Trust the Trade

I attend a weekly networking meeting called the Crabapple Business Club with local small business owners and managers. Often someone says something I find valuable and then I forget it as I drive away. This past week, someone (I wish I could remember who it was) used a phrase that I really liked, “Trust the Trade.”

We were talking about procrastination, and I shared that I often procrastinate on the things I know will take a long time. I’ve become so accustomed to quickly moving from one task to another throughout the day that the thought of spending hours on a single task really gives me anxiety. There’s just too much to do for me to focus on something that is going to eat up all my time. I said I was thinking of outsourcing this task because it will never get done if I don’t ask someone else to do it.

“Trust the Trade.” Right after I spoke, someone in the room spoke those words. Those three words were a lightbulb moment for me. It’s not that it was a new concept. I learned this lesson many times as I attempted home projects that quickly became too overwhelming, or I realized my ambitions did not match my skills. So, I called professionals who quickly completed those projects properly. Despite learning this lesson repeatedly, those three words were still illuminating for me. My idea for outsourcing the task ahead of me was affirmed. It was no longer a consideration, but a foregone conclusion that I would outsource the work and be better for it. Done and dusted - I no longer needed to give it a thought other than figuring out who to ask and how much compensation I should offer.

Maybe because of the season (summer), it also made me think of the many people I know who have been posting their vacation photos on social media – vacations not planned with Lay Travel Group. Yes, these are family and friends. I will talk about that another day, maybe when I’m less likely to use swear words. The point is they planned and booked these vacations on their own. They didn’t Trust the Trade. They didn’t reach out to me or any other professional Travel Advisor to help them. That means they maybe had fine vacations, but did they have the best vacations? I can almost certainly say they did not. They did not benefit from first-person experience, industry contacts, special offers, and so much more.

Vacations cost thousands of dollars. For some, they may spend two to three thousand dollars, but they have saved a long time for that vacation. Others spend much more and they do it a few times a year. In most cases, a vacation is a significant financial, time, and emotional investment. In addition to the money a vacation costs, people are spending time away from their normal lives to travel. And those booking on their own are spending many hours researching and planning a vacation – time away from other things they could be doing. Emotionally, people are very invested in their vacations. They have dreams of relaxing, making memories, or experiencing something they have dreamed of for years, maybe a lifetime. When a vacation goes badly, it can result fear, angry outbursts, sobs and tears, and bitter arguing. When it goes well, it can be uplifting and momentous.

Think of other big investments – a home, legal counsel, medical care, an education. Even investments like remodeling a bathroom, updating landscaping, or fixing a leaky pipe can cost a lot of money. In most or all these situations, people work with experts who can help them resolve their problems or achieve their visions. They hire a realtor, a lawyer, or a plumber. They Trust the Trade. They trust a professional who works in that trade day in and day out, someone who knows what they’re doing and has tools, resources, contacts, education and experience.

That’s what I have. I have tools most people do not like lists of promotional offers, and special rates that aren’t published. I have resources like thousands of colleagues and a corporate headquarters that I can use when I need information or help with a challenge. I have travel-industry contacts that want to help me succeed at selling their products, so they are often willing to help me resolve problems, answer questions, or offer a little extra for my clients. I have completed hundreds of hours of training to learn about destinations, travel products and services, and earn certifications. And I have travelled extensively to gain first-hand experience in destinations and with the travel products I sell.

When people work with me, they benefit from these things. They are working with professionals. They value their time and money by working with us. They Trust the Trade.

We don’t do enough to remind people of this. So much of our marketing is bait-and-lure type content. We show beautiful photos of destinations and talk about great offers. We don’t do enough to really help people see the value of working with us like how we maximize value for money, match people’s expectations and budgets to the right experience, constantly train, navigate the industry building relationships, and resolve problems for people, and surprise them with levels of service they aren’t getting elsewhere. This will be something we really think about and start incorporating into our messaging moving forward because we know we’re professionals and the best choice for people who value their time, money, and experiences. We need to help them learn to Trust the Trade.