Christina Schlegel, CTC – Bluetail Travel
It’s a rainy Sunday afternoon, and would-be traveler Cliff is awash in a sea of cruise options as he spends the better part of his day searching the internet for just the right Mediterranean cruise to celebrate his 30th anniversary. Confused by the many cruise lines, ships, itineraries, stateroom choices, and pricing promotions, Cliff and his wife Sylvia are about to hoist a white flag, declaring their capitulation in the face of the overwhelming torrent of search results. Having only been on a cruise once before many years ago, Cliff and Sylvia aren’t sure which cruise line they should choose, let alone what else they should do to plan their trip of a lifetime. Further, they’ve now become unsure on how to go about getting the best value for their money. One cruise line touts deep discounts, while another purports to be all inclusive. Should they even book through the cruise line, or should they click on one of the many ads from online cruise agencies promising unbeatable deals? It’s all a bit much, and Sylvia has begun to subtly suggest that maybe they should just enjoy the comforts of home and pass on the whole idea of a cruise. Besides, their cats would be lonely without them.
Before completely giving up on their search for the perfect cruise, however, Sylvia remembers that her best friend had a travel advisor she trusted, so she reaches out to this cruise expert. On a scheduled call the next day, the travel advisor calmly and enthusiastically talks with the couple about planning the ideal sailing for their celebration. The advisor tells them she will take care of all the details like finding the perfect stateroom, arranging a pre-stay hotel, and, most importantly, selecting the right cruise and sailing for their travel style and budget. Where had this fairy travel godmother been her whole life, Sylvia wondered aloud to Cliff and the cats after the call. With just one conversation, their overwhelming cruise search had been transformed into the beginning of an enjoyable, collaborative travel planning experience. Thanks to the travel advisor’s patient guidance, Cliff and Sylvia’s mounting stress had been replaced by joyful anticipation of their journey.
This is far from an atypical scenario: many travelers are intimidated and confused by the multitude of travel offerings available to them, especially in the competitive cruise marketplace. As an independent travel advisor specializing in luxury river and ocean cruises, I regularly hear from new clients that they tried unsuccessfully to find the “right” sailing on their own, but didn’t know where to start or soon became overwhelmed by what they found online. This is just the beginning, however, as planning a cruise has many parts, often spread out over months: selecting the right stateroom, deciding between different packages (e.g., dining, beverage, excursions), keeping track of deposit and final payment deadlines, weighing travel insurance options, choosing flights, and remembering to sign up for speciality dining and excursion reservations, among many other details that go into a well-planned vacation. These many tasks and client touch points can also be overwhelming to the travel advisor, especially when managing multiple years’ worth of upcoming client travel. To create a successful travel business that makes travel planning an enriching experience for both the traveler and the advisor, it is imperative for the independent advisor to establish effective, repeatable processes, beginning with the first contact with a client (inquiry), and ending with post-travel follow-up (closure).
The bread and butter of any independent luxury travel advisor’s business is the planning and booking of client travel. The planning process itself is arguably the most significant added value that the luxury advisor offers to clients. A travel advisor’s individual travel planning process also holds the greatest potential for differentiation among other advisors, travel agencies, and self-booking options. A successful travel advisor should invest time in creating a travel planning lifecycle with effective, repeatable processes that are tailored to their ideal client and personal workflow needs. Once established, these processes are themselves a core business asset.
In this examination of the repeatable processes that can drive a successful travel business, I will divide the discussion into three parts. Initially, I will define the travel planning lifecycle and the critical elements of a standardized, repeatable travel planning process. Next, I will delve into how a standardized process contributes to a smooth-running and profitable travel business with high client and advisor satisfaction. Lastly, I will give a brief overview of how to create a standardized process, including a review of useful technology tools.
I. Defining the phases of the travel planning lifecycle and some key elements of a standardized, repeatable process.
Each client trip is a discrete project with specific processes associated with each phase. The seven basic phases of a travel planning lifecycle are: a) inquiry, b) intake, c) planning, d) booking, e) post-booking, e) travel, and f) closure. The project is a lifecycle, as the closure phase ideally leads to new future business. In the paragraphs below, I describe each phase, highlighting in bold font the key elements that form the process backbone of each.
Marketing, word of mouth, and repeat business are what lead to the initial travel inquiry, whether it comes from a new, referred, or existing client. How a client reaches out to an advisor is in fact the first step in the process: the advisor can steer clients in the direction of scheduling a call, completing a form, or sending an email. In most situations, a client will initially reach out for a new trip by phone or email. While some advisors are adamant about only taking scheduled phone calls or requesting initial inquiries via online means only, I personally feel it is useful to also simply pick up the phone when it rings. Many prospective clients are more comfortable first reaching out to a human voice on the other end, and a short phone call can be useful for both sides in gauging mutual compatibility. After the (ideally brief) initial inquiry phone call or email, if the advisor feels there is a good potential match for the travel style, type, and budget, then it is up to the advisor to move the potential trip project from the initial inquiry phase to the intake phase.
In the intake phase, the advisor requests basic information from the client. Oftentimes, this intake will be in the form of an online form or questionnaire. A scripted, lightly customized intake email with a standard intake form can be sent out to the client: there is no reason to write each intake email from scratch, and the form should also be in the advisor’s toolkit. The intake form should include items such as dates of travel, type of travel, number of travelers, destination(s), travel style, budget range, and travel interests. Ideally, this intake form will give the advisor the nuts-and-bolts information they need to determine whether the client’s proposed travel is a good fit for the advisor’s business. Assuming the trip is a good fit, a more in-depth intake call, also known as a discovery call, should be scheduled via a preliminary acceptance email that also includes an overview of the advisor’s fee structure and process. In the intake phase, robust processes will streamline the time it takes to gather the client’s information. Even the discovery call can be quickly scheduled by including an online scheduling link within the body of the preliminary acceptance email.
Once the basic trip information has been collected and the discovery call has been completed with both the advisor and client in agreement to go forward with the trip (and agreeing on a planning fee, if applicable), the intake phase continues. If the advisor is charging a planning fee, then a standard planning fee invoice email with an attached online planning fee invoice should be sent immediately after the successful discovery call. Upon receipt of the planning fee (if applicable), the advisor can then deploy a standard welcome email that outlines what to expect next, contains a link to traveler information forms (to collect needed details like dates of birth, passport information, address, allergies, etc.), and perhaps also includes an agency welcome document with frequently asked questions, communication expectations, and a basic outline of the travel planning steps from the client’s perspective. Following the completion of these items, then, is where the advisor’s actual travel planning begins.
In the travel planning phase, the advisor researches destinations, cruises, hotel, and flight options as applicable and may put together a courtesy hold for a specific cruise or land itinerary. Once the research is completed, the advisor should send a proposal email, perhaps with an embedded link to a custom itinerary created online via one of the professional itinerary building platforms like Travefy, Axus, or UMapped. Once again, the proposal email can be pre-scripted, but that does not mean it should sound robotic, canned, or depersonalized. On the contrary, the proposal email should read as a highly personalized, enthusiastic, and positive introduction to the itinerary the client is anticipating. Here, for example, is the proposal email I use for my cruise clients when I have placed a courtesy hold on a specific sailing:
Subject: Your courtesy hold is here!
Hi [client preferred name/s],
I’m happy to share your no obligation courtesy hold with you! Your reservation on [name of cruise line] “[name of sailing]” aboard the [name of ship] is for stateroom number [xxx], [starboard / port side], [mid-ship/aft/forward], deck [number], [add some feature or convenience]. The dates of your itinerary are [day month – day month year]. [Add comments about the ship or itinerary or their particular travel, and why it is a good fit for what they are looking for.]
If all looks good, the deposit of [$xx] would be due on [date], with your final payment of [$xxx] due at the [beginning/middle/end] of [month year].
If you could please reply via email with any questions, comments, etc. by [date] that would be great! I want to make sure you are able to take your time reviewing all the details.
Of course, I hope you absolutely love it but I am here to make any adjustments you may need. Thank you!
Thinking back to Cliff and Sylvia, this is exactly what they are looking for in a travel proposal: it is clear, highlights the what, where, and when of the travel, and shares a little about why it is perfect for them, without being flowery. It makes the trip tangible, and gets the travelers looking forward to their journey, but because it is standardized, it doesn’t take the advisor long to write or customize. The proposal email also gives the clients some clearly spelled out homework, namely to give feedback by a certain date. This due date ensures that the planning momentum is kept up, and that the advisor and clients can soon move forward to the next phase: booking.
The booking phase is seemingly straightforward, but there are multiple steps involved that must be done correctly and in sequence. Following a standardized booking task list is a must here. Some of the key items to include in a booking task list would be: a) send out an online deposit authorization invoice with supplier and agency terms and conditions, b) quote travel insurance, c) apply the client’s authorized deposit to the booking, d) send a reservation confirmation email, and e) send a handwritten thank you note with a business card enclosed. All of the items in bold should be part of the standardized process, with templates implemented wherever possible to save time while ensuring a high standard of quality and accuracy. Again, just because the emails are pre-scripted does not mean they should sound rote or lacking enthusiasm. During the booking and post-booking phases, the client should be enjoying the anticipation of their journey, and it is the advisor’s task to make the travel planning itself into a pleasant part of the whole travel experience. At this part in the travel planning cycle, our travelers Cliff and Sylvia are enjoying a glass of wine at home, happy that they have just the right cruise to look forward to, and someone to guide them along as their departure date nears.
Following the booking phase, there is a more quiet, often extended period of time between the deposit and departure. In this post-booking phase, there are several touchpoints where the advisor can again serve their clients. The standardized process elements in this phase are typically a series of reminders. For cruises, these reminder emails will typically include: excursion booking reminder, speciality dining reservations reminder, flight schedule information, request for advanced guest registration form or online check-in, and, of course, the final payment invoice. During the post-booking phase, the clients will often reach out with additional questions related to the trip. It can be useful to schedule a short pre-trip planning phone call during this phase to answer questions about packing, tipping, etc.: this can be especially helpful for less experienced travelers or first-time cruise travelers. This phase is another opportunity to build excitement for the trip: the advisor can also email a link to an article about the destination with a short, but enthusiastic line, “Thinking of you and your upcoming journey!”
Now we have finally arrived at the travel phase itself. If the advisor has done the legwork up to now, this part should be relatively easy, so long as no major travel hiccups occur (e.g., canceled flights) that require some hands-on assistance. The final trip itinerary should be sent out four to two weeks prior to travel. A day-before-departure email to the clients with contact information and well wishes is a nice touch, as are pre-arrival emails sent to hotels or ships advising of any special requests. If the advisor wishes, a gift can be arranged for the clients to receive once they arrive, or a welcome letter. Once the clients are at their destination, a day-after-arrival email lets them know that the advisor is ready to help, but only if asked. This is the client’s time to enjoy themselves and the destination, so it’s best for the advisor to fade into the background a bit.
That’s it! Well, almost anyway: the closure phase of the trip planning lifecycle has arrived. Once the clients arrive home and have had a chance to settle back in for a couple days, a welcome home email can be sent. By this time, our travelers Cliff and Sylvia will have had a chance to get over some of their jet lag and be reacquainted with their cats, but the memory of their trip is still top of mind. The tone of the welcome home email is key: it should be brief, warm, and light-hearted, without demanding details of their trip. It depends on the trip and clients whether a request for an online review should be included with the welcome home email or sent later, but a feedback loop of some sort should be part of the post-travel or closure phase. Instead of a review request, an advisor can also simply include a two- to three-question emailed survey about what the clients liked best about the advisor’s service, or what they would change. It is through this sort of post-travel survey that I learned that most of my clients do not actually want a hard copy travel itinerary anymore. This knowledge has changed how I send out final travel information: now I send it by email and web/mobile application only unless a traveler specifically requests paper copies. This has saved me time as well as money on supplies and postage, and has resulted in happy travelers who show off their photo-rich itineraries to friends on their mobile phones. In the closure phase, the advisor should also think about how to stay engaged with their clients: is inclusion on an e-newsletter list enough, or should they be added to mailed marketing campaigns as well? Should a three- or six-month post-travel email or postcard be scheduled to touch base about future plans? Ideally, the post-travel closure phase presents an opportunity for future travel or referrals, thereby creating a virtuous cycle that leads to organic business growth.
II. Why standardized business processes are important to a smooth-running and profitable independent travel business with high client and advisor satisfaction.
Clients benefit in several ways from working with an advisor with well-oiled standardized and repeatable processes. First and foremost, the advisor can lay out a predictable travel planning path for the client, removing uncertainty and associated stress. Rather than “winging it” on their own, clients are reassured that there is an experienced advisor at the helm who knows just which steps to take and when, and who will guide them through making good decisions for their travel investment. Based on my own experience, repeat clients sometimes appreciate the predictability of the travel planning cycle even more than new clients. My repeat cruise clients especially come to expect certain touchpoints and know that they will get the same, quality process every time. When in place and refined, a high-touch, predictable travel planning process is one of the strongest aspects of an independent travel advisor’s value proposition, and distinguishes the advisor from the competition, especially from self-booking and online travel agency options. Particularly in the cruise sector, where sailings are marketed as a commodity, this is one of the ways that the independent luxury cruise advisor can differentiate themselves as a provider of professional services and unbiased counsel. Along the way, the predictability and multiple personalized touchpoints of a honed travel planning process make for an agreeable, low-stress experience for both the client and the advisor.
For the advisor, there are just as many benefits to be had from an established set of standardized travel planning processes as for the traveler. From task lists to email templates and up-to-date technology tools, implementing repeatable standardized elements at every travel planning phase saves time and boosts productivity. With processes in place, a single independent travel advisor can serve far more clients at once than if they were drafting every email from scratch or deliberating on what exactly to do or say at every turn. If the advisor later decides to bring on an assistant or second agent, having the process elements already in place also makes onboarding more streamlined.
There are other, less expected, advantages for the advisor’s business as well. By having a bank of carefully written email templates, for example, the advisor can finetune the tone and have their brand identity reflected in the “voice” of their communications, further differentiating the advisor’s business while reflecting their niche and client demographic. Having set processes, forms, and templates can also help in reducing an advisor’s business liability. Virtually all independent travel advisors have a set of client terms and conditions, but beyond the terms and conditions agreement, there are other forms and steps that are equally important in reducing an advisor’s potential liability. If a client cancels a trip, for example, they should be signing a standard cancellation form so there is no question about their intent, nor about the potential consequences (e.g., forfeiture of money paid). Having such a form with standard language in place protects both the advisor and the client from misunderstandings, and is less risky than simply asking a client to “put their cancellation request in writing.” Another form that should be in every advisor’s toolbox is a travel insurance waiver. Even if 90% of an advisor’s clients take some form of travel insurance, the advisor should protect their business by having all others sign a short and clear form that states that they were provided a travel insurance option but have declined it. This way, the advisor is not wrongly telling clients that they must purchase travel insurance for every trip (this would run afoul of many states’ laws), nor is the advisor left wondering whether their client understands and accepts the potential risks of not having travel insurance. Standardized forms and agreements like these promote clarity on both sides, and underpin the professional advisor’s fiduciary responsibility to act per the will and in the best interest of their clients. Once clients experience a well-oiled travel planning process, trust is increased and expectations are met and exceeded; this trust and satisfaction leads to more repeat and referral business.
III. Creating standardized travel project processes: a short how-to guide.
It is not difficult to create standardized processes for an independent travel business, but it does involve organization, planning, and a significant investment of time. Here are steps to follow to create tasks and process elements aligned to the seven phases of the trip planning lifecycle.
- Write down the existing travel planning steps in detail. It is helpful to group these into the seven travel planning phases discussed earlier. Identify any gaps in the existing steps.
- Create a task list for each travel phase.
- Capture existing standardized elements such as forms, pre-scripted emails, travel planning agreements, terms and conditions agreements, welcome packets, bon voyage letters, etc. Again, identify any gaps.
- Draft email templates and refine or create associated forms and other elements. This is an area where the advisor can also hire a writer or service to help create these documents. It is important, however, that they reflect the advisor’s own style, voice, and business practices.
To help put standardized processes and elements in place, I strongly recommend employing technology tools to help streamline both the creation and implementation of the processes. Most importantly, one should invest in a Client Relationship Management (CRM) application designed specifically for travel businesses. Examples of current CRMs are TravelJoy, TESS, and the new Tern platform. A CRM will, at minimum, have an email messaging capability, invoicing, client database, and forms. Some CRMs also have a built-in itinerary building platform. The genius of a CRM lies in the organization of information into discrete trip files, as well as in the ability to attach forms to emails. Emails can also be templated and stored, so a pre-scripted email can be pulled up within seconds from within a client’s trip file. The forms are also integrated such that when a client completes a traveler information form, for example, all of the entered information is automatically pulled into their client file, including key details such as date of birth, passport information, contact details, loyalty numbers, and even customized information such as allergies or preferred beverages. Once our travelers Cliff and Sylvia have completed their travel advisor’s forms, their information and preferences will always be right at hand: their advisor will never need to search through old emails or spreadsheets or ask for the same information again. CRMs also have built-in payment card industry-compliant invoicing capabilities for both direct payments (e.g., an advisor’s travel planning fee) and supplier payment authorizations. A good CRM is the backbone of robust standardized processes.
Another key technology tool in a travel advisor’s system is a scheduling program (e.g., Calendly, Acuity, Setmore) through which the travel advisor sets their hours and prospective clients can schedule an appointment. The advisor’s availability can then be shared with clients or prospects with a simple internet link.
To create itineraries that really impress travelers, an itinerary building platform is a must-have, especially for travel advisors specializing in luxury travel and custom fully independent travel (FIT). Examples of popular professional itinerary builders are Axus, Travefy, and UMapped. Each of these allows the traveler to view their personal itinerary on the internet and via a mobile application, while keeping the individual travel agency’s branding front and center.
While this lies outside of the core travel planning work, advisors who rely on social media for marketing can benefit from a social media scheduling platform such as Later, Tailwind, or Meta Campaign Planner. Creative advisors may also enjoy using a web-based graphic design tool like Canva to help create client welcome packets, packing lists, and tip sheets, as well as social media covers and branded images.
Armed with these technology tools and having invested the time to build a robust travel planning lifecycle and its various elements, the independent travel advisor is well equipped to maximize their productivity and profitability while also providing each client with a high level of personalized service. Clients love the organization and ease of having their travel planned and guided through a seamless, professional process. Our cruise travelers Cliff and Sylvia are now thoroughly excited about planning their next journey with their advisor, confident and happy knowing that all the details will be taken care of.
