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After the third Travel Experts Summit at Seaborn Ovation, we sat down with the luxury hospitality agency’s president and owner Susan Ferrell and executive director Sharon Falk to discuss a range of topics, including the company’s key selling points.
Travel Expert Advisors In 2022, they lived about a year, the number increased significantly from 2019. What do you attribute this success to?
Susan Ferrell: We had a huge increase in both consultants and sales. Many consultants have found that their existing host agencies have changed their contract terms post-Covid, and the changes have not benefited them. When that happens, advisors start exploring their options and we are often a good option. In terms of sales, I think everyone has seen a big change in travel over the last 18 months. The general traveling public couldn’t wait to get out of town.
What are the key selling points of Travel Experts in terms of providing advisors?
Ferrell: At an affordable price, our 100% commission program is highly attractive to the top producing consultant. But then we found it to be a valuable part of our 34 years of support for independent contractors (ICs). Most of our new members come from referrals. When a current advisor refers a new person, your testament to our support means so much that someone from the area can’t answer a call or email. When you weigh the lack of support with the money given to the host in the commission division, our program makes more sense.
Sharon Lies: I think the key feature of the Travel Experts program is its simplicity and has been successful for over 30 years.
What kind of advisor is suitable for travel experts?
FERRELLOur ideal candidate is someone well established in the industry with a loyal and consistent client base to support our monthly payments. We don’t accept newbies to travel because we don’t provide “basic training” as you say. Beyond this, consultants must be able to work independently, understanding that they are the drivers of their own business.
Susan Ferrell, President and Owner of Travel Experts (Photo Credit: Travel Experts)
False Our consultants are both professional and cooperate with each other and with our partners. They are respected internally and externally in the industry and we do our best to maintain that environment.
How have travel experts grown and evolved over the past five to 10 years?
Ferrell: We will continue to grow continuously and organically. New processes are added every year, keeping us up to date with the latest technology in the industry. We pride ourselves on being unwaveringly strong, both financially and through our continuous support to ICs. I think in today’s host agency environment, that consistency is something IC values.
False As the travel industry must adapt to the changes brought about by the pandemic and post-pandemic, we rely on feedback from our independents. We are fortunate to have a supportive and responsive staff that understands the challenges of our independents and provides consistent responsive assistance in a timely and efficient manner.
What is your opinion on the success of the conference?
Susan Ferrell: Based on the buzz across the board and the positive feedback we got post cruise, we think we hit a home run. The overwhelmingly positive email feedback, both directly and on the survey we sent out, from both consultants and vendors is very, very helpful.
False We received a large number of solicited and unsolicited comments from both consultants and vendor partners, and all were 100 percent positive, especially regarding the value that vendors contributed to this event.
Travel Experts Executive Director Sharon Falk (Photo Credit: Travel Experts)
How does it compare to the two previous conferences?
Ferrell: This is number three and we feel like we hit the right formula. Number one was on a very large ship, our group a small fraction of thousands of passengers. Number two was good at chartering two riverboats. The problem is that the division between the two is not convenient for the network at night, because the ships sail at dinner time and there is no way to enter the other ship. Ovation Chartering seems to check all the boxes in terms of size, comfort, travel, etc.
False With our consultant’s emphasis on luxury selling, they felt that having such a personal experience with a luxury product was essential to both their experience and ultimately their efforts to sell the product with confidence.
What can you tell us about the next conference?
Ferrell: I will leave it to my management team as it is a closely guarded secret! It’s been an 18-month process to put it together, but they’re starting with number four.
False On April 26th, I sent an email stating that we would be giving out an invitation to Summit 4.
What advice do you have for independent contractors starting out in the industry?
Ferrell: The mechanics of travel arrangements can be taught and destination knowledge developed. My advice is relationships, relationships, relationships. Building a steady customer base is like building a business, and being an independent contractor means you own a business. Make those connections!
False “I like to travel and I’m good with people” it only works in this business. The rewards are many, but the effort to enter and succeed should not be taken lightly. At the luxury level, the commitment to customer service can be 24/7. So be reasonable in choosing this career but know that once you get into it, you will love it.
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