Imagine being in a job where you had a varied landscape of competitors. Some were much more experienced than you, others, just starting out and not on par with your industry knowledge. You struggled with some challenges and worried that you’d never reach the highest level of success no matter how hard you worked.
Then, one day, you wake up and the playing field has been leveled. Everyone is at the same starting point and you’ve got the same opportunities as everyone else. With a deep breath and a sly grin, you burst out of the gate with new plans for customer acquisition and retention, great concepts for tactical marketing and a renewed faith that your business is going to thrive in 2021. And never once do you doubt yourself.
That’s where you sit right now. Travel advisors had their worlds crash and burn a year ago, but a full rebound is in play and the possibilities to succeed are endless.
Rock star, veteran travel advisors have had to pick themselves up and begin again, just as you have. And like you, they are dealing with clients who have new needs and concerns when traveling. These advisors also have to realign with new partners as the supplier landscape has changed as well. Some took a hard line and didn’t issue refunds to clients; others didn’t communicate well with agencies that had contributed greatly to their profits over the years. Other suppliers are out of business or M.I.A. But there are also plenty of travel companies that are open for business and ready to service you and your clients as well as before. In short: All advisors have the similar challenge of relearning who their best travel partners are in the coming months.
With a fresh new opportunity to succeed, how will you rebound in 2021? Will you be more organized? Will you fight more aggressively for the affluent client who will make your bottom line more profitable? Will you charge fees? Will you finally be able to deliver that elevator pitch to describe your services when someone asks you what you do for a living?
Yes, yes, yes, on all counts. Never before has the industry had such a reboot across the board. Travelers want to spend more, stay longer and are open to the concept of what a travel advisor can do for them. Just be wise with whom you spend your time on. The hours of your day are quite valuable and so you’ll want to invest them wisely with clients who recognize the value of what you deliver to them. This is the year for you to truly understand the unique services you provide and to pay yourself accordingly.
Last words of advice? Visualize what you want your success to look like in 2021, write it down and revisit that vision every day so you don’t lose sight of it, especially as the minutia of the business tries to drag you down. This is your year to garner as much profitable business as you can, in the most gracious manner possible, of course. Never feel other advisors have an edge on you; your chances to succeed are as limitless as theirs.
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