Tips for Getting the Most from a FAM Trip

Margie suggests the following questions to find the best FAM educational trip for you:

• Is it a destination that is represented by your agency, something you actively market and sell or have in your existing business plan to add as a new destination?
• Are the properties you’ll see ones that match the quality of hotels/resorts you sell? 
• If you go, have you mapped out key questions, goals, things you need to know or see? 
• What’s your plan to market the knowledge you gain from the FAM? Blog posts, articles, videos, newsletters, photos? 
• How will you turn what you learned into marketing that converts? 
• Do you have any clients interested in going who can follow your journey? 
• Does the cost of the FAM fit within your marketing budget for education and training? 

If all of this is a go, the FAM is of huge value to you and your business. Set up a series of automated social posts so you can actually work and learn without the pressure of sharing up-to-the-minute updates on your trip. Perfect to schedule are posts like, “Today, we’re on our way to Florence.” Include a few things to know about Florence with a great photo. 

At the end of every day, I recommend that you make a recording of all the things you saw, learned or experienced. It’s a great way to remember the small details. Transcribe that recording, and you have the beginning of some great content. 

FAMs should be strategic and can work really well in your marketing if you plan well. Research where you’re going, the tourist spots you’ll see, the history of the region, hotels close to those spots that you may not see during your FAM, etc.

Thank you, Margie, for those extremely helpful and practical tips!

What is the behavior requirement during a FAM? We recommend observing proper professional etiquette while on FAM trips. This means you should:

• Plan to immerse yourself in the local culture to really experience a destination.
• Be kind to everyone with whom you come in contact because you represent yourself, your agency, and your country. 
• Don’t overindulge because this surely will detract from your learning and harm your reputation.
• Show proper respect and demonstrate professionalism by dressing appropriately. (Tip: FAM trips can be very long days of walking and standing. Be sure to wear appropriate shoes and attire.)
• Always exhibit professional behavior because this is a business trip, not a vacation. 

In short, FAM/educational trips can provide in-depth, first-hand knowledge about the products you have in your inventory. Use that wealth of information to customize trips and demonstrate your immense value to your clients!

To continue building your knowledge, be sure to view the timeless and informative, previously recorded session, A Master Class on Making FAM Trips Work by Anne M. Smith, CTIE, located in the Premium Library. Don’t have access yet? Click here to subscribe!