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Turn travel inquiries into bookings with a sales process built for real advisor workflows.
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If you’re getting plenty of travel inquiries but not enough bookings, the issue usually isn’t lead generation, it’s what happens next.
In the third episode of the Sales Workshop Series on Travefy’s The Lounge podcast, luxury travel advisor and educator Angela Hughes explains why many advisors confuse leads with real opportunities. A full inbox can feel like momentum, but without a clear sales workflow, leads go cold, clients disappear, and unpaid work piles up.
This article breaks the episode down into a practical, repeatable sales pipeline travel advisors can use to qualify clients faster, increase conversion rates, and build long-term relationships that lead to repeat bookings and referrals.
Angela’s first big point is simple: most pipelines fall apart right after the inquiry.
The common pattern looks like this:
In other words, the leak happens early, before you’ve secured commitment.
A converting sales workflow starts with structure and clear next steps, not more quotes.
Speed matters. Angela recommends responding within 30 minutes whenever possible. Not to send a quote right away, but to make a human connection and schedule a real conversation.
A quick response can be as simple as a short text or email:
“Thanks for reaching out! I’d love to learn a bit more about what you’re planning. What’s a good time for a quick 10–15 minute discovery call?”
This step sets the tone: you’re not a quote machine. You’re a professional advisor with a process.
Angela is clear: a short discovery call is the foundation of a sales pipeline that converts.
Texting back and forth or immediately sending options may feel efficient, but it’s usually transactional—and transactional workflows don’t convert as well as relationship-based ones.
On a discovery call (Zoom works especially well), you can:
Angela mentions a few phrases that often signal a deal is not ready:
These aren’t automatic “no’s,” but they are signals to slow down and re-qualify.
A big takeaway from the episode: don’t confuse forms with qualification.
Angela doesn’t love big intake forms early in the process because they create friction. Many people won’t complete them, and you lose momentum before trust is built, especially with older travelers or busy professionals.
Instead, she recommends leading with conversation and listening prompts like:
Often, clients reveal their travel identity without realizing it. During the podcast episode, Angela shares an example of a wealthy traveler describing themselves as the “Rick Steves DIY type,” which helped Angela recognize they likely weren’t an ideal match for her.
This is how you protect your time: qualify for fit, not just budget.
If you want fewer “trip takers” (clients who take your ideas and book elsewhere), you need a commitment point early.
Angela’s recommendation: after the client talks and you’ve listened, take 2–3 minutes to explain:
She’s direct about the mindset shift: advisors often avoid fees because they’re worried about sounding salesy. But a professional fee is normal in service industries and it sets a premium tone.
Charging a planning fee often increases conversion because it creates buy-in. Clients who pay are far more likely to move forward.
And while Angela notes there are exceptions (simple bookings, strategic waivers, ultra-high-net-worth clients), the principle remains: you must secure commitment before doing deep custom work.
Automation is a major part of a scalable travel advisor workflow, but only when used correctly.
Angela’s rule is worth repeating: Automate structure. Don’t automate emotion.
These are ideal for automation because they’re operational, consistent, and necessary:
Personalization is what builds trust and loyalty:
Even small details—“How did your daughter’s birthday turn out?”—make clients feel seen, not processed.
Once the trip is underway, many advisors disappear until final payment or documents. Angela recommends multiple touchpoints so clients don’t feel abandoned.
Good examples include:
But she also warns against constantly adding new ideas after the trip is locked. Too many add-on suggestions can create churn, changes, and extra work.
The best upsells (insurance, tours, private drivers, pre/post nights) are typically positioned early, then supported with calm, confident follow-through.
Post-trip is where many advisors miss repeat business.
Angela recommends waiting about two weeks before your main follow-up. The psychology: travelers are tired, jet-lagged, and often fixated on the last annoyance (like a bad flight home). Two weeks later, the emotional memory of the trip is usually warmer.
Your post-trip follow-up workflow can include:
Angela shares a simple tactic: when a client texts praise, screenshot it and share it (with permission, as appropriate). Raw, real feedback often feels more trustworthy than overly designed graphics.
This creates a referral loop: your clients become your marketing.
One of the most actionable moments in the episode is about metrics. Angela says many advisors don’t track conversion rate—and they should.
At minimum, track:
Then review your workflow quarterly. If your conversion rate is low, the leak is usually one of these:
A simple workflow you consistently execute will outperform a complex workflow you don’t.
Here’s the repeatable sales workflow Angela outlines, distilled:
Your sales workflow exists to create consistency, protect your time, and keep clients moving forward. But what ultimately converts leads into lifelong clients is simple:
Be human. Be consistent. Build real relationships.
If you do that and you pair it with a repeatable pipeline, you’ll close more bookings, earn more referrals, and create a sales process you can actually sustain.
This article was inspired by Episode 3 of our Sales Workshop Series with Angela Hughes. For more real-world strategies to help you build a sales workflow that converts, listen to the full episode of The Lounge by Travefy podcast.
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