creative and provide additional value to those who book
during those first 48 hours. Make it a short window. Focus on the benefits of
booking early, such as being able to choose a stateroom. [Getting early
bookings is] critical and can truly mean the difference between the success and
failure of a group. Agents need to get momentum going early because every day
that goes by is another day that you lose the potential client's attention.”
Cohen has launched a new online training program, How to Get
More Groups and Make More Money, for agents who are interested in learning more
about developing group business. He provides live “coaching calls” as part of
the training package, which sells for $399 or $499, depending on the depth of
training. The training is designed both for agents who are new to groups and
for those who have group experience but want to sharpen their skills.
On April 23 and May 13, Cohen is offering free 30-minute
webinar introductions that cover the training basics. On April 22, he is
holding an “Ask Stuart Hour” webinar, also open to all agents, during which he
plans to take sales and marketing questions from agents.
Cohen said that groups can be the key to travel agents' most
lucrative and vital business. “This is the No. 1 niche and specialty that an
agent can offer that nobody else can. There are online travel agencies and
suppliers, but no one can come close to doing group travel as a professional
travel agent can.”
For more details see http://stuartlloydcohen.com/group-boot-camp-registration-page.