Andrea Norfolk. (Source: Andrea Norfolk)

Travel Advisor Success Stories focus on veteran advisors and how they achieved success. Here’s a look at Andrea Norfolk, president of Shoreline Destinations.

How did you get your start as a travel advisor?

I began in 2013 as an independent contractor (IC) at a brick-and-mortar agency. I had used the agency in the past for my own personal trips and decided to call the owner to figure out which classes at a local college she took. Instead, she gave me the opportunity to come work for them. I was eager to learn and put in the time.

After three years as an IC, I felt I had the confidence, connections and book of business to venture out on my own and get an IATA card. I trusted myself and knew I’d continue to grow the business and haven’t looked back!

How did you build your business?

To this day, I can still trace back a network of clients to some key individuals who spread the word about me early on. That ‘spider web’ effect from three ladies is something I will never forget. It only takes a few people to sing your praises for your book of business to grow. Word-of-mouth referrals will always be such an integral part of this business because those referrals come with a built-in level of trust that leads to a higher close rate.

However, to truly grow, I’ve put an extensive amount of resources into building websites I’m proud of and utilizing multiple people in various roles to handle the social media side of things. The investments I’ve put into our brand and the people behind the brand have paid off ten-fold.

What characteristics make you a successful advisor?

Confidence is key. It’s hard in the beginning to find that confidence, but for me, it was going to the destinations and resorts and seeing them for myself. You must put in the effort for the results to pay off. Visiting hundreds of resorts has allowed me to feel very confident in my answers, not second guess myself and to say no when I need to. Saying no is key and it took years for me to get there.

In the beginning, we all want to take everything that comes our way. But that doesn’t always make good business sense, nor does it mean that it’s going to lead to a trip that closes.

Having the confidence to say that we aren’t the right fit for what they are looking for or that we cannot give them a good experience for the budget shows clients that you are serious and aren’t just in it for a sale. While I am sure I’ve lost some business, I’ve gained time to focus on the types of clients and trips that I want to work on.

What have been your greatest challenges?

I’ve always struggled with a work-life balance. I’m still trying to figure it out 11 years later, and can’t say I’ve improved much! I am so passionate about what I do and pride myself on responsiveness, so it truly is hard for me to turn off work. While I’m proud of my work ethic, I am very cognizant that it’s come at the cost of being ‘in the moment’ many times outside of work.

I still make up 60 to 70 percent of the agency’s sales, have a team of 15 and love both the back office side of things (marketing/processes) and working with clients.

I’m working on how to scale back on working on trips so that I can continue to grow the agency and rely further on my team.

What have your greatest accomplishments been?

When it comes to this company, I can say wholeheartedly that I have given it my all and if I stop tomorrow, I will always be proud of what I built. That, for me, is bigger than any award within the industry.

However, I can’t say it doesn’t feel good to be recognized for my accomplishments. While I know many of these awards don’t mean anything to clients (they just want to feel well taken care of), there are a few I’ve been especially proud of. Some of the awards with Classic Vacations, my preferred tour operator, have meant a lot to me as I’ve had their support from the moment I went out on my own.

When it comes down to it, I’d say my biggest accomplishment is building a team of women that support each other, work well together and cheer each other on. I’m only as good as my team, and I know I’m biased, but I feel I have the best team out there.

What tips can you provide advisors new to the industry?

You have to get out there and visit the destinations and resorts you are recommending to clients. Advisors shouldn’t get into this industry if there isn’t time or resources to experience these places themselves. I don’t wait for a fam trip, I make my own fam, even if it means more money than a traditional fam would cost.

Get key resort contacts, ask your BDMs for names and take the time to reach out directly to resorts and representatives to help set up a visit. It’s a lot of work, but the upfront time spent putting it together means I’m extremely efficient once I’m at my destination.

I will go to a destination for four nights and spend each night at a different property while doing site visits to two others each day on top of it. To most, this seems extreme, and while it does limit my time on property, I want to see as many resorts as possible. I can usually ascertain very quickly how I will categorize a resort when giving recommendations to clients. It is time well spent in destination.

I also recommend ICs find a niche or destination that they are familiar with or have a passion for and not try to sell the ‘world.’ We have created a business model within our agency where we have different agents specializing in different segments of travel. So, our team knows that they can always pass a lead along to someone in-house who will take good care of their client.

It takes years to be an expert in multiple segments, so pick one or two and focus all of that time on becoming an expert before jumping to something else just because a request/lead comes in. Find a trusted travel friend/partner in the industry to pass those leads onto – if not within your own agency.

Join a travel group and apply for some of the ones that are a bit tougher to get into. The Travel ALLIES Society has been an incredible resource for me because I know I can turn to any one of the agents for guidance on a segment of travel that I may not be comfortable in. Having a group that I know I can ask a difficult travel question – and get a solid answer that I can trust – is invaluable.

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