There are many things to consider when deciding to become a work from home agent with Gateway Travel. Pitfalls can present themselves in many ways and the best way to avoid these is to establish good working habits from the start.
1. Get Organized!
This is the most important step for any good business. Learning how to organize your time and personal space will help you focus your energy in the right direction. To maximize your effectiveness it is imperative to schedule a certain amount of time to growing and working your business. One of the pitfalls of working from home and being your own boss, is freedom from time restrictions. There is no one telling you when you have to work or what hours to keep. Therefore creating your own unique working hours is essential to staying focused and obtaining your goals.
2. Strive for Excellent Customer Service!
A large percentage of a Travel Agent's job is centered around communicating with clients and suppliers. It can include a range of topics such as How to Handle an Angry Client to Searching for the Perfect Vacation. As you handle each situation, keep in mind that you are working for the client. Listening more and talking less will improve the relationship that you have worked to create. Having a plan in place for unexpected pitfalls will help keep you calm when the client may not be. These 3 simple steps can help you navigate a tricky situation.
A. Listening- Our first line of defense is to listen to their concerns. Make sure that they feel like you understand the issue they have.
B. Reactions- A client's anger is not always the agent's fault. Many times you end up taking the brunt of someone else's issue. The key is to not take it personally and try to remain calm.
C. Pausing- In some situations it is ok to take a break. Let the client know that you are working on making the situation right and will get back to them when you can.
3. Reach for the Stars!
Every good business starts out with a dream. In order to reach that dream you need to plan out your steps. Start by making a Dream Board that will help keep you focused on where you want your business to go. Then choose a travel niche. This is another tool to help your business grow and allow you to shine in the specific area you choose. Finally, plan your marketing strategy. Make sure you are using the right options and advertisements to reach your desired audience. You can use anything from Facebook to Print Ads to get your business booming.
4. Never Stop Learning!
Gateway Travel has many excellent resources and training for you to take advantage of. To keep you up to date and in the know, we offer webinars on a monthly basis from many of our suppliers. The calendar for the webinars is located on our Agent Portal website under Training and Resources. You can also find specialized training through each of our supplier's websites. Learning all you can about your travel niche will help you to be a better vacation planner. We offer these webinars as a free gift to our agents to help you gain the knowledge necessary to book amazing vacations for your clients. We also have a private Facebook group, Gateway Travel Agents, specifically geared toward our current agents. This page is designed to create a sense of community between all the agents within our company. We also post up coming training, webinars, current incentives, and special announcements on this page. Our goal is to help your business succeed, for when you succeed, we all succeed!
