How to hire a travel sales team
To hire a travel sales team, replace CV screening with a scored live mock enquiry call. Mark discovery, destination depth, costing logic, objection handling, close and language. This single change predicts on-desk performance far better than years of experience or listed destinations.
Why CV screening fails in travel
Travel CVs converge. Every candidate lists international destinations, a high conversion rate and CRM experience. None of that separates a consultant who closes at margin from one who survives on discounting.
The scored mock enquiry call
Give the candidate a realistic enquiry for a destination you actually sell and score six things out of ten each.
- Opening and rapport in the first thirty seconds
- Discovery, do they establish budget, dates and flexibility before pitching
- Product knowledge and destination depth
- Costing logic, can they defend the price they quoted
- Objection handling against a cheaper competing quote
- Language and written follow-up quality
What predicts performance, and what does not
Signals worth weighting, and signals worth ignoring.
| Predictive | Not predictive |
|---|---|
| Average booking value actually handled | Number of destinations listed |
| Behaviour under a price objection | Years of experience alone |
| Written follow-up quality | Degree or certification |
| Costing accuracy in a live exercise | Notice period flexibility |
Structure the offer around the band
Fixed pay for Tier 1 India runs 1.8 to 2.6 LPA for freshers, to about 4.5 LPA at two years and 5.5 LPA at three, with value based pay above that. Put real incentive on margin, not on gross booking value, if you want discounting to stop.
Reduce the cost of a bad hire
A weak sales hire costs the salary, the enquiries they burned, and the margin they discounted away. Screening properly for two extra days is cheaper than replacing at month five.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to hire a travel sales executive in India?
With a live pool and a scored screen, a first shortlist usually lands within a few working days and a closed hire within two to four weeks depending on notice periods.
Should we hire from outside the travel industry?
For junior desks, yes, if you can train destinations. For outbound and B2B, industry experience usually pays for itself.
What does travel recruitment cost?
Our model is a fee per candidate who joins, with volume slabs, no retainer and a replacement window. Nothing is payable for shortlists that do not convert.
Do you recruit outside travel?
Our travel desk is specialist, and we also run recruitment for other industries on the same screening method.