How to start fresh in the new year as a travel consultant

The new year is the perfect opportunity for a fresh start. Whether it’s learning new skills, being better at what you do or perfecting a healthy work/life balance, now is the time to set the stage for a successful year ahead.

We’re all busy. We all have a lot going on in our day. But as travel consultants, we have to remember we still need to greet and treat every single customer as if they were family. Put aside everything else you are doing and make sure the customer knows they have your full attention.

It’s also vital that you take care of your own wellbeing so that you can begin each day fresh and sustain your energy resources into the year. Here are my tips for levelling up in the new year.

Take your lunch break! In a busy role like ours, managing your time is so important, and that means managing your downtime too. Last year, I barely took my lunch breaks, so this year one of my resolutions is to make an effort to take some time out every day to relax and unwind. Even a quick walk to the shops or park to clear your mind and maintain balance, helps you come back ready to tackle the afternoon.
Plan your day properly. Write down a list at the start of each day and plan your day from there. Not everything needs to be completed within the first hour of walking through the door, but it reduces stress if you have a daily outline of your goals.
Book your own holidays and have a bucket list. Nothing gets you more excited in this job than having your own holiday to look forward to! It helps you relate better to your clients. It also allows you to make time for yourself, and you’ll walk back into the office feeling like a new person.
Dress yourself to the nines everyday! I feel most confident, enthusiastic and ready for anything when my red bow is on point, my hair is done nicely and my uniform is ironed. This energy will make a good impression on customers, too. If they can see you making an effort with yourself, they’ll trust you will make the effort with their holiday too.
Treat every customer as if they were your best. Don’t forget that every holiday is special to every customer. Sometimes you might book five Bali holidays in one day – that’s just the nature of the job. It’s important to step back and remember how we would feel if this was our own holiday, and bring that enthusiasm to your dealings with each customer, no matter what destination they are planning on visiting.

How to set and achieve your goals

Take it slow. You won't achieve your entire list in the first week of January — good things take time. Something I like to do is write down my goals for the new year in July of every year. I then go back and check on them in December to see if they are still relevant. This process allows me to decide whether I’m setting myself up for success and working towards goals that are important to me, and not just 'spur of the moment' thoughts.
Put a timeframe on each goal and make them measurable. Review this on a monthly basis to see how you’re tracking. This helps you make sure you’re placing realistic expectations on yourself. And hold yourself accountable so you don't let the year get away from you.

My goals for the new year

I am personally trying to build and grow my repeat and referral database. The online industry and other travel agents makes our job very competitive and quite hard to ensure a client will only think of me when it comes to all of their travel needs. As such, I’m currently testing different ways to make myself and my business stand out from the rest showing customers that we’re the far better alternative to booking a domestic flight online.

I’m also really trying to think outside the box to create fresh solutions to service different client needs. All of our clients keep our business going in this competitive climate. This includes our corporate clients who we serve through FCM and our R&R customers, too. Considering this diversity of different needs is one of the key factors to being a successful travel agent.

What my store is doing to prepare for the new decade

We have an amazing vision, planning and goals session lined up for mid-January. This will be crucial to ensuring all staff are on the same page when it comes to how we run our business.

In 2020, we want every day to be challenging but extra enjoyable and we want our team to love working together. To encourage this, we’ll be holding more 'team outings' as an opportunity to bring everyone together inside and outside of work. We also transitioned into a satellite store early last year and the new year is a chance for us to really show what we can do in our new form, using the two sites to our advantage.

My store has changed dramatically since I started in 2017, and I’m excited to see what else Helensvale brings to the table in the new decade!

Join us in 2020 and be a part of Australia’s leader in travel.