Friedman Files: Why Building Systems Is Key To Travel Advisor Success

Time is a travel advisor’s nonrenewable resource: You can’t create more, and if there’s no structure to your time, you cannot scale. Successful advisors are not "busy" advisors. They are people who have mastered the art of creating systems that shape their days, weeks, months and years. I have worked with thousands of top advisors, and here is what I’ve learned from them when it comes to systems-building.

Have you ever heard the advice to make your bed and have a better day? The same principle applies here, because the small anchors are what allow for growth. While it’s important to do five-year plans, if that’s all you do, you’ll end up with beautiful strategies and no real way to execute. What gets you to those five-year goals is what you do every single day.

As a travel agency owner, your goal should be to develop systems that let you build a business, not a job. Yes, you have tasks to do, but those tasks must always be in pursuit of the greater goal. Start by figuring out the top projects needed for success. For most travel advisors, this boils down to client onboarding, client retention, trip planning and client service.

Now, you can dive into systems. My first tip is to standardize wherever you can. Can something be put into a template? Can a report be automated? Even if it takes time on the front end, setting these things up will save you hours in the long run. Whatever can run on autopilot should.

For things that need repetition but also some customization, set your calendar so you never forget. For instance, you should always follow up with your clients after a trip. This should be a more personal message showing genuine interest about their experience. But time is of the essence, so your system should set a reminder at the time of booking for when your traveler returns home.

Another great system is to set up "CEO time" a couple times per week. Instead of daily firefighting, this protected time allows for batch invoicing, taking part in continuing education and going through marketing plans.

Every advisor’s strategy will be different, but I can tell you that systems work if they are simple, repeatable and documented. Remember, too, that technology is a great helper when setting up systems, but the human-developed process comes first. Don’t be fooled by shiny objects; build the foundation first. With systems in place, your agency can thrive!