Success Stories focus on veteran travel advisors and how they achieved success. Here’s a look at David Pachtman, owner of Pachtman Travel Services.
How did you get your start as a travel advisor?
When I was 16 I went on my first cruise. It was for a cousin’s bar mitzvah. I fell in love with cruising from that point on. My second cruise was for my honeymoon. I then began to cruise every year with my family. My friends noticed I was always cruising so they would call me and ask for advice, and sometimes they would join me. I would book their cruises as well. This was the beginning of the idea of getting into the travel industry.
How did you build your business over the years?
I started out working under a host agency for over 10 years. My background and my full-time job was in law enforcement. Because I worked in the sheriff’s office, which is a huge organization, word got around that I was great at booking cruises, and that word continued to spread. So, I developed a huge following and referral base.
After I retired from law enforcement in 2018, I decided to open up my own travel agency. I used social media when I was working under the host agency and I continue to rely on it today. I add two to three new posts a day, which focus on group rates, last-minute deals and deals to specific destinations, etc.
The other thing I do is I check the birthdays of my Facebook friends and send cards to them. One of the many benefits of doing this is that if you’ve got, say, 4,000 to 5,000 friends, the cards will jolt someone’s memory – someone, for instance, who simply may have forgotten my name and wants to book a cruise.
What characteristics make you a successful advisor?
One of my biggest assets is that I’m a perfectionist, so I just can’t let things sit. I have to address everything immediately. I answer phones pretty much any time and I’m very on top of things. I’m not sure if this is always a positive thing – LOL!
What has your greatest challenges been?
One of the biggest challenges I have is handling the amount of business that comes my way. Sometimes it’s very overwhelming. I book about 1,500 to 2,000 cruises a year– just myself.
What has your greatest achievement been?
When I opened Pachtman Travel Services, no cruise line recognized me for any of my past sales, so commissions were basically at 10 percent. Now, I have risen to the top with most cruise lines, with sales reaching almost $4 million in 2023.
What tips can you provide advisors new to the industry?
I have approximately 15 agents that work under me and I always advise them to use social media to expand their business and following. It’s a free service and it takes minimal time.
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