Bliss Honeymoons, LLC–Pulling out all the stops | Travel Research Online

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Bliss Honeymoons, LLC–Pulling out all the stops

One of my goals for this year was to figure out why people set goals, and then never reach them.

Setting goals is easy. Sticking to them is not. Who hasn’t started a diet on Monday only to find themselves caving to the temptation of Cinnabon by Thursday? Who among us hasn’t sworn we’d pay off our debts or finish school, and then realized that we were no closer to meeting that goal than we were five years ago? It’s always been a mystery to me that when given the opportunity to do something that is completely within our control and would create a positive change in our lives, we can find a variety of excuses not to do it. But this year is my no excuses year. So rather than letting myself down, I decided to go for 100% completion of my resolutions. Some were easy, like fixing up my yard. Some were fun, like getting a puppy. But then I had the two tricky ones-starting an exercise program and getting 100 new clients this year.

I have done a lot of research about sales and marketing, and for the most part am very happy with how things are going this year. But it occurred to me that I could do more, much more, than what I was doing. Rather than beating my head against the wall, I made the decision to hire a business coach. This wasn’t an easy decision, and one that I have talked myself out of many times in the past. It’s expensive. It’s time consuming. I could just take an online course or read a book instead couldn’t I? My sales are fine; I’m making a profit, blah blah blah. I had all the excuses.

My hesitation with coaches has always been that I hadn’t found one that really understood our business model.  I don’t have the word “discount” in my vocabulary. I am not a mass market or general agency. There’s not a lot I am willing to change, but I do want to do more than what I am doing.

In my first meeting with Megan she identified no less than 5 things that I could easily implement that would substantially increase my business. Needless to say I was impressed. But still, do I really need help?  Aren’t I doing pretty well?  Couldn’t I just do something else instead? The excuses flowed like water. But this is my no excuses year. And if I didn’t hire the coach, then what was I going to do instead? I got out my credit card.

Working with a business coach has been an eye opening experience. You may already know that I am huge fan of “Book Yourself Solid” by Michael Port. Megan is a certified Book Yourself Solid coach. Even though I have read the book several times and completed the workbook, by working with a fresh set of eyes from outside the travel industry, I have been able to see things in a way that were hidden before. If you are thinking about hiring a business coach here are some things to consider.

  • What are the goals that you are trying to reach? Is it developing a new marketing plan? Increasing your sales? What type of clients do you want to attract? Try to have something specific in mind. This will help you narrow the field when interviewing potential coaches.
  • What are you willing to spend? Coaching can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars a month. Have a return on investment in mind when determining what you can spend.
  • What results can they help you achieve? What results did their past clients see?
  • What tools will they provide you with while working with you?
  • How often will you meet?

So, will having a coach get me to my end goals? Will I see a return on my investment?  Well right now I am smitten, so I would have to say yes.  We’re currently in the “working” phase rather than the “results” phase, but I’ve already identified changes that I can implement immediately that will help grow my business. So just like you, I will have to wait for the July issue of the Travel Agent Diaries to see what kind of progress we’ve made. . In the mean time, I’ll try to stop convincing myself that running to Whole Foods for a zucchini muffin qualifies as an exercise routine.

Laura Frazier is the President of Bliss Honeymoons based in Columbus,  OH. For more information, you can contact Laura at laura@blisshoneymoons.com

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  2 thoughts on “Bliss Honeymoons, LLC–Pulling out all the stops

  1. Chuck Flagg says:

    Always a great column Laura. I expect to hear much success working with your coach.

  2. Pat Saizan says:

    Laura, you are an inspiration to us all! I look forward to hearing of more successes for you!

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