The Scoop on Making Money

How do ITAs make money, and how much money do they make? These are questions that I have faced many times, and no doubt, will continue to encounter whenever someone is considering joining our organization.

It would be easy for me to just roll off generalities and averages, but doing so would not give a fair or accurate representation. The truth is, we have some ITAs that are making a living as such, some that are supplementing their income, and some that are making little or nothing. How much an ITA earns depends on a few important factors:

o The amount of time put into their business
o The amount of investment put into their business
o The level of organization of their business
o Whether or not they have outlined and implemented a comprehensive business and marketing plan
o Whether or not their business and marketing plan was well-founded and realistic
o The type(s) of business they are targeting

… and there may be more. The fact is that, we offer a Business Opportunity. We provide support, materials, information, education, services, resources, and more-all designed to help ITAs develop their individual business. However, each ITA is responsible for doing the work. Like any business, results are proportionate to efforts.

There are some things that can be done to sway momentum in one’s favor, though.

At Gulliver’s Travels, we are now encouraging our ITAs to write a Business and Marketing Plan, and to submit it to us for review. By writing a business and Marketing Plan, our ITAs are taking the time to really think through their business and decide what is important to them. We are then able to work together for better success. Once we receive it, we will check to see if it is well thought-out and the expectations attainable. We will then send an evaluation with suggestions that we feel would be helpful. Based on these plans, we will send news, specials, training events, FAMs, and other relevant information the right ITAs for maximum return.

The first thing we encourage our ITAs to do is to specialize. Having a niche, or specialty lends credibility and creates an instant comfort zone for customers in that audience. A niche can be anything from a sports interest to destination specialty. Some niches just develop naturally over time. This is because within niches, an agent is able to benefit from the best-and most affordable-advertising: word-of-mouth. Other niches have to be developed with expertise and time.

For years we’ve told our ITAs to sell group travel-and for good reason. Why knock yourself out on a booking for just one couple, when you can do the same booking for 10 or 20 or more couples at once? It’s good sense, and the customers benefit, too. Dealing with groups can be difficult, though. To start with, a “group” is hard to find, and even more difficult to secure. Also, once the booking is made, enforcing payment deadlines and coordinating requests can often feel like trying to herd cats. Group business is good and it’s profitable; but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Our ITAs should watch for our new “Guide to Groups” which is being written now and will be posted in the Back Office soon.

Another type of business that can be lucrative is corporate accounts; but be careful! Not all accounts are created equal, and there are considerable differences that make some business accounts profitable while others are a bane. This is another forthcoming publication that our ITAs will soon be able to access.

We have many other secrets for our ITAs, too, which they can find posted in the Back Office. We are constantly developing new materials and publications to help them. This way, they have real information that they can apply as they grow in their travel business.

We don’t have any agents that have made a Million Dollars (yet), and chances are slim that doing so will become a trend; but we won’t count that out, either. For the time being, we feel successful when an agent sets realistic goals and we help them achieve them, whether they’re making $4,000 a year or $40,000 a year.

When Travel is your passion,
Gulliver's Travels is your
Work-at-home Solution!
(941) 328-6800

Call for Business Opportunity Information or
for Travel Services!

ITA #1153299

www.GulliversUSA.com/1153299

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