Imagine if you could connect with your passion for travel, work with your ideal clients, know where you want to go and how to get there, and make more money in your travel business. Would you make the active decision to take your business and your life to where you’ve always dreamed of?
For many travel business owners, transforming their dream into a reality can seem frightening and exhausting. But the truth is, with the right tools, strategies, and advice, you can accomplish your greatest goals and implement your vision for success. Just ask Melissa McKinley, owner and travel advisor of Want to Go Travel.
Melissa joined my Safari2Success mastermind group earlier this year and made a major transformation, accomplishing goals she never thought possible. (CLICK HERE for Safari2Success Mastermind Program Details and Application.)
In the below interview, Melissa shares her success story in hopes of offering other travel agents worldwide the inspiration to take their business to the next level:
1. What transformation has happened since you began the Safari2Success mastermind?
Below is a list of accomplishments and efforts that illustrates my transformation:
- I started a twice-per-week blog, a biweekly newsletter, and created a free offer for prospects.
- I have also become very active on social media including YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
- I held a grand opening event for one of Want to Go Travel’s upcoming tours at the Mansion on Turtle Creek that 65 people attended.
- I hosted a webinar for 400 people with world-renowned author, Jonathan Ellerby.
- I am a mentor for three people.
- I discovered my new fine-tuned message and target market, which led me to rework my website design and logo to create a cohesive branding across all my marketing materials.
- I created a process manual to delegate tasks as needed to a Virtual Assistant.
- I have been approached by several businesses and people for joint venture opportunities.
2. If only you knew then what you know now, what would that bit of information be?
What I wish I had known earlier on is that to be successful I really needed to market more than any other activity in my business and to narrow my focus to a very specific niche of travel. I feel these are true for all types of businesses.
Meredith really gave me the tools and direction I needed to set up a well-rounded marketing process, and she helped peel back the layers of the onion to narrow my niche. But the biggest thing I think I learned was that this process is not a single step and then you are done. Rather, it’s a journey of continuing discovery and fine-tuning.
3. Was there a specific benefit you received from participating in the mastermind that you weren’t expecting?
I wasn’t expecting to meet such a GREAT group of travel professionals, all with unique gifts, talents, and experiences to draw from. I had not thought about how valuable the group would be, in addition to Meredith’s program. I have some of the best new friends that I never expected to find.
4. After all that you’ve learned during the mastermind, what advice would you give other travel entrepreneurs who are struggling with running a successful travel business?
If you are serious about being successful as an advisor in the travel business, then I recommend Safari2Success to help you strengthen your business. It is an investment that pays you back in more ways than you realize at the time. Not everyone joins with the same set of issues for improvement, but everyone who completes the program has a foundation to build success on and gets the support they needed. Meredith gives you the tools, direction, and guidance to be the best you can be; all you have to do is take action.
If you are interested in applying for the Safari2Success Mastermind Program, just CLICK HERE for Safari2Success Mastermind Program Details and Application.
Melissa McKinley
About Melissa and Want to Go Travel
My mission is to help people maximize their vacation by reconnecting with friends and family, recharging their soul, and creating memories. My goal is not to be a “big” business but to be one of high impact. Recent research on happiness found people gain their greatest source of happiness and satisfaction from experiences. I am in the business of fun and dreams!
My true passion is taking small groups of people to experience destinations as they have not before. I am not a Jill of all trades travel advisor. What that means for you is that I am very focused. I help my clients save time and increase their experience without overscheduling their vacation. Because my focus is so narrow, what you get from me is undiluted expertise on what you are seeking from a luxury vacation. My firsthand experience, expertise, and personal relationships are why my clients get great vacations.
In any travel business, revenue streams can seem few and far between. You might feel you have to take any and all business that comes your way because you could use the money. What I want to tell you will seem counterintuitive. The truth is that when you turn away business, you end up making more money.
How is this possible? It’s part of a universal law that when you let go of something of a lower nature, you make room to receive something of a higher nature. This applies to everything in your life, including those clients who drain you. The first time you do this, it may feel awkward, or downright crazy. Here are some tips for getting you through the experience of firing or turning away a “lower nature” client.
Believe it or not, you can refuse business and have the client thank you or even refer others to you. Just keep a few things in mind as you respectfully decline their business:
- Tell the client that you will charge a service fee to move forward or continue working on his or her travel plans. Make the fee AT LEAST $350. This will certainly scare away any price shopper or bargain hunter. If he or she doesn’t flinch and agrees to pay, you just turned your client into a “higher nature” client and finally charged what you are worth.
- Always be polite. No matter what, be civil and courteous.
- Explain your reason. Don’t beat around the bush. If the client is looking for a trip that is outside your expertise, say it. If you’re too busy to take another client, don’t be shy about saying so. If the client isn’t a good fit or is a price shopper, tell him or her that you know an agent who would be a perfect match.
- Have at least one alternative ready. If the client wants an exclusive trip to Greenland and you don’t book them but know two agents who do, refer your client to him or her. (You do have agreements with those agents for a referral fee, right?)
- Leave the door open. If you need to turn away a client now but wouldn’t mind working with him or her in the future, be upfront about your desire to connect another time. Don’t tell clients you look forward to working with them later if you don’t.
Remember, you’re the boss and choose your clients, not the other way around. These tips will help you feel confident in turning away business and give you the tools to feel safe in doing it. You’ll find that, by turning away clients you don’t want, your ideal clients will find you, and you’ll make more money and enjoy your business more.
