How independent agents can build a successful team

Most independent advisors begin by building a book of business around themselves. Their knowledge. Their relationships. Their reputation. Their clients.

And that can create an extremely successful career.

But there is an opportunity for independent agents to grow their business to the next level by taking on associate agents.

For successful independent travel advisors, growth eventually creates an interesting challenge. You become busier. Your client base grows. Referrals increase. Your expertise deepens. Your sales climb. But there is still only one of you.

There are only so many clients you can personally serve, itineraries you can develop and bookings you can manage. At some point, growing your business by simply working more hours stops being a sustainable strategy.

That is when some agents decide to start their own business and build a team.

The Power of One Becomes the Power of Many

Building an associate network doesn’t have to mean finding five people who sell exactly what you sell. In fact, one of the biggest opportunities is the opposite.

Imagine a successful independent agent with a strong luxury or FIT business. Now add an Associate who is passionate about river cruising. Then another focused on destination weddings and honeymoons.

How about another who understands groups and affinity travel….or another specializing in ocean cruising, adventure or multigenerational travel.

The business suddenly has access to different customers, products, booking patterns and revenue opportunities.

Build a business around experts

That can help diversify the agency’s product mix and potentially reduce its dependence on one travel category, client type or booking season.

It also creates opportunities for Associates to develop businesses around the travel categories they are most passionate about.

Where to find associates?

While an associate agent can certainly be someone new to the industry who wants to learn under an experienced advisor, there are other scenarios that work equally well including experienced

agents transitioning to a hosted model, career changers with hospitality or customer-service experience — and retired or semi-retired professionals.

Each brings different strengths and requires different levels of mentoring and onboarding.

A seasoned travel professional looking for greater independence may bring an existing client base and supplier knowledge.

A new advisor may bring enthusiasm, a new network and a willingness to specialize.

A career changer may arrive with valuable sales, service or event-planning skills.

What you bring to the table

Think about everything an established advisor learns over a career. How to qualify a client. How to protect margin. How to handle a complicated booking. How to develop supplier relationships.

How to earn referrals. How to manage a difficult situation when something goes wrong. How to recognize the difference between being busy– and actually building a profitable business.

The associate model provides a framework through which experienced advisors can turn that knowledge into mentorship — and mentorship into another component of their business.

TTAND offers Associate Agent program

The Travel Agent Next Door offers an Associate Agent program that enables the independent advisor to build the business they want.

The Associate Agent model gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to take everything they’ve learned and build a team around it.

They can mentor new people into the industry, attract experienced advisors, develop specialists and create additional production that isn’t limited by how many bookings they can personally manage.”

The Travel Agent Next Door’s Associate Agent Program gives experienced independent advisors a new way to grow— by building a team, developing new talent, expanding into new travel specialties and creating revenue beyond their own personal production.