So You Wanna Be a Travel Agent?

All the time people are saying things like "Ooh, I've always wanted to be a travel agent!" or "If you ever need someone to work for you taking trips for nothing, let me know!".

The perception is that being a travel agent entirely consists of wonderful cheap trips and dreams of faraway places. The reality is quite different.

Being a travel agent is hard work. It is a sales profession. Travel agents must not only be able to achieve success in a selling environment, but they must also be detail oriented enough to actually put the trips together. It would be like a car salesperson not only selling the cars, but then actually building it from the ground up.

These two talents are not often found in the same person. Usually people are either a sales person, or a detail person...not often both.

Get Ready...Get Set

This Thursday I will be departing for Mexico to escort an incentive group of about 50 people. An incentive group is when a company dangles a carrot in front of a group of people (frequently salespeople); if the group achieves the goal, they get the trip.

I get very excited when I have the opportunity to work with an incentive group. I feel I was placed on this planet to do exactly this kind of work. I love making sure every detail is attended to, I love the process of fitting the best trip into the available budget. I love sending out the documents to the travelers and imagining their excitement at receiving them. I am excited for their accomplishment. I love how pleased they are when they see the beautiful resort we've chosen and the special touches we've arranged. The geek in me is filled with anticipation to capture images of everyone having fun and crafting it into a PC slideshow set to music selected by the boss.

Yes, I love many things about working with an incentive group. There is the other side of the coin though. For instance, I travel with this group. Whenever I have about 50 people all traveling at one time from my office, I try to travel with them if at all possible. As of this moment (72 hours prior to what is supposed to be my departure), I do not have confirmation that I have a flight or a room at the resort. Additionally, the resort is due to open the very day my group is checking in. I have been assured that the resort will be completely ready to receive us, but there is certainly the potential for disaster. I guess that potential for disaster is actually part of the thrill of doing a group like this.

It can go really well, or really poorly..but it won't be mediocre.

A Beginning

You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. - Joe Sabah

People who know me know I love a great quote. So, I thought it appropriate to begin my blog with one.

Come by and visit from time to time. This should be fun.