What Travel Advisors Are Really Selling (It’s Not the Trip)
Fri Feb 06 2026
Marcie Muensterman
PODCAST11 saves you 11% on ALL signature courses
www.thetraveladvisormarcie.com/courses
Join Maximize Your TA Business FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/maximizeyourtravelagentbusiness
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 think05:15 “You’re selling YOU” and why most TA training skips this08:10 Why advisors join: excitement, helping, travel obsession — not marketing12:45 Host websites + the fantasy of “beach laptop life” (please stop)16:10 Why you’re overwhelmed: no one explained the whole job18:40 Like/Know/Trust isn’t outdated — and it’s your real job20:30 Furniture store story: why personality sells more than product27:00 Oversharing, politics, and filtering for aligned clients31:50 Deal-chasers and why your marketing attracts what you tolerate35:20 Wagon of tomatoes story: your first VIP client + value lesson43:45 The real sale: experience, connection, reliability, trust47:10 Stop proving your expertise and start being a real human50:30 Why “kick them out if they didn’t book with you” is broke energy54:00 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
More
Marcie Muensterman PODCAST11 saves you 11% on ALL signature courses www.thetraveladvisormarcie.com/courses Join Maximize Your TA Business FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/maximizeyourtravelagentbusiness 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 think05:15 “You’re selling YOU” and why most TA training skips this08:10 Why advisors join: excitement, helping, travel obsession — not marketing12:45 Host websites + the fantasy of “beach laptop life” (please stop)16:10 Why you’re overwhelmed: no one explained the whole job18:40 Like/Know/Trust isn’t outdated — and it’s your real job20:30 Furniture store story: why personality sells more than product27:00 Oversharing, politics, and filtering for aligned clients31:50 Deal-chasers and why your marketing attracts what you tolerate35:20 Wagon of tomatoes story: your first VIP client + value lesson43:45 The real sale: experience, connection, reliability, trust47:10 Stop proving your expertise and start being a real human50:30 Why “kick them out if they didn’t book with you” is broke energy54:00 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