Listen to your Gut!

No matter how many times I hear it or say it, there is no better business advice than “listen to your gut.” As I have worked to grow my own luxury travel business, there are times when I look back and realize I should have done something differently. My goal is always to do what I know instinctively is right, but there are times when we cut people more slack than they deserve or give them additional chances to prove themselves when we know all along it will never happen.

As I continue to focus on how to stick to my mantra of “quality over quantity,” the importance of making the decisions I know are good for the company’s long-term growth becomes increasingly significant.

Here’s a case in point: An independent contractor (IC) who pitched her skill set to me as someone who truly understood my vision nearly a year ago told me last week that she no longer needs a “West Coast host” since she is moving back East.

I thought to myself, that’s funny, I actually really wanted to let her go months ago, because she had not produced any business and was using my company’s name for her own personal benefit in the form of fam trips and worldwide travel. But she was a nice person and told me over and over that she was working on growing her client base and thanked me for being patient with her.

Several of my inner-circle of associates and I all had the same reaction. This woman really wasted a lot of our time and did nothing to contribute to the overall growth or revenue of the company we are all so committed to building. It was no big loss, considering her lack of production, but the experience was a good and needed reminder of how essential it is to make decisions based on what we know instinctively is right.

Ending Relationships

Moving on (which was actually the subject line of the email this person sent me), this recent departure nudged me into taking stock of the team I have built and making a few tough decisions to end several other independent contractor agreements due to lack of production.

While we try very hard to give new associates a lot of opportunity to learn on the job and work with me personally to gain the knowledge needed to succeed as a luxury travel advisor, a line also gets crossed when you feel that someone is taking advantage of you.

What I personally learned throughout this latest scenario is that there is no room for dead weight in my business or life in general. If someone is affiliating themselves with the brand and reputation I have worked so hard to build, then they must maintain the high level of standards I set for my team and show a commitment to growing their clientele.

It was actually a huge relief to get this “moving on” email from this non-producing IC. And rather than be upset with myself for not listening to my gut and ending her agreement months ago as I really wanted to, I just took it as a sign to always remember that my instincts are nearly always spot on.

I need to remember to align myself with others who share my own personal and business values and vision. This is the only way I can comfortably grow my luxury travel business, since dead weight in the form of non-producers puts my reputation — and that of my brand — on the line.

As you look to grow your client base, the same theory should be kept in mind. You can’t get weighed down with those who are not profitable at the end of the day. If you don’t stick to your focus of selling what you love and what you know (high-end luxury travel products), you will indeed get bogged down in time-consuming, less-profitable transactions.

We have all been caught in this trap, whether it’s because we took a referral from a friend or did a relative a favor and booked their low-dollar trip. The time involved in booking budget travel is usually the same — or more — than booking the luxury travel you specialize in, but the profits are considerably less. We all know this isn’t a smart business move, but we occasionally forget to say no!

Don’t be afraid to say no to people or business that does not feel right, and always go with your gut when hiring or firing. Trust me, this will liberate you from regretting decisions you’ve made and save you wasted time and energy in the future.