dwhsa webinars staying organized with your romance …...title: microsoft powerpoint - staying...

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DWHSA Webinars

Staying Organized With YourRomance Travel Bookings

Copyright 2018 Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Specialists Association. All rights reserved.Image: Evelyn Giggles via Flickr (www.flickr.com/photos/evelynishere/3124658384/)

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Why is being organizedso important?

Copyright 2018 Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Specialists Association. All rights reserved.Screen shot: Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line

If things go wrong on the two-night $129 cruise your couples have booked, you can always book them on the very same trip the next week ...

Why is being organizedso important?

Copyright 2018 Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Specialists Association. All rights reserved.Image: Quinn Dombroski via Flickr (https://bit.ly/2OoAoup) –

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

But, if you let details drop through the cracks or you make a mistake setting up your clients’ destination wedding or honeymoons, you’ll mess up the trips of their lifetimes.

They’ll be very angry and disappointed.

They may never book with you again.

And, they’re going to tell this sad story to ALL of their family members, friends, coworkers, and neighbors for the rest of their lives.

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Copyright 2018 Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Specialists Association. All rights reserved.

Organizing iswhat you do

before you do something, so that when you do it,

it is not all mixed up.(A.A. Milne)


Found the couple ...

Held the consultation ...

Sent the proposal...

They loved your ideas ...

NOW, WHAT?

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Three steps togetting organized


CHECKLIST

CALENDAR

FILES

Checklist

• A comprehensive list of every task and procedure and to-do item that you should handle with each booking that you make (whether it’s a single traveler or couple or an entire group of travelers)

• Paper list ... or an online sheet ... or a form you staple inside folders ...


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Step 1: Checklist

• A checklist of your to-do tasks for GROUP bookings (e.g., destination weddings, vow renewals, familymoons)

• A checklist of your to-do tasks for COUPLE bookings (e.g., honeymoons, babymoons, proposal trips, anniversary trips, romantic getaways)


Step 1: Checklist

• Get signed plan-to-go agreements, service fee agreements, client agreements, etc., from each traveler/couple

• Work with suppliers to secure the requested dates, times, locations, and rates

• Check for any possible promotions, offers, upgrades, etc., you can apply to the booking

• Get supplier contracts signed (you or the traveler[s]) or secure group booking codes; make any initial deposits; get confirmation on those deposits


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Step 1: Checklist

• Inform guests coming on the trip about the travel details, supplier policies, and payment due dates

• Issue payment invoices and reminders (padding the payment due dates); collect and remit funds to suppliers; give guests confirmations and receipts for each payment

• Research and confirm legal marriage requirements in the destination as required


Step 1: Checklist

• Update the couple periodically on guest bookings; check in with them once a month for updates

• Put the bride/couple in touch with the wedding coordinator; stay involved in the ceremony planning if desired

• Confirm group amenities, bonus refunds, and other benefits for the couple or group

• Handle any special requests for the group or individual travelers


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Step 1: Checklist

• Schedule and confirm any group activities, excursions, special meals, etc.

• Arrange welcome gifts if desired

• Confirm guest arrivals with suppliers once the trip starts

• Provide your emergency contact information to the couple while they’re on the trip

• Follow up with travelers once they return home


Checklist items to helpyou as an agent

• Enter all travelers into your client database and schedule follow-up contacts with them after the trip

• Track your commissions to ensure that you get paid


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Sample checklists

Copyright 2018 Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Specialists Association. All rights reserved.Image: Trish DeDamos

Sample checklists

Copyright 2018 Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Specialists Association. All rights reserved.Image: Shannon McAfee

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Sample checklists for DWHSA members

(For DWHSA Members Only)

When we post the video of this webinar in the training library inside DWHSAMembers.com, we’ll add links above the video player to download these helpful files:

• Lisa’s slides from “The Anatomy of a DW” (includes checklist items)

• DW and honeymoon timeline from Funjet Vacations

• Destination Wedding Group Checklist from Shannon McAfee

• DW Steps for New Couples from Trish DeDamos

• Checkoff Sheet for New Clients from Arlene Pelz


Step 2: Calendar

• A week-by-week, month-by-month way of reminding yourself of the tasks to do with each booking (and of tracking yourself so that you know each task was done)

• An online calendar tool ... or a printed calendar ... or a spreadsheet that assigns dates to your checklist items ...


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Step 2: Calendar

• Take the checklist for each booking and enter the tasks on your master calendar

• Remember to “pad” payment due dates so that clients have plenty of time to get their funds to you before the “real” due dates!


Copyright 2018 Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Specialists Association. All rights reserved.Image: Chelsea Landaverde

Charts her progress and how much time she’s

spending on each task

At start and end of each day, she looks at the last line (plus any lines in red)

TABS:One per booking

Color coded for different types of clientsSet in order of departure date

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Copyright 2018 Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Specialists Association. All rights reserved.Image: Shelley Morse

Uses ClientBase forpayment due dates and

invoicing


Drags actionable emails to create separate tasks within MS Outlook

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Each mail turns into a “task” in chronological order. Each task can be previewed on the right.

She can attach a “flag” to high-priority tasksand see the past-due tasks.


She can easily see completed tasks as they’re crossed off.

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Step 3: Files

• A central place to store everything related to each booking – all of the paperwork that’s generated

• A binder ... a hanging folder or manila folder ... online files (backed up) ...

• You’ll need one master file for each booking – and, if it’s a group, you’ll need a GROUP file plus individual TRAVELER files


GROUP Files

• The DW group contract or group booking code agreement

• The couple’s signed client agreement

• Correspondence with the couple and the supplier(s) about the group as a whole

• The master group list/rooming list

• A list of the deadline dates for the group as a whole


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TRAVELER Files

• Each individual’s plan-to-go agreement or client agreement

• Each individual’s res form/res information

• Payment history, schedule, and receipts

• Special requests

• Any cancellation or change requests


Step 3: Files

• Store each piece of paper or each electronic record (e.g., emails) in an offline folder or an online folder (in the GROUP file or the TRAVELER file, as appropriate)

• Get in the habit of filing each item immediately after you’ve finished dealing with it – don’t let these items pile up


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QUESTIONS?

[email protected]


dwhsa webinars staying organized with your romance …...title: microsoft powerpoint - staying...

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