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EducationOn-DemandCLIA rEdEsigns its travEl ag€nt trainingprogram with n€w intEractivE I€arning

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N ever one to rest on its laurels,CLIA is in the midst ofrevamping its portfolio of

training and certification programs fornext year. It will also introduce a newlearning management system.

“We have purchased and will bepiloting new software later this year,which will allow us to deliver live,online instructor-led courses,” saysMargaret Murphy, senior vice presidentof strategic marketing at CLIA. “‘Thismeans we can bring high-quality, liveinteractive instruction to you, no matterwhere you are located.”

The new management system isscheduled to be up and running in thefourth quarter. “It’s going to allow usto deliver this training how and whentravel agents want it,” she says.

Murphy says CLLA will also addmore short-form webinars into itseducational offerings as well.

The redesign will be based onspecific recommendations from CLIA

members. “Our members tell us theCLIA certification is the gold standardof education, and they do not want usto compromise the rigor or the integrityrequired for a CLIA certification — butthey would like to see the process bemore flexible and more automated,”says Murphy.

All things considered, a returnon investment is paramount, she says.“Agents want training when they wantit and they want flexibility so they can fitthe education into their busy schedules.And they want training that is highlyrelevant to growing their business.”

A recent CLIA survey uncoveredthat agents also want shorter courses,but not at the expense of what theylearn. For instance, says Murphy, theywould prefer three 20-minute courses ona topic as compared to one 60-minutecourse. “Agents are teffing us that theywant a high return on their time,” says

Above: The cruise industry offers cutting-edge tools foragents to earn about selling and marketing its products,such as Royal Caribbean’s zipline on Labadee, Haiti.

Murphy. “No travel agent has extra timethat they don’t know what to do with.And that means they want the educationdelivered in multiple formats that workfor them.”

The surveys found that agents wanta mix of online and in-person trainingsessions. Seventy-nine percent of therespondents ranked online coursesas valuable or very valuable, while 73percent ranked in-person courses asvaluable or very valuable.

Agents said they liked videoswithin courses, but that the footageshould never run for more than sixminutes, says Murphy.

“What they are looking for,she adds, are programs that aremore flexible and automated. “Our

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continued from page 70

programs will remain the standard inthe industry — but I think they’ll alsobe game changers.”

CLIA is indeed working towardensuring that its programs are flexible.“People learn differently and wantvarious learning options, a mix ofonline and in-person courses — ofshort courses and more in-depthcourses,” says Murphy. “They wantto hear from a variety ofvoices — fromour CLIA training team, which ishighly regarded, from outside experts,from other agents, from the cruiselines and destinations.”

Currently, CLIA certificationsinclude Cruise Counsellor (ACC),Master Cruise Counsellor (MCC)and Elite Cruise Counsellor (ECC)designations. Although it isn’t known yetwhether the names of the designationswill change, Murphy says the redesignwill not only be based on specificrecommendations by members but alsofrom CLIA best and emerging practicesand those outside of the industry.

“People relate to the Bachelors,Masters, Ph.D. and specialties model,”she says. “Although we don’t label ourcertification levels that way today — thatis the underlying design premise. SoCLIA members can earn their cruiseBachelors, Masters and Ph.D. andthey can earn a specialty designationlike Luxury Specialist or earn a CruiseManager designation, for example.”

In other developments, CLIAlaunched 10 new one-hour travelagent training seminars at its annual

cruise3sixty conference in April.‘The courses include:

* Be Your Own Paparazzi — PR has

Changed, Find Out the Top Ways toStand Out* Facebook 2014 What You Need

to Know Now* Get Your Geek On! — Emerging and

Evolving Social Media You Need toKnow About* Where to Find It — Must haveResources and Apps* What’s My Line? — Connecting

Clients to Cruising in One Sentence* Put the Person Back in Personal

Seffing — They’re People, Not Apps* Sell Your Passion — Niche Markets

You Neverihought ofbut Should Have* The New Face of Luxury Cruising

“Our mEmbErstEll us thE CUAcErtification is

thE gold standardof Education, andthEy do not wantus to compromisE

thE rigor or thEintEgrity rEquirEd

for a CUA cErtification— but thEy would likE

to SEE thE PROCESS

bE more flExiblE andmore automatEd:’

MargarEt Murphy, CUA

- New Luxury Clients, New LuxuryShips* Eat, Drink & Cruise — A Focus on

Culinary Cruising* Turn Their Heads — Grow Your

Business through First-Time CruisersCLIA also redesigned its regional

cruisExcellence seminars to one-dayformats. “The response to this newformat has been excellent,” says Murphy,adding that many have been sold out.“These have been so well receivedthat our cruise line members, agentsand travel destination partners haverequested that we add additional citiesto the schedule,” she says.CruisExcellence seminars for theremainder of 2014 will be available inDenver Oct. 4; Rutherford, N.J. Oct.25; and San Diego Nov. 15.

In the final analysis, the changesin CLIA’s training and certificationprograms are designed to help agentsexceed clients’ expectations. “Changeis happening more rapidly thanever, driven by changes in consumerexpectations and by technology,” saysMurphy. “This pace will not slow down,so not only do we have to stay current,but we also have to anticipate changes.”

In Murphy’s view, agents shouldembrace change. “To a great extent, Ithink we have to be open to changealmost everything about our educationalprograms except what we stand forwhich is a 40-year commitment to offerthe best travel agent education in theindustry that helps our members growtheir cruise sales,” she says.

çj~ todays world, consumers expect travel agents and connecting with clients.Ii to be at the top of their game. CLIA’s training “Can any of us really be an expert in social and

~ and certification programs help agents do just that, digital media for very long?” she asks. “It is chang~ says Margaret Murphy, senior vice president .f strate- ing too rapidly — and right now there is an app or~ gic marketing at CLIA. a new social media platform in someone’s garage.

= Following are four reasons why agents should Within months it will have millions of consumersconsider participating in CLIA training and certifica- using it. Agents don’t need to find out about it tw.

ii’~ L) tion programs. years too late.”Zc~:

Training. The cruise industry continues to expand Resources. “No one can know everything, so agents~.._. dramatically year after year by adding new ships, need to know how to quickly find what they need,” says

destinations and itineraries, and onboard entertain- Murphy. “Agents are resourceful, and CLIA training isment, technology, shopping and technology. “Agents not only a resource itself but also can guide agents [in

_j need training to be sure they are on top of these learning] how to identify and use the best resources.”~ changes — and that they are current with the indus

try and the trends,” says Murphy. The cache of credentials. “Clients and those new tocruise expect agents to have expertise,” says Murphy.

Cutting-edge marketing and sales. “Agents need “It is the price of sustained success. Even if consumersto be able to share the cruise story effectively with come to y.u as a referral, they are going to Googleclients and, of course, with those who are new to you first.” When a prospective client realizes that ancruise,” says Murphy. CLIA education helps retailers agent is CLIA certified it will set [that agent] apart imwith marketing and selling approaches, and with mediately. “Training is the path to certification and tounderstanding the various ways of communicati.n distinguishing yourself,” she says. @

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