Can this Trip be Saved? / Selling Travel Insurance 101
by John Hawks

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Before your clients leave home, remind them to check the fine print in their existing homeowners and health insurance policies. It's almost a given that their coverage will not extend outside the United States.

Recommend the purchase of travel insurance that includes medical expenses while traveling abroad. (One excellent choice is OSSN's TravelSafe program -- call 561.743.1900 for details!)

Also, you should remind clients that Medicare does not cover hospital or medical claims outside the country.

If your clients plan to take prescription medications with them on the road, they should carry them in the original containers with clearly typed labels.

Consider urging clients with special health risks -- including seniors traveling alone or in couples or travelers with pre-existing chronic illnesses -- to purchase travel insurance with adequate medical evacuation coverage. It's true that taking a medically equipped airplane ride back to the U.S.A. from an overseas destination can run $15,000 to $25,000, even from relatively close spots such as the Caribbean or Mexico. And, the worst part is that this bill must be paid with upfront cash before most medical evacuation services will take your clients home!

Selling Travel 101

Selling Peace of Mind: How to Maximize Your Travel Insurance Profits

If you've spent any time in the home-based travel agent community, you've seen and heard the horror stories. A hurricane hits the resort where your honeymooning clients are staying. The unexpected airline strike grounds the flight that your business traveler clients were counting on to get home after a long stint on the road. Or, your clients drank the water (despite the warnings) and, now, they're sitting in the emergency room in another country to see a doctor . . .

Savvy travel agents know that selling travel insurance can be an excellent way to kill two birds with one stone. First, you're protecting your clients by giving them a way to manage the risks of traveling these days -- so that they don't turn to you legally when the unexpected happens to cover their losses! Second, you can earn significant profits by bundling travel insurance sales into every trip or cruise you sell. (Some agents pay their monthly office rent or mortgages just from their travel insurance commissions!)

Follow these tips to boost your travel insurance sales:

Assume the sale.

Many times, travel insurance sales depend on your attitude as the agent. If you go into the "close" with your clients knowing in your heart how important it is to protect their investment, that certainty will carry over to the clients.

Time the offer properly.

When's the best time to bring up travel insurance? Just after you've described the cancellation policies and penalties enforced by the clients' chosen travel supplier (e.g., the resort, tour operator, or cruise line).

Offer real-life examples -- and use names if you can.

Nothing works like true horror stories from your other clients. If you can share how another local couple lost their honeymoon because they were not protected by travel insurance, for example, that story brings home the importance of managing these risks by taking the insurance. It's even better if you can share the other clients' names (or even show a "testimonial" letter from those clients thanking you for urging them to buy the travel insurance that saved their trip!).

Ask for the order.

Many times, closing travel insurance sales is simply a matter of the clients' trust in you. If you explain the need for the insurance, then recommend strongly that the clients buy it for their trip, that should do it!

Prepare for any objections.

Be ready to answer clients' questions before they arise. For example, know ahead of time how to explain that their homeowners or health or auto insurance will not protect them for risks when they travel. And, read in advance the fine print in your preferred cruise line's "insurance" so that you can explain why independent, third-party insurance (like OSSN's TravelSafe program) is always a better deal.

Now that OSSN members can set up their OSSN DIRECT accounts to sell TravelSafe insurance without the hassles of state licensing and fingerprinting, it is time to increase your sales and your commissions on this fabulous product! To establish your account and begin working with Travel Safe, go to http://www.ossn.com/secure/resources/travelagent_info.asp

Insist on signed waivers from clients who refuse to take the insurance.

Most travel insurers will gladly provide you with written forms that you can use with your clients who simply refuse to buy coverage. These signed waivers will protect you down the road if a client says later that you never mentioned the need for travel insurance. And, the simple act of signing this waiver may urge some reluctant clients to go ahead and buy the coverage . . .