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July 2007
Supplement to Travel Trade

By Joanie Ogg, CTC, MCC
President, NACTA

Let’s be truthful with each other. Have you ever had one of those days where discouragement and business-related issues started you on a negative downhill slide? Perhaps it was more than one day — maybe even weeks of self-doubt about why you risked so much to be an entrepreneur in your Home Based travel business.
OK. Snap out of it. This is not going to help you rise above your doubts. But, on the other hand how do you get yourself out of a slump and back into that feeling where it is all so exciting and a whirlwind of activity?
Starting and operating your travel business in the beginning stages can be filled with activity and excitement. Just the anticipation of how great this will be can make the days seem to fly by. Typically, that initial phase may pass and the business day settles into a regular routine. Perhaps those fantasies of financial wealth have not yet become reality and the slow slide to self-doubt starts to creep in. It may seem like no matter what you do or how hard you work, the results are not as you had hoped.
Probably the best thing to realize is that almost everyone goes through these same periods of doubt and you are not alone. Just the fact that you may have peers who can cheerlead you through these times can be helpful. Be prepared that there will be “days like this.”
What else can you do to get through?

Focus 101
Sit down and make notes about what motivates you. Whatever that is most likely keeps you focused on the end result. Why did you start your Home Based travel agency? When you go back and reminisce about the why, you will most likely re-energize. If for some reason those initial entrepreneurial motivators are not getting you back in the groove, find some new reasons to get you back on track.

Remember Why
Think about why you started this business and why it was so important to do so. If you’re a mom, perhaps your purpose in starting your home business was so you could be with your children rather than in the workforce. So, when you’re feeling discouraged because you didn’t land that account you wanted or didn’t make that sale, remind yourself why you’re doing this in the first place. Picture your children. Visualize your purpose as vividly as you can. Then harness that motivation and turn it into energy you can direct back into your business. Use that energy to examine why you didn’t land the account or make the sale and then change whatever needs to be changed. By making changes in response to such stimuli, you are increasing the odds of being successful the next time around.

Be Confident
Sometimes things do not go as we had planned. However, if we are confident about ourselves, it helps us to be more resilient when things go wrong. You knew that the trip you offered a potential client was perfect for them and you knew the value your service would add to the experience. However, the clients booked online and you know the end to that story. Your self-confidence can carry you through. (Perhaps they will come back next year after they realize that the Internet does not have feelings.)
The language you use in your thoughts makes an enormous impression on your subconscious.
If you impress upon your subconscious that you are not deserving of success, your subconscious will go about making that come true. Similarly, if you impress upon your subconscious that you are a successful, confident person, it will work just as hard to validate that presumption.
You can program yourself for success by focusing, remembering why and being confident in your ability to be the best travel professional you can be.