Jamie Biesiada
ORLANDO — When Lisa Dunne set out to start her agency, Treasured Moments Travel in Ontario, Canada, she did so with intention.
"I started my business with clear expectations and a solid plan, always having the end goal in mind," Dunne said from the stage at CoNexion, her host agency Nexion Travel Group's annual conference, held at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort here. "I didn't want to do small things and become accustomed to them only to have to change them for bigger and more involved things."
Dunne was giving what Nexion has dubbed a NEXtalk, its version of TED Talks where advisors are invited on stage to share quick and informative tips on how to grow a business.
She said she knew it would take time to start a travel agency, not only to understand the products and services she was offering, but also to build her client base.
"I gave myself a five-year runway for growth, but I quickly realized that small efforts add up fast," she said.
Dunne has been running her agency for just over two years now. She's also still working a full-time day job. She admitted it's exhausting, but "it's been so rewarding."
To ensure her agency is growing, Dunne said she sets small, attainable goals. For instance, she's determined how many clients she wants traveling each month. If she hasn't met that goal, she'll engage in targeted marketing to fill any gaps. As she consistently starts to meet that goal, she increases it or revises it appropriately.
In a moment that clearly resonated with a laughing audience, Dunne shared another strategy she has employed from the beginning: Not relying on friends and family as clients as she got her start.
"I find that they can be some of the most demanding clients, and I knew I would struggle to set boundaries, so I chose not to market to them," she said. "Instead, I've built my business solely on organic leads and connections."
Tapping Nexion University
To do that, she's relied on education from Nexion University, targeting areas that are the most relevant to her business. She has also built a powerful marketing tool in a private Facebook group of clients. While Dunne does upkeep public-facing social media pages, most of her attention is on the private group. It's a place where clients can engage and ask questions privately, which resonates with them, she said.
Dunne screens every member request. The group has more than 1,200 members and she's only had to remove one in the year-plus she's been operating the page.
Also key to her success is staying organized, she said. She has put in place systems to keep her organized and prevent overwhelm, like tasks lists for each booking and daily priority lists.
"This organization helps me work more efficiently, and that trickles down to my clients," Dunne said. "The most consistent feedback I get is that I make things easy and organized for them, which is exactly what we want, right? Stress-free vacations where the client doesn't have to worry."
Most important to her, though, is customer service. She's worked in customer service roles since she was 17, she said, and her goal is to provide clients with the level of service she would expect to receive.
In the Circle of Excellence
It's all paid off. She was the recipient of Nexion Travel Group Canada's 2024 Rising Star award, and last year was named one of Antigua and Barbuda's top 25 agents in Canada and top 100 in the world. At this year's CoNexion, she earned the Circle of Excellence Award, which is based on sales with preferred suppliers.
Dunne encouraged her peers to share their personality with clients, especially when they post on social media. She also pointed out the importance of building relationships with clients in general — relationships based on honesty, even if being honest means a hard conversation.
"Lastly," she said, "dream big. You need to have confidence and believe in yourself. Even if you're new, and even if you're seasoned and trying something new, you need to have the same confidence in yourself that your clients have in you."