Welcome to Selling Luxury, the podcast produced by the editors of Luxury Travel Advisor. This series inspires and educates travel advisors who want to enter the luxury arena and provides great insights for those advisors who are already successful in this niche.
Ruthanne Terrero, VP and editorial director of Luxury Travel Advisor, chats with Ignacio Maza, executive vice president of the Signature Travel Network. Here, Ignacio shares intel on the top traits he’s seen in the top luxury travel advisors in the Signature network.
The challenge in selling luxury travel? “Luxury means something different to every single person,” Maza says. However, a travel advisor must enrich their clients through travel, and the trip must deliver on several fronts, including wonder, creativity, innovation and heart, according to Maza.
Maza and Terrero also discuss how travelers now are more educated than ever before—and what advisors can do to earn their trust. One simple way is to say, “No” to them when you realize that what they’re asking for isn’t a fit. This really boils down to knowing your client very well. So, this can either be dissuading them from a property that you know isn’t your client’s vibe or just booking a room far from the elevator because you know they’re a light sleeper. “God is in the details,” Maza says.
One top tip when creating an itinerary, Maza says, is to reserve one day where you can create “the perfect day.” This allows you to show off your know-how and creativity; it may also be a great way to show certain clients that they do have the budget to travel luxuriously.
Take a listen and learn about why Maza says it’s important to block out time well ahead for in-depth, educational travel, building your “black book” of partners, how to work around overtourism and more!
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