Ep 273 What Questions Should Travel Advisors Ask on a Discovery Call with Whitney Shindelar (Prep for Wave Week Replay)

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! **Register for the Plan Your Year Workshop:** https://programs.steeryourmarketing.com/products/courses/view/1196435 **Forgot to register for this year's Prep for Wave Week?**  https://strategictravelentrepreneurpodcast.com/prep-for-wave-week/ **Join us for the marketing reset your travel agency needs:** https://strategictravelentrepreneurpodcast.com/summer-camp-at-sea/ Everyone wants to feel seen and understood, and your sales process is where clients decide whether you're really listening.  I replayed Whitney Shindelar's Sales Day session from last year's Prep for Wave Week because it was such an advisor favorite :)  She shares how she leads with curiosity from the very first inquiry and why she saves the budget question for the end of the discovery call.  She also explains how she frames hotel choices as pros and considerations, and the Loom video and custom Google Map combo she uses to deliver every proposal.  Learn how to ask better questions, talk less, and close sales faster without the endless back and forth.  **Questions this episode answers:** - What should a travel advisor ask when a client doesn't know where they want to go? - What single question can reveal how a client likes to spend their time and money? - How do you get answers from a client who isn't giving you much in conversation? - Why does it matter whether a client is a first-time or repeat visitor to a destination? - How should you approach repeat clients when they come back to plan a new trip? - How do you help cruise clients decide between focusing on the ship or the itinerary? - What should a travel advisor research before a discovery call for an unfamiliar destination? - What should a proposal email include to get a client to decide quickly? - When should a travel advisor turn down a trip request? - How do discovery questions set a travel advisor apart from AI and booking sites? **Connect with Whitney:** https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-shindelar-a5376886/ **Learn more about The Hive on the Travel Tech Audio Summit:** https://strategictravelentrepreneurpodcast.com/travel-tech-audio-summit/ **Enjoy and take action!** \--------------------------------------------------------------- **Rita M. Perez** (Host) first began in the travel industry as a travel advisor in 2010. She only fully realized her role as a travel entrepreneur in 2018, and embarked on a mission to support her fellow travel advisors in 2021 when she began the Strategic Travel Entrepreneur Podcast. She now strategizes with travel entrepreneurs, so they too can build sustainable travel agencies and market effectively. She's a maven when it comes to content photography and videography, and as such founded the Cruise Content Library and leads retreats and partners on FAMs where advisors get top notch content and education for their marketing efforts. **Website:**  https://strategictravelentrepreneurpodcast.com/everything/ **Socials:** LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritaperez19/ IG: http://www.instagram.com/steeryourmarketing FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/strategictravelentrepreneurs/ **Email:** rita@steeryourmarketing.com