Advice from a Journey Advisor Lifetime Achiever

After 43 years as a journey advisor, 14 consecutive years of profitable Host company Nexion’s highest awards, profitable Nexion’s Ambassador Award thrice, and now being the first-ever recipient of the company’s Advisor Lifetime Achievement Award, Steve Lincoln stated he’s removed from accomplished.

“I know that this is being called a lifetime achievement award, but I made very sure to let them know. I’m not at the end of my career,” he informed TMR. “I look forward to a very bright future.”

Lincoln joined Nexion in 2004, however his time within the business dates again even additional to 1982. For his first 20 years, he labored for another person. Then, in 2002 he took the leap and began his personal company.

He by no means thought he’d obtain the degrees of success he has. To attain this level, Lincoln has adopted his personal path.

TMR obtained to sit down down with Lincoln at Nexion’s current annual convention in Orlando to speak about what he attributes his success to, what recommendation he has for newer advisors, and what he’s so happy with.

Relationships > Transactions

While Lincoln informed TMR he attributes a lot of his success to a variety of blood, sweat, and tears, what it actually comes right down to is his sturdy relationships together with his shoppers.

“When I started in my business, I made the very conscious decision to nurture relationships and not look at transactions,” Lincoln informed TMR. “I genuinely focus on the relationship. I believe that if you give good service, the money will follow.”

Rather than particular person transactions, Lincoln stated he tries to take a look at the massive image.

“There are times when people will come in and ask for a trip that I know is not going to be a major profitable trip for me to work but you have to look at the big picture. Is their next trip going to be a 45-day cruise around the South Pacific? Is their previous trip a 30-day cruise around South America?”

Additionally, Lincoln stated he doesn’t count on to receives a commission for every thing he does for somebody. Some duties are all a part of the massive image, and a few are a part of relationship constructing.

“If there’s an event in their life that you can drop what you’re doing and go help the 85-year-old lady change her tire because she has a flat, you’re not doing that for money. You’re doing that because you care about that person,” he stated.

He added that with many purchasers, he’s met their households they usually’ve met his. They’ve traveled collectively, as effectively.

“A lot of my clients I regard to be friends and they regard me as a friend as well.”

With all that stated, Lincoln emphasised he’s not ignoring the cash aspect of issues.

“Obviously, I have a business to run… I’m not bankrupting myself but it doesn’t cost anything to nurture a relationship.”

Staying Connected

TMR requested Lincoln for his recommendation on learn how to nurture consumer relationships, particularly in between journeys.

“Advisors need to focus a little bit more on special events in people’s lives,” he stated.

Reach out to them on their birthday, on their anniversary.

“I’m not saying you have to go out and buy a $5 Hallmark card and put a dollar postage on it. But maybe send them a quick email saying happy birthday, I’m thinking of you… Just something to keep you involved in their lives.”

Another “anniversary” you possibly can assist your shoppers rejoice is the anniversary of an enormous journey they took.

“A year ago today, you were here. Happy anniversary. Just something to keep your name at the forefront of their minds when they’re thinking of travel helps quite a bit.”

It is applicable to ship a card in the event you discover out that your consumer has had a dying within the household.

“That is an appropriate time to buy a literal card and mail it and say I’m thinking of you.”

Lincoln additionally picks up the cellphone, at all times when the consumer comes again from the journey and infrequently in between journeys.

“I can’t do that for every single trip, but if it’s a big trip or if it’s a big trip to them, yes, I will do that. Or, if it’s something that I personally recommended to them and sold them on, then, yes, I will do that.  If this is their 15th Royal Caribbean cruise out of Miami to the Caribbean, I’m probably not going to.”

Not Your Usual Advice

Some of Lincoln’s recommendation goes a bit towards the grain of what we normally hear.  

For occasion, he hardly ever costs his leisure shoppers service charges, and when he does, he applies the cash in direction of the consumer’s closing fee (and solely after the ultimate fee is non-refundable) in the event that they select to e-book with him. (For his company shoppers he costs a payment for each transaction.)

Lincoln additionally isn’t a fan of giving shoppers thanks items.            

“I have never thanked my lawyer. I have never thanked my hairdresser, my dentist. I don’t think that’s something that should be expected from the consumer or by the advisor.”

This is doubly true if the consumer is rich.

“Buying a millionaire a $15 photo album isn’t going to cut it. It’s a nice gesture, but do they want a $15 photo album? No, they don’t.”

When he does ship one thing, it’s not a thanks present, however extra of a thinking-of-you present. He informed TMR about one consumer who collects cans of beer wherever they go. On a visit to Cuba, they have been intimidated into not bringing something again into the U.S. however they have been upset, so when he occurred to go to Cuba a number of months later, he introduced a can again and mailed it to them.

“They were so appreciative of that,” he stated. “You have to do it in a thoughtful manner or else it becomes robotic and you’ve lost the genuine-ness to it. And, people can tell. You cannot feign genuine appreciation. And just saying, thanks for booking that trip with me, I appreciate it, you helped me pay my electric bill, that’s not going to cut it.”

To Niche or Not to Niche

Another piece of recommendation Lincoln has for brand new advisors that you just gained’t usually hear: Be cautious about changing into too area of interest.

“I know that in today’s travel environment, everybody is encouraging new agents to find a niche. And I say, don’t let your niche limit you.”

In different phrases, don’t go to date down the trail of specialization you could’t pivot if what you’ve specialised in hits a tough patch.

It begins, he stated, with what you name your company.

“If you’re going to call it Gina’s Caribbean Cruises, is a client going to come to you when they want to go to Europe? Probably not.”

Having one thing you focus on is ok, he stated, however ensure you know one thing about the remainder of the journey enterprise.

“You cannot ignore the rest of the industry because you may need the other components of the industry. As we learned from COVID and 9/11 and other events throughout history, your business can change overnight.”

Lincoln, who works out of a storefront location – one other unusual attribute for a journey advisor as of late – is a generalist.

“When I started in this business, I had no formal training at all. It was work by the seat of my pants and I learned everything I could about every aspect of this business.”

Succeeding Against the Odds

After greater than 4 many years as a journey advisor, Lincoln has rather a lot to be happy with nevertheless it’s his personal resiliency and tenacity that he takes probably the most delight in.

“When I left my previous employment and decided 23 years ago to open my own agency, all bets were on me to fail,” he stated, including that the one folks to encourage him have been his spouse, his mother and father, and his in-laws.

“It was a very rough opening. It took two to three years before I felt like I was established.”

He added, “To have overcome that mindset and to have proven them wrong and to be able to look back in retrospect and say, I should have done this 43 years ago, not 23 years ago. I’m very proud of that.”