The most successful people fail up. Be one of them! Photo courtesy of Thinkstock.

As someone who started her career in the travel industry more than 30 years ago as a sales representative, I’ve realized that supporting travel agent partners has been at the heart of what I’ve been doing from the very start. Through the years, so much has changed in cruising, but one thing has remained the same — the importance of having a travel partner to help guide clients through the sea of choices and plan the perfect, tailored vacation for their needs.

The personal touch of a travel partner is irreplaceable. That’s what first got me thinking about writing Vicki’s Tips, a daily email with insights, inspirations and advice to help agents of all kinds stay motivated, educated and thinking of new ways to deliver exceptional service to their clients. When I first started writing, I didn’t know whether I would be able to keep up with a new tip every single day.

Thankfully, working in this industry gives me the chance to interact with insightful people every day to keep me inspired. The best part is the feedback I get. I love it when someone comes up to me and shares a story. Here are a few of my favorites from the past year.

Successful people fail up: I wish I could tell you that you will succeed at everything you do, that you will hit a home run every time with clients and prospects. But I can’t. The truth is that none of us are perfect and we can’t close every sale every time.

Rather than be discouraged by this, however, you need to turn the bad around and make it a positive. Learn from your mistakes and share that learning with other members of your team. The most successful people in all walks of life give themselves the permission to fail because they know if they don’t take risks, they will be stuck in the same gear for the rest of their days. The most successful people fail up. Be one of them!

We are in the business of making dreams come true: I’m often asked what business we are really in. Is it cruising, travel or vacations? My answer is always the same: We are in the business of creating memories and making dreams come true. Vacations are so much more than time, place and amenities. Vacations are times when we reconnect with loved ones, ourselves, make new friends and create memories to last a lifetime. When you look at your job that way, you will realize how important you are to your clients. And they will always think of you every time they relive the experience you made possible for them.

Give your clients the vacation you would want: This timeless golden rule is simple, but valuable in so many areas of our lives — even vacation planning. Of course, I don’t mean that you should push your own vacation dreams onto your clients. But you should embrace the power of empathy to truly fulfill their desires.

If you were in their shoes, you would want a travel partner who understands your needs in detail, who gives you value and who makes you feel like everything will be taken care of for you. Now step back into your own shoes and give that to your clients each and every day. It’s that simple.

The age of adventure: These days age really is a state of mind. You’re as young or as old as you want to be (or decide to act). The same applies to your clients. If something sounds exciting, thrilling or intriguing, never let the idea that “we’re too old for that” get in the way. That’s the true key to staying young at heart. Feed that passion for adventure and you’ll find that the thrill of new experiences is the best feeling of all, no matter what your age.

The lesson at the heart of all my tips is about tapping into that human connection. That is where you come in. I’ll share with you one last bit of advice, and one of my favorite quotations: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Those words from Maya Angelou are a lesson for life, and they apply perfectly to your interactions with clients.

If you would like to sign up and receive my tips in your inbox, please visit www.LoyalToYouAlways.com/Vicki.