Become a Travel Agent

Home-Based Travel Agent Qualities
 that Lead to Success!
Joanie Ogg CTC MCC

Let’s face it working from home has its share of challenges, which we have discussed in previous articles but what business worth pursuing doesn’t? The good news is that certain individuals really do possess traits and qualities that are symbiotic with working from home. When I teach our Home Based Seminars to agents, I focus on some of the traits that are needed to be as effective a home-based travel professional as possible. Not everyone will possess all of these traits and there are likely even more that would be helpful. However, these seem to be the most important and if wish to be home based or are already home based, perhaps reading about these will help you strengthen your commitment to your home based agency success.

1. Knowledge is Key

As we all know being a travel professional is not as easy as it looks!  Sure, we don’t have to hae a degree but it certainly helps and the more education we can invest in our careers the more successful we are sure to be. Studies done by Plog Research, The Travel Institute and others prove this to be fact. Knowledge is power and the beautiful think is it can never be taken away from us. We need to refresh and update our skills and knowledge base but once we own that knowledge in our minds it is truly ours. 

Continuing education is key to staying on top in our business. We have so many opportunities to take advantage of educational programs such as conferences like Cruise A Thon, NACTA’s Seminars at Sea, NACTA’s National Conferences, tremendous programs available through the Travel Institute, CLIA and so many more. I believe it is our duty to clients to stay abreast of the changes and new products and services that are available in our market. With the many choices of educational opportunities for travel professionals there is no excuse not to continue to upgrade and cement our knowledge and experience to best serve our customers. 

2. Do you have a plan?

We just did a survey of our members and one of the questions focused on the need for a business plan. Interestingly enough most of the agents surveyed felt this was not really all that important in the scheme of things.  I must say I was a bit surprised. I am a firm believer in the need to have a plan so we know where we are headed. Additionally, we need to have a plan to check our efforts against or successes as we move along in our business. A plan can always change but if we don’t have a starting place and a final goal, it is pretty hard to stay focused and on track in my opinion.

So my suggestion here is to ask yourself the simple question “What do I want to achieve from my home based travel agency?” Just jotting down the various reasons will help you to make the plan. In fact, this is a great exercise even if you have been home based for many years. Perhaps what you thought you wanted to achieve or the goal you wanted to reach has changed. Time changes many things and perhaps when you began doing this 10 years ago you wanted to be home with your children and this was the perfect solution. Now they are grown and you are freer to get out and market and perhaps network in your community. Your goals may have changed and perhaps you wish to change them to fit your place in time.

In order to build a solid travel business you must have a central purpose and a goal.

Doing too many different things and having no direction will likely take you in circles without the results you strive to achieve. It is common knowledge that people who fail in businesses often had not goal or defined purpose to start with.

Maybe writing a business plan is not your thing but at least set a purpose and goals for your travel business success so you can reap the rewards of a great plan.

3. Determination and Tenacity

O.K. I am so guilty of this one. I admit to having a serious problem with finishing some projects I start. The good thing most of these are personal projects so NACTA members won’t feel the pain of my lack of following through. I must have 10 needlework projects that I have started but have yet to complete. Then there is the lining of my pantry shelves that is half finished, my golf lessons that are on hold, and the list goes on. I guess if my heart is not really in it I have trouble following through and completing the task. I am not sharing this so you will see my faults but instead so you will look within and realize too that as long as we are determined to make the important things successful then we should be all right.

Remember always that you have friends and colleagues out there that like you need to share and help one another from time to time. Take advantage of the associations you have with other professionals and stay connected to them. NACTA Members recently rated NACTA’s  Agent Digest was one of their favorite best benefits of membership. This online digest allows members to communicate daily and help one another with suggestions on products, destinations, and so much more.

This is not like my starting golf lessons or a needlepoint project,  that I think I can safely put on a back burner till I have the time or determination to finish the project. You started or are starting your home-based travel business because you want to see it succeed, right? This is an important undertaking and one that requires your determination and your tenacity to see it through. Not every day will be a piece of cake but other days will more than make up for them.  Having a home-based travel business has great benefits but some occasional hurdles or speed bumps might slow things down. Just hang in there and remember why you started this and focus on your objectives. There are also few things more rewarding once you have succeeded.

4. Self – Discipline…. of course I have that!

At least I think I do have self-discipline to some degree. I was raised by a workaholic father whose middle name was self-discipline so I believe I inherited that trait. Sometimes I am not sure it issuch a great quality though as I have a hard time moving into the relaxation and let it go mode. Are you self-disciplined? How do we know if we are or not? I guess if we start looking at our ability or lack of ability to go to work daily in a home environment with a million and one distractions we might have a good idea of our success in this area.

Let’s face it, the sun might be shining and well, you deserve a day off right? No one will know or care right? You can simply take advantage of the beautiful day and walk away from the work at hand and live for the moment, right? It is true that you probably can take the day, but will you deal with guilt while trying to enjoy this day that you stole from your workload? If you can do that without feeling guilty all day, then more power to you.

I for one am not so good at this. It is funny but I can almost remember each day that I stole from my workload over the last 6 years. In fact, I always feel so lousy about it that I work on the weekends to make up for it. I know…. I have a problem but that’s just me and this is about you.  My husband Tom is a pro at living for the moment. I tease him about majoring in it as if it were a career. His motto is, “When there are waves, one surfs!” That is his creed and he is able to make it work for him. I admire it, as he always seems to get his work done and completed in the time frame he expected to. After 22 years of marriage, I am still trying to figure this one out! Perhaps now that I have started surfing too this will become my creed.

Sure we need to be disciplined and be able to avoid distractions but we also need to remember that working from home and the flexibility it offers can really let us do it all. In an office situation one has hours when they work and folks are there with them in that environment working too. It would be pretty hard to steal an hour or two and take a break without co-workers raising some eyebrows.

Working at home means that you don t have a boss or co-workers to keep you on track, in most cases you are the boss! When you are the boss it is often easy to do something other than the work you have to complete. Your personal life is surrounding you and there are so many things other than work that you could or maybe want to be doing. Try really hard to discipline yourself to complete certain tasks daily at specific times. This will help you get in a routine and will make other choices seem inconvenient to your work schedule.

5. Do you want it bad enough?

Do you really want to make a go of this business you are working so hard at? If you really want to succeed and make a living as a home based travel agent then you must determine exactly what you want or are striving for in your financial future and let that be your driving force. Perhaps you are looking at this as a second income. If so, you still have goals to achieve and a financial future to work toward. It is your decision to make, but it is a decision that should lead you to a goal you have set for yourself. If you want it bad enough, you will make it happen! 

6. Are you passionate?

Seriously, you should be passionate about your home-based travel business. We are in the business for creating dreams and memories for people. We are able to learn about and often experience some of the worlds most remarkable sites and sounds. You really need to thoroughly enjoy what you are doing in order to succeed at it.

When you are enjoying what you do are you also enthusiastic? Isn’t it amazing how enthusiasm is catching? All of us enjoy sharing in others enthusiasm and joy. Spread that enthusiasm for your travel business and your career choice and people will want to be a part of what you do. Share your passion for this industry. I admit that I LOVE THIS BUSINESS! I am passionate about it and I really do love doing what I do. I have made it my career for more than 35 years now and I am thrilled with the choices I have made. Do you feel it? Can you read my enthusiasm and energy for my business choices?  Trust me, it is there!

In summary… go over these points and be honest with yourself about how you feel about each one.

1.      Knowledge is Key

2.      Do you have a plan?

3.      Determination and Tenacity

4.      Self Discipline

5.      Desire for Success

6.      Passion

When I read over these points I can’t help but think about those incredible athletes who recently competed in the Olympics in Athens. As I watched them on T.V. I could not help but think to myself “How in the world can they do that and do it so well?” I was amazed by their skills and their drive to achieve their goals. They certainly have the knowledge needed and most definitely they have a plan. They are about as determined as one can be and certainly have the tenacity to achieve their goals. Self-discipline is not an issue for any of those athletes. They want to succeed without a doubt but it is their passion and their enthusiasm that brings it all together. All of these are qualities, will certainly bring you the gold in your home-based travel business.