If I had to pick two words that consistently raised the cackles on my neck when sharing some advice with my stepson during his early years, it was his knee-jerk response. Here I was sharing my hard-earned experience in an effort to help him circumvent a foolish mistake, and he hits me with “I know.”
(Combine “I know” with an eye-roll and there was cause to immediately dial 911—just in case the old man might blow a gasket.)
“Brian, if you step out into traffic before looking both ways, there is a good chance that you might get run over by an 18-wheeler hauling wood pellets to Bangor, Maine.”
The young lad’s knee-jerk response? “I know.”
My response to his response? “Just look both ways.”
‘I know you know’…
“I know” is a simple phrase that is uttered millions of times daily by children, grown-ups, and grown-up children. That covers just about everybody. Today, however, I am talking to you, the travel professional.
I know you know. That is not the point. That is not the issue. That is not the problem.
The point is doing what you know. The issue is practicing what you know. The solution is benefiting from what you know.
And here’s what you know:
- You know that if people don’t know you are alive, they can’t possibly do business with you.
- What are you going to do about it?
- You know that most people do not expect good service anymore.
- What are you going to do to earn their trust?
- You know the value of delivering more than is expected.
- What “cherry” are you going to put on top?
- You know that follow-up is a differentiating ingredient for long-lasting relationships.
- What are you going to do next?
- You know that more sales come to fruition by listening rather than talking.
- When are you going to stop talking?
- You know that interrupting people in mid-sentence is an invitation for them to keep “shopping.”
- When are you going to give them a reason to buy from you?
- You know that old habits are hard to break yet you still have a few that need breaking.
- What new habits are you going to replace them with?
- You know that business today is difficult, yet you still show signs of “giving up.”
- When are you going to eliminate the word “quit” from your vocabulary?
What You Do With What You Know
You know a lot of things. But the question I have as you continue to sculpt a comfortable future is what are you planning to do with what you already know?
Let me rephrase that last sentence. “What are you going to do with what you already know?
I know that you know just about everything you need to know. Don’t tell me “you know.” Do something—anything—with what you know.
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.
