Dear Tammy: Do you think Fam Trips help you to sell a destination? How do you know which Fam Trips are worth taking and which ones are not?
Tammy: A Fam Trip is short for Familiarization Trip. One of the perks of being a travel agent is getting deals to visit certain countries and destinations, which allows them to familiarize themselves with a destination so they can let their clients know firsthand about that particular destination. Know that client testimonials are still important.
A Fam Trip should be seen as a great investment option for travel agents, as they're educational opportunities that will look great on any agencies resume.
What you need to keep in mind when choosing a destination is how are you going to sell it? What if it's a destination that isn't well traveled? Is it a destination that's going to be hard to sell?
For example, if I choose to take a Fam Trip to Jamaica, then great! This it's a destination choice that more than likely will sell quite well. I also choose to take Fam Trips in a lot of European destinations, so anything in Europe may be a great idea. Or not! So choose wisely when it comes to your Fam Trips.
So before you say yes to taking a Fam Trip, say in a Middle East destination, ask yourself, how exactly am I going to sell it? Will you say it's a beautiful country? Even so, it's just not safe at this time, making choosing other destinations at this time a good idea.
Fam Trips are also great for networking, and building a travel network when traveling is always recommended. And while you should definitely enjoy yourself during the trip, know that most of the time you'll be busy acquainting yourself with the area.
This includes touring hotels, taking part in some of the more popular things to do in the location, and taking plenty of really great pictures to post on your website and social media pages.
And choose a way to record all the details that work best for you. Writing down lots of detailed notes and taking videos with lots of narration are two good ideas.
Because there are many different types of Fam Trips offered, and in different locations all around the world, be sure to pick and choose what you would like to sell, and not where you would like to go.
Your business is a business and not a hobby.
This is another reason why clients use a travel agent when traveling-for their expertise!
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