The Art of Upselling for Travel Agents

As a travel agent, you may already know that upselling can be a valuable way to increase revenue and provide customers with a more comprehensive and enjoyable travel experience. Upselling is a sales technique that involves encouraging customers to purchase additional products or services that complement their original purchase.

But upselling is an art and some agents are much better at it than others. If you are one of those travel agents who finds the art of upselling to be mystifying, then we have some tips for you. If you’re an upselling superstar, we’d love to hear from you! Are there any tips we’ve missed?

5 Tips for upselling effectively as a travel agent

Understand your customer's needs.

Before you can upsell, you need to understand what your customer's needs and wants are. Whether you have an onboarding survey for clients to fill out, or you prefer some good old-fashioned one-on-one time, spending time getting to know your clients is essential, not just for general planning purposes, but upselling as well. This will help you identify the products or services that are most likely to be of interest to them.

Offer personalized recommendations.

Once you know your customer's needs, you can start to offer personalized recommendations. This could include suggesting a higher-end hotel room, a more comprehensive tour package, or a travel insurance policy. Make sure to explain to them why you are suggesting something. For example, you could tell them that the room they chose is in their budget, but for just a little bit more, they could have a bigger room which would decrease the chances of one person waking up if the other is an early riser.

Be knowledgeable about your products and services.

In order to upsell effectively, you need to be knowledgeable about the products and services you're selling. This will help you answer customer questions and build trust. It will also help you to upsell at the right time, because you will know what options are available. If you find an option later, you are less likely to get your client to agree to it as you are when you ask in the moment.

Use upselling techniques.

Learning what upselling techniques are effective, as well as when and how to use them, will increase your chances for success. There are a few different upselling techniques that you can use, such as:

• Bundling: Offering a discount on a package that includes multiple products or services. For example, you may know of a hotel that offers discounts to customers who use their transfer services.
• Suggestive selling: Suggesting a related product or service that the customer may not have thought of. For example, asking if they want to add travel insurance.
• Anchoring: Presenting a higher-priced option first, which can make the lower-priced option seem more affordable. For example, showing a travel package that is 20% more than the travel package you want the client to buy.

Be genuine and enthusiastic.

When you're upselling, it's important to be genuine and enthusiastic. This will help you build rapport with the customer and make them more likely to purchase your recommendations.

5 important reminders about upselling

When you’re upselling, it’s important to keep these 5 things in mind.

Not just about the price

Upselling is not always about increasing the price. It can also be about offering customers a better experience or a more comprehensive solution. For example, a travel agent might upsell a customer from a basic hotel room to a suite with a view. This would increase the customer's comfort and enjoyment of their trip, but it wouldn't necessarily cost them more money. In some cases, upselling can even save customers money in the long run. For example, a travel agent might upsell a customer from a single airline ticket to a round-trip ticket. This could potentially save them money if the price of the round-trip ticket is lower than the price of two one-way tickets.

It’s okay to go a little over budget

It's okay to make suggestions that are a little over budget in some situations. For example, if a customer is planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip, they may be willing to spend a little more money to make it extra special. Additionally, if a customer is looking for a particular type of experience, it may be necessary to suggest a more expensive option to meet their needs. In these cases, it's important to be transparent with the customer about the cost and to explain why the more expensive option is worth the investment.

A better experience

Upselling can make for a better experience for customers for several reasons. First, it can help customers get the most out of their travel experience by suggesting products and services that are tailored to their individual needs. For example, a travel agent might upsell a customer by suggesting a tour package that includes activities that the customer is interested in. Second, upselling can help customers to experience a smoother traveling experience. Using the example of upselling a customer from a single airline ticket to a round-trip ticket, can save the customer the hassle of booking two separate tickets. Finally, upselling can help customers feel like they are getting a more personalized and attentive level of service. When a travel agent takes the time to understand the customer's needs and offer personalized recommendations, it can make the customer feel like they are being taken care of.

Think of it as you would if it were your holiday

Travel agents should approach booking trips as if they were planning their own holiday to ensure a truly personalized and fulfilling experience for their clients. By putting themselves in their clients' shoes, travel agents can better understand their needs, preferences, and budget constraints. This empathetic approach allows agents to tailor itineraries that align seamlessly with their clients' aspirations, creating a memorable and enjoyable journey. Additionally, considering their clients' unique interests and passions enables agents to incorporate hidden gems and off-the-beaten-path destinations, resulting in a truly bespoke travel experience.

Customization has limits

While customization is a powerful tool for travel agents, it's important to recognize that there are limits. Not all requests can be accommodated, and it's important to manage customer expectations. For example, a travel agent may not be able to book a customer on a specific flight if the flight is already full. Similarly, a travel agent may not be able to get a customer a room at a specific hotel if the hotel is already booked. It's important for travel agents to be upfront with customers about the limitations of customization and to work with customers to find alternative solutions.

We hope you learned something new about upselling that you can take into your next client meeting so that you, too, can upsell with the best of them. Don’t forget to share your successes with these and other techniques in the comments so we can celebrate together.

P.S. We’re going to be at SATTE, one of the leading events in the Travel and Tourism Industry in a little over a week! Will we see you there?