by Susan Schaefer
Friday September 04, 2015

I’m sure this has been discussed before, but it is worth repeating. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. Or in other words, support my business and I’ll support your business. Some travel agents don’t seem to get this concept. I’m currently working on building a relationship with a new client that I’ll call Jane. She has a very successful direct sales business, selling a product that would make good client gifts. Another travel agent told me Jane “wasn’t worth the work.” Her reasoning was that Jane always qualifies for her company’s incentive trips every year, so would have no need to pay for vacations.

I sat down with Jane recently and we talked for a couple of hours. What I learned was that there is…

Like many attractive personal features, trust is a concept that is easier pronounced than earned. You can’t ask for trust, and you shouldn’t expect it without a lengthy track record. Trust in the truest sense of the word takes time to establish. It is the sum total of many small positive transactions which need to be tabulated regularly. You don’t earn somebody’s trust and then rest on your laurels. You must continue to maintain a trusting relationship day after day.

Trust can also be lost in a heartbeat. Although it may take hundreds of positive “touches” to earn, it can be lost with a single miscue or oversight. Trust is as delicate a human trait as there…