travel agent professional nov.2010
DESCRIPTION
TAP is one of the only magazine for the Home Based Trade Agent.... With stories written by industry leaders like Rusty Pickett, ECCShellback Cruises, Scott Koepf, VP of Sales Avoya Travel/American Express, Mitchell J. Schlesinger, VP Sales & Marketing Voyages to Antiquity, Paull Tickner, Creator of Special Interest Britain and Les-Lee Roland, Owner of The Package Deal... also up to date info on today Host Agencies.TRANSCRIPT
Travel AgentProfessional
4 The Graying of AMERICABy Mitchell J. Schlesinger
8 Much Ado AboutNothingBy Rusty Pickett
10 Social MediaMarketingBy Sherry Laskin
November 2010 Issue 1
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Travel Agent Professional TAP
2010
Ad In
dex http://www.joinavc.com
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64 The Graying of AmericaBy Mitchell J. Schlesinger
Vice President, Sales & Marketing Voyages to Antiquity
68 Much Ado About Nothing By Rusty Pickett, ECC
Shellback Cruises
10 Social Media Marketing —Real Simple StrategyBy Sherrie Laskin, ACC
NACTA Chapter Director, North & East Central Florida
12 Is Affiliating with a Host Agency the Right Choice for You?By Mary Brutscher
Former Host Agency Owner & Travel Educational Instructor
18 Hello Dolly, Hello Travel Agents!By Scott Koepf
Vice President of Sales America’s Vacation Center/Avoya Travel
November
AVC/Avoya Travel.......................IBCAuto Europe .........................IFC & 9Leisure Pops .................................15
Royal Caribbean Line .....................3TRAMS .........................................17Travel Planners International..........7Voyages to Antiquity....................BC
Travel AgentProfessional
November 2010 Issue 1
November 2010
Travel Agent Professional has itsroots in Home Based Trade, the first maga-zine of its kind, started by Joel Abels in2004. Joel and Lenore Abels ran TravelTrade for nearly half a century – it wasstarted by her grandfather, John S. Lewis,and her father, Sidney Lewis, in 1929, andthey took the publication over after hergrandfather’s passing.
Under Joel’s direction, the company grewto be one of the travel agent industry’sleading publications, reaching more than 45,000 agents throughout NorthAmerica. It spawned a famous series of trade shows and three monthly maga-zines – Cruise Trade, Tour Trade and Home Based Trade.
The Abels also garnered enormous respect – Joel received the Neal Award,called “the Pulitzer Prize of the business press,” for his hard-hitting editorials.
On a personal note, after working with Joel for over a decade and staying withhim until the end, I grew to truly care for and respect the man. He was like asecond father to me. Joel was old school, he stood by his word and believed inhis work. There will never be another.
While nobody can replace this industry legend, we’re hoping that this new pub-lication, which reunites the original Home Based Trade editorial board, will beable to carry on his passion for travel and those who sell it.
Ann M. Hoek
Travel Agent ProfessionalPO Box 120202
Staten Island, NY 10312E-mail:
mailto:[email protected]:
718.227.7541
Ann M. HoekPublisher/Creative Design
Bonnie WallingEditor
Meet Our Editorial BoardMitchell J. Schlesinger
Vice President, Sales & MarketingVoyages to Antiquity
www.voyagestoantiquity.com
Mary BrutscherFormer Host Agency Owner &Travel Educational Instructor
mailto:[email protected]
Rusty Pickett, ECCShellback Cruises
www.shellbackcruises.com
Les-Lee RolandOwner of The Package Deal
Scott KoepfVice President of Sales
America’s Vacation Center/Avoya Travel
www.americasvacationcenter.com
Sherry Laskin, ACCNACTA Chapter Director, North & East Central Florida
www.sherrylaskin.com
Sherrie FunkCo-owner & President of
Just Cruisin’ Pluswww.justcruisinplus.com
ContributionsLee Rosen, CEOLeisure Pops
www.leisurepops.com
This online magazine is dedicated tothe memory of Joel Abels, TravelTrade's editor and publisher. Joeland his life's work may be gone, butwith your help it can live on.
Joel was our champion, even when it meant taking a stand
opposite that of huge airlines and suppliers. He was our advo-
cate when others, including major agency membership organiza-
tions, were not. His unwavering suppor t of and for agents, prob-
ably more than any one single person, did more to emphasize
the impor tance of continuing education and learning for the
travel agent community. All of the “Joel-A-Thons”, as some
affectionately call them, are a past and future testimony to that
belief and suppor t, and will keep his memory alive for years to
come.
Charlie said he had often thought all the words above and wish
he had taken time to say them to Joel a week or a year ago,
even if only in an E-mail. We both know he would have had a
quick reply even if it had been sent at 1 a.m. because he was
that dedicated to what he did. He truly was the epitome of the
phrase, “If you love what you do, you’ll never have to work a
day in your life.” We will not soon see his likes again.
— Sherrie and Charlie FunkReprinted from Feb. 2007 Home Based Trade with writer permission
Joel M. Abels Legend In the Travel Industry
April 1927 to January 2007
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4
By
M
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S
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ng
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November 2010
Mitchell J. SchlesingerVice President, Sales & Marketing
Voyages to Antiquitymailto:[email protected]
Extraordinary Selling Opportunities
The most impactful demographic trend in our societyis the “Graying of America” and the significant opportunity it rep-
resents to home based agents.
Americans are living longer than at any time in our history. They are
seeking fulfilling, educational and enriching travel opportunities at
home and abroad like never before and in larger numbers. The sig-
nificance to this demographic trend is reflected in the following:
Baby boomers and retires over 65 represent the fastest growing
demographic segment of the population. We have talked about
Demographics & Psychographics...
10,000 Americans turning 50 every day for years. Combined with a decline in the
birth rate, 40% of the overall US population is over 50;
In 1900, just 3.5 million Americans were 65 years of age or older. By 1998, that
number grew to 35 million and projections are that by 2025 that number will be in
excess of 70 million;
It has been further projected that by the year 2030, there could be more Americans
alive over 80 than there are under the age of 8!!
This is an enormous opportunity for travel agents who can take advantage of senior
populations in their communities. There are keys to the demographic and psycho-
graphic characteristics that make this opportunity so valuable:
They are at a point in their lives where they want experiences that are meaningful,
enriching and fulfilling. Many have traveled to core destinations and now want to
travel to new and far flung lands across the globe;
They have more time and disposable income, so their trips are longer and more international;
They are most concerned with the value of their purchase. And since they can and will travel much
longer, they are willing to spend up to $15,000, or even more, on long itineraries at home and abroad -
as long as the they perceive the trip is worth the price;
Unlike families and working consumers, they are not restricted to any seasonality. The timeframe of
their trip is insignificant, but many like to avoid traditionally busy travel timeframes.
Remembering the attention to the psychographics of this target audience, there are a number of steps
to follow to capture their loyalty:
5
Travel Agent Professional
The Graying ofAMERICA
6
November 2010
MARKETING AND PROMOTION
If you are going to sell them worldwide destination trav-
el, you must enhance your own knowledge. CLIA has
excellent destination training and resources and the
Internet has a vast array of sites;
Remember, seniors are older, looking for assurances
about the trip and will read materials thoroughly. Use
direct mail to communicate, provide extensive details
about the trip and answer as many of their questions in
the materials you send. Use a larger typeface, so that it is
easier for them to read;
Make sure the messages connect to their psycho-graphic profile:• Value, not price• Discovery, wonder and exploration, not the familiar• Education and fulfillment, not status or hype• Action, not passivityUse other mediums with the same intent. For instance,
instead of just a newspaper ad, write an advertorial in
the form of a travelogue. If there is an applicable local
radio program, come on as a travel expert to describe
the trip in detail.
PLANNINGDue to the purchase cycle, benefiting
from the senior market requires strict
planning. Remember:
This audience books far in advance, so
you need to set up departures far into
the future, as much as 9-15 months
beforehand;
Focus many of these trips during time-
frames away from over popular travel
periods. For instance, the Mediterranean
is cooler in the fall and it is summer
“Down Under” in January and February;
Another plus is that many senior popu-
lations are concentrated in communities
where it is easier to deliver your mar-
keting messages to them. Use the
resources available in the community
and schedule personal presentations to
describe trips;
Seniors love to travel in groups and pre-
fer an escort, which adds the sense of
nurturing and safety.
Cultivating the senior market is the
road to dramatically higher purchase
prices, significantly greater commissions
and very loyal clientele. You may not like
getting older, but you certainly will like
your clients who do!
CUSTOMER LOYALTYOlder clients are highly “brand centric.” They will
remain loyal to a brand, product or service provider as
long as they feel satisfied. There is significantly more
commission at stake with this older target audience. As
your clients get older, you want them to purchase this
longer, more expensive travel through you.
By continuing to recommend and arrange travel that ful-
fills their psychographic needs and wants and providing
them with very personalize service, they will remain very
loyal to you…and tell others.
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Iguess today’s hot topic is the new Cunard/Princess policy,under which reservations will be automatically cancelled if final payments
are not made on time. Some agents seem to think this is an intrusion on
their business principles. I just don’t see this as an issue — it’s really much
ado about nothing. Virtually all of us put cabins on hold that cancel auto-
matically without deposit — it’s a good sales practice. It would seem
equally reasonable to cancel a reservation that is not paid on time. After
all, most often we have months to prepare for the final payment deadline.
From the cruise line’s standpoint, they need to manage inventory.
From the agent’s standpoint, we need to see inventory that is avail-
able in real time so that we can book it — especially for the popular
cruises and tours. If a vacation is important enough to someone to
book, pay good deposit money and plan the adventure, it should be
good enough to pay for in a timely manner with a hard due date.
I have to question the agents who think this is a problem. How do
you manage your back office? What is your system for sending out
invoices and making payments? Do you have a “tickler” file to remind
you when upcoming payments are due? Do you send out invoices
with payment due dates that lead the absolute final payment date?
I think most professionals anticipate the final payment due date and
ask for the money early. Even if the client wants to defer the final pay-
ment a few days to jump into the next credit card billing cycle, with a
requested early payment date, this becomes a non-issue. You tickle
yourself to make the payment.
If you are traveling, where phone payments may be difficult, ask for
the payment early — or make the payment online while onboard the
ship. I haven’t had an objection yet. Folks want their travel agent to
travel and gain experience that will help them advise clients. They are
still protected since the full refund date hasn’t changed. They also
want their travel agent to operate their business professionally and
with the client interest in mind.
I can’t get excited about the policy. I would rather talk to clients about
travel and take care of the administration professionally and neatly.
It’s wonderful to
have the old
Home Based Trade
crew back
together. I am
sure Joel is looking
down on us ready
to spring into
action as the
Energizer Buddy.
Rusty Pickett, ECCShellback Cruises www.shellbackcruises.com
8
By
R
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P
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EC
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November 2010
Much Ado About
Nothing
Auto Europe Appoints Eric Ledroux As President of the America’s
Portland, Maine – As Auto Europe continues to expand interna-tionally, the company has appointed Eric Ledroux as President of theAmerica’s. In his position as President, Ledroux will oversee alloperations of the Portland, ME office.
Ledroux brings with him an extensive knowledge of car rentalindustry with over 21 years of experience including prior executivepositions with Renault, Avis Europe and Europcar.
“I am extremely pleased to have Eric as our new President ofNorth America. He will bring a fresh perspective that will enableus to continue our growth and support of the industry, “states ImadKhalidi, CEO.
Khalidi, CEO will now be able to better focus on the company’sinternational growth including their current offices in The UK,Europe, China, Australia and New Zealand.
Auto Europe offers worldwide car rental services, hotel servicesworldwide at 3, 4 & 5 star European properties and scheduled airdepartures including business class, from all major U.S. cities toEurope. For more information, contact (800) 223-5555.
Auto Europe Expands Their Global Presence To 130 Countries
Auto Europe, a leader in European car rental services for over 56years, has now added their 130th country to their growing roster oflocations. In addition to Europe, Auto Europe also offers car rental ser-vices within North America, South and Central America, South Africa,Australia, New Zealand, Central Asia and the Near East. We offer carrental services from Abu Dhabi, United Emirates, Suva, Fiji toZacatecas, Mexico.
“Auto Europe is not just Europe and as we add more countries and ser-vices to our portfolio, it is imperative that agents realize that we are herefor their every need”, states Eric Ledroux, President.
The goal of Auto Europe is to continuously expand not only our ser-vices globally, but to also add incremental new products such as our cur-rent expansion with chauffeur drive services, new domestic car rentaland hotel packages, and portable GPS rentals with full country mapping.
Auto Europe services over 8,000 car rental locations in 130 countriesworldwide. In addition, through their tour division,www.FlyInternational.com they offer scheduled airfare to Europe withover thirty carriers and service 3, 4 & 5 star worldwide hotels. For addi-tional information contact your local sales representative or AutoEurope at (800) 223-5555. Visit their web site at www.autoeurope.com.
Celebrate With AutoEurope and You May
Win an iPad® and YourClient a Free Car
Rental!Auto Europe , a leader in
European car rental services forover 56 years, is expecting toreach their 1 millionth car rentalbooking this year.
We could not have reachedthis goal without the support ofyou, our valued travel partnersand we’ll like to invite you to cel-ebrate this milestone.
To celebrate this success, wewould like to award the travelagent who books the 1 millionthcar rental a free iPad® and yourclient will be awarded with us bywaiving the fees for the car rental.
If the agency’s policy is not toal low indiv idual ly awardedincent ives , i t i s up to theagency owner /manager toexclude the agent or agency.Agency owners and managersmay also participate in our cel-ebration only if they have madeprior reservations. This offer issubject to change wi thoutnotice and may be discontin-ued without notice. Additionalrestrictions apply. Offer validfor US travel agents only.
Auto Europe services over8,000 car rental locations in over130 countries worldwide. Inaddition, through their tour divi-sion, FlyInternational.com theyoffer scheduled airfare to Europewith over thirty carriers and ser-vice 3, 4 & 5 star worldwidehotels. For additional informationcontact your local sales represen-tative or Auto Europe at (800)223-5555. Visit their web site atwww.autoeurope.com
Showcase
1.800.223.5555 • www.autoeurope.com39 Commercial St., P.O. Box 7006, Portland, ME 04112
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By
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November 2010
You can’t turn a corner without hearing it. From social network-
ing gurus to your neighbor’s geeky kid, everyone is talking about
the impact and potential of social media. The two most talked
about and familiar services for marketing and promoting your
business are of course, Twitter and Facebook.
If you are one of those travel agents who proudly proclaims, “I
don’t need to learn this” or “I would rather use a telephone,” don’t
skip out on me just yet. This article might help explain the world
according to technology. Along the way, you might become inspired.
Social Media: It’s not just for kids anymore
Confused?Before you even tackle your first tweet, it’s more important to know what these twophenomenal platforms are able to accomplish for you. This will help you better understand their far-
reaching potential to not only grow your business, but to engage and maintain relationships with new
and repeat clients.
Think of using Twitter as if you were standing on a soapbox. In only 140 characters, you have an oppor-
tunity to broadcast your message to thousands of people. For example, you could broadcast informa-
tion about where to get the best Chinese food in Paris — something unique and interesting.
A Facebook page, on the other hand, is where clients regularly go because they are dedicated to your
brand. They can interact with you, other clients and anyone else who “likes” your page.
Facebook is more like a balanced one-on-one conversation (symmetrical) whereas Twitter is much
more lopsided in its reach to people (asymmetrical).
Social Media Marketing –
Real SimpleStrategy
10
By Sherry Laskin, ACCNACTA Chapter Director, North & East Central Florida www.sherrylaskin.com
11
Travel Agent Professional
TheDifferenceWe’ve all seen the “Followme on Twitter and Facebook”
reques t s . Once someone
clicks the follow or like but-
ton, then what?
Most people actively promoting
their business/brand on Twitter
and Facebook don’t have a clue as
to the “then what.”
What happens is the most com-
mon mistake in a social marketing
strategy: posting duplicate mes-
sages on Twitter and Facebook.
There needs to be a user-driven
differentiation between the two
most popular social platforms in
the world. And there is.
Twitter is what you useto send people to your
Facebook page. If Twitter captures the possible
client who is intrigued by your
knowledge, i.e. your “brand,” then
your Facebook page should be
where that same client develops,
maintains and enjoys a relation-
ship with your company.
This is the direction you should
take when creating a social mar-
keting strategy. It is important to
differentiate the real purpose of
Twitter and Facebook.
Excuses, ExcusesWhen I give social networking presentations toagents, their most common reason for not using social media isthat they don’t need to market on the internet. Why? Becausetheir clients are older or don’t use Twitter or Facebook or they“just don’t have the time.”
My comments to this are:
1. What happens when your older clients get too old totravel? Where will your next revenue stream come from?
2. How many parents and grandparents have been “forced”to sign up for a Facebook account just to keep in touchwith their family?
3. Unless you want to retire, you need to also target ayounger, upwardly mobile demographic. The destinationwedding segment fits that description. Who doesn’t wantto sell a wedding group to an all-inclusive resort?
4. We all have to spend time marketing our business. Howelse would anyone know about us? Whether your busi-ness is entirely repeat and referral or you are new andlooking to build your business, at some point you havehad to market your brand/business.
The successful use of Twitter and Facebook will convert casualparticipants into core clients. There’s no cost, takes only min-utes a day and yields measurable results.
Do you have a social marketing strategy in place? If not, youshould start planning it today.
In my next articles, I will begin with the very basics of developingyour brand through the social media giants, Twitter and Facebook.My goal is to get you up and running by taking small steps towardsa successful and well-balanced social marketing presence.
Confused about getting started on social media? E-mail your questions to:
mailto:[email protected]
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By
M
ar
y
Br
ut
sc
he
r
November 2010
Seeing a venue that
Joel so lovingly started
and nurtured,
resurrected again is
like finding a long lost
friend and it is another
way to keep him and
Lenore’s memory alive
and well.
Not many folks are in business just for thefun of it. While it’s nice to have fun in any workyou do, finding the most profitable way to do busi-
ness is extremely important. If you are new to the
travel industry, finding a good host to affiliate with
can be an excellent decision. While you are focusing
on growing your business and serving your cus-
tomers, you will have the opportunity of starting at a
higher level of commission than you would do if you
chose to go it alone. Additionally, some of the larger
hosts offer some pretty amazing benefits to include
marketing at low – or even no – cost.
Even those who are veterans of the industry have
found that affiliating with a host can save them time
and money because of the benefits and higher com-
missions. Some of these existing agencies are even
small hosts themselves.
In the first of a series of host agent interviews, I
spoke with Kimberly Sherrett, Senior Director of
Business Development/Recruitment and Acquisitions
for Travel Planners International (TPI).
Is Affiliating with a Host Agencythe
Right Choice for You?
Contact information for Mary ismailto:[email protected]
13
Travel Agent Professional
Mary Brutscher: Kimberly, I know that TPI hasbeen in business for quite awhile now. What do
you contribute to the continued success of TPI
and how has it changed to keep up with the times?
Kimberly Sherrett: TPI has always strived totreat our agents with respect and dignity. It is a
mutually beneficial relationship as we are all in
business to succeed. We will do what it takes to
provide our agents with the most innovative, cut-
ting edge tools; strong supplier relationships; con-
tinuous training and education; business develop-
ment; and the best support possible.
Since all members of our TPI support team have
worked in the travel industry for many years, we
are able to bring various levels of expertise to the
table, with quality knowledge that can only help
our ICs develop and grow their businesses.
As a host agency, we are very involved with
multiple organizations that support the travel
industry and the hosting model. This keeps us
informed of the constant changes taking place.
Travel is a fun industry that is constantly evolv-
ing. So, we do our very best to stay in touch with
what is going on to better serve our clients, which
are our independent contractors. They, in turn,
can then better serve their clients, bringing us full
circle in the relationship.
MB: Can you tell me a little bit about thefounders of TPI?
KS: TPI was founded in 1988 by the Gagliano fam-ily and started as a tour operator. As it evolved
into a travel agency, the family sat down and decid-
ed to bring on outside sales agents to sell travel
remotely. This of course, morphed into what is
now our hosting program.
We no longer sell travel, but only support our
agents. The company is still privately owned, with
the Gaglianos leading our team.
MB: What are some of the benefits for agentswho choose to align with TPI?
KS: Being part of a nationally recognized andaward winning, stable, industry leading host agency,
with a clear vision of its future, TPI provides our
agents with many benefits.
Our agents receive higher levels of commissions
from our preferred suppliers. They have access to
advanced technology, including the option of all 4
GDS’s, plus booking, invoicing and accounting tools
which make their administration much easier to
maintain.
We also offer several different commission level
programs to choose from, dedicated support from
a team of experts in the industry, a free consumer
Web site, and we are members of Vacation.com,
which gives our agents even stronger buying
power for their clients.
Utilizing our expert tutelage, our agents can
develop specialty niche markets. We also have a
group coach on staff that works one on one with
our agents to help them expand into the very
lucrative group sales market!
Additionally, our marketing department offers
multiple solutions for our ICs to stay in front of
their clients, as well as logo design, web design and
enhancement, and direct mail opportunities, both
through TPI directly and Vacation.com’s
Engagement Program.
14
November 2010
Another benefit to joining TPI is our relation-
ships with industry educators, which allow our
agents to advance their travel knowledge, optimize
their customer relationship management and
define and refine their business development.
MB: Many agents are worried about losing theiridentities if they affiliate with a host. What can
you tell these agents that would put their minds
at ease?
KS: “Hosting” has various business models. Atrue host agency allows an independent contrac-
tor to maintain their own identity and client rela-
tionships. At TPI, we encourage our agents to
create their own branding, by providing logo
design services, marketing support, and business
development through a partnership with
BrandUCoaching.
MB: Does TPI offer any training programs?
KS: Absolutely! For a person that is new to the trav-el industry, we offer two different training programs.
The first one, My Travel Biz, is TPI owned and
developed, utilizing the Travel Institute books and
curriculum. This program is completely self paced
and is great for those that would prefer to learn
on their own. Upon completion, the student
would then move into our Mentorship program
which allows the student to actively work with an
experienced agent.
The second program is offered through Career
Quest Training. Here again, it is a self paced train-
ing program, but does have administrators and
instructors. The CQT training program is sup-
ported by ASTA and allows the student to inter-
act with other participants and take part in webi-
nars and chats as well. Upon completion, the stu-
dent would be offered the option of taking part in
the TPI mentorship program.
We firmly believe that knowledge is power. By
providing quality training at the beginning of an
agent’s career, the odds are they will have a far
more satisfying experience growing their travel
business.
For those agents that have been working in the
industry and are already established, we offer con-
tinuous education through our partnerships with
The Travel Institute, ASTA, CLIA, Career Quest
Training, Platinum Seminars, and BrandUCoaching.
We are very involved with our preferred suppli-
er partners in regards to business development
via live and archived Webinars, FAMS, and confer-
ences. We encourage our ICs to take full advan-
tage of the certification programs offered through
The Travel Institute and CLIA.
MB: Agents also have a concern of affiliating witha host who is out of their area and then missing
out on local events, such as supplier training func-
tions, ship inspections and so forth. How would
you address these concerns?
KS: I always suggest to our agents to stayinformed by reading the press, taking part in
industry functions, and getting to know our pre-
ferred suppliers. TPI takes great care in publishing
all information regarding FAMS and industry
events on our agent-only platform, as well as in
our bi-weekly newsletter that is sent out to our
agents. We gather the information for the entire
country and let our agents know what is available
to them in their area.
What is Leisure Pops?
Leisure Pops is a point-of-sale,merchandizing software application
that runs on an agent’s desktop and
helps travel agents to sell more
preferred suppliers, more add-on
products and more upgrades.
Leisure Pops runs in the background
on an Agent's desktop and then
“Pops” or reminds an agent via a pop
up message of opportunities to better
serve their client — as well as make
more commissions.
Leisure Pops: A New Application from an Old Friend
Lee RosenPresident, Leisure Pops
• Sell more preferred suppliers.
• Sell more add-on products.
• Earn more commissions.
• Better service your clients.
For more information go towww.leisurepops.com
The Power of Pops
November 2010
It used to be that the suppliers only took care
of the “home” office. Things are changing and the
suppliers are starting to recognize the indepen-
dent contractor is here to stay. So they are adapt-
ing and making the information accessible to all
agents, regardless of locations.
MB: A lot of agents have gone through a lot ofchanges and some tough times and are under tight
budgets. Do you have different options that meet
different budgets?
KS: TPI recognizes the struggles of making itthrough the recession. It has been very difficult for
some agents to maintain the client relationships
needed to support their business. We are very
proactive in our offerings to accommodate the
part time agent, full time leisure agent, the store
front owner, and the corporate agent. Our pricing
is competitive, giving all prospects several choices.
We have seen quite a few store fronts closing
their doors as they could not keep up with the
overhead. We understand that because they had
to close the doors, does not mean the passion to
sell travel is gone. We offer several different solu-
tions that will not financially strap an IC’s budget.
MB: Do you have, or are you planning on offeringa leads program?
KS: We have recently partnered with Tripologyfor their basic lead generation program. All TPI
agents have the ability to participate, regardless of
experience level. This is a wonderful program for
building one’s business.
We have also developed and just recently launched
Leads Direct, which are free leads to the agent, how-
ever, there are qualifiers involved as well as a closing
ratio to be met. The Leads Direct program is an
excellent program for those agents that have been
working in the industry for a while but are having
some difficulty with sales due to the recession.
MB: Is there anything else you would like to sayto prospective agents?
KS: Now is the time to re-evaluate the way youare doing business. Realizing that a host agency
can bring to you strong supplier relationships and
very cost effective methods of doing business may
be the best business decision an agent can make
during these tough times. Partnering with the right
host is just that — creating a true partnership that
is mutually beneficial and rewarding.
Kimberly Sherrett can be contacted by E-mail,
mailto:[email protected] or
by telephone at (800)631-3636
www.myhosttravelagency.com
We are very proactive in our offerings to
accommodate the part time agent, full time
leisure agent, the store front owner, and the
corporate agent. ‘ ’16
Kimberly Sherrett
powering progress
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Scott KoepfVice President of SalesAmerica’s Vacation Center/Avoya Travelwww.americasvacationcenter.com
Do l l Y,Hello Travel
Agents!Thank you for taking the time to read this column in this new and exciting publica-tion. As I am passionate about helping travel agents become successful, I hope this entirepublication and my different approach of writing will help you reach your goals!
You may ask, “Different, you say? Just how different, pray tell?” Well, I am notonly passionate about travel but I also love the use of analogies to learn importantpoints, so my columns will be full of them. However, you will most likely judge my ram-blings based on whether you are a Broadway musical aficionado. I love musical theatreand each show holds applicable lessons to travel professionals that I will expound uponin my columns. So if you are not really familiar with Broadway musicals, may I invite youto join those of us who are crazy about them — and if you love them already, thenmaybe I will provide a unique view of your favorites!
19
Travel Agent Professional
Hello Dolly is one of the most famous
and successful musicals of all time (as well as a
wonderful movie with Babs). While watching a
production of this classic recently in San Diego, I
came to the conclusion that Dolly’s character is
the personification of the ultimate travel agent!
The similarity is so strong, and the lessons so clear,
that I will actually spin this analogy across two
columns.
When we are introduced to Dolly Levi, we real-
ize she is just starting to emerge from a period
of mourning (she is a widow). That was my first
clue that Dolly is the pure rep-
resentation of a travel agent! In
some ways, we are just now
emerging from our own period
of mourning as we lost “the
good ol’ days.” We have seen
monumental change, whether
you want to go back many years
or just a few.
Many folks inside and outside our industry predict-
ed we would never emerge from our depressed
state to become relevant again. But with the same
indomitable spirit of Dolly, travel agents have
decided to come back and prove their worth.
I will say here that, unfortunately, not all agents are
like Dolly. The key to Dolly’s resurgence is the fact
that she simply decided the world needed her, and
so you must do the same thing and be convinced
that your service is needed and wanted! She
learned from the past, as we have, but then made
her decision to go to market. In other words, to
be successful you have to embrace the changes
and boldly proclaim the value you provide.
The value Dolly brought to the market is also
uncanny in its similarity to what travel agents do
— everything! While she seems to have a business
card to fulfill every need, her basic job seems to be
to create happiness! Sound familiar — a travel
agent’s job to a T! With confidence, preparation
and passion, Dolly sings what might be an anthem
for travel agents.
Her focus might be to help folks find love, but then
again, so is yours! You can help them experience
the love of the one they are traveling with, love of
the style in which they travel, love of the destina-
tion they travel to and most importantly, love of
the person “who put their hand in there” – in
other words, loyalty to their travel agent.
You may not have multiple business cards, but
you certainly wear many hats, from psycholo-
gist to financial analyst to cheerleader to best
friend. Your clients will now sing slightly modi-
fied lyrics to “It takes a woman” due to your
exceptional ability.
I have always been a woman who arranges thingsFor the pleasure and the profit it derives….So I put my hand in hereI put my hand in there!
20
November 2010
And if the sound of Walter Matthau’s voice singing this doesn’t motivate you, then think about what hap-
pens to clients when you mesmerize them with the picture of what you will help bring to reality. Dolly
paints a picture (the ultimate sales technique) to two young innocent gentlemen that has them packing
their bags and ready to go:
Out ThereThere’s a world outside of Yonkers (insert town here!)
Way out beyond this hick town, Barnaby (insert client name here!)There’s a slick town, Barnaby
Out ThereFull of Shine and full of sparkle
Close your eyes and see it glisten, BarnabyListen, Barnaby!
Put on your Sunday clothes, there’s lots of world out there…
Yes, it takes an AgentA real Agent
To bring you the sweet things in life!
When you paint the picture, your clients will not only
catch the vision, but they will sing about it (you may
think I live in a fantasy world, but if you mess with me
my pet unicorn will get you). Okay, it is an analogy —
but even if they do not sing a tune, they will catch the
enthusiasm you have and share the excitement.
However, even Dolly has to overcome objections
just like you do. She may have painted the vision
and they may be sold, but with time, a doubt or
concern will pop up. In travel, it could be many
things, so just like Dolly, we have to be prepared.
The gentlemen were excited to travel, but did not
know how to dance, so when objections come
your way, you simply need to provide the solu-
tions. As is usually the case, an objection can be
turned into a highlight if you are ready to handle
it. In short order, the non-dancers are singing:
Well my heart is about to burstMy head is about to popAnd now that I’m dancing who cares if I ever stop!
Dolly was simply a master at showing people how
to find happiness. You can have the same impact.
Just follow her lead and learn how to get your
clients to sing along.
In the next issue, we will continue to see why
Dolly is the ultimate travel agent!
CST
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© 2010 America’s Vacation Center/Avoya Travel
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