Alexis Burnett (Source: Alexis Burnett)
Travel Advisor Success Stories focus on veteran advisors and how they achieved success. Here’s a look at Alexis Burnett, destination wedding manager for Love to Travel.
How did you get your start as a travel advisor?
Before becoming a travel advisor, I worked as a wedding planner in Kansas City for a couple of years. I loved being part of such an exciting time in couples’ lives, but eventually I decided I was ready for a change.
That’s when I found Love to Travel back in 2017 and it immediately felt like the perfect fit. I’ve always loved to travel and traveled a lot growing up, and I already had a passion for weddings, so becoming a travel advisor specializing in destination weddings really gave me the best of both worlds!
How did you build your business over the years?
I’ve helped grow the destination wedding business at Love to Travel over the years by focusing on relationships and really taking care of our wedding couples from start to finish. A lot of our business has grown through referrals from previous wedding couples, which has been incredibly rewarding.
I always try to make the planning process as easy and stress-free as possible while getting to know each couple personally and understanding exactly what they’re looking for in their destination wedding.
Over the years, I’ve also continued to grow my knowledge of destinations and resorts through traveling, resort visits, trainings and firsthand experiences. I think that combination of personal service, destination knowledge, experience and genuine relationships with our couples has played a huge role in growing the wedding side of Love to Travel.
What characteristics make you a successful advisor?
I think one of the biggest things that makes me a successful advisor is that I genuinely care about my clients and the experience they have from start to finish. I’m very personable and love getting to know my clients and building relationships with them, rather than making it feel like just another booking.
I’m also very organized, detail-oriented and responsive, which is especially important when planning destination weddings with so many moving pieces. I try to make the entire process as easy and stress-free as possible for my couples and their guests.
I also think my firsthand travel experience and resort knowledge allow me to give honest recommendations and help couples find the destination and resort that truly fit what they’re looking for.
What have been your greatest challenges?
One of my greatest challenges has been learning how to navigate all of the things that are outside of my control. In travel, things don’t always go exactly as planned – flights can change, resorts can make changes, weather can be unpredictable and wedding coordinators or suppliers may not always respond as quickly as we would like.
When you care so much about your clients and their experience, those situations can be challenging. Over the years, I’ve learned to focus on what I can control: communicating with my clients, setting realistic expectations, advocating for them when issues arise and doing everything I can to find a solution. I think those challenges have ultimately made me a stronger and more experienced advisor.
What are your greatest accomplishments?
One of my greatest accomplishments has been helping grow the destination wedding side of Love to Travel and seeing how much it has grown over the years. It’s incredibly rewarding to have couples trust me with such an important time in their lives and then refer their friends and family to me for their own weddings and vacations.
I’m also really proud of the relationships I’ve built with my clients over the years. Seeing wedding couples come back to me for anniversaries, family vacations and other milestones – or having their wedding guests become clients – is one of the best compliments I could receive.
What tips can you provide advisors new to the industry?
My biggest advice to new advisors is to focus on building relationships and not expect success overnight. It takes time to build your client base, gain referrals, and develop your knowledge and confidence.
Take advantage of every opportunity you can to learn – attend trainings, visit resorts, travel to the destinations you sell and build relationships with your supplier partners.
Firsthand experience and knowledge are so valuable when clients are trusting you to help plan such an important trip.
I also think it’s important to be responsive, organized and honest with your clients. You won’t always have all the answers, and that’s okay. Be willing to do the research, ask questions, and continue learning. Take great care of every client you work with, because one happy client can lead to years of repeat business and referrals.
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