Presenting on professional fees in the travel sector, Vancouver-based talent development consultant Nolan Burris told the audience that the least significant factors in succeeding with fees include the fee amount, the agency location, the product and destination focus and age or experience.
‘All those things can matter but it’s really about mindset – how do you view fees? You have to be clear about what you sell. You don’t sell travel, your partners the cruise lines, the airlines, the hotels the tour operators do that.
‘You’re fees are for advice, support, relationships, clout and inside information – it’s about connections.’
‘Neither are fees related to the product price. Your services have value regardless of the price of travel they purchase. Fundamental to the success of agents who charge fees is that the see themselves as a separate service.
‘It is not about selling a cruise, it’s about having the information and knowledge to get them on the right ship, to go to the right place at the right time and to have the experience that is right for them.’
Burris discourages the use of the words ‘booking fee’.
‘The booking is not what your clients will see as valuable, especially in the age of AI.
‘Brand your service – call it an Exquisite Experiences Plan, a Travel Concierge Retainer or a Peace of Mind programme.’
He says agents need to be better at selling themselves and articulate this throughout what they do.
‘If someone says they want to visit a destination tell them you’ve spent an hour listening to a webinar on that subject and you have some great tips. If a client is interested in a particular cruise line mention that you’ve just spent 15 minutes talking to a rep from that company.
‘Acknowledge that the client could go and book the trip themselves but give them reasons why that may not be such a good idea.’
He says commissions should not influence service fees. ‘The commission is what we do for suppliers. We market them, we stay trained for them, we put effort into selling their product – that’s what the commission is for. The fee is for what we do for clients.’
Burris says advisors should be careful to use language that makes their service desirable.
‘Don’t say I’m sorry or I’m afraid I have to charge you a fee.’
