The Engagement Gap – Why It’s Costing You More Than You Think (And How to Fix It)

If you struggle to get the entire team engaged, you’re not alone. Most of the travel teams I work with face the same challenge. While it’s unrealistic to expect 100% engagement, the real goal is to minimize the distance in productivity from top to bottom.

The engagement gap costs more than just sales. It drains your time, energy, and focus. Constantly trying to “motivate” low and non-producers is exhausting and unsustainable.

Here are three strategies to help close the gap:

1. Focus on Opening Doors – The Most Critical Momentum Builder

Whether an advisor sells a million dollars or is just getting started, the customer creation process is the same. It might get more efficient over time, but the foundational behaviours don’t change.

The key is to make high-performing behaviours a habit across the entire team.Reaching out is one of those habits. It's essential—and accessible—to everyone.

Even part-time advisors can commit to one proactive outreach a day. The goal is consistency in opening the door to vacation conversations.

“80% of sales training focuses on closing the sale.90% of the fear lies in opening the conversation.” — The Rain Group

Make it safe, comfortable, and clearly connected to their success. The result? A healthy prospecting habit that builds momentum for everyone.

2. Best Practices – Raise Awareness Around “What It Takes” to Win

Don’t just celebrate the win—share the story behind it.

One simple question can transform your success-sharing culture:“What made that work?”

This encourages learning from the process, not just the outcome.

Without it, others may think:

• “Well done!” ...and then do nothing.

• “I could never do that.” (hello, impostor syndrome)

• “That’s easy for her—she has a better list.” (comparison trap)

Help your advisors relate to the first step, not the final result.Direction—not destination—is what builds belief.

3. What’s Your Big Goal—And Why Does It Matter to You?

Bring your team back to their why. When someone reconnects to the reason they started their business, everything shifts.

Knowing an advisor’s big goal—and what it means to them—gives you a bridge. You can connect their daily actions to something that actually matters.

You can guide. You can support.But ultimately, they have to do the work.

Which of these ideas speaks to you?  Keep in touch and let me know what’s working and not quite working yet!

I love hearing what’s working—so I can pass it along to others who are working to build engaged, high-performing teams.

Keep leading the way!