I left $47K on the table. Here's how I got it back.

The Leverage Gap (And Why You're Still Trapped in Volume Thinking)

Here's an uncomfortable truth: most of us are negotiating with suppliers using a playbook designed for a different game entirely.

That playbook was built in the volume era, when "preferred partner" meant whoever booked the most room nights.

Ten properties a month? Standard terms.

Fifty properties? Maybe you get an upgrade or two.

A hundred? Now we're talking.

But here's what that model completely misses: not all bookings are created equal.

A travel advisor booking 50 nights at €220/night is generating €11,000 in revenue. You, booking 20 nights at €800/night? You're generating €16,000.

You're delivering 45% more value with fewer bookings, and yet you're often getting the same (or worse) terms.

Why?

Because you're not showing them the math.

What's Actually at Stake

Let me give you a real example from my own agency.

A few years ago, we were booking consistently with a luxury villa company in Europe.

Great properties, great clients, everyone happy.

Standard 15% commission, the same as any advisor in their network.

Then I did the math.

Our average booking: $18,500. Their network average (according to their own sales deck): $9,200. We were delivering clients who spent twice as much, and getting zero additional consideration for it.

When I brought this to them with data, everything changed.

- Preferential allocation on their best properties.
- 18% commission on bookings over $15K.
- First access to new inventory.

That's an extra 3% on every booking, which at our volume meant an additional $47,000 that year.

Not from booking more. By claiming what we'd already earned.

And here's the kicker: they were happy to give it to us. They wanted our clients. They just weren't going to volunteer better terms if I didn't ask.

The Mindset Shift

Most luxury advisors I know are still thinking: "How do I get more bookings with this supplier?"

True, volume matters, but the better question is: "What's the value profile of the clients I'm already delivering, and am I being compensated for it?"

This isn't about arrogance. It's about economics.

When you bring an $800/night client to a property, you're not just delivering a booking, you're delivering:

• Higher Average Daily Rate (which improves their revenue metrics)

• Better guest profile fit (which protects their brand positioning)

• Higher propensity to upgrade, extend stays, book spa/experiences (which increases their ancillary revenue)

• Lower acquisition cost (they didn't pay for that guest through Google Ads or OTAs)

And we're not even talking about the additionals on every booking: the private dinners, the wine experiences, the extended spa days. Your clients don't just book rooms. They spend.

You're a premium client acquisition channel. Not a booking engine.

What Suppliers Actually Care About (And It's Not What You Think)

Here's what shifted my entire approach: I stopped leading with volume and started leading with value signals.

Suppliers, especially luxury suppliers, care about four things:

1. Average Booking Value Not how many bookings, but how much each booking is worth. A $12,000 booking is worth more to them than ten $1,200 bookings (fewer operational headaches, better margin, higher-quality guest experience).

2. Upgrade/Upsell Rate What percentage of your clients upgrade room categories, add experiences, extend stays? This proves you're not just sending bargain hunters, you're sending clients who spend more once they're there.

3. Repeat Booking Ratio How often do your clients come back? Repeat guests cost them nothing to acquire and are their most profitable segment. If you're delivering clients who return, you're worth more.

4. Client Profile Fit Are you sending their ideal guest? The ones who align with their brand don't complain about price, appreciate the experience, and leave excellent reviews.

If you can demonstrate strength in even two of these areas, you've earned the right to renegotiate.

The Problem? You've Never Packaged This Data

Most advisors can't answer these questions about their own book of business:

• What's our average booking value with Supplier X?

• What percentage of our clients upgrade or add-on services?

• How many of our clients are repeat bookers?

And if you don't know these numbers, your suppliers definitely don't.

Which means they default to treating you like everyone else, because from their perspective, you haven't proven you're different.

That changes in the Marketing Corner.

Because once you have this data (and trust me, it takes less than an hour to pull—especially with AI doing the heavy lifting), the entire negotiation dynamic shifts.

You're no longer asking for favors. You're presenting value and claiming what you've earned.

Let's get tactical.

The Marketing Corner

The Premium Partner Playbook: 4 Moves to Reclaim Your Leverage

Alright, enough theory. Let's get tactical.

Here's how to turn that value gap into actual negotiating power, and how AI can do most of the heavy lifting for you.

Move 1: Build Your Value Brief (Let AI Do the Math)

Before you can renegotiate anything, you need to know your numbers. Most advisors skip this step because pulling reports, calculating averages, and formatting it into something presentable feels like a 3-hour project.

Here's the shortcut:

Export your last 12 months of bookings with each supplier (most booking systems let you do this as a CSV). Then feed it to ChatGPT with a structured prompt that tells it exactly what to calculate and how to format it.

What you get in 2 minutes:

• Clean metrics that prove your value

• Insights you might have missed manually

• A formatted one-page brief you can send directly to suppliers

The output should include:

• Average Booking Value: $X (vs. property/portfolio average of $Y)

• Upgrade Rate: X% of clients upgrade room categories or add experiences

• Repeat Client Rate: X% of clients return within 12-24 months

• Client Profile: Key demographics, spending patterns, booking behaviors

This becomes your leverage document. You'll reference it in every negotiation.

Get the detailed Move 1 AI Prompt in the attached PDF below: "The Premium Partner AI Toolkit"

Move 2: Reframe the Conversation (And Let AI Draft It)

Now that you have your value brief, it's time to reset the relationship with your top 5-10 suppliers.

Stop saying: "Can we get complimentary upgrades for our clients?"

Start saying: "Based on the client value we deliver, let's discuss preferred partner terms."

Here's the framework:

1. Reference your value metrics (from Move 1)

2. Compare to their portfolio average (if you have it) or industry benchmarks

3. Propose specific terms: higher commission tiers, allocation priority, room category upgrades, co-marketing budget

4. Make it a partnership conversation, not a demand

The AI shortcut:

Writing these emails from scratch is time-consuming and you'll second-guess the tone. Let AI draft it with a detailed prompt that includes your specific data points, desired outcomes, and the right tone.

You'll get 2-3 versions. Pick the one that sounds most like you. Personalize the final 10-15%. Send.

Time saved: 30 minutes per email.

Get the detailed Move 2 AI Prompt in the attached PDF below: "The Premium Partner AI Toolkit"

Move 3: Know Your Walk-Away Point (Do Your Homework First)

Not every supplier deserves your premium clients.

If a supplier won't acknowledge the value you deliver, or worse, if they're giving better terms to advisors with lower client spend, walk away.

Your clients are too valuable to subsidize suppliers who don't appreciate them.

How to decide:

Rank your suppliers by:

1. Total revenue generated

2. Client satisfaction/repeat rate

3. Responsiveness and partnership quality

The bottom 20%? Phase them out over the next 6-12 months. Redirect that energy to suppliers who value your book of business.

The top 20%? Double down. These are the relationships worth renegotiating aggressively.

AI can help here too: Before any negotiation, do reconnaissance.

Use AI to research each supplier's partnership structure, tiered programs, and what preferred partners typically receive. Walk into conversations informed. Know what's possible before you ask.

Get the detailed Move 3 AI Prompt in the attached PDF below: "The Premium Partner AI Toolkit"

Move 4: Turn Better Terms Into Better Margins (And Track What Works)

Once you've renegotiated, here's what changes:

Preferential commission rates = You can buffer your markup without pricing yourself out

• Standard 15% to 18% on high-value bookings = 3% pure margin gain

Room category upgrades = Client delight without eating into your commission

• Clients get the suite experience; you don't have to comp it

Allocation priority = You get inventory when it matters most

• Peak season, sold-out properties, exclusive availability = competitive advantage

Co-marketing budgets = Suppliers fund your client events, FAM trips, content

• Lower your acquisition costs while deepening supplier relationships

The compounding effect: Better terms > Better client experience > More referrals > More leverage next year

Track what's working:

Every quarter, analyze your booking data before and after renegotiation. Use AI to spot trends, identify which partnerships improved margins, and flag which relationships need follow-up conversations.

Let AI do the pattern recognition. You focus on the strategic decisions.

Get the detailed Move 4 AI Prompt in the attached PDF below: "The Premium Partner AI Toolkit"

Your 15-Minute AI Workflow (To Get Started This Week):

1. Download "The Premium Partner AI Toolkit" PDF (includes all 4 detailed prompts)

1. Export last 12 months of supplier bookings (5 min)

2. Use Move 1 Prompt to generate your value brief (2 min)

3. Use Move 2 Prompt to draft renegotiation email to your #1 supplier (3 min)

4. Personalize, send, schedule follow-up call (5 min)

You've just started reclaiming leverage you've been leaving on the table for years.

Action Items:

• Download "The Premium Partner AI Toolkit" PDF

• Pull booking data for your top 10 suppliers

• Use AI to generate value briefs for each

• Draft and send renegotiation emails to your top 3 partners this month

• Set quarterly review: track which partnerships improved margins post-renegotiation

Bottom line: You've been delivering premium value. Now it's time to get paid for it.