Sales Coach: What’s the Point of Working in the Travel Industry?

This article originally appeared in the September issue of AGENTatHOME magazine. Subscribe here to receive your free copy each month.

Editors Note: The following is written by Scott Koepf, chief strategy officer, Cruise Planners.

Have you ever asked yourself whether the travel industry is beneficial to society? It’s a heavy question that I have heard pondered frequently, especially since my industry peers personally enjoy amazing experiences due to the business they’re in.

Many years ago, a good friend and I decided to apply to competition reality television series “The Amazing Race.” While we were in high school together, I was student body president and he was senior class president, and although 30 years had passed (at the time we applied), we were still great friends.

With our application, we needed to submit a video. Our hook? We decided to highlight the contrast of our two life paths since school. My friend had become a pastor and, like me, had traveled the world. However, he worked in refugee camps, while I experienced luxury cruises and resorts through my role in travel.

Throughout the video, we poked fun at the obvious differences in our jobs. Although entertaining, it did beg the question: “What is the point of a career in travel?”

Scottie Scheffler is currently the best golfer in the world, but during a recent press conference, he bypassed the regular review of the various shots and skills he uses to win a game, and asked of himself — and his sport — the same question.

“There are a lot of people who make it to what they thought was going to fulfill them in life,” he said. “And you get there ... to No. 1 in the world, and [are] like, ‘What’s the point?’”

It may also be a question you’ve pondered as a travel advisor. Scheffler went on to explain that his faith and his family are more important to him than his sport — and many of you may share those same priorities. However, while you may not be out on the golf course every day, you are putting time into your business. So, is there a point to what you do, beyond the income and personal benefits you accrue?

The answer is an unequivocal “yes,” and no one put it better than Mike Going, an icon of the travel industry who we lost far too soon. The former president of Funjet Vacations used to say that he was in the “fireplace mantel business.” When puzzled looks appeared on faces, he would explain, “I create the vacation moments that everyone has framed on top of their mantels.”

Readers, there is no question that each of you provides lifetime memories for clients. And with all the challenges that come in life, you can be confident that you are helping them fulfill lifelong dreams. You’re also helping these clients experience some of the best moments of their lives.

And, I believe, that it is a “point” worth celebrating.

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