Amy Jordon (Source: Amy Jordon)
Travel Advisor Success Stories focus on veteran advisors and how they achieved success. Here’s a look at Amy Jordon, owner of the Travel Bug.
How did you get your start as a travel advisor?
A friend of mine told me stories of how she and her daughters traveled and made the best memories by going to Walt Disney World. I had never been and thought she was crazy. (She’s now one of the top sellers on my team.) I traveled to Disney World and loved it, but thought the trip could have been better.
The next time we went we used a travel advisor and we had a much better experience. Then my friend became a travel advisor and convinced me I should too. I needed more experience, so dang it! I had to travel more.
Then I became a contracted agent, beefed up my training and focused on helping families have better Disney vacations. I spent hours poring over strategies to keep my clients out of long lines in the parks, determining the best time to ride specific rides, reviewing restaurants and more.
After four years I decided to open my own agency. I don’t make decisions easily, so it was a huge step for me. I’m so thankful for my team and the support of my family. I wouldn’t be here without them!
We now plan vacations to many destinations, but when we hire we start with Disney. I call Disney a gateway drug for travel advisors. There’s so much passion there, and once you get into the routine of selling and serving clients it’s easy to transition to other destinations as well.
How did you build your business over the years?
We have built up our business the classic way – through word of mouth. I also use social media, ads on Google and the occasional mailer. In the past, I went to four shows a year to engage with families and collect email addresses. I once made 500 Mickey-shaped rice crispy treats for a festival. One family refused them because they had marshmallows and the family was vegan. I always learned a lot doing those shows!
What characteristic makes you a successful advisor?
Success for us is defined by how well we serve our clients throughout the planning and traveling process. We strive to not just be a booking agency, but an agency that knows their clients’ names, cares about their trips like we are there with them and makes sure they have the components in place to have the vacation they’ve always dreamed of.
'Success for us is defined by how well we serve our clients throughout the planning and traveling process.' (Photo Credit: Ensemble)
What have been your greatest challenges?
One of the challenges recently has been finding advisors that are aligned with where our company is going. Bringing someone on board who has a passion for selling and helping families have amazing vacations is just the beginning. Do they also have the secret-not-so-secret sauce of being willing to learn and work hard to build their client base over time?
I heard someone say that they look at contracting independent contractors as an experiment of sorts, so that takes some of the pressure off finding the perfect fit. There is always tension between growing our team and enjoying where we are right now as a company.
What have your greatest accomplishments been?
Building a team that is helpful to each other, cares about their clients and answers their emails promptly feels like a pretty big win! I’m so happy when our new advisors start to meld with the team, and when we bring someone in and they hit the ground running, it’s a really thrilling experience.
What tips can you provide advisors new to the industry?
The best advice I heard when I was a new hire was to treat the business like a long game. Building habits and refining your processes go a long way you when you get busy. Following up with clients is huge!
I also keep a hype folder for those days when I feel down. I have some thank-you cards in there from my first clients that remind me of why we do what we do.
When you have extra time, work on things like furthering your education, writing newsletters, scheduling posts and taking tourism board certifications for the destinations you are interested in.
Don’t belittle what you do, and don’t call it a side hustle! You can make a huge difference for someone who has always wanted to travel – and that can impact their quality of life.
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