Travel Agent Achievers - To Educate, Encourage and Empower Travel Professionals

Now that we are coming back together in person in addition to all the 'online' work we have been doing, learning how to communicate effectively and with conviction is a skill we can always use.

Public Speaking as Travel Professionals isn't something we can avoid if we want to grow our business too.

In the travel industry, public speaking is one of the most personal ways to reach new clients and potential customers. In order to maximize this tactic, as Travel Advisors, we may need to make sure that we are as comfortable as possible when delivering a presentation or speaking to our clients, both new and existing.

Jaimie Abbott, our guest for today is an award-winning media professional and international keynote speaker. She has spent two decades in the industry working as a Radio and TV Journalist, Political Media Adviser, Managing Director of her own public speaking and media training company and a Communications Adviser for the Royal Australian Air Force.

In this episode of the Travel Agent Achievers Podcast, Jaimie shares her expertise in public speaking and gives tips on how to deal with the fear of rejection.

Public speaking has its challenges, regardless of how comfortable you are talking to groups of people. With the addition of social media, along with the introduction of new forms of technology in presenters, public speaking has become even more challenging.

As a travel business owner, it is vital to make a personal connection with your clients. Confidence is the key when speaking in front of an audience. Jaimie also encouraged people to simplify their language because people's attention spans are not what they used to be.

For many people, public speaking is a fear and something they would rather avoid than learn how to do well. However, with simple techniques and doing some practice, this fear can be overcome.

Grab all the details and links to Jaimie and her programs and social pages at https://www.travelagentachievers.com/episode70

Everyone has a different approach to learning, there is no denying its importance ― it makes you adhere to new and better work processes and systems.

Some people like to learn and absorb, whilst others, learn and take action. Risking trying something new or different to move forward. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't.

Learning and implementing however is about growth. Growth for you as a business owner and taking action to build the travel business you desire.

For travel business owners, learning new things is something we are ALWAYS doing.

Whether it is supplier training or what's working on social media at the moment.

However learning and taking action on the things you learn I find at 2 different things.

Learning and Implementing need to come together to become more than just a way forward; it also helps make sure that we can stay competitive in today's global business marketplace.

In this episode, I asked one of the Travel Agent Achievers members to share her incredible story about her journey and experience in her travel business.

Holly Velardo has over 20 years of experience in the Travel Industry providing tailor made itineraries with the best possible service and expert advice.

With her passion for the industry and love for her clients, she opened her own Travel Agency almost 5 years ago.

During the pandemic and when the world closed down, she decided that she finally had more time to work on her travel business. She joined Travel Agent Achievers to have things in place and to keep building and reaching goals.

One thing that she loves about the Travel Agent Achievers community is the SUPPORT and ACCOUNTABILITY not only just coming from me but from her co-members as she said.

She also shares that it is so important to put together the systems and processes in business to get things organized. Once she put a few parts and pieces of automation into her travel business, it has taken away some of the administrative tasks, which has allowed her to focus on building her business.

As she has implemented what she has learnt, she has also seen incredible results in her business from a sales perspective, but also growth in size of her business. Allowing her to do more of what she loves and with those she loves as well.

Ros & Holly discuss why it's important to invest in yourself, your learning and business to enrich your skills and knowledge, stay up-to-date, and move forward.

Learning from your experiences, both successful and unsuccessful ones. Learning from your colleagues who are experts in their own fields.

Holly is now working on specialised groups and encourages everyone to listen in, learn where you can and from people that 'get' you and take action. You won't regret it.

Grab all the details on Holly & Travel Agent Achievers at:

www.travelagentachievers.com/episode69

Your travel business, just like any living thing, has its ups and downs throughout the day. It's impossible in my opinion to be highly productive all the time. (Though I am sure you try to be)

When it comes to success, I firmly believe that to achieve success, accountability is vital. Of course, there are some people that hold themselves accountable, however surrounding yourself with others that are all working towards their goals too, can shed additional light on what changes are needed in order to succeed​.

Accountability can help you make decisions that will lead you to your long-term goals and desires in your travel business. Accountability can also stretch you and give you the nudge you may need to show up and do the work to get there.

Your part in the process is being accountable for what you can control, and accepting what you cannot.

It is important when we look at accountability that we take ownership of where we are at the moment and also where we want to be. Because without ownership, accountability can't sustain itself.

I have seen this time and time again over the last few years with the hundreds of business owners that I work with.

It's one of the reasons why I love that as part of our Travel Business Accelerator Program, we talk about and design our "Vision" the goals that we want for the future of our business as well as the additional extension of our "Achievers" Mastermind.

As a collective we are there and can hold space for one another. We can see when one is struggling and surround them with the right words. We are also able to celebrate and cheer each other on - chasing those goals and dreams and showing up to do the work and share through accountability our progress!

At the end of the day, only you can determine what you consider success, and finding a suitable way to pinpoint your own goals is essential for reaching them.

Accountability can lead to success in ways that you never thought possible before.

If you need a group that supports you and your dreams, that you can show up and do the work ON your business and be ready to soar, make sure you check out the Travel Agent Achievers Programs and community.

www.travelagentachievers.com

Being a travel business owner is both exciting and challenging. Some days you feel full of energy, while other days it feels like the effort is draining you. Thus, traveling is a great way to take a break from your business and recharge your mind.

I'll admit I am a little bit obsessed with business and especially my travel business. Because I LOVE IT! However taking a break every now and then, even just removing myself from my 'office' can really change my headspace.

In this episode, I shared what I personally learn from traveling whilst still running my business. Discovering new places and cultures, tasting new foods, seeing the sites, and meeting interesting people is what opens my eyes to the world and is a great reminder of why I do what I do.

Throughout my travels, I've learned how important it is for me to get out of my comfort zone. I have been able to have a space for clarity and creativity and to think about different things that are in my day-to-day life.

Traveling allows you to get outside and see things from a different angle than you're used to. It makes you use your mind in a way that you wouldn't have before. It is truly one of the most enjoyable experiences for me, even if I am still juggling life and an office. Traveling can allow you to escape from reality for a moment. Helping you realize that there is "another world" out there. Being in a beautiful place or experiencing something "once in a lifetime" is a great catalyst for some deep thinking.

The opportunity to travel again and regularly this year has given me that opportunity to get clarity, a clear mind, and be ready to go. The lessons I learned from traveling are something that will impact me for the rest of my life. So wherever you are in this world, I want to encourage you to travel, experience different things, take the time for you to look at what makes you happy.

Looking to revamp your travel business? Check out: https://www.travelagentachievers.com/

In this new era of the COVID-19 pandemic, how do you navigate this new era? Everybody is busy, so how can you get your clients engaged?

Over the last couple of years in particular, Travel Business owners have increasingly turned to online marketing tools to help them engage with their clients.

Looking for a way to connect with their clients. Webinars have been around for years for suppliers, however in this discussion with Charlie, we talk about the importance of them, their relevance moving forward and what YOU can do to engage your audience and also suppliers with them in your Travel Business.

Charlie Trevena, is an online webinar host expert and has been in travel and tourism for about 20 years. She is the incredible founder and stress-free webinar host of destinationwebinars.com.au. She has been hosting webinars since 2011.

In this episode, Charlie discusses and shares tips for hosting online webinars. Especially how to keep advisors motivated or engaged with their training. It is insightful, a fun conversation and finally Ros & Charlie get the opportunity to share their experience with you.

Make sure you stay up to date with the podcast by subscribing and downloading our free resources and checklists to help you with your travel business and let us know what you want to learn about to help your travel business grow. https://travelagentachievers.com/

I'm a pretty relaxed kinda person. I don't normally get worked up over things and I NEVER explode or react in a way that would normally be considered an outburst. Let's just say I am cool under pressure (it's actually where I work best.)

However, over the last few weeks I have had a few conversations with people where I knew there was undertones, yet at the time I didn't react. I have now been thinking further about it and its really bothering me.

SO - I have decided I need to speak up about it, because it doesn't help anyone if I keep quiet.

This, I hope helps others out there that are feeling as though they may not belong, that feel as though they got themselves a 'job' when they started their own travel business, or that feel as though they want to change, grow, build, create, do something different, but not sure how to or why.

I am here to support, educate, inspire and encourage those in the Travel and Tourism Industry that want to build a business that is a business. Building something that gives you life, energy, excitement and you don't become a slave to it.

I don't wait you to be working till midnight and not having time to sleep, take care of your health, spend time with your kids/partner and not travel or have a holiday.

You don't have to be grinding and burning the candle at both ends to build the business you desire.

It takes courage, guts, determination, resilience, but also action.

It isn't easy, or everyone would do it.

I know you started your Travel Business for a reason, let's rebuild together.

As a travel business owner/advisor/experience creator, our goal is always to create seamless and memorable travel experiences for our clients. However, what happens when we have a lead who seems like an unlikely prospect? Should we reject them? Or see the opportunity in every business interaction?

Our guest, Maree Kirkpatrick is a sales trainer and business strategist with over 15 years of experience negotiating millions of dollars in sales for numerous industries. She and I have been working together over the last month or so putting some different ideas and perspectives on sales for travel advisors talking about different languages to use, and how we can work together to get the ideal clients.

In this episode, Maree and Ros discuss understanding who are your ideal clients. Understanding who you want to be working with and why you want to be working with those people. From there we can make that decision to say, "Yes, I want to work with them." or "No, I don't." If I don't take them on as a client, that's okay. But make sure when you say no, that you're also still looking after them. You can also help them find people within your community that might be the right fit for them.

We also discuss the importance of implementing a sales process that allows you to understand who your prospective clients are, what they want, and if they are ideal customers for your business. The sales process then flows into your sales strategy, so you can remain focused on one thing at a time, instead of being pulled in different directions and becoming overwhelmed by all the work.

We want your travel business to run smoothly and easily, because work should be something that makes you feel good instead of exhausted and overwhelmed.

Your Travel Business can be a separate box that you can step out from and you can step into. Stand in your power and know what you want to be known for, what makes you unique, and what makes you stand out.

Make sure you stay up to date with the podcast by subscribing and downloading our free resources and checklists to help you with your travel business and let us know what you want to learn about to help your travel business grow. www.travelagentachievers.com

"Mindset" - A word more recently thrown around - quite a lot. I'm not sure how it sits with me yet. Yes - we have control over our thoughts, though if we are to work on our mind and the thoughts we have, I also think that someone who specialises in this area should be consulted as it is a very powerful topic.

I take this topic very seriously as mental health is something that is not a foreign topic in my family. When I want help in a particular area, I see a specialist. My Nanna always use to say to me… "Your health is one of your most important assets in life, make sure to see the best Dr's as you only get one chance at this life."

Which is why I wanted to ensure that by bringing up this topic of the mind, it was dealt with care and in the right forum with a qualified professional.

Not only is she a beautiful human, whom I could easily spend hours with and we forget the time (true story of a 3am finish with no alcohol involved) Clare is a Psychologist with many years experience working with business owners of all different sized companies small and large.

Clare and her partner and team have created an incredible process and system to help business owners all over the world take a look at who they are, potentially dig into the WHY and also work towards solutions and growth and how to get there with their tools Values Pendulum and Thought Code.

In this Travel Agent Achievers Podcast episode Clare and I talk about the power of choice. It is really interesting, thought provoking and I am thrilled she has also agreed to come into our Achievers Mastermind several times this year to help our Travel Business Owners work towards their goals through working on their mind too. (Want to know more about this? Send me a DM and I will let you in on it.)

I'd love to know your thoughts once you listen. Enjoy the conversation and ideas that come from it.

Ros xo

Listen here: www.travelagentachievers.com/episode63

At the centre of a travel business is the service provided to clients. Nurturing relationships, building trust. One of the things I love about Travel Businesses is that the personal connections we have can create opportunities for others to fulfill their travel dreams. Helping people.

Our guest for this episode is one of the Hospitality Industries most sought after speakers and trainers. She educates, advises and evaluates venues, management staff and ground floor operators to champion the Customer Service Experience.

In our travel businesses this in turn can help grow through referrals and repeat clients.

Michelle Pascoe founded one of Australia's most respected training companies, Optimum Operating Procedures Pty Ltd (OOPS).

In this episode of the Travel Agent Achievers Podcast, Michelle provides insight, big ah ha moments and reminders to help us create an unforgettable customer experience for our travel clients.

Expectation. Experience. Evaluation.

We talk about these 3 E's behind creating an incredible customer service experience. Listen in to learn more about each of these areas and how you can implement strategies to assist in creating magical experiences for your travel clients.

Michelle also discusses with Ros about "FLOW". What this is, and how it can help you improve your approach to handling your business. It's important to make sure that we make the most of every guest, every visit and every experience.

With all that's happening at the moment in the travel industry, especially with more borders opening, your clients need you. They are not coming to you just for the service that you provide but because of the person and the business that gives them an amazing experience.

Make sure you stay up to date with the podcast by subscribing and downloading our free resources and checklists to help you with your travel business and let us know what you want to learn about to help your travel business grow. https://travelagentachievers.com/

Which is you in your travel business at the moment?

We've just received the best news this week here in Australia and I couldn't help but feel so excited and happy!

Finally, after two years, we are reopening our shores to international visitors again! Whoo-hoo! A part of this brings a lot of joy but there's also a part of me that has a bit of anxiety rising.

With the world opening up, there's still a big shift in our clients and how they're feeling.

Yes, we are all happy but there is also this level and feeling of uncertainty. There are so many questions going on in our clients' heads about the 'NEW' kind of traveling.

Are you ready to take these on?

Are you ready to stand up as the expert in your own field of genius and be the travel advisor that your clients need?

In this episode, I wanted to reflect with you on a couple of things that I've learned over the last few weeks, as well as give you some ideas on things that you can be doing right now to prepare your travel agent business as the world starts open.

This is the perfect time to be connecting with your clients. Let them know about the recent news updates, what's happening in the travel world and how you can help them. Continue to build those relationships.

There are tons of ways to show up as an expert in our area. I talked about these in this episode as well. But one of the most popular ways to connect with our clients is through social media.

If you feel like you haven't been visible on social media lately and you need the structure and system to consistently show up in front of your ideal clients, join us in our FREE 5-Day Live Training starting next Monday, 14th of February 2022.

Together, with a bunch of amazing travel professionals, we are going to work on our structure in order to be visible again.

Get excited. I know it's been hard, but you're coming through this time. We believe in you.