Travel agency owners must regularly confront uncertainties
and make moment-to-moment decisions that significantly impact their clients and
their business. While data, strategies, and structured processes are essential
tools for travel pros, intuition also plays a crucial role in making good
choices and decisions. This instinctive sense can guide advisors facing
countless moving parts and situations that can shift on a dime! This article
explores why intuition matters, identifies situations where trusting your gut
is critical, and discusses how you can balance intuition with strategic
processes to make more informed decisions for both your clients and the
sustainability of your agency.
The Role of Intuition in Business
Intuition, or "gut feeling," is an intuitive
understanding that doesn't rely on conscious reasoning. For travel advisors,
intuition can act as an internal compass--especially when dealing with
incomplete information or quickly changing circumstances. This instinct is
invaluable in the travel industry, where unexpected disruptions, unique client
needs, and intricate travel-planning challenges and complexities are inherent.
For example, just imagine arranging a luxury group tour for
a new client. While everything seems fine on paper, you might have a nagging
feeling that something isn’t quite right. Perhaps it’s the client’s reluctance
to discuss payment details or their vague responses about travel dates.
Trusting your intuition and investigating further might help you avoid wasting your
valuable time on in-depth plans that will never make it off your desk. Your
intuitive “knowing” can alert you that this particular customer will never
become your "ideal" client. And think about it—don’t you really want
all of your clients to be ideal for the services you provide? If they aren’t,
they, in themselves, pose a risk to your success!
When Should You Trust Your Gut?
While I’m not trying to be woo-woo here, let’s think
about possible scenarios in which that little voice inside can be particularly useful
to travel advisors. Actually, this is all about learning to trust yourself in
managing and mitigating risk! Here are just a few examples of when and how trusting
your gut can make all the difference in your travel business:
1. Seeing and Trusting Red Flags in Client Interactions
Pay attention when clients exhibit behaviors (such as the
one I described above) that warn you of potential problems in the future. Another
example is when clients are hesitant to sign a contract, overly focused on
cancellation policies, or give vague answers about their travel plans. These
are clues that there might be a likelihood of disputes or cancellations ahead.
Your intuition may detect these signals of impending risk, even if the client hasn’t
directly expressed concerns.
Risk Mitigation Strategies:
- Don’t
Ignore Your Gut Reactions.
- Require
Larger Deposits: To reduce financial risks, secure a larger upfront
deposit for equivocal and wishy-washy clients. Payment demonstrates that
clients are serious and committed!
- Clarify
Terms Early: Be proactive, transparent, and upfront with your
communications. Reinforce your payment and cancellation policies and
explain any terms that seem to concern the client.
- Request
Additional Documentation: If clients are hesitant about providing the information
they need, they require even more documentation! Find out whether they are
serious about their trip by asking for additional items, such as copies of
passports and a list of the travelers’ ages. Not only will this help you
separate the tire-kickers from the serious clients, but it also will
demonstrate your competency as a thorough travel professional who leaves
no stone unturned through your travel-planning process.
2. Choosing the Right Supplier or Vendor
Although supplier reviews and ratings are important, your
intuition can provide insights that data may not reveal. For example, if a
supplier seems slow to respond or avoids answering direct questions--even if
they have a solid reputation--your gut may warn you to exercise caution.
Risk Mitigation Strategies:
- Don’t
Ignore Your Gut Reactions.
- Evaluate
Communication Quality: Assess how prompt, consistent, and clear the
supplier's communication with you is. Do not tolerate run-around! Inconsistency
may indicate deeper issues, such as disorganization or poor customer
service.
- Test
Flexibility: Discuss "what-if" situations, such as sudden
itinerary changes, to gauge the supplier’s willingness to accommodate
special requests. Your suppliers should be as vested in making your
clients happy as you are. Your professional credibility requires that!
- Have
Backup Options Available: Ensure you have alternative suppliers, just
in case you need them. Always be prepared to protect your high-stakes
bookings with qualified and competent suppliers who can step in at the
last minute if needed.
3. Evaluating Client Expectations and Trip Feasibility
Clients often have travel dreams that may not align with
reality, such as expecting luxury when their budget is tight or visiting
multiple destinations when their timeframe is short. Even if a trip seems
feasible on paper, your gut may forecast complications and prompt you to
suggest changes or set more realistic expectations.
Risk Mitigation Strategies:
- Don’t
Ignore Your Gut Reactions.
- Reframe
Expectations: Use your intuition to guide client discussions about
what is realistically achievable and offer suggestions for how they might
make the most of the trip experience you have uniquely planned to
accommodate their specific time and monetary constraints.
- Build
in Contingencies: Strongly suggest travel insurance, buffer days, or
backup in case of unforeseen changes beyond their (or your) control.
- Consider
Seasonal Factors: If a client insists on traveling during a
challenging season, discuss potential difficulties, such as needing to
confront extreme weather or limited availability.
4. Handling Emergencies and Last-Minute Changes
Last-minute disruptions such as political unrest, severe
weather, or health emergencies can significantly impact travel plans. Your
intuition can help you know when to proactively step in and make changes, such
as rebooking flights earlier or altering destinations in your client’s booking.
Risk Mitigation Strategies:
- Don’t
Ignore Your Gut Reactions.
- Preemptive
Adjustments: If your intuition warns of potential challenges, go ahead
and secure alternative arrangements or make more flexible bookings.
- Monitor
Real-Time Updates: Stay connected to news, weather, and political
developments to keep you in the know and validate your concerns.
- Prepare
Emergency Contacts: Ensure you have local contacts, medical providers,
and emergency services accessible. Do not assume that everything will
always go as planned. Your preparedness may actually make the difference
between life and death!
Balance Instinct with Strategy
While intuition is valuable, it should not be the only basis
for decision-making. When you combine your gut feelings with data-driven
strategies and structured processes, you are positioned to make balanced and
informed choices. Think about it this way: Trust but verify! Here’s how you can
integrate intuition with strategic action:
1. Use Checklists to Validate Concerns
When your intuition raises a concern, a checklist can help
confirm the validity of your caution. For example, if a client’s behavior feels
off, use a checklist to assess common risk indicators, such as incomplete
payment history or vague itinerary requests.
2. Gather Data to Support Your Gut Feeling
Gather additional information to validate your intuition. If
you’re concerned about a supplier, investigate recent reviews, verify their
licensing and insurance coverage, and ask for references. Combining your gut
feeling with tangible data creates a stronger decision-making foundation.
3. Establish Safeguards and Contingency Plans
Setting up safeguards, such as flexible cancellation options
or comprehensive travel insurance, can help mitigate risks. This approach
allows you to move forward with caution, knowing that you have measures to
protect your clients and your agency.
4. Incorporate Intuition into Risk-Management Protocols
Integrating intuition into a formal risk-management program lets
you strategically leverage your gut instincts. Document situations where your
intuition has guided you well and use this knowledge to adjust your protocols.
5. Consult with Colleagues or Mentors
Sharing your concerns with experienced colleagues or mentors
can go a long way toward validating your gut feeling. Peers who have faced
similar situations may confirm your concerns, offer advice, or suggest
additional measures.
Real-World Example: Trusting Intuition to Save a Trip
Here's a personal story… Once, when arranging a luxury tour
to a remote destination, I had a bad feeling there would be delays and issues. When
I couldn’t kick that feeling, which likely stemmed from a previous experience
and my unwillingness to leave things to chance, I trusted my intuition and booked
a flexible, refundable ticket to an alternative destination as a backup plan.
When issues cropped up with getting my client to the remote destination, the
backup plan saved the trip, and my client could enjoy her luxury vacation
without disruption. This example illustrates the power of combining intuition
with strategic risk management and proactive travel planning.
In my travel business, I have found that my intuition is an
essential component of my toolkit. My intuitive insights complement my structured
strategies and data-driven decisions. Although I would never suggest you rely solely
on your gut to run your business, my experience is that, when combined with my formal
processes and strategies, my intuition ensures a more balanced approach. By following
your intuition combined with the risk-mitigation strategies shared here, you,
too, will have a balanced, more effective approach to navigating the
complexities of the travel industry. This approach enables you to anticipate
problems, make well-rounded decisions, and protect your clients and travel
agency.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
After achieving notable success as a multi-million-dollar travel
advisor and agency owner, Sheila Folk founded Travel Industry Solutions to
provide travel professionals with innovative and comprehensive legal protection
and operations tools. Backed by over 20 years of experience in technology,
product development, and hospitality management, Sheila is a sought-after
speaker on customer attraction and retention, innovative practices, and
business process optimization.
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