“Match the right customer with the right product and they will have the best time and then rebook with you repeatedly”

Gemma Outram joined The Travel Franchise as a cruise business development manager last year, making £1 million in sales since November 2022

Gemma has won more awards, sold more cruise holidays than anyone in the industry, according to The Travel Franchise. She possesses incredible in-depth knowledge of every single cruise ship in the industry.   

“I am so career driven that I’m always looking for my next challenge,” says Gemma. “I’m extremely ambitious and so I’m constantly developing new skills and ways to grow.”

It was this attitude and entrepreneurial talent that attracted Paul Harrison, co-founder of the Travel Franchise to hire her. He expected she’d achieve great success in her role as cruise business development manager, and he was right.

“What she has since gone on to achieve alongside her full-time role with us is quite simply incredible, says Paul. “As a result, despite being a single mum with two kids, four dogs and a full-time job, she is our top seller of cruise. What she achieves in her spare time is quite simply incredible.”

However, despite her clear talent, Gemma struggled to find a company that would take a chance on her – due to having limited BDM experience. That was until she encountered The Travel Franchise.

“We are always looking for driven people with an entrepreneurial spirit,” says Paul. “So many people who join us are looking for that lucky break. Now, our travel consultants can learn from the top-seller in the industry - it’s gold dust.”

Hitting financial targets

The Travel Franchise business model enables employees to build their own customer bases and use their own insights working the market to support franchisees – something Gemma has taken to effortlessly.

“Gemma is a genuine example of what our franchisees can achieve. She has mastered her craft and there isn’t a single thing she doesn’t know about a particular cruise ship,” says Paul.

As it stands, Gemma is set to sell more than £1m of cruises in her first year, which translates to hundreds of cruises.

Gemma puts her success down to “being passionate about cruise and falling in love with the industry. It’s simple - know what you’re talking about. 

“Match the right customer with the right product and they will have the best time and then rebook with you repeatedly,” she says.

Now, encouraged by her success, Gemma’s sights are turning to the future.

“I’m looking to build even closer relationships with the trade and further develop the Cruise Mastery Programme for franchisees,” she says. 

“I’m always looking to build my business and further my career. I don’t accept ‘no’ and believe anything will happen.” 

This is one of a series of articles about women in franchising. The Travel Franchise is sharing a series of stories from several successful women in support of the work industry organisation Encouraging Women into Franchising (EWIF) is currently doing.