Not unlike every day, I found my mind doing mental gymnastics this morning. Between sips of black coffee and my usual morning aches and pains, I was trying to remember a specific quote to hook today’s message to.
I was thinking how many travel professionals actually know what they are doing when it comes to sales? How many have a plan? How many have a system?
At the risk of butchering the message, the quote I was looking for went something like this:
“It is not what you don’t know that will end up hurting you. It is what you believe to be 100% true that is actually false.”
Don’t quote me, as I may be missing the exact phrasing. The message still holds water. With this thought as today’s foundation, I continued to conjure up additional pictures. They addressed both new and seasoned sales “professionals.”
How many of you reading this article have ever received any formal sales training? I can hear many of you responding right through the computer screen, “I have been selling travel effectively for ‘X’ years. I know what I ‘m doing. I already know how to sell. Who are you to question my abilities?” (Do you really know what you are doing?)
Or, are you like so many others out there who bought or started an agency and just did what came naturally …“winging” your way through your career thinking and believing that you already have the mechanics down pat? After all, your years of experience must account for something.
Here is a question for you. With all the DIY videos YouTube has to offer today, do you think you can learn to teach yourself how to play the piano? Yes, of course you can. Do you think sitting down next to a qualified piano teacher would save you a little time and a lot of frustration? (Absolutely) It certainly would give you some proven direction and something to think about and work on moving forward.
When it comes to growing your business, you may already know how to play a C-chord, how arpeggios work, and when to use a broken chord. But after two years of banging out the same old tune in poorly timed syncopation how many people are actually listening to you and, no less, asking you to play another song for them? (Okay. This may be a stretch but you get my point.)
I don’t care if you are new to the travel business or you are a seasoned practitioner who has visited 15 countries and taken 135 cruises, you still don’t know what you don’t know. And what you don’t know could be jeopardizing your future big time. Is it worth the risk of not knowing?
Maybe you could use a little professional input.
I’m just saying…
Mike Marchev is always looking for a few more proactive travel professionals to join his Sales and Marketing Club. Send for details.
mike@mikemarchev.com
