Starting out as a Fora Advisor can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to figure out how to attract clients. The good news is you have more to offer than you might realize. Let’s break down how to communicate your value as a travel advisor to potential clients in a way that feels natural and authentic.
Understanding your two-part value
When you think about your value as an advisor, it helps to split it into two parts: your practical services and your area of expertise. Both pieces matter, and figuring out the second part will make selling the first part so much easier.
Practical services. First, there’s the practical value of what you can actually do for clients. This is the nuts and bolts of your service, like planning itineraries, booking hotels, and handling logistics.
Your specialty. Second, there’s your area of expertise, which is part of developing a brand. This encompasses not only what types of travel you plan, but who you are as an advisor and how you want clients to experience working with you.
What you can actually do for clients
Expert planning
Here’s something that catches a lot of new advisors by surprise: many people still think travel advisors just book hotels and flights. Don’t assume potential clients know this. Spell it out for them. Many people are genuinely surprised to learn you provide full trip-planning services, not just make reservations. The reality is that your role is much bigger, and it’s your job to showcase the scope of your services, including:
Planning entire trips from start to finish
Creating detailed digital itineraries
Sourcing recommended restaurants and local attractions
Booking tours and experiences
Handling all the transfers and logistics
Insider knowledge and access
As a travel advisor, you’re plugged into a network that regular travelers can’t access. This means you can be a true expert on destinations, properties, and travel styles in a way that goes way beyond what someone can find on Google. Make sure to highlight these selling points:
Connections with suppliers and hotel groups for on-the-ground support
Access to a community of other advisors who share knowledge
Up-to-date reviews of properties from both advisors and clients
Partnership perks and benefits
Our Virtuoso membership and many hotel partnerships mean your clients get automatic status and perks when they book through you. Free breakfasts, hotel credits, and room upgrades equal real dollars and enhance your clients’ travel experience.
Don’t be shy about highlighting this advantage. Many travelers have no idea these programs exist, let alone that they need a travel advisor to access them. It’s one of the clearest ways to show that booking with you is actually more valuable than booking direct. Some perks may include:
Hotel upgrades upon arrival
$100+ food and beverage credits
Early check-in and late checkout
VIP treatment at properties
Spa credits
Special amenities on cruises
Developing your expertise and brand
How to find your niche
The best niche is the one you’re genuinely excited about. Start by thinking about the trips you’d love to plan over and over again—maybe it’s all-inclusive resorts, luxury safaris, or multi-generational family trips. Your expertise will grow naturally when you’re booking travel that interests you.
Consider what’s already in your favor: your life stage might connect you with other young families or empty nesters; your personal network probably includes people with similar travel styles; your own travel experiences give you firsthand knowledge that’s invaluable. The goal isn’t to force yourself into a niche that sounds impressive, it’s to lean into what you already know and love, then build from there.
Figure out your travel brand’s personality
Think about how you want clients to experience working with you. Are you the "travel BFF" who’s always available via text and Instagram DMs? Are you the detail-oriented planner who handles everything so clients don’t have to think twice? Are you the adventure specialist who pushes people out of their comfort zones?
There’s no single right answer here. The key is to be intentional about it, and let your personality shine through.
Meet clients where they are
Some clients want to be super involved in every decision. Others want to hand over the reins completely and just show up at the airport. Your role is to be flexible while still guiding them through the process effectively, which includes knowing when to shift communication style and when to stay firm on what you know works. Clients appreciate when you’re willing to adapt to their needs rather than forcing them into a one-size-fits-all process.
How to practically communicate your value
Fora Advisors participate in a workshop at Live Forum 2022, our annual conference
Make the human connection
Technology is great, and having a sleek website and smooth booking process matters. But what sets you apart is the human connection.
Consider having an initial phone call with new clients. You can outline all the benefits of why to use a travel advisor in an email, but there’s something about having a real conversation that builds trust. This is your chance to explain your value, understand your client’s needs, and start building a relationship.
Simplify complicated travel planning
If you specialize in something that intimidates people, like cruises, multi-country itineraries, or adventure travel, your value is simplifying a complicated booking process.
Break down travel industry terminology so your clients can easily understand it. Create checklists and provide resources that help them feel prepared. When you take something that feels foreign and make it approachable, you’re giving the clients confidence in you and the choices they’re making.
Address pain points from past trips
When talking to clients who’ve traveled before, ask about what didn’t work. Maybe their cruise cabin was too noisy. Maybe they missed out on restaurant reservations. Maybe their hotel room wasn’t ready when they arrived exhausted from a red-eye flight.
When you can say, "Here’s how we’ll make sure that doesn’t happen this time," you’re demonstrating concrete value that goes beyond what they could get booking on their own.
