Wave 101: What Is Wave Season & How Can You Make The Most Of It?

So, you’ve heard the term ‘Wave Season’, or just ‘Wave’, but you’re new to the travel industry and aren’t quite sure what it is or what it means to you. We’re here to loop you in and give you some tips on how to stay ahead so that you can be well prepared for when Wave rolls in.

First things first, what is Wave? It’s a three-month period between January and March when travelers begin planning and booking vacations for the year, and even beyond — most being cruise vacations.

Why is Wave important to both new and experienced agents alike? Well, regardless of how long you’ve been curating and selling travel experiences, this is when sales opportunities are at a peak high and income potential can be unlimited. If you’re able to maximize these first three months of the year, you’ll be well on your way to a year of success.

Here are some of our top tips to help you prepare and make the most of Wave Season:

• Find your niche: whether it’s family cruises, honeymoon vacations, luxury cruises, or all-inclusive packages, specialize in a product to maximize efficiency. Mastering one or a few products now means you’ll know what you’re selling inside and out, rather than trying to sell anything and everything – leading to less research and catch-up education to find what your client is looking for during Wave Season.
• Create a social community: get the buzz going early on via your social networks — Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Create excitement for the coming months that make up Wave and engage with your audience to keep the momentum going.
• Mentally prepare yourself: from a business perspective you can do everything to prepare yourself for the huge opportunity that is Wave, but when the time comes, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or even discouraged, especially if this is your first Wave Season. To help avoid this, prepare yourself to work long hours and expect some hiccups along the way, but remind yourself that it is truly rewarding — and find ways to have a bit of fun in between!
• Join a host agency [now]: if you’re reading this, this has probably already crossed your mind, but we wanted to reiterate how beneficial it is to join a host agency, especially if you’re a fairly new travel professional. The purpose of a good host agency is to help travel professionals, like you, succeed by offering many resources to support you and reduce the stresses of running your own business. Avoya, for example, provides Independent Agencies in the Avoya Travel Network™ with new clients at no additional cost, unparalleled support, innovative technology, industry-leading education, the instant credibility that comes with the American Express brand, proprietary resources that help you find the best value and promotions for your clients, and much more. Additionally, because of the high sales volume of the Avoya Network, you’ll have access to the highest commission tiers and exclusive supplier offers that you won’t find anywhere else. The key is to join a host agency now so you can be up and running before Wave hits, which can start right after the holidays. By joining Avoya and preparing now, you’ll be able to capitalize on the increase in Live Leads we can send you going into Wave. Travel professionals who wait until January will have already missed out on the first few weeks of Wave Season.

For even more Wave Season tips, check out these timeless tips from some of the million-dollar travel agencies in the Avoya Network.

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