Don't Let Travel Insurance be an Afterthought
Published on Tuesday, October 20, 2015
For many travel agents and tour operators, it seems like offering travel insurance is a postscript – it’s presented as an add-on once the trip is booked. In the same way someone may say: Would you like fries with that?, you can hear it being said: Would you like travel insurance with that?
Trust us – this is not the most effective way to sell travel insurance. Your job is to book the trip – and get your customers excited about the trip. Anything that implies the need for travel insurance can be an immediate buzz kill:
- You’re looking for honeymoon options in the Caribbean in September? Don’t forget it’s hurricane season!
- Let’s plan that trip to Africa for you, but keep in mind, you’re in your 80's, and Mt. Kilimanjaro isn’t any smaller!
- That family winter vacation you’re planning – it’s in the middle of flu season. Has everyone gotten their flu shots?
Travelers don’t want to think about travel insurance until they need it. Let’s face it – how do you get someone excited about an insurance product? What if you switched things around: rather than selling the insurance as an addendum to a trip, why not actively use the trip protection to help sell the trip itself?
- September is a great month to honeymoon in the islands. Plus, you’ll have travel insurance, so you won’t have to worry about a hurricane affecting your plans.
- Africa is beautiful. Let’s book your travel insurance at the same time to make sure any pre-existing conditions are covered. We wouldn’t want anything to interfere with that trip of a lifetime!
- Skiing is an excellent family activity, and with travel insurance, even your most daring “downhill racer” will be covered – just keep to the marked trails!
If you actively make travel insurance part of the conversation from the start, it’s easier to sell. Travelers are also more receptive to it if it is weaved throughout the conversation, not just tacked on at the end. The topic of travel insurance should be a natural inclusion into any trip planning conversation. After all, your goal is to make sure your clients have a great time, and part of that is making sure they have the protection and care they need when they need it.
Want more information about protecting your travelers with RoamRight travel insurance? Contact us.
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