Meet Sasha: completely new to the travel industry; working on her travel business part time while holding down her job in recruitment AND she’s our latest Money-Back Challenge winner!
In her first year since joining us, Sasha made enough bookings that she won back every penny of her £14,995 Elite franchise fee.
We’re the only franchise in the travel industry to offer this amazing incentive. And Sasha – along with our other recent winners, Ellie, Ian and Richard – is proof that, with hard work and the backing of a great support team from The Travel Franchise, it’s a Challenge that can be well and truly smashed.
So how did she do it?
For starters it was sheer determination: “From day one, getting my money back was my sole focus. Come hell or high water, I was going to do it.”
But she admits it wasn’t without its obstacles. “It’s been a roller coaster ride,” she admits. After a promising start, a cancellation briefly derailed her progress. But with the unwavering support of her Business Development Manager (BDM) she bounced back.
Every consultant is appointed a BDM to help inspire, motivate, guide and congratulate you.
Whether you’re new to the business or you’ve been with us for years, your BDM is always there to help. In fact, we’ve got the highest ratio of BDMs to consultants in the industry, so you’re never alone.
“My BDM had absolute confidence in me, which was amazing. When I doubted myself, she pushed me to get back on the horse. That belief was so motivational,” Sasha recalls.
Alongside this unwavering support, Sasha has utilised all the tools, training and support that we give to all our agents.
“The way the company is set up and structured is, to be quite honest, incredible. The tools, like T-Profile [our snazzy new quotation tool that we give to every travel consultant for FREE] are brilliant. They make us look professional and give us the edge when dealing with customers. The company provides everything you need to make it work – and more,” she says.
The hard work is admirable, but what’s even more impressive is that Sasha managed to smash our Challenge while also holding down another job
Having already had a 30-year career working in recruitment Sasha was building up her new company while also holding down an interim job.
She admits that it was tricky at times managing the two roles. “I had two phones, one for each job, and sometimes both would be ringing at the same time!”
But one thing that stood out to her was that she had many transferable skills.
“In recruitment, it’s about matching the right person to the right job. In travel, it’s about listening to what customers want and matching them to their perfect holiday. It’s the same relationship-building skill set, and I love it. It’s so rewarding,” Sasha explains.
This ability to connect with people and create tailored travel experiences has become her strength.
As a result, Sasha has made some big bookings including a £70k cruise – a niche sector that we help agents master as it has some of the biggest commissions in travel.
“I’ve booked a family of four on a cruise of a lifetime with Seabourn Cruises. They’re departing from Hong Kong and going around Asia and Taiwan and places that I hadn’t even previously considered. That alone was worth about £70,000.”
But beyond the big bookings, Sasha has big plans. She dreams of building her business to the point where she can employ a team of consultants. Inspired by some of the top performers she met at the recent annual company conference, she envisions a thriving enterprise that allows her to live comfortably, travel extensively and mentor others.
“Hearing how some of the other agents started from nothing and built successful businesses motivates me to keep going,” she says. “We’re all really supportive of each other and the conference was a great way to meet other agents and share stories. I’ve now got a five-year plan. It’s going to take time, but I’m okay with that. I’m in this for the long term.”
Have you got the determination to succeed just like Sasha? With our support, infrastructure and training, you too could be our next Money-Back Challenge winner!
