Many agents ask about opporunutities to earn more. One of the first things that comes to mind is selling group tours. Although they can be more complicated than individual tours they can also be very lucrative. In addition, our group department is always willing to assist you in putting together your group. As you start to plan your group consider the following items to assist you.

1. SELECT YOUR TARGET MARKET
Who will buy this tour? What type of people are they? What interests do they share? Some great places to find potential group participants are: The local Chamber of Commerce, churches, clubs, associations, unions, bowling teams and schools. Use your imagination to locate people with similar interests. Another possible source of participants are those who already know you and/or do business with you. Your past customers are often your best source for new business.

2. CHOOSE THE GROUP’S ITINERARY
Keep your target market in mind. A ten-day trip (a week with a weekend on each end) is ideal since most people get
two weeks vacation per year. Seniors however, have more free time, so you may want to consider at least a two-week trip for them. When choosing the itinerary, consider all the interests of your target market and especially whether the potential participants have previously traveled outside the US. Try to stick with mainstream itineraries.

3. CONSIDER HOTEL TYPE AND LOCATION
Select appropriate hotels for your target market. Tour comapnies have excellent quality control. They regularly visit all the hotels and will share with you all the advantages of putting your group in a particular hotel or location.

4. PRICE THE GROUP’S ITINERARY PROPERLY
When calculating your profit margin, consider the VALUE of the trip. Profit is key, but keep your margin in check with competitive pricing. Work with our group department prior to quoting prices to your group.

5. SALES & MARKETING MATERIAL SHOULD BE ATTRACTIVE
Good sales materials yield good results. Often, the flyer or shell you distribute is all potential travelers see before making their decision. Many tour companies have various full color shells (blank brochure pages with color photographs) post cards, slides, black and white photos, clip art, etc. to make sure that you present your group properly. Poor quality black and white photocopies present an image that rarely achieves positive results.

6. GETTING YOUR MARKETING PIECE TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE IS KEY
The more shells or post cards you distribute, the better your results. Be sure however, you send the right information to the right people. Sending 500 flyers to your past clients may have better results than distributing 5,000 to high school students at a local football game, unless of course, you are marketing a student trip. Churches, synagogues, schools, offices, etc. often have bulletin boards for announcements. Again, consider your target market.

7. HAVE A THEME NIGHT AND ENCOURAGE SIGN- UPS
Throw a small party at the local library, church or Elks hall. Simple refreshments and/or snacks are often enough. Have a video to show on the destination. If possible, come up with a small incentive to encourage immediate signups, such as: "$25 or $50 off if you sign up tonight." If the trip includes a cruise, always mention "Cabins assigned on a first come, first served basis." Work with our group department in developing an incentive.

8. WHEN YOU GET A LEAD, FOLLOW UP AND FOLLOW UP AGAIN
We often hear, "During the Theme Night, everyone showed interest, but few people actually signed up." Following up on potential participants is key. People are busy, so constant reminders are necessary. If you are working with a group leader, remind them to follow up; even offer to help. It will definitely make a difference in reaching your goal.

9. CONSIDER “PILLOW GIFTS” FOR THE GROUP PARTICIPANTS
People normally buy things to remember their trip. Why not give them something to remember the group organizer, the agency AND their trip. Information and contacts for inexpensive gifts to present to your group participants can be provided to you. This will reinforce the memories of their trip.

10. USE POST-TRIP FEEDBACK FOR FUTURE TRIPS AND LEADS
There's nothing better than the comments from group participants to help you with future planning. What did they like most about the trip? More important, what did they like least? Is there anyone who they know that might like to be put on your mailing list? Finally, plan to market next year’s group itinerary at the end of the trip. After having such a fantastic experience, they will be more than ready to sign up again. Source: Far and Wide