The Top Motivators That Actually Drive Work — And How the C.A.R.E. Framework Helps Travel Advisors Build a Business They Never Want to Leave.
Written By: Scott Koepf, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) – Cruise Planners
Over the years there have been multiple studies to determine what really motivates employees — and, somewhat surprisingly, managers seem unanimously wrong about the order of importance. If you have employees or associates, you should absolutely use this in your approach to management. However, most travel advisors today are entrepreneurs and work primarily on their own. So I’ve consolidated these studies and shifted the focus from managing others to self-management and motivation.
Sir Richard Branson said, “Train people well enough so they can leave. Treat them well enough so they don’t want to.” Great advice — but think about how that applies to you as a travel advisor. Continue your education until you are an extraordinary advisor, and make sure you take care of yourself and create an environment and business you love so much you simply can’t leave.
The acronym C.A.R.E. will help you manage and retain employees — but more importantly for most of you, it will inspire and motivate you.
C: Competitive Compensation
Interestingly, this was consistently ranked as the number one motivator by managers — but ranked much lower by employees. There’s no argument that money is motivating, but every other element below outranked wages in study after study. As a travel advisor, there are two ways to look at this.
First, are you being paid enough by the suppliers you work with? It’s important to partner with suppliers who support you through high commissions (true net without deductions that reduce your pay, like NCFs) as well as coop support. Time is money — so what’s the ease of doing business with them, and do they save you time in the booking and service cycle?
Second, are you making the income you desire for the hours invested, and if not, why not? The answer could be a reflection of which suppliers you sell, or it could be your own sales ability. Make sure you are educating yourself on sales techniques and processes so your efforts are fairly compensated.
I like this quote from Walt Disney, who knew that money was not the ultimate reward. Instead, it’s what that money can do for you and others:
“I have always been bored with just making money. I’ve wanted to do things. I wanted to build things. People say the guy has no regard for money. That’s not true. I have had regard for money, but I am not like some people who worship money as something you’ve got to have piled up somewhere. I’ve only thought of money in one way, and that is to do something with it.”
A: Acknowledge
Acknowledging contributions and hard work is a powerful way to inspire and retain employees. This can be as simple as thanking them for their efforts, or it can involve more formal recognition programs. Having exciting and meaningful work — and the sense of making a difference — is ranked by employees as the most important thing to motivate them, and it probably is for you too. We are blessed to be in an industry that is so exciting, fun to talk about, and truly changes lives.
Studies show that 70% of American employees feel disengaged at their jobs. Hopefully, you are not only engaged but feel genuine appreciation for what you do. And if others don’t provide it, then make sure you appreciate the role you play in bringing dreams to life.
R: Reward Hard Work
Rewarding employees for their hard work by offering bonuses or other incentives for exceeding performance goals can be quite motivational. So, what bonuses and benefits are you attaching to various goals and achievements? A fancy dinner when a nice commission check comes in? A cruise or resort stay when a major threshold has been reached? Celebrate successes throughout the year to keep the job fun and meaningful to you.
Ron Friedman, the author of The Best Place to Work, said, “The future of great workplaces lies in helping employees fuse their personal and professional lives in ways that position them to deliver their best work.” What can you do to ensure your work is integrated with the rest of your life in a fulfilling and meaningful way?
E: Encourage a Community
Being a travel advisor — especially a home-based one — can sometimes be lonely. However, just like employees judge their work environment primarily on the people they work with, you also need to develop a community you can learn from and who supports you. Collaboration with others is vitally important in every endeavor, and maybe even more so in travel.
Most travel advisors today work with a host agency, which in turn is part of a consortia. These organizations should (and do) provide robust communities for you to be a part of. This involves training and development opportunities, along with support and resources — and within those groups you can find a few like-minded advisors to build strong relationships with. Other local groups like Chambers of Commerce or networking groups are great too, but those tend to be driven by client attraction. Finding communities of like-minded, professional, and passionate travel advisors will be a huge benefit to your business.
The well-known quote in sales is, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” You can personalize that saying around this acronym — and when you care for yourself, you will be able to care more for others.