Jamie Biesiada
ORLANDO — Specialize. Listen. Always be available.
Those were among the pieces of advice for advisors imparted by David Locke, who, alongside his wife, Cindy, owns Avoya Travel's top agency, Seize the Seas. David addressed his fellow Avoya advisors Wednesday afternoon during the host agency's Million Dollar Showcase at the Waldorf Astoria here.
So far this year, Seize the Seas' sales stand at $6.4 million as of July 22. Cindy's personal sales stand at $2.9 million and David's at $2.6 million.
What has made them power sellers? A combination of selling the right product, qualifying clients correctly and always being available — but still making time for their personal lives, David said.
"You don't have to work 24 hours a day, but you have to be responsive 24 hours a day," David said.
'Specialize and focus'
The Lockes don't really have a set schedule to their day. It's a mix of taking new leads and servicing existing clients.
While David acknowledged it's hard to keep up with the number of new travel products coming online today, that's exactly the reason he encourages his fellow advisors to specialize in something.
"Specialize and focus," he said. "You can't be all things to all people."
Originally, Cindy worked at Oceania Cruises as a home-based reservation agent. When they told her she couldn't work from home anymore, she decided to leave and turned to Avoya at the recommendation of Oceania.
Today, the cruise line is still a large part of their business.
"Sell what you're good at selling," David said, "not what you like to do or sell."
He added that it's important to listen to clients. Some, for instance, might always want to be booked into all-inclusives because they never want to sign a drink bill. Others might want to avoid all-inclusives altogether because they don't drink and don't want to pay a price that includes alcohol.
David also encouraged agents to get to know products well through training and experiences. They should also get to know their business development managers, the first stop whenever a problem arises, as well as executives.
Leverage technology and education
He also uses technology to help him do his job. He said he and Cindy always purchase WiFi on cruise ships to stay connected — and they are never shy about using it, even if they need to send an email to a client during dinner.
David also employs a Samsung Galaxy Fold phone, which unfolds to be the size of a tablet. He can work entirely from that phone.
Finally, David encouraged continued education, including attending events like the Million Dollar Showcase. On Wednesday, during one-on-one meetings with suppliers, he said he found three or four new vendors he hadn't sold before that would likely fill some client needs.
"Enjoy the ride. This is a blessing," David told his fellow advisors. "You're working in pajamas, you have no boss, and then you go on these trips — and you're making money."