Step 1. Decide if this business is really for you. (It’s not for everyone.)

Step 2. Decide how you want to define your business (what you sell, how you sell it, to whom you sell it, etc.). Then stick to it.

Step 3. Learn how the business really works. Otherwise, you will be at the mercy of people who want to charge you money to work for them. I’m not saying they’re crooks, far from it, but you won’t know if you are cutting the best deal if you don’t know how the business really works.

Step 4. Commit yourself to lifelong learning. The travel business is constantly changing.

Step 5. Understand that this business is not about the “love of travel,” it’s about SELLING travel.

Step 6. Prospect, prospect, prospect. And when you’ve finished doing that, prospect some more.

Step 7. Focus relentlessly on your customer. You will sell most effectively when you help people realize their dreams.

Step 8. Always be alert to ways you can be more efficient, add a few more percentage points to your commissions, upsell, and make add-on sales to every booking.

Step 9. Rinse and repeat.