No matter what career you are in and how good you are doing, you can always improve yourself.
Even Richard Branson has offered advice on becoming better: "Being a good listener is absolutely critical to being a good leader; you have to listen to the people who are on the front line."
If you want to become a better agent, here are nine tips from other agents that you should listen to who are on the front line:
Be Dependable
"Picking up the phone or quickly answering email is the first step to being a great travel agent," said Alex Dalton, Travel with Alex, an affiliate of Travel Experts.
"It tells the client a lot about if you can't even answer their emails in a timely manner. Even if you have to send an email telling them to give you a minute, that is still letting the client know they are important."
Pay Attention to Detail
"I am a full-service travel consultant and pay attention to detail, but I feel I can do better with this," said Denise Lorentzen, owner/travel consultant with Dreams Travel Consulting in Hughson, California. "Sometimes we get busy and little things get forgotten. I am working on being better organized with the little details for my clients."
Be Inquisitive
"[I'm always] asking great questions and really getting to know my clients so I can serve them in the best way," said Stefany DiManno Ceccato with Largay Travel in Waterbury, Connecticut.
Be Organized
"This one is key if you are doing multi-faceted, very complex FIT's," said Dalton. "Using Outlook Calendar or some reminder app helps in a myriad of ways. There will be times you forget stuff, it happens, the app will cover you on it."
Be Resourceful
"Sometimes, you just have to be creative, know the right person to speak with to get that extra amenity, that space on the airline cleared or the specific tour operator booked," said Dalton. "You need to sometimes be a go-getter and ask for what you need without being too pushy. Some have mastered this, some have not."
You Have to Want it
"No matter what you do you can always be better, it comes down to: Do you want to get better?" asked Tom Karnes, LaMacchia Travel of Kenosha, Wisconsin.
"Our industry offers so many ways to make yourself a better agent. One of the best ways is to align yourself with an organization or consortium that pushes you to be better via travel opportunities, online training, seminars and networking. When you surround yourself with great agents (and competitors) naturally, it drives you to be better so it becomes the company you keep."
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