Harnessing your passion for specific areas can transform your business and turbo-charge your income, says Tamara Hinson
Having specialist insight of a destination or a certain area of the travel market goes a long way towards keeping clients happy.
And at a time when travellers appreciate the peace of mind that comes with booking with an agent more than ever, offering in-depth knowledge of a niche sector of the market, a destination or even a particular travel company can really help to boost your reputation.
For example, the agency GoCruise & Travel, which has around 60 homeworkers, specialises in selling cruises. And Luxury Holidays and Honeymoons focuses on high‑end trips for newlyweds and for other special occasions.
So whatever you want to focus on, there are opportunities out there.
Where to start
Not every homeworker specialises in a certain area of travel. But if you’re keen to hone a niche, take the time to work out which areas of the market you know best and think about your target customer.
“Any homeworker wanting to specialise should start by thinking about their customer profile,” says Gary Gillespie, managing director at Independent Travel Experts.
“Who is your ideal customer? What are their interests and what do they value most? You can then start to plan all your marketing activity around targeting these customers. By being laser‑focused early on about who you want to work with, you exponentially increase your chances of attracting the right customers and closing sales.”
Don’t be afraid to specialise in multiple destinations or types of holiday, either. It’s inevitable that different areas will pique your interest, whether that be as a result of training you’ve done, a fam trip or other events. Equally, if you do want to be a specialist, make sure you don’t spread yourself too thinly.
Expanding your knowledge
As a specialist, seizing any opportunity to build your knowledge is key.
“Do as many operator training courses as you can that are relevant to your specialism and then keep refreshing your knowledge about new products on the market,” says cruise specialist Simon Collinge, a homeworker with Designer Travel.
“I refresh my knowledge through training, magazine articles, client feedback, fam trips and holidays – there is always something new to learn.”
And there are big benefits as a result. “The ability and confidence to offer my clients the right product for them – suggesting upgrades and offering extras that they may not have considered or even know about – not only increases the value of my bookings but also gives my clients the confidence to return to me time and time again,” adds Collinge.
Top tips
- Use social media to talk about news relating to your speciality – for example, if you’re a cruise specialist, post facts about a new ship.
- Brush up on added extras and upgrades in your niche area. It can be lucrative, and clients will appreciate your expertise.
- Be open to opportunities beyond your current speciality – you might find another area you’ll enjoy being knowledgeable in.
- Chatting to other homeworkers who are experts in similar areas is a great way to expand your knowledge.
Ask the homeworkers
Sarah-Jane Brooks, Personal Travel Consultants by Blue Bay Travel (cruise specialist)
“My experiences allow me to offer specialist knowledge”
“I have taken the opportunity to go on lots of cruise ship visits, fam trips and my own cruise holidays.
My social media posts help me to engage with clients because I use my own pictures and this makes them more personal. I also use social media to create posts with little descriptions of different types of cruising, such as river, small-ship and expedition cruises.
The cruise sector can seem a bit of a minefield, but my experiences, combined with training, allow me to draw on my specialist knowledge and offer the right cruise to suit the customer’s preferences. There’s nothing better than talking to a client and finding out that they came to me because of my expert knowledge.”
Gareth Harding, Travelosophers (touring and adventure specialist)
“Once you become known, you get recommended to new clients”
“After the pandemic, I began to see that customers wanted to travel farther and experience more. Many were seeking more aspirational and immersive travel.
Some customers wanted advice and guidance about lesser-known destinations or places on their wish lists; others wanted the security and peace of mind that comes with travelling with like-minded people and being led by a knowledgeable, experienced tour leader.
I think you should specialise in an area or areas that excite and motivate you and which provide you with a sense of achievement.
Once you become known as a specialist in your area, you get recommended to new customers for your knowledge and service. On top of that you make the best margins, as you don’t need to discount as much because customers acknowledge and appreciate the in-depth service that you are providing.”
PICTURES: Shutterstock/Josep Suria