Emotional Intelligence Can Drive Travel Agent Success

Improving your emotional intelligence is the key to success as a leader in the travel industry, Brian Robb told attendees on a travel institute webinar yesterday.

The founder of the Robb Aspect and former Mark Travel executive said it takes more than a high IQ to achieve success; it needs to be coupled with emotional intelligence that lets people interact effectively and work together.

During a Travel Insitute webinar, titled “You, Leading Your Agency to Success,” Robb said that “developing your emotional intelligence is ground zero, it’s the very basics. It will help you get the best partners and the most devoted customers.”

There are four categories of emotional intelligence, and winning travel professionals must develop them all: self-awareness, social awareness, self-regulation and relationship management.

Individuals with well-developed emotional intelligence have good problem-solving and decision-making abilities, adaptive and flexible communication styles, and effective responses to emotional triggers.  Knowing how to comprehend and use emotional intelligence will help you become a better colleague, sales person, and business owner or manager.

Relationship management directly affects dealing with your team. Are you seen as a coach or mentor? Do you motivate your subordinates or demand from them? Is the atmosphere of your team relaxed or uptight? Ask yourself these questions to better asses your relationship with subordinates.

The good news is emotional intelligence can be improved. Identify your strengths and hone in on the skills where you are weakest. Robb suggests making a web of a range of skills – from self-awareness to empathy and social savviness –to fully understand your capabilities. It’s important to be completely honest, Robb said, in order to determine how to manage them moving forward.

This webinar was the first in a series of four. Other topics in the “You, Leading Your Agency to Success” webinar series will include:
The importance of trust and how to get employees to follow your lead; Landscape assessments and your competitive advantage; and The power of the pyramid to identify marketing and promotional activities that drive business. The Travel Institute is offering free webinars for the month of July.