You no doubt have been inundated by the seemingly endless flow of deals and value-added offers that have found their way into your inbox. There’s no debate: It’s deal time in the marketplace. Today’s affluent consumer is in the driver’s seat. A year ago, they paid top dollar for access to products; the more expensive it was, the more they wanted it. Fast forward to today where the opposite is true. The consumer still lusts for a luxury travel experience, but they want a deal because they know they are out there.
Many of you have told me that price parity is out the window and undercutting is back with a vengeance. Here lies the new challenge: You are spending twice as much time on the same booking for less commission, all to make sure your client is getting the best price possible. These deals are so rampant that you need an accountant to see through the “value-added offerings” and get down to the bottom line.
Our June/July issue will not only help you find the best values in the market, but it will cut through the clutter and inspire you to sell it.
Partner Up
I recently was in Miami for a Starwood Hotels & Resorts launch
event of the W South Beach. There, I ran into Chris Austin from
Starwood and Donna Flora of American Express (we are pictured below).
These companies came together to develop a training video that details
a best-practices approach to booking with Starwood hotels. The video is
now distributed to American Express agents. These two established
companies are not leaving anything to chance, and are communicating
through these challenging times. So should you.
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