One of the funniest things I hear (okay, aggravating) is when I mention that I’m a travel agent and people say “Oh, they still have those?” Why, yes they do. In fact, travel agents are such an important part of the planning process that nearly every travel company and destination pays travel agents a commission for their work. The reality is you’ll actually pay that commission whether you use a travel agent or not! In the last decade, we’ve seen a lot of newer agents and potential agents interested in planning Disney vacations and I think there are a couple reasons for that: 1) it’s complicated! Getting the most out of a Disney park vacation means you need to put in the time and knowledge to get it right. Lots of clients want the assurance and expertise of an agent. And 2) We love it. Even when we’re frustrated because we can’t get the perfect dining reservation for a client despite being up at dawn, even when we’re missing dinner with our family because a new discount came out that day and we need to add it to a client’s reservation, we love it. Because, and I hate to tell you this, Disney commissions are some of the lowest, so it’s more than just money to us. It’s loyalty to a product that consistently gives us and our clients joy.
So, if you found this article, you’re probably interested in becoming a Disney-focused travel agent and you probably haven’t found a lot of guidance online. Ok, first of all, you’re not allowed to call yourself a “Disney” travel agent although everyone basically does and sometimes Disney even does too. My purpose of course isn’t to bore you with silly rules, it’s to give you some of the advice I wish I’d been given when I became an agent way back in 2010 and answer some of the most common questions I get as an owner when I talk to potential agents.
How do I know an agency is right for me?
One important consideration is whether or not you go with a Disney Earmarked agency. This is basically the “stamp of approval” from Disney and it means that a certain level of training has been met in addition to sales. There are multiple sales levels, from Silver to Diamond, but the level won’t really affect you that much. In fact, as long as your agency is Earmarked, you’ll get close to the same perks in a Silver agency as you would in a Diamond agency since, frankly, the big perks of higher selling, often quite large, agencies usually go to top agents or owners. In other words, don’t make a decision based on the size of the agency. There are some tiny but mighty agencies with great training programs and a handful of agents and there are agencies with 2000 agents that are the top in the field but might have agents that individually sell almost nothing (I’ve done the math!). Find the place that works for you and don’t be impressed by flashy websites, promises, and endless ads in your social media feeds. In fact, endless paid advertisements for agents might be a red flag.
Just for transparency, we’re a Gold level Earmarked agency with around 130 agents. Not small, not big. And I’ll go one step further. You don’t have to join an Earmarked agency to sell Disney travel. Again, being Earmarked is really about the relationship your agency has with Disney and the training and perks that are available, but you may find that you’re happy being a small agency’s Disney specialist. It’s all about what works for you.
What’s a fair commission split?
Probably one of the most important questions. I personally would not work for less than 70%, which is the industry standard for new agents. Anything less, to me, is taking advantage of the agent. You will encounter some agencies that start you off around 60% or 65% as part of their training program. If you’re comfortable with that, make sure you have in writing when you’ll move up to at least 70%. If it’s not in writing, there’s a chance it won’t happen. In addition, make sure your contract spells out when you’ll move up to higher commission levels based on growth. To give you an idea, an agent selling $1 million per year should be making at least 90%.
What should I look for in a contract?
I always say this: make sure the contract you’re signing today works for you five years from now. Agents don’t start out thinking about when they’ll leave an agency or the business, but things change and unless you’ve done something wrong (and leaving isn’t wrong), you deserve to be able to finish working on your remaining client reservations. If you were a good agent on Monday, you’re a good agent on Tuesday when you inform the agency that you’re moving on. No reason to punish you for that. Let the agent finish out their bookings.
Another red flag is a tricky little thing called a “non-compete” clause. If that’s in your contract, your agency owner can construe it to mean anything from you not being able to work for a certain amount of time after you leave to you not getting the commission for the remaining bookings you have at the agency. Non-competes are generally not enforceable but since the agency technically “owns” your bookings and most likely has deeper pockets than you do, who’s going to take them to court? Bottom line, non-compete clauses should give you pause. Either the agency doesn’t understand the law or wants the option to use it against you in the future.
What kind of training do I need?
Training is everywhere and a lot of it is free since companies want you to know their product. A good agency will provide you with the proper tools to begin and ensure that you have access to their supplier’s online training programs. These are almost always free with some exceptions, for example advanced courses, seminars, and conferences. A lot of agents, after they complete some initial, free courses online (think Princess Cruise Lines extensive Commodore course) may look into Autism certification with Sandals or take courses with CLIA, which is a certifying body for travel agents. You will definitely not run out of things to learn!
One of the most important things an agent needs has nothing to do with training: it’s the ability to bring in clients since the majority of agencies will not provide leads. When I interview agents, that’s one of the most important questions I ask.
Do you need experience?
To be honest, I look a lot at a potential agent’s personality. I want someone who is enthused about travel and has an easy-going personality since even though we are an “online” company, we all work together and travel together. Beyond that, I like to see destination experience, particularly for Disney as it’s such a complicated product to sell. Honesty, attention to detail, the ability to write clearly. These are all super important. The rest can be taught.
How much should I pay to join?
This to me is one of the craziest parts. Other than email a possibly the agency’s CRM (which is used to track bookings and pay you once your commissions come in), you really shouldn’t pay a thing. Think about it this way: Besides the obvious tax implications if you’re paying an agency to join (and that’s a whole other story), f you applied to work at Target, would they charge you to come work for them? Would they charge you to train on their systems? No. And travel agencies shouldn’t either. Since most travel agencies have you work for them as an independent contractor, there are certain things that you are personally responsible for, like email and your CRM mentioned above. Your responsible for conferences and extra training outside the agency. Those are important. And there may be other small fees, but they should not be for training or simply to join. Look carefully at any fees a company wants you to pay. I understand that taking a chance on a new agent has risks for the agency. I know there’s work that goes into training and making that agent comfortable with how an agency runs their business. But that’s also part of the cost of doing business.
I hope this helped if you’re considering becoming a travel agent. If you’re looking for a agent-focused agency, feel free to send me an email and we can chat. I’m Chris at Info@mainstreetandmoretravel.com.
