I was recently interviewing a prospective client, who repeatedly asked, “Dan, what are we going to do about my marketing plan?”  After reviewing her efforts, I told her, “Maybe a tweak or two - here and there - but for the most part your marketing is fine.” I replied, “What’s missing is a sales plan.”  The phone went silent, and I waited while she processed what I had said. “A sales plan?” she asked, “I’m not even sure what that is.  I thought all I needed was a marketing plan.”  As I explained the purpose of a sales plan, I could practically see the light go on in her head.

A marketing plan does not guarantee that you will sell anything.  It does guarantee a substantial investment to attract and retain clients, but I repeat – a marketing plan does not guarantee sales.

 As travel professionals, we operate on a business model virtually identical to our friends who sell real...

I may have attended the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!), but as my Uncle Howard once told me - my real education was the summer of my freshman year I spent selling books door-to-door. In those short two and one-half months, I developed many of the life skills that have become an integral part of who I am today.

Knocking on doors and proactively presenting my product to families with a specific need my educational books could help solve, showed me that I can earn a lot more commission by taking the game to my customer than waiting for them to come to me.

As a result, for most of my sales career I have made “prospecting” my priority. I believe it is the missing link between just getting by, and real success in sales.

If you have been in or around the sales profession for any length of time, you have undoubtedly heard salespeople described as “hunters” and “farmers”. Unfortunately, the latter is how most operate, regardless of their product or...