Getting Started
Getting started as a new agent can be OVERWHELMING--just like travelers who are new at navigating ALL of the moving parts of their personal and group trips. However, with the help of other advisors, this website, and industry resources, you'll have all of the tools to help your clients and contacts with their next dream vacation. Below is a checklist to ensure that you are on the right track to success!
Find your niche
What do your clients know you for? This is known as your niche!
Catalyst Travel, Inc specializes in group travel. As an agent within within this specialty, your niche should reflect that same emphasis on groups. As a general rule of thumb, each agent should have an understanding of how groups work and also have a emphasis within group travel.
There are three questions to ask yourself to narrow down your niche:
Niche Ideas:
Catalyst Travel, Inc specializes in group travel. As an agent within within this specialty, your niche should reflect that same emphasis on groups. As a general rule of thumb, each agent should have an understanding of how groups work and also have a emphasis within group travel.
There are three questions to ask yourself to narrow down your niche:
- What are the popular travel trends?
- What are you passionate about?
- Who are your ideal clients? (client profile: age, demographics, gender, income, profession, group size, frequency of travel, hobbies, etc.)
Niche Ideas:
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Adventure Travel
Ancestry Travel Corporate Retreats and Conferences Cruises Ecotourism Disney Destination Weddings Family Travel |
Fandom Travel
Gastro-tourism Honeymoons LGBTQ+ Travel Literary-Inspired Travel Non-Profit Fundraising Religious/Faith-Based Travel Road-Trips Tourism |
School Trips
Space Tourism Sports Travel Stargazing Travel Ultra-Luxury Travel Voluntourism |
Connect with Providers (BDMs and Learning Portals)
It's ALL about who you know ... travel providers are our main contacts for providing travel to our clients. The better our connection with our providers, the better we can take care of our client's needs.
After narrowing down your niche, get to know the providers in your niche. Each brand will have a designated person for you to connect with as representative, this person is generally referred to as a BDM--Business Development Managers.
BDMs will help you:
While connecting with each BDM, they will give you resources to learn their product. Many will provide online courses. These courses are vital to your work as a travel agent. It will not only help you learn about brand distinctiveness, but also help you clarify which clients are ideal for that brand. The more you learn, the better of a resource you are to your clients.
After narrowing down your niche, get to know the providers in your niche. Each brand will have a designated person for you to connect with as representative, this person is generally referred to as a BDM--Business Development Managers.
BDMs will help you:
- Learn about their brand and product(s)
- Create a marketing plan to reach your clients
- Put together promotional materials, "cruise nights," and special deals
While connecting with each BDM, they will give you resources to learn their product. Many will provide online courses. These courses are vital to your work as a travel agent. It will not only help you learn about brand distinctiveness, but also help you clarify which clients are ideal for that brand. The more you learn, the better of a resource you are to your clients.
Business Basics
Now that you have your niche chosen, have met your providers, and started to learn about the travel products related to your niche, it is now time to create your business basics:
Business Card
Your business card is your primary way to get people your information. Yes, in modern times there are digital ways of doing this, but in our experience the business card is still the number 1 way of getting your information directly into the people's hands. Create a business card using a combination of the Catalyst Travel logo and a personal picture of you traveling. *Having a personal picture on your card helps you to share your story and to stand out to your network.
Online Profile
Each travel agent at Catalyst should have a profile on the website. This helps people know that you are a representative of Catalyst, get to know more about you and your niche, and connect with you. These profiles follow a similar prescript: 1) when you joined Catalyst Travel, 2) what has drawn you into the travel industry, 3) your favorite destination, and 4) your niche and the trips that you are planning for this upcoming year(s). Fill out your profile and submit a picture: here.
Here's an example from Amy's profile and for more examples visit catalysttravel.com/about:
Amy Johnson joined Catalyst Travel in 2018 after years of hospitality experience at 1) a local bed and breakfast, 2) one of the largest hotel chains in the world, and 3) most recently in casino entertainment. It's been Amy's lifelong dream to help people create an experience full of unique experiences, gut busting laughter, and impactful vacations.
Her favorite destination is a cruise of any type. Going to the Caribbean was a highlighted experience especially zip-lining through Cozumel. She had a blast with the railway excursions on the Alaska cruises and says, "Red-dog saloon should be on everyone's bucket list."
Amy specializes in group cruises, honeymoon packages, and grant-funded travel. Without a doubt, any time you work with Amy, you'll come away from the experience with a smile on your face and a good story to tell your friends.
Social Media and E-mail Marketing
As a travel agent with Catalyst, you have limited admin rights to the agencies social media pages and can submit campaigns for e-mail marketing. By adding Catalyst to your LinkedIn profile, you will let others know that this is an official job for you--rather than a hobby. By inviting your friends and family to Link Catalyst on Facebook, you will be instantly creating a buzz around what you are doing. This allows you to non-chalantly open the door for a conversation about what you are doing and how you can help them with their future travel needs.
Below you will find downloads to the logo in various formats for you to add to your social media, e-mail signature, business card, fliers, etc.
Business Card
Your business card is your primary way to get people your information. Yes, in modern times there are digital ways of doing this, but in our experience the business card is still the number 1 way of getting your information directly into the people's hands. Create a business card using a combination of the Catalyst Travel logo and a personal picture of you traveling. *Having a personal picture on your card helps you to share your story and to stand out to your network.
Online Profile
Each travel agent at Catalyst should have a profile on the website. This helps people know that you are a representative of Catalyst, get to know more about you and your niche, and connect with you. These profiles follow a similar prescript: 1) when you joined Catalyst Travel, 2) what has drawn you into the travel industry, 3) your favorite destination, and 4) your niche and the trips that you are planning for this upcoming year(s). Fill out your profile and submit a picture: here.
Here's an example from Amy's profile and for more examples visit catalysttravel.com/about:
Amy Johnson joined Catalyst Travel in 2018 after years of hospitality experience at 1) a local bed and breakfast, 2) one of the largest hotel chains in the world, and 3) most recently in casino entertainment. It's been Amy's lifelong dream to help people create an experience full of unique experiences, gut busting laughter, and impactful vacations.
Her favorite destination is a cruise of any type. Going to the Caribbean was a highlighted experience especially zip-lining through Cozumel. She had a blast with the railway excursions on the Alaska cruises and says, "Red-dog saloon should be on everyone's bucket list."
Amy specializes in group cruises, honeymoon packages, and grant-funded travel. Without a doubt, any time you work with Amy, you'll come away from the experience with a smile on your face and a good story to tell your friends.
Social Media and E-mail Marketing
As a travel agent with Catalyst, you have limited admin rights to the agencies social media pages and can submit campaigns for e-mail marketing. By adding Catalyst to your LinkedIn profile, you will let others know that this is an official job for you--rather than a hobby. By inviting your friends and family to Link Catalyst on Facebook, you will be instantly creating a buzz around what you are doing. This allows you to non-chalantly open the door for a conversation about what you are doing and how you can help them with their future travel needs.
Below you will find downloads to the logo in various formats for you to add to your social media, e-mail signature, business card, fliers, etc.
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Headshots and Action Shots
Professionalism is an important aspect in any business. In the travel industry, it is even more important. There’s so much competition that you need to set yourself a part with the professional look that you present. Though the professional look may be different depending on your specific niche.
Catalyst Travel recommends having both a professional look that also blends well with action shots going along with your specific group niche. That is why you are encouraged to have a headshot—for LinkedIn, certain conferences and trainings, other marketing, etc—and action shots (photos of you in the field or doing something closely related to your niche like sailing on a cruise ship or talking with a bride in all white)—for Facebook, the Catalyst website, other marketing, etc. This balanced approach to your look will ensure that you have the look that appeals to your clients and contacts: professional, experienced, and connected.
Work with your Business Development Manager to set up a network folder for your photos. This ensures that Catalyst can use your photos/videos in appropriate marketing places.
If you do not have headshots or action shots, Catalyst Travel has a special arrangement with a Seattle-based photographer and videographer to get you GREAT deals. (He is also the person responsible for create albums for client trips. It’s a great chance for you to meet him in person and start that wonderful connection so your clients can have a momento for their special occasions.)
Professionalism is an important aspect in any business. In the travel industry, it is even more important. There’s so much competition that you need to set yourself a part with the professional look that you present. Though the professional look may be different depending on your specific niche.
Catalyst Travel recommends having both a professional look that also blends well with action shots going along with your specific group niche. That is why you are encouraged to have a headshot—for LinkedIn, certain conferences and trainings, other marketing, etc—and action shots (photos of you in the field or doing something closely related to your niche like sailing on a cruise ship or talking with a bride in all white)—for Facebook, the Catalyst website, other marketing, etc. This balanced approach to your look will ensure that you have the look that appeals to your clients and contacts: professional, experienced, and connected.
Work with your Business Development Manager to set up a network folder for your photos. This ensures that Catalyst can use your photos/videos in appropriate marketing places.
If you do not have headshots or action shots, Catalyst Travel has a special arrangement with a Seattle-based photographer and videographer to get you GREAT deals. (He is also the person responsible for create albums for client trips. It’s a great chance for you to meet him in person and start that wonderful connection so your clients can have a momento for their special occasions.)
- Headshots—$197 for 5-10 studio headshots.
- Headshot and Action Shot Package—$497 for 5-10 studio headshots and 40-60 action shots on location for 1 hour of shooting.
- Action Shot Special—If you schedule your headshot then decide (within 1 year) that you want to add Action Shots, you will receive a 10% discount. $447 (Action shots only) 40-60 action shots on location for 1 hour of shooting.
Connect with Clients and Contacts
Now that you have learned the basics of your craft, met with your BDM, gone through some trainings, and created your business basics, it is now time to connect with your clients and contacts.
Who are my clients?
The first question that may come to your mind is: "who are my clients?" While this is an easy answer, it can be a difficult one. Your clients are ...
anyone and everyone! Yes, that's right, anyone and everyone can become a client. If your friends and family are in need of travel services, you should be the one to do it for them. (Or if you need some boundaries, set them up with one of your travel agent colleagues who can share the commissions with you and who can reciprocate by referring their family and friends to you.) Some of our best clients have come through these kinds of referrals!
Outside of your immediate circle of connections, any social group or professional networking group that you are a part of has the ability of becoming a client. This can include: local chambers of commerce, local non-profits, churches, meet up groups, schools, private clubs, etc. By approaching them with the question: "who helps with your travel?" you can open to door for a new group trip or a contract to do all of their organizations travel.
The next possibility is subject to your specific niche. Essentially, you are looking to connect with any person, group, influencer, organization, or company that fits within your specialty of services. In the case of a travel agent whose niche is religious travel, you can approach churches, denominations, and pastor's associations to do regular Holy Land trips or trips to observe the Oberamergau Passion Play every 10 years or to organize their mission trips throughout the world. If instead, your niche is literary-inspired travel, you can approach book authors to put together trips for their followers to the countrysides within their book or approach book stores to put together regular literary retreats or provide travel for literary fanatics to yearly literary conferences.
Who are my clients?
The first question that may come to your mind is: "who are my clients?" While this is an easy answer, it can be a difficult one. Your clients are ...
anyone and everyone! Yes, that's right, anyone and everyone can become a client. If your friends and family are in need of travel services, you should be the one to do it for them. (Or if you need some boundaries, set them up with one of your travel agent colleagues who can share the commissions with you and who can reciprocate by referring their family and friends to you.) Some of our best clients have come through these kinds of referrals!
Outside of your immediate circle of connections, any social group or professional networking group that you are a part of has the ability of becoming a client. This can include: local chambers of commerce, local non-profits, churches, meet up groups, schools, private clubs, etc. By approaching them with the question: "who helps with your travel?" you can open to door for a new group trip or a contract to do all of their organizations travel.
The next possibility is subject to your specific niche. Essentially, you are looking to connect with any person, group, influencer, organization, or company that fits within your specialty of services. In the case of a travel agent whose niche is religious travel, you can approach churches, denominations, and pastor's associations to do regular Holy Land trips or trips to observe the Oberamergau Passion Play every 10 years or to organize their mission trips throughout the world. If instead, your niche is literary-inspired travel, you can approach book authors to put together trips for their followers to the countrysides within their book or approach book stores to put together regular literary retreats or provide travel for literary fanatics to yearly literary conferences.
Take your Training
Training is an important aspect of any role. Your role with Catalyst Travel is no different. The stats are resounding--the amount you make is directly correlated to how much training you do and how many client contacts you make. Take time to learn about the Catalyst Brand, dive into Catalyst Travel's Basic Training, and then explore the top brands that you plan on selling. By doing this, you will start to be a go-to, tried-and-true travel professional.
