We caught up with Limor Decter of Embark Beyond on how to craft luxury itineraries. She generously shared a number of excellent tips which clearly lead to her success as a luxury travel advisor.
Decter starts with the “Four ‘Ls”.
This stands for “the learning, the leading questions, the listening to what they want and then the logistical planning,” she says.
“First, I want to learn a little bit about them and the ‘why.’ Why they want to go to their destination, what is the purpose of their trip, what is motivating them to go? I really want to understand the why and then, of course, I want to try to deliver something that they are seeking. The leading questions are the probing questions—especially for a new client, who you might not know a lot about. So you have open-ended questions to feel them out, what they like, what they don't like, what their interests are, what they listen to and what they read. You just want to try to paint a little bit of a portrait of them.”
There’s more learning to do, however! Decter suggests asking them about favorite destinations that they've visited in the past. “Asking them for a funny story that happened to them while they were on vacation is a good icebreaker,” she says. “Ask open-ended general questions to build rapport and comradery so that they feel comfortable to start working with you, because you really want to gain their trust.”
Listening comes next—perhaps one of the most important of the “Ls.” Says Decter: “If I'm listening carefully, I have to close my eyes and just focus on them. There will be not a single distraction in front of me, because I really want to hear what they're saying. But I also want to read in between the lines of what they're implying: How are they saying it; is their voice changing? You just want to be able to really listen attentively to have some clarity on what it is they're really seeking. Sometimes they say one thing and then they mean another. And then when you ask them to clarify, they're like, ‘You know, yes, that's actually what I meant.’”
Next up? The logistics, where it’s important to define geographical challenges so that a trip will actually make sense when it comes from getting from point A to point B. “A lot of people don't know geography,” Decter adds. “And, so, we break it down for them and explain to them, 'Okay, let's make this an unbelievable experience, but let's really focus on the logistics.’ Or I call it the schlep factor. We want to minimize the schlep factor, so we want to deliver a great experience that's enriched, but that makes sense, practically.”
For much more on how to create luxury itineraries, watch the video. There are plenty more tips in here to help you set up a great system to become an excellent luxury travel advisor.
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