Shoptalk: The dos and don’ts of attending a FAM trip

Few opportunities give travel advisors as much valuable firsthand insight as experiencing a destination themselves. 

A well-used FAM can provide the knowledge, original content and supplier connections that help turn client interest into bookings. 

But the advisors who get the most from a FAM come home with more than a camera roll full of palm trees and room tours. They capture the details clients cannot find online, create content that sparks inquiries and build relationships that can benefit their business well beyond the trip. 

Here are the dos and don’ts of attending a FAM, from what to do to generate bookings to what to avoid if you ever want to be invited back. 

Do: Create a system for site inspections

Rosanne Lemdal, owner of Seaside Vacations in Toronto, uses an inspection sheet, that she designs herself, to record key features at each property, helping her keep the details straight during hotel-packed FAMs. 

“Otherwise, it's kind of hard to remember everything, especially when you're visiting something like 21 hotels in a week,” she says.

Beyond recording amenities, Lemdal pays attention to details clients cannot glean from promotional images, such as whether the atmosphere feels geared toward families or adults, the property’s overall scale and the distance between rooms, the lobby and the beach.

CJ Smith, director of sales, Canada for Unique Vacations Canada Inc., the worldwide representative for Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts, recommends asking for a property’s top five selling points or differentiators.

Smith also suggests taking plenty of photographs and making notes directly on the resort fact sheet. 

The goal is to create a reliable record advisors can draw on when recommending properties to clients. 

Do: Turn the FAM into client-ready content

Advisors do not necessarily need to wait until they return home to put their new knowledge to work. 

Kim Hartlen, owner of Kim Hartlen Travel in Halifax, shares Instagram stories throughout the day while on a FAM. 

She says the posts allow clients to follow the trip while showing suppliers that their investment in the FAM is helping promote their properties to potential travellers.

“When I'm posting during a trip, I get the most engagement of clients messaging me or emailing me saying they want rates,” Hartlen says. 

“Sometimes I’m even making bookings while I’m still there.”

Smith suggests inviting followers to submit questions through an Instagram “Ask Me Anything,” then finding answers while at the resort. 

Clients might want to see the view between the pool and beach, for example, or learn what is served at a particular restaurant.

He also recommends capturing photos or short videos with a BDM, director of sales or general manager. 

He says sharing those interactions can reinforce the advisor’s credibility by showing clients they have firsthand knowledge and established contacts at the resort. 

“It showcases the personal connection that an advisor has with the Sandals team,” he says.

Do: Make the right connections

Business cards may seem old-fashioned, but Freddie Marsh, business development manager for B.C., Alberta, Yukon and Northwest Territories with Hyatt Inclusive Collection, says advisors should bring them. 

“We’ll likely be visiting multiple resorts and the directors of sales and sales managers would love to have your contact information, especially if they want to follow up,” he says.

Those on-property contacts can be particularly valuable when a client has a specific request. 

Lemdal adds that relationships with BDMs and hotel managers may also help an advisor arrange an extra perk or special touch for their clients down the line.

Smith recommends asking a BDM for some one-on-one time during the FAM, even if it is simply a quick coffee connect. 

The conversation can help shape a sales plan tailored to the advisor’s own clients and business model. 

After returning home, Marsh suggests following up with the on-property sales leaders advisors met during the trip. 

“Thank yous always go a long way,” he says. “I’d recommend sending a quick note to the director of sales and sales managers they met on the FAM.”

Don’t: Make the group wait

Engagement is important, but advisors also need to remain aware of the group and its schedule, especially during packed days of back-to-back room inspections. 

“Don't be the one person that monopolizes the host’s time by asking a million questions while we're standing in a room,” Hartlen says.

If a question requires a longer conversation, she suggests speaking with the host while walking to the next room. 

Punctuality matters, too. One late arrival can hold up an entire bus or shorten the time available at the next property. 

“Being late once happens, but being the perpetual late person is annoying,” Marsh says.

Don’t: Become the FAM story everyone remembers

Professional conduct extends to how advisors behave during property inspections. 

Hartlen says advisors should avoid using the washroom or sitting on beds and chairs in rooms being shown.

Meals, receptions and pool time may be included, but overindulging can carry consequences for an advisor’s reputation.

“It’s never cute to be messy,” Marsh says. 

He recalls an advisor who had woken up early for her flight, then drank too much at the swim-up bar on the first day. 

“She fell asleep during the Welcome Dinner – I’m talking head in her plate,” Marsh says.

Lemdal witnessed another advisor drink heavily, fall and injure herself during a FAM in Cuba. She missed the site inspections and the BDM said she would not be invited on another trip.

“You don’t want to get blacklisted because this is your business,” Lemdal says. “You can have drinks, but you still need to have your wits about you.”

The simplest rule is to treat the FAM as the professional opportunity it is. Show up, pay attention and return home ready to turn the firsthand experience into bookings. 

Bonus: PAX’s own FAM Dos & Don’ts

By: Michael Pihach

After joining Canadian travel advisors on countless FAM trips around the world, the PAX team has seen just about everything.

Here are a few of our own tips to help travel advisors get the most out of their next educational journey.

DO

Think like a content creator.

Travel advisors were travel influencers long before the term existed. A four-day FAM can generate enough photos and videos to fuel your social media and marketing for the next six to eight months (or more) if you capture a good variety of content.

Photograph everything strategically.

During hotel inspections, take multiple angles of guest rooms, pools, spas, restaurants, gyms and public spaces. If you're visiting several properties, snap a photo of each hotel's entrance sign before the tour begins so it's easy to identify your photos later. 

Likewise, photograph business cards instead of relying on the paper copy surviving the trip. Cards get lost. 

Turn on your phone's location services.

Geotagged photos make it much easier to remember which resort, attraction or restaurant you're looking at when you're organizing content back home.

Wear comfortable shoes.

FAM trips can often involve thousands of steps each day between airport transfers, hotel inspections and sightseeing. Comfortable footwear is one of the smartest things you can pack. Leave the flimsy flip-flops in your suitcase. Your feet will thank you.

Consider extending your stay.

See if you can arrive a day early or stay an extra night or two. Most FAM itineraries are tightly scheduled, leaving little time to explore independently or conduct your own tour. Not all FAMs will allow this, but it’s always worth asking if you have the time. 

Help fellow advisors along the way.

If a peer forgets to write down the name of a hotel or restaurant, runs out of sunscreen, or needs to borrow a few dollars, lend a hand if you can. Small acts of kindness go a long way on a FAM trip, and chances are you'll find yourself needing a favour at some point, too. What goes around often comes around. 

Build excitement before you leave.

As mentioned, announce to your clients that you're travelling. Share your itinerary, post behind-the-scenes updates and invite followers to come along on social media.

DON'T

Treat hotel rooms like they're yours.

As mentioned, avoid sitting on beds, moving furniture or disturbing staged guest rooms during site inspections. Hotel teams spend hours preparing rooms for viewing, and the next paying guest should experience them as intended.

Only photograph the obvious.

Beyond standard pool, room and restaurant shots, capture lifestyle images that reflect the destination's atmosphere. Wide scenic shots, architectural details. 

And think bigger picture. Are there any images you could use for marketing, or as a background for your website, Facebook business page, or Instagram? 

Always take more photos and video than you think you’ll need. You have one chance to capture it. 

Be known as the person who complains.

Don’t be a Debbie Downer. Of course, genuine issues (like a hotel room flooding) should be raised. But constant negativity leaves a sour impression. Suppliers talk, agents talk. A positive attitude can go a long way toward future invitations and lasting industry relationships.

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