Travel Agent New to the Industry is Fulfilling a Lifelong Dream
by杰西卡·蒙特瓦哥/
Leneiva Head说:“当我18岁的时候,军刀培训是数千美元,所以作为一个年轻人,这不是我在财务上做好准备的事情。”
After having a lifelong dream of being a travel agent, she’s finally making it a reality, three decades later. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Head joined InteleTravel as an independent travel agent over a year ago to pursue what she loves.
“My real estate firm is doing very well and has allowed me to fund my legal education debt-free. I'm entering my last year of law school. I believe in setting goals and rewarding myself when I reach them. These two accomplishments deserve to be rewarded so I'm giving myself something I've wanted for a long time – a travel agency,” Head told Travel Market Report.
Head has learned a lot about the art of selling during her 30 years as a successful realtor. She’s taking the skills she’s learned in customer service, business development, training, and consulting to transition into building an agency.
“My real estate business was built on referrals. My desire is to grow my travel business the same way,” Head said, adding that she will also utilize social media because it’s an easy way to share information and pictures with a large group of friends at one time, tapping into her circle of previous clients and business associates.
Primarily selling cruises, Head is a member of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and has obtained certifications on various cruise lines. One of her biggest priorities is staying on top of cutting-edge information in order to protect, service and educate her clients to the best of her ability.
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“What I pride myself in doing is explaining and education,” Head noted. “Traveling is a lot of fun, but it’s a big deal. It’s a lot of money, and there are a lot of things you need to know before you go.”
Education doesn’t begin and end with her clients. “I’m a product of my product,” she said, and she goes on fams and uses CLIA’s virtual ship tours to get a first-hand look at the cruise ships she’s selling. She’s also going to Galveston to get a tour of the Princess ships and see what new products are coming.
“They give us a lot of education so I can be confident speaking to a client,” Head said. After all, “Part of the reason I got into this is because of all the nuances and all those other details you don’t get going it alone.”
Another key to her newfound success is charging for the value she is bringing to her clients. “Typically, I’m booking travel for you, there’s a service fee, but it’s in the price you’re quoted, just like if you’re using a big price service. It’s important to know what product you’re getting. Transparency is important.”
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她的业务的另一个标志是始终推荐旅行保险。她补充说:“这比找到丢失的行李要大得多。”“如果您花4,000美元用于旅行和旅行保险为70美元,它将涵盖人们不考虑的各种事情。您不会损失所有的钱。真的值得。我试图告诉他们,我们将为您提供旅行保险以及原因,他们说还好。我没有人说不,因为我解释了。
“I have a desire to help people successfully navigate the unknown.” And with her new business off the ground and running, Head is doing just that.