What Travel Advisors Are Really Selling (It’s Not the Trip)
Marcie Muensterman
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Most travel advisors got into this industry because they love travel, planning, and helping people, not because they dreamed of funnels, CRMs, consults, and closing calls.
And then reality really hits: this is a sales and marketing business and NOT for what you think you are selling… and most host training barely touches that part.
In this episode, Marcie breaks down the truth: you’re not selling the resort, the itinerary, or the “deal.” You’re selling you! You have to clearly demonstrate your energy, personality, process, boundaries, expertise, and the experience only you can provide. She shares her iconic “Red Wagon of Tomatoes” story (and how her first VIP client taught her demand, positioning, and value at age seven), plus why oversharing your personality (not your supplier secrets) is the fastest way to build trust and stop getting ghosted.
You’ll also hear how Marcie thinks about “like/know/trust,” why “quote me in the DMs” is killing your conversions, and how to build a sales process that actually works with your brain, especially if you need help fully understanding your own processes.
Deal alert: use PODCAST11 to save 11%. And from Feb 1–28, all courses are automatically 14% off at www.thetraveladvisormarcie.com/courses.
Episode chapters (with timestamps)
00:00 Welcome + Florida is freezing (rude)
02:10 The truth: you’re in sales… but not selling what you think
05:15 “You’re selling YOU” and why most TA training skips this
08:10 Why advisors join: excitement, helping, travel obsession — not marketing
12:45 Host websites + the fantasy of “beach laptop life” (please stop)
16:10 Why you’re overwhelmed: no one explained the whole job
18:40 Like/Know/Trust isn’t outdated — and it’s your real job
20:30 Furniture store story: why personality sells more than product
27:00 Oversharing, politics, and filtering for aligned clients
31:50 Deal-chasers and why your marketing attracts what you tolerate
35:20 Wagon of tomatoes story: your first VIP client + value lesson
43:45 The real sale: experience, connection, reliability, trust
47:10 Stop proving your expertise and start being a real human
50:30 Why “kick them out if they didn’t book with you” is broke energy
54:00 Why consistency builds trust (and post-and-ghost kills it)
56:40 Closing: show up as YOU, ask for review, final truth bomb
SEO keywords
- travel advisor sales
- travel agent sales training
- travel advisor marketing
- how to get travel clients
- how to sell travel services
- sell yourself as a travel advisor
- travel advisor consultation process
- stop sending quotes in DMs
- travel advisor lead generation
- travel advisor personal brand
- like know trust travel industry
- how to attract aligned clients
- travel advisor boundaries
- travel advisor content strategy
- Facebook group marketing for travel agents
- social selling for travel advisors
- ADHD systems for travel advisors
- travel advisor workflow
- sales process for travel agents
- how to stop being ghosted by travel clients
SEO Phrases:
- “why travel advisors don’t make money”
- “travel agent marketing is hard”
- “how to stop tire kickers as a travel advisor”
- “how to charge fees as a travel advisor”
- “what travel advisors are really selling”
________________________________________________________________
- You are in sales — pretending you aren’t doesn’t change that
- You’re not selling travel: you’re selling your process + your energy + your expertise
- Most advisors join the industry because they love travel… and then get blindsided by marketing
- Hosts teach backend + suppliers teach products but most don’t teach how to close travel deals.
- Like/Know/Trust still runs the entire damn game
- Why quoting in DMs attracts deal shoppers and ghosters
- Why personality creates faster trust than “look at this resort” posts
- The wagon of tomatoes story: demand, VIP clients, and pricing confidence
- Alignment matters: deal-chasers refer deal-chasers
- Consistency builds reliability → reliability builds trust → trust builds sales
