The headline read: “All Indications Point Toward a Banner Year For Travel Professionals According to James T. Bigelow”
You don’t know the writer, and he doesn’t know you. Yet I am quite certain that you are feeling better about your travel business knowing there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel. Things are looking up, according to some person known as an “authority.” In this case it’s James T. Bigelow.
Listening to Strangers
Don’t you find this a bit strange? Don’t you think it odd that you allow a stranger to raise or lower your enthusiasm quotient based on a series of words tied together in a magazine headline?
They imply ‘good,’ and you feel good. They report ‘bad,’ and you begin looking for a new career. This responsive behavior is also prevalent when talking about the weather or the Dow Jones. At the very least, I label this as quizzical behavior. You can’t control fuel prices and you can’t control the Dow Jones Stock Index. For that matter, you can’t control the weather.
What Can You Control?
Realistically, the only thing you can control is ‘you.’
It is both healthy and logical to realize that you—and only you—have a meaningful say in how your future will unfold. Of course, there will be a few outside influences, but the bulk of your success will come from the choices you make.
My advice to you: Make good choices. Take control of your life. Take control of your business.
Once you begin taking your cues from your own personal actions, while paying less attention to the pundits, you will be well on your way to a fun-filled profitable future.
Not by Mr. Bigelow’s say-so, but by your daily activities and follow-up. The ball is in your court: This infers that you alone are “driving the bus.” The only persona in control of your life is you. Whatever happens to you in the next 35 years will be determined by the decisions you make from this moment forward. Got it?
Customer-Oriented Decisions
My recommendation to you is to start making good decisions—and that means customer-oriented decisions. That means that as soon as you realize that your largest problem concerns ‘visibility’ the sooner you will make every attempt to become more visible.
Here are some more proven success-driven suggestions.
If you want to become more successful (by your definition), you must begin doing more. You can’t allow industry media to determine your attitude or the rate and effectiveness of your contributions to the traveling public.
In closing, if you are an honest, hard-working travel professional equipped with a sense of humor and a modicum of emotional intelligence, it is time to get up, get out and make more people glad they know you.
Mike Marchev is always looking for a few more proactive travel professionals to join his Sales and Marketing Club, mike@mikemarchev.com.
*** You want more to think about? Check out my weekly podcast (Miked Up Marchev). Also listed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google, and iHeartRadio.
