TravelResearchOnline.com Blog

An unfortunate temptation in marketing your travel business is to scurry from one tactic to the next looking for the next magic “trick” that will make clients come streaming through the door. The lure of the newest, the latest and great marketing gimmick is strong, but often comes at the expense of fundamentals.  Thus, you [...]

A key objective of marketing your travel planning practice is assuring a flow of new clients through the door. Retention of your existing clients is absolutely necessary and challenging in and of itself, but the acquisition of new clients provides for growth. If you are not taking measures to acquire new clients, attrition of your [...]

Travel is a “repeat buy.” Many clients will travel on a schedule approaching every one or two years and some much more frequently. It is important to stay ahead of such clients by anticipating their needs. There is no reason to wait for the client to come to you with a trip to research. It is far [...]

TRO is devoting the next few weeks to assisting agents in developing a 2009 Marketing Plan. Follow along with us each day to gain the traction you need to make 2009 your best year ever. You can find all of the previous articles in this series by clicking on the 365 Guide link at the [...]

They get no respect. They are used for note taking and for bookmarking. Too often, they are an after-thought ordered at the last minute with little care put into their design. But business cards are important marketing tools, small paper ambassadors for your business that remain in the field constantly reminding others of your brand. [...]

From earliest childhood, we are taught to listen to stories. We develop an interest in the lead character of a tale. No doubt some people tell stories better than others. But the one story you should spend time writing and polishing is your own. Why are you in travel? What do you do? How do [...]

Networking, the art of generating new clients through social and business contacts, is easier for some travel agents than others. Extroverts have it made – meeting and talking with others at social functions, volunteer opportunities and community gatherings is a cinch to some outgoing souls. Others find socializing a bit more difficult, however. Regardless of [...]

The following is Part Seven of the series “The 7 Characteristics of Top Travel Agents“
Great travel agents charge research fees. As one very bright agent told me recently, “I’m not auditioning to be anyone’s travel agent.” Call it a deposit if you like. Apply it to the client’s travel if you want. Perhaps only charge [...]

The following is Part Two of the series “The 7 Characteristics of Top Travel Agents“
Each of the top travel agents that we interviewed for this series had a niche. That is not to say that they only booked one type of travel or only a single destination, but there was at least one type of [...]

Creative thinking requires raw material. If you find yourself in need of fresh ideas or a new perspective in your travel practice, one of the best ways to generate intuitive insight is to browse through magazines, the internet or even stock photography at random. As ideas, images and unrelated concepts enter your mind from these [...]