DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A SUCCESSFUL TRAVEL PROFESSIONAL? by Peter Stilphen, MCC

How many articles and books have you read about becoming a successful Travel Professional?  There are hundreds of them out there and most of them speak some truth.  So why am I bothering to write another article on this subject?  Simple!  Most of you who read my writings know that I say it with a "tell it like it is" style and seldom leave anything to the imagination.  (That's why I continue to get myself into trouble).  I've been working in the trenches with home-based travel agents for the past five years and have seen many success stories as well as some dismal failures.  I can honestly tell you that the home-based agent has really evolved over these last five years.  They are better motivated, more knowledgeable and better trained, thanks to the efforts of great organizations such as OSSN and NACTA and the legitimate Host agencies along with the wealth of other training now available.  Home-based agent failures are still too high but are coming down considerably each year.  I have found the following attributes of the successful home-based travel professional.

First,  allow me to differentiate between a Travel Professional and a Travel Agent.  A Travel Agent is one who takes their customers orders and books the travel much like when you call the pharmacist and order your prescriptions.  A Travel Professional has the following attributes:

• Self motivated to succeed
• A strong desire to fulfill their client's vacation dreams
• Developing niches or specialties as opposed to being generic.  You can't be all things to all clients.
• Continuous training and education for the rest of your professional life up to age 95, as I did.
• Organization and self-discipline especially if you are home based
• A little common and business sense
• Knowing your product(s) inside and out
• Not going on a feeding frenzy at travel related meal events.  you could turn into another "shrimp lady".  (I had to include this one)

I believe the number one ingredient is self motivation in becoming a successful Travel Professional.  If you are only interested in selling, let's say a cruise just to earn a commission without bothering to determine your client's needs, then Wal-Mart may be a more appropriate choice for a career.

You must have a niche as opposed to selling all travel because your client expects you to know the destination or product they are seeking.  of course, you will sell air (ugh), car rentals and hotels, etc, but the main course will be the destination and fulfilling those dreams.

A Travel Professional never stops learning about the product or destinatin they are selling and you will receive that training and education from a myriad of sources.  just about all the resources you need are listed elsewhere in this newsletter along with the organizations of which you need to belong to further enhance your education.  Your Host agency, if you are fortunate to have one, should be the catalyst to get you where you are going.  The best Host Agencies hang out at www.path.travel.

You don't have to be working full time in this business to become a Travel Professional.  If you have the right ingredients you can devote a few hours a week along with two hours reserved for reading and still may call yurself a Travel Professional within a reasonable time.  you can be "at home", working in an office, working in a "brick and mortar" agency or affiliated with a Host Agency and still be a Travel Professional.  However, if you are with an MLM/card mill then you are a pseudo travel agent and not a travel agent and not even close to being a Travel Professional.  The bright side is that the pseudo travel agent sometimes known as an RTA can be de-programmed and retrained.  Obviously, being a Travel Professional you must know your product(s) and have a strong desire to serve your client befgore, during and after their trip.

Yes, a Travel Professional is all about being motivated, possessing good sales ability, and product knowledge.  If you are home based you also better be organized and self disciplined.  Setting your office up on the kitchen table won't cut it either.  Find yourself a little corner where you can get away from your spouse and the kids.  Also, must reading is Joanie and Tom Ogg's books along with books and articles written by Kelly Monaghan.

Needless to say, Travel Professionals must work on the legitimate side of the travel industry as opposed to the "dark" side with the MLMs.  Many home-based professionals belong to OSSN or NACTA.  There are also other great organizations listed in this newsletter.  A new organization called Travel Professionals of Color (TPOC) offers some great networking and training opportunities for minorities.

I hope this helps.

In the future, I will be focusing on specific MLM/card mills.  We will start off with Global Travel International, a pure card mill.

Comments

[Marcus Jones]

Please get your story straight about YTB. They have recently implemented a program effective on 1/1/08, wherein new Referring Travel Agents will need to sell at least $1500 in travel (not their own travel) in order to obtain their IATA card. We have been involved with YTB for 6 months and have made a significant amount of money with travel commissions. We enjoy traveling and also like to help people plan their trips. As such, we have become Disney Specialists. I recommend you do more research regarding YTB before posting such comments.