I had that “pit of the stomach” feeling again the other day. And I don’t mean the mid-afternoon growling when you realize you forgot to eat lunch. I’m talking about the sinking feeling you get when you’re about waist-deep in a vacation proposal that you realize you never should have taken on in the first place.
You know the ones. The time-sucking, headache-inducing, no-win pieces of business that do nothing but bring you down. We all can recognize them AFTER the fact, so why is it so hard to avoid them in the first place?
I’m no expert, but I can tell you the process that I go through.
The first step is recognizing the projects that you should not agree to take on. When that phone rings, or that email arrives, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a new piece of business. Before you dive in, take a minute to think about whether this trip falls within your range of expertise and fits your business model. Does the client have realistic expectations and budget? Will there be sufficient margin (in commission and/or fees) for you to make enough money to justify the time that you’ll spend working on it?
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If the honest answer to some of those questions is “no”, what do you do? Many of us have a very hard time turning away business these days, but I firmly believe that it’s better in the long run to be choosier, and to weed out the undesirable projects before they even make it in the door. There are only so many hours in the day, so unless I will enjoy planning a particular vacation, and will be able to make some money on it, I really don’t want to put it on my “to do” list.
That being said, it can be very hard to say “no” – especially to a good client. I like to turn that potentially negative situation into a positive one by always providing an alternative. It’s the “no, but…” response. In other words, “No, I don’t make flight arrangements unless they are part of a vacation package, but I would be happy to give you some quick advice on how to find the best fares and schedules online.” Or, “
I find that clients respect me when I’m upfront and honest about what kinds of vacations I choose to work on, and they appreciate the fact that I’m willing to point them towards other resources. As an added bonus, I’m developing good relationships with other agents who are happy to take on some of the projects that aren’t a good fit for me.
Have I perfected this process? Absolutely not (or I would not be suffering the stomach pains I described above). But I am working on refining my “filter” and getting better at spotting the opportunities to say “no”. How about you?
Ann Petronio is a travel consultant and the owner of Annie’s Escapes, Inc. in Cranston, Rhode Island. She creates custom-tailored vacations for busy couples, families and groups. http://www.anniesescapes.com/
10 thoughts on “When to say “No””
I was thinking the same thing 😉
ditto
I’m not there yet, I still get stuck thinking I can service everyone ! Something I need to work on.
After some six-decades-plus in this crazy business of travel counseling I can only agree with you and cry together. There’s many a note I’ve sent my students on this score, with the bottom line being:”get rid of them, pronto!” so you may go on with your life. Till the next ones comes over the horizon…
I agree. I’ve come to realize that I don’t need everyone’s business.
Quite a co-incidence this article should come out today. A client I know well, has changed a trip to Australia eight times in the last 10 days(my tour operator friend informed me that in the nicest way possible). We started with a $4700 pp trip which is now down to $2400 and he keeps changing and cutting it down! He just called me with a ‘will let you know’!! But he did remember that today was the deadline to book and come up with the airfare portion. I enjoy planning such trips and it comes easy to me but when does one stop? I know I am taking undue advantage of my tour operator contact. But the underlying fact is that we all need the business and will go even extra lengths to get it. Including the tour operator. A sad, but hard, fact.
Great Article Annie! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had that feeling. It is getting easier to recognize those types of requests and RUN. However, given the industry these days, it is very hard to turn away business. We have had to get really focused to make our business successful, but once in awhile, one will slip through. Thanks for the kind reminder.
Amen to your thoughts!! My partner has a hard time turning away “bad” business, but I can more easily step aside and say “no,” especially to the dreamers/shoppers/lookers and bottom-feeders…When time is short, it’s best to concentrate on the really good clients who are booking expensive travel and not trying to nickel-and-dime you. There absolutely is an art to respectfully blowing-off bad business, but we all must do so from time to time… Your time and expertise is worth more than that!
I learned this lesson the hard way. A good client wanted me to do her daughter’s destination wedding to Mexico. The mother had already done a lot of internet looking (usually not a good sign) and had an iron clad set of requirements. She had picked a resort that had 2 sections and, of course, wanted the upscale section at the lower price. Folding chairs on the beach, sunset wedding, reception in the restaurant with the best view that happened to be the buffet venue when they wanted a sit down etc., etc. Every time I said, ‘I’m sorry, that isn’t a possibility’ she became more upset. Long story short, I ended up taking the blame for her misplaced expectations and she was very vocal. Lesson learned and it is very easy for me to say, tactfully, no now!
We are a very busy office (because we are understaffed). We do not accept email requests.
When someone calls for a package I ask who referred them. If it’s a referral & they have a reasonable budget, I will gladly help them.
If there is no referral, I tell them that we do not do packages over the phone, that we are open from 9am to 6pm, no appointment necessary. I feel that if they cannot make to effort to come in person, I am not willing make the effort either. Many “clients” are calling from the phonebook, starting with the letter “A”. When they hang up with me, they call “B”…
With walk-ins, we have to serve them, but I only give them preliminary info and I tell them to call me the next day for more details. If they do, I feel they have potential and will continue to plan the vacation.
This has worked very well for us.