This article
originally appeared in the June issue of AGENTatHOME magazine. Subscribe
here to receive your free copy each month.
Horse racing and
horses in general are not subjects I know much about. However, the sport offers
three poignant analogies for travel advisors. Integrating these ideas will help
determine whether you make it to the finish line — and into the winner’s circle.
First is the horse
itself. If the horse represents your knowledge, skill set and sparkling
personality, then training is what allows you to transform those qualities into
a winner’s rose garland. Racehorses have some strengths that are innate — just
as you do — but it’s training that makes the difference between a good horse
and a consummate champion. (In advisor terms, your training is education and
experience.) Determine your unique strengths, then lean into them by studying,
adjusting and improving in every aspect of your client interactions.
The second element
of a successful run for the roses is the jockey. The jockey represents your
motivation — what drives you. Why do you do what you do? What will push you to
become even better throughout the race? Success in the advisor world comes in
large part from the desire to listen to and spend time with people who inspire
and challenge you — as well as a craving for the rush you get from sending a
client on the vacation of a lifetime. Having a finish line (i.e., a specific
goal, such as landing the client) that you are running toward is also powerful
motivation.
Finally, in horse
racing, for both the horse and jockey to be successful, the horse must wear
blinders. To reach your goals, you need blinders, too. One of the biggest
challenges for you as an advisor is overcoming the never-ending distractions
and interruptions that vie for your attention and threaten to take your eye off
the prize. The most successful agents have learned how to maximize the
potential of their blinders — in this case, time management and intentional
choices — to keep them focused on one thing: winning the race (that is,
securing the booking or the client).
If you can
integrate these lessons from the art of horse racing into your career — by
leaning into your natural talents, leveling up your training and maintaining a
laser focus on the prize — you’ll find yourself in that winner’s circle, rose
garland and all.
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