My Niche Saved My Business!
by Trudie Robinson

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Then, one day, I had a client who wanted to book a honeymoon to Hawaii, and I suggested doing a destination wedding with Sandals. I got to know our local Sandals rep (Glynis Jones), and together we hosted a Sandals Night. These evening events are planned at sites in the local community (for example, I’m hosting one on Feb. 11 at a nearby Mellow Mushroom pizza restaurant!), with promotions and a presentation about the benefits of booking with Sandals. I usually offer a deal if anyone who attends a Sandals Night books a trip within the following seven days or so.

After I became a Certified Sandals Specialist, my agency was invited to take part in the Preferred Sandals Program. At that time, we have to invest $3,000, and if you made your quota, the money was returned to you. That made me really put my mouth where my money was! At the present time, no money is needed to invest, just a quota. (You have to complete at least 25 bookings to become eligible.) Now, my agency in the Atlanta area is listed on the Sandals Web site, I can use special Sandals logos in my promotional materials, and I receive exclusive marketing tools and more marketing support because I’ve specialized in recommending Sandals to my clients!

We’ve sold so many Sandals vacations, in fact, that we now drive around in a car paid for by Sandals, with a special “wrap” that promotes our business!

For the past four years, our agency has been invited four times to Sandals’ “Star Awards” honoring the top-producing agencies in the United States, Canada, and Europe. I’m not one of the top award winners, for sure – but, I always get invited to these events. And, for a small agency like mine, that is a BIG honor!

Here are my best suggestions for building a niche in your travel business:

• Find your niche first. Whether it’s honeymoons, cruises, or whatever, pick your niche and go with it.
  
  
• You have to spend money to make money. Be ready to invest in your marketing ideas, and you’ll see those dollars come back to you in increased sales. (I still hold as many Sandals Nights as I can!)
  
  
• Set up the best Web site you can. In fact, we operate several different Web sites – including www.RobinsonTravelAgency.com, www.RobinsonHoneymoons.com, and http://all1planners.com -- so that we can target the needs of different markets. The more exposure that you have for your company, it makes it easier for people to find you.
  
  
• Join networking clubs.
  
  
• Try to learn as much as you can firsthand about your niche. For example, just being able to say I have seen the various Sandals properties myself is knowledge, and it definitely establishes me as a specialist in destination weddings and honeymoons. Attend as many seminars as you can on the different resorts and countries.

I know that, without hooking up with Sandals (as well as Air Jamaica Vacations and other suppliers), I would be out of business without my niche. Good luck – find your niche, and go for it!

Trudie Robinson is the owner and manager of Robinson Travel Agency in Canton, Ga., where she is a Lifetime Gold Member with Sandals and Beaches. You may contact her at info@robinsontravelagency.com.

(Credits: Trudie Robinson; Sandals)