Unfortunately, due to state licensing laws we cannot accept independent contractors or outside agents that live & would be working in the states of California or Florida.
We are looking for a few good people that would like to partner with us and create travel memories for others!
“Many a person has loved movies but hated making movies.” – Forbes.com
Someone who loves watching movies may be interested in how movies are made, but not interested in actually getting involved in the actual process (lighting, blocking, editing, sound engineering, special effects, etc.). The same is true with travel. Many people love to travel, experience new destinations, and meet new people. However, they don’t enjoy the process involved with creating those experiences.
If you are one of those people that wants to “work behind the scenes” in travel, keep reading….
While being a Travel Consultant is a job, it is one that we love. Why do we do it? Because of the lives we touch. Simply, it is gratifying.
It is heart warming when clients return from their dream vacation, raving about how sweet it was to watch their child meet their favorite character at Disney World, or the couple gushing about their honeymoon (or 25th anniversary celebration), or the client that always dreamed of going to Antarctica who returns with tears in his eyes because this trip of a lifetime was everything and more than he ever expected. Every time we hear “we couldn’t have done this without you,” that’s why love this job.
Can you make a living as a travel consultant? Absolutely! Is it possible to learn to become an amazing travel consultant, without previous travel booking experience? Definitely! Do you have to go it alone? NO!
Whether you have experience or you are new to the travel industry, we support our team at Ships ‘N” Trips Travel. We make training opportunities available to our independent contractors and outside agents, we have a system in place where you can ask questions and get information, and we encourage team members to interact, support, and encourage each other.. We do not subscribe to the “sink or swim” philosophy. Ultimately, it is up to you to decide what types of support & training that you desire, and how in depth you want it to be.
We’ve pulled together some information to help you evaluate if this is the right career move for you. We give you what WE think are essential traits of a Travel Consultant, what it takes (costs) to start your own business, alternate ways to enter the industry without having to endure the costs to start your own agency, etc. If you are so inclined, read what we have put together here, and if you are interested in becoming a Travel Consultant, and more importantly, if you would like to partner with Ships ‘N’ Trips Travel give us a shout!
Traits of an Amazing Travel Consultant
A strong attention to detail
There are a lot of details involved in planning and booking travel. Being able to track all of those details, ensuring that everything is taken care of, and it all goes off without a hitch is a “must have” trait when booking travel for others.
Able to deal with curve balls
Curve balls in travel = the unexpected. Weather, divorces, strikes, war, you name it, Just about everything can interfere with the best laid travel plans. You need to be able to stay calm, cool and collected when dealing with any kind of curve ball.
An ability to multi-task and manage your time
You will likely ALWAYS be multi-tasking. Clients seem to call in clusters. If one calls or emails for assistance with a vacation, it’s almost predictable that you’ll get three more requests in short order. And they’ll all want their information at the same time. Multi-tasking and time management are imperative (to your sanity and your success).
Able to build successful relationships with, and to interact with, a variety of personality types
You will interact with every personality type known to man. In order to succeed, you need to be able to build successful relationships and be able to interact with all personality types (you don’t have to LIKE them, but you do have to be able to work with them). This extends to clients, co-workers, as well as suppliers.
Successful in closing sales
It helps if you have previous experience in sales, but if you don’t, you can learn if you are willing. This is a sales job, you can’t get away from that. You need to be confident about selling. People will enjoy talking with you, because travel is a “sexy” topic to talk about. But talking doesn't pay the bills. You need to be able to convert talk to sales.
Willing to delve into marketing
Just like you have to be able to sell, you also have to be able to market. The philosophy of “build it and they will come” simply does not work. You have to market. Most importantly, you have to market YOURSELF. Marketing can be learned, if you are open to the concept of going out into the world and successfully marketing YOU. No marketing background? Not a problem, we can point you to marketing training, as long as you are willing to learn and implement what you learn.
A never-ending willingness to continue learning
There is an abundance of training available in the travel industry. You can learn about destinations and suppliers, hone your marketing skills, learn sales tactics, get training on software products, etc. No matter what, you will always be learning, keeping up to date, and staying one step ahead of your clients and Mr. Google. The day you decide to stop learning will be the day you decide to stop being a travel consultant.
What does it cost to become a Travel Consultant?
There are costs involved if you are looking at striking out on your own and starting your own agency. This is by no means going to be a comprehensive list of expenses, but it will give you an idea of what you need to put in place to launch your own agency:
What are the different ways to get into the industry?
Starting your own agency is only one way to do go, if you have the funds to do so. But it’s not the only way to get into the travel industry. Other options include:
Salaried Employee – you can work for an existing travel agency as a salaried employee, in exchange for having to meet productivity quotas, and other requirements (set work days/hours, dress codes, adhering to office policies, etc.). This is a great opportunity however to learn from established travel consultants working in the office. And having a set paycheck is reassuring for some.
Commissioned Employee – pretty much the same as above, but instead of a set salary you are paid commission-only tied to your productivity. But the rest can still apply (set days/hours, dress code, etc.).
Independent Contractor / Outside Agent – in this scenario you partner with an existing agency as your “host” and work independently (setting your own hours, etc.). You still have to market to find your own clients, but you don’t have some of the expenses associated with starting an agency (like registering for a booking number, etc.). You still might be required to set up your own business bank accounts and get the appropriate city and/or county business licenses, etc.
Typically in this set up you split your commission with your “host” agency, and you may have an initial sign-up fee and annual renewal fee to help your host agency cover the costs associated with bringing you onboard (such as licensing your access to their CRM database, etc.).
Working with an existing agency also gives you access to training, existing supplier relationships, and support.
Is Ships ‘N’ Trips Travel hiring?
We are always looking for motivated individuals interested in becoming an Independent Contractor or Outside Agent. However we are not currently hiring inside employees. If you are interested in forming a partnership with us as an Independent Contractor or Outside Agent, please contact us
We are looking for a few good people that would like to partner with us and create travel memories for others!
“Many a person has loved movies but hated making movies.” – Forbes.com
Someone who loves watching movies may be interested in how movies are made, but not interested in actually getting involved in the actual process (lighting, blocking, editing, sound engineering, special effects, etc.). The same is true with travel. Many people love to travel, experience new destinations, and meet new people. However, they don’t enjoy the process involved with creating those experiences.
If you are one of those people that wants to “work behind the scenes” in travel, keep reading….
While being a Travel Consultant is a job, it is one that we love. Why do we do it? Because of the lives we touch. Simply, it is gratifying.
It is heart warming when clients return from their dream vacation, raving about how sweet it was to watch their child meet their favorite character at Disney World, or the couple gushing about their honeymoon (or 25th anniversary celebration), or the client that always dreamed of going to Antarctica who returns with tears in his eyes because this trip of a lifetime was everything and more than he ever expected. Every time we hear “we couldn’t have done this without you,” that’s why love this job.
Can you make a living as a travel consultant? Absolutely! Is it possible to learn to become an amazing travel consultant, without previous travel booking experience? Definitely! Do you have to go it alone? NO!
Whether you have experience or you are new to the travel industry, we support our team at Ships ‘N” Trips Travel. We make training opportunities available to our independent contractors and outside agents, we have a system in place where you can ask questions and get information, and we encourage team members to interact, support, and encourage each other.. We do not subscribe to the “sink or swim” philosophy. Ultimately, it is up to you to decide what types of support & training that you desire, and how in depth you want it to be.
We’ve pulled together some information to help you evaluate if this is the right career move for you. We give you what WE think are essential traits of a Travel Consultant, what it takes (costs) to start your own business, alternate ways to enter the industry without having to endure the costs to start your own agency, etc. If you are so inclined, read what we have put together here, and if you are interested in becoming a Travel Consultant, and more importantly, if you would like to partner with Ships ‘N’ Trips Travel give us a shout!
Traits of an Amazing Travel Consultant
A strong attention to detail
There are a lot of details involved in planning and booking travel. Being able to track all of those details, ensuring that everything is taken care of, and it all goes off without a hitch is a “must have” trait when booking travel for others.
Able to deal with curve balls
Curve balls in travel = the unexpected. Weather, divorces, strikes, war, you name it, Just about everything can interfere with the best laid travel plans. You need to be able to stay calm, cool and collected when dealing with any kind of curve ball.
An ability to multi-task and manage your time
You will likely ALWAYS be multi-tasking. Clients seem to call in clusters. If one calls or emails for assistance with a vacation, it’s almost predictable that you’ll get three more requests in short order. And they’ll all want their information at the same time. Multi-tasking and time management are imperative (to your sanity and your success).
Able to build successful relationships with, and to interact with, a variety of personality types
You will interact with every personality type known to man. In order to succeed, you need to be able to build successful relationships and be able to interact with all personality types (you don’t have to LIKE them, but you do have to be able to work with them). This extends to clients, co-workers, as well as suppliers.
Successful in closing sales
It helps if you have previous experience in sales, but if you don’t, you can learn if you are willing. This is a sales job, you can’t get away from that. You need to be confident about selling. People will enjoy talking with you, because travel is a “sexy” topic to talk about. But talking doesn't pay the bills. You need to be able to convert talk to sales.
Willing to delve into marketing
Just like you have to be able to sell, you also have to be able to market. The philosophy of “build it and they will come” simply does not work. You have to market. Most importantly, you have to market YOURSELF. Marketing can be learned, if you are open to the concept of going out into the world and successfully marketing YOU. No marketing background? Not a problem, we can point you to marketing training, as long as you are willing to learn and implement what you learn.
A never-ending willingness to continue learning
There is an abundance of training available in the travel industry. You can learn about destinations and suppliers, hone your marketing skills, learn sales tactics, get training on software products, etc. No matter what, you will always be learning, keeping up to date, and staying one step ahead of your clients and Mr. Google. The day you decide to stop learning will be the day you decide to stop being a travel consultant.
What does it cost to become a Travel Consultant?
There are costs involved if you are looking at striking out on your own and starting your own agency. This is by no means going to be a comprehensive list of expenses, but it will give you an idea of what you need to put in place to launch your own agency:
- Errors & Omissions insurance
- Liability insurance
- Business licenses (state, city, and/or county)
- State licensing to sell travel insurance (in states where this is required)
- State seller of travel registration fees (in states where this is required)
- if you opt to not register with these states (i.e. California & Florida), you will not be able to sell travel to anyone residing in those states
- Costs associated with creating a business entity (sole proprietorship, LLC, or s-corp)
- Establishing business bank accounts
- Creation of marketing materials (website, logo, business cards, banners, etc.)
- Industry association membership fees
- Booking number registration fees
- Consortium membership fees
- Purchasing and setting up a CRM (customer relationship management) database
What are the different ways to get into the industry?
Starting your own agency is only one way to do go, if you have the funds to do so. But it’s not the only way to get into the travel industry. Other options include:
Salaried Employee – you can work for an existing travel agency as a salaried employee, in exchange for having to meet productivity quotas, and other requirements (set work days/hours, dress codes, adhering to office policies, etc.). This is a great opportunity however to learn from established travel consultants working in the office. And having a set paycheck is reassuring for some.
Commissioned Employee – pretty much the same as above, but instead of a set salary you are paid commission-only tied to your productivity. But the rest can still apply (set days/hours, dress code, etc.).
Independent Contractor / Outside Agent – in this scenario you partner with an existing agency as your “host” and work independently (setting your own hours, etc.). You still have to market to find your own clients, but you don’t have some of the expenses associated with starting an agency (like registering for a booking number, etc.). You still might be required to set up your own business bank accounts and get the appropriate city and/or county business licenses, etc.
Typically in this set up you split your commission with your “host” agency, and you may have an initial sign-up fee and annual renewal fee to help your host agency cover the costs associated with bringing you onboard (such as licensing your access to their CRM database, etc.).
Working with an existing agency also gives you access to training, existing supplier relationships, and support.
Is Ships ‘N’ Trips Travel hiring?
We are always looking for motivated individuals interested in becoming an Independent Contractor or Outside Agent. However we are not currently hiring inside employees. If you are interested in forming a partnership with us as an Independent Contractor or Outside Agent, please contact us
