Agent Diary: ‘Have faith’ that brighter days for our industry lie ahead

Remember the words of George Michael and when you feel like quitting, don’t forget why you started, says Thompson Travel owner Sharon Thompson.

Worrying is like paying a debt you don’t owe,” is a Mark Twain saying that feels quite relevant at the moment.

By the new year, we thought the world would be busy again, instead of still being grounded. But the situation is what it is, and health is the number-one priority on all our lists. But there are others too.

Bills are mounting, overheads still exist and there is no set date for when our lives will return to a working or living normal.

It’s depressing, to say the least, but how does worry help? Just 15 minutes of worry in 24 hours can take over our whole day, be it a news clip, flight cancellation, refunds, or that 1-in-100 irate customer who makes your day hell.

Banish negativity

I stopped using my personal Facebook page for a while, since Christmas, because if I read one more person predict the world’s going to end, give vaccine advice or tell you why you shouldn’t travel when they never travelled anyway, I would have cracked up. Negativity breeds negativity. Those people have a problem for every solution.

This past year is not our fault, but worry has often inhibited us from looking ahead and even remembering our purpose.

“I stopped using my personal Facebook page for a while because if I read one more person predict the world’s going to end, I would have cracked up.”

They say the five most important things in life are health, family, friends, love and purpose. For the last year we have tried to look after the first four. Now it’s time to focus on the fifth.

Travel isn’t exactly the top-paid job for most of us, but we love it. There has always been a buzz around our business, an enjoyment in others getting the trip they want. It’s the reason we started doing what we do and why we look forward to when we can do it again.

So when you feel like quitting, don’t forget why you started.

Bag those bookings

Most independent agents spend January to March booking spring, summer and winter experiences. We don’t really benefit financially from those sales until well into the second quarter, but we still enthusiastically push forward knowing our reward will come.

Worry ends where faith begins. Faith in what we do and that brighter days are ahead.

I always loved a bit of George Michael. Faith was number one in the Hot 100 chart for four weeks, number one single of the year in the US and a hit in Australia, Canada and the UK. It must have struck a chord with many. Sing it to yourself:

“I gotta’ have faith; Because I gotta have faith, faith, faith; I gotta have faith, faith, faith.”

Keep singing it and every time a bit of worry slips in, have a little faith.

“When I won Advantage’s version of Dragons’ Den in 2014, Jonathan Wall from Elman Wall told me “if you have a passion for what you do, others will too”.”

And what do I mean by faith? When you can’t control what’s happening, challenge yourself to control the way you respond to it.  That’s where your power lies.

When I won Advantage’s version of Dragons’ Den in 2014, Jonathan Wall from Elman Wall told me “if you have a passion for what you do, others will too”. Let’s show our customers that travel is an option as long as we adapt.

Better days are ahead. Smart operators are realising that agents are good for their business, and consumers can see your commitment. Market that positivity and remember why you love the career you chose.

Hasten the day to pull anchor

Cruising has been a bit of a mixed bag in the current climate. Those customers we are trying to convince to give cruising a try aren’t forthcoming right now.

And regular cruisers, who know how good it is to take a cruise holiday and can’t wait to sail again, are showing a little hesistance while there remains no definite date for when a return to cruising will actually be possible. So with that in mind, 2022 feels like a sensible option for when to push our cruise sales. Let’s hope that we get a definite date soon!