Jamie Biesiada
One of the best ways for an advisor to sell a destination or a product is to experience it firsthand.
It's advice I've heard many times over the years, and for many, it's proven to be true.
Just recently, a Travel Leaders Network (TLN) advisor went on a trip to Cancun. Upon her return, she posted a video about her experiences -- and had nine bookings come in the next day.
Stephen McGillivray, chief marketing officer of Travel Leaders Group, the Internova Travel Group division that houses TLN, told that story during a press briefing during TLN's Bridge to the Future virtual conference.
The advisor was actually on a "beta fam trip" TLN was testing as it gears up to host 18 different fam trips in the next 60 days.
"The best way for advisors to be able to sell destinations is to personally experience them, and that's true today," said Roger Block, president of TLN. "Unfortunately, not all advisors are able to do that."
So, TLN has stepped in to organize the series of fams that will get 150 advisors in-destination in Mexico and the Caribbean.
Block said advisors will help build confidence among clients as they talk about their trips before, during and after travel. They will also share their experiences with fellow TLN advisors.
Block thanked Palace Resorts, Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts for their help in arranging the fams.
Options exist, too, for those who would like to get some personal experience but are not yet comfortable traveling.
For instance, in May, Villas of Distinction launched its Wine Down Wednesdays events. Held every other Wednesday, it gives advisors a chance to connect via video with Villas of Distinction's management team. During one of the events each month, advisors are taken on a live Virtual Fam Trip to one of its properties for a tour.
So far, advisors have been able to visit villas in Orlando, Las Vegas, Jamaica and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. Upcoming tours include a villa in Split, Croatia, on Oct. 28; Casa De Campo in the Dominican Republic on Nov. 11; and a home in Utah coming soon.
More than 1,500 advisors have attended the Wine Down Wednesdays events.