Travel Advisors Make the Best Couples... and Business Partners
Every once in a while, you meet a couple that has managed to work and live together … successfully and happily for the long-term. Most of us wonder how they do it, spending untold hours together, day in and day out. But when it works, it’s a dream come true.
Travel Market Report talked to three outstanding travel advisor couples who have navigated the bumpy waters, and basked in the calm seas, of running a business together - and they are thriving. Here are some of their secrets.
How did you come to work together?
Often, it turns out, couples end up in business together as a result of a work milestone for one or both partners. For instance, Steve Leichner, of PSL Travel, in Southern Florida, was in the process of closing his previous business; and his wife Penny was getting ready to retire from her full-time job in the travel industry. “She knew I had always wanted to own an agency, and since the dynamics of starting a travel agency have changed, and the cost of entry is so inexpensive, she suggested I start one and that she would help, with her decades of travel experience,” he said.
Steve and Penny met in September 1972 at Queens College in New York. They’ve been traveling the world together ever since. They backpacked through Europe in the 1970s. They’ve traveled in every type of style, from shoestring to luxury, over the decades. Traveling has always been their passion. And then, they finally birthed their own travel agency in August 2012. “It is a dream retirement,” Steve said.
共同努力的最好部分是什么?
“我们能够通过共同努力做我们喜欢做的事情来分享我们对旅行的热情。旅行是我上次职业生涯的很大一部分,几乎每周我都出城。现在,我们能够分享为其他人创造旅行体验。”吉姆·莫尔(Jim Moll)说,他在密苏里州堪萨斯城的Dede旅行中也每天与他的新娘和商业伙伴Dedra(Dede)Moll并排工作。他们已经“结婚了40年”,并且在过去的14年中一直在合作。
What's one of your secrets to being great business partners?
“我们马rried partners first and business partners second,” said the Leichners. “So, we set common goals and understand the division of responsibilities based on strengths and weaknesses.”
Most importantly, they said, their marriage and family come first. “If you find that working together is affecting your relationship, remember your priorities. For us, working together as travel advisors is fun. When it ceases to be fun, we have an exit strategy. When you are considering this as a full-time family business, do you have an exit strategy? What if you want to close up shop? What about your clients? What about your income? All things to think about in advance.”
In our chats with agents, having respect and appreciation for each other were important components and a common theme. DeDe Moll said: “We each have different strengths, which bring a lot to the table. I like to think we complement each other pretty well. We share our thoughts and ideas with each other, and often one comes up with something the other doesn’t.”
Janet and Jeff Blackwell, who met on a blind date 36 years ago and now own Bel Air, Maryland-based Tidewater Cruise and Travel, were in complete agreement about their secret to success. Janet quipped: “I'm always right! No, seriously, if I had to pick one, I would say it is that we respect each other as partners, both in business and in life. Jeff said: “Janet is always right. Really. And solid communication skills. Janet and I have vastly different styles of communicating, but we've figured it out over 35 years of marriage. Bringing that strength into the business is one of our secrets to being great business partners. There are still plenty of times we end up on different wavelengths, but when that happens, we know from experience to keep at it until we figure things out.”
What happens if you have different opinions on an important business issue? How do you break the tie?
Since Jim Moll’s wife’s name is in the name of their agency, DeDe’s Travel, she usually has the final say on business issues. They engage in constructive conflict to resolve business issues. And, they often come to agreement. But if that doesn’t happen, Jim said, “even if there are only two of you in business, someone has to be the boss. If not, you will never get anything done.”
Janet and Jeff Blackwell operate their business using a similar set-up, with Janet having the final say.
你们每个人在代理机构中都有特定的角色吗?您是如何决定谁会做什么的?
The Blackwells have specific roles in their business that evolved around their respective strengths. Janet loves to cruise, so her niche when she started the business was selling cruises. But, she said, “Jeff gets seasick on a ship tied up to the pier, and though he can slap a scopolamine patch on and enjoy cruising with me, cruises aren't in his sales wheelhouse.” So, Janet focuses on the sales side for cruises, all-inclusives, group travel, and some land travel; as well as the bookkeeping. Jeff concentrates on FIT, adventure travel, and air booking sales; and he does all the writing and social media.
在Dede的旅行中,Dede通常是联系人,而吉姆则是幕后更多。Dede Moll说:“我经常找出我们的客户正在寻找的内容,然后我们讨论细节。”“吉姆非常擅长研究特定地点,并且'不要错过'要看和做的事情。他向我发送建议的行程和选择,我向客户提供。”这是天堂做的比赛。
How do you separate your business time from your personal time?
This is often the biggest concern facing travel advisor couples. “With the rise of the cell phone and social media, everyone wants travel information instantly,” said Jim Moll. “Establishing boundaries with clients so that they don’t impede into our personal time is probably one of the most critical issues that we deal with. We understand that people want to contact us when they have free time, in the evening, on weekends and holidays - that is the nature of the business.
“We have both been in sales in our previous lives and we have a healthy understanding of balancing both work and personal time. Basically, if you don’t answer the phone or email in a reasonable amount of time, then you may not make the sale. We make good use of the personal time we have in our own way, but understanding the sales process goes a long way in having a great relationship.”
诚实地,布莱克韦尔承认,他们可以在分离业务和个人时间方面做得更好。他们今年做出了确定办公时间的决定,尽管他们让客户和准客户知道他们可以根据要求在这些时间之外工作,但他们将其视为例外而不是规则。他们还指出,周末有一天会向自己声称自己。在全球24/7连通性时代,这是一项挑战,对他们而言,这是一项正在进行的工作。
What obstacles have you come up against in spending so much time working and playing together?
“尽管我们喜欢一起工作,但重要的是要给彼此一点空间!我们在家工作,并设有单独的办公室。” Dede Moll说。“我们通常会一起从咖啡开始咖啡,讨论当天我们每个人计划工作的事情。当然,当电话响或紧急电子邮件通过时,这可能会立即改变。我们喜欢不同的爱好,并在这些事情中互相支持。”
The Blackwells agree. Janet explained: “We have separate offices with doors that are across the hall from each other, so we can work independently but talk when we want to. Those offices also have doors that we can close when we feel the need. Now that we spend almost all of our time together, I make it a point to find some ‘me’ time. I like to go out with friends for lunch or some other social event, and leave Jeff to run the office. Jeff is still figuring that bit out for himself. I think he may take up fishing this summer.”
What's something that you would caution travel advisors about in running a business?
“不要累了,”珍妮特·布莱克韦尔说。“几乎所有的错误都出现了,因为我已经努力了一天。”
她还指出,必须保留细致的记录 - 跟踪最终付款日期;总结与供应商的电话(包括与您交谈的人的日期/时间和名称);保持电子邮件通信并汇总与客户的电话;保留供应商确认的副本(电子或纸质副本)。“列表是无尽的。您永远不知道何时可能会出现故障,并且拥有细致的记录可能非常有益。”
史蒂夫·莱希纳(Steve Leichner)曾是上一位职业生涯的小型企业顾问,他说,最重要的事情之一就是确保您获得足够的资金。如果您是作为一家全职业务开始的,则需要有储备金来携带您,直到您开始收到佣金为止。即使您在第一天就预订了一百万美元的收入,直到最终付款或旅行日期之后,您也不会收到佣金。他说:“出售旅行很容易,但是确保您的所有付款都按时,您的会计记录是最新的,并且您正在短期实现您的业务目标,并且长期很难。他告诫要确保您发展良好的簿记和业务管理技能。
Also, always put your important client communications in writing - such as agreed-upon services and rates, ability to charge a client’s credit card, and if they rejected travel protection.
What's your best advice for other travel advisors who want to start their own agency (either on their own or with someone else)?
“You can't just wake up one morning and decide to be a travel advisor. To be successful as a travel advisor, you have to invest time and money in learning the trade,” said Janet Blackwell. She recommends taking industry trainings and finding an experienced travel agent to work with. Also, find a niche that you’re comfortable with; and learn well how to qualify clients so you can make good matches between travel products and clients.
史蒂夫·莱希纳(Steve Leichner)表示,要花一些时间与您的伴侣一起制定业务计划,以确保您共享相同的目标。而且,他指出,拥有一家主机肯定帮助他和他的妻子取得了迅速的成功。
DeDe Moll places networking and training as top priorities. “You can never learn enough from other travel advisors, vendors, suppliers, speakers, etc. … Look for any opportunity you have to grow. Attend conferences that provide direct contact with vendors that you may not receive on your own. This allows you to build relationships with key suppliers that are helpful in growing a successful business.”
Now that you’ve heard some important insights from these three, amazing travel advisor couples, what will you do? If you’re thinking about going into business with your love, consider these parting word of advice from Jim Moll: “There is nothing like the experience of sharing and running a business together. When you find a business that you are both passionate about, then it’s really not work. The feeling that you can provide a service where people will actually pay you is exhilarating.”
FROM THE SPONSOR:在国际旅行计划者中,您不仅仅是旅行顾问。您是一个小型企业主,正在策划对您所服务的人产生影响的体验。在过去的30年中,我们相信,指导和拥护小型企业主 - 我们无意停止。因此,与竞争激烈的委员会计划,创造利润的营销计划以及对尖端技术的访问一起,我们还为新兴的企业家提供了工具,指导和信心,以取得成功并利用其企业家精神。另外,与我们的#BetheCuratorcampaign and Tourism Cares,our 2019 Signature Charity, we’re elevating our 3,750-plus community of agents to a platform where they can truly change the world around them. But, don’t just take our word for it. VisitTravelPlannersInternational.comand let’s get you where you want to be.