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Transcript of Travel Agent Professional April 2011
Travel AgentProfessional
April 2011Issue 6
4 Guest Editorial –By Vicki L. Freed, CTC
8 Are You PlanningFor Success?By Sherry Laskin
14 Into The FireBy Scott Koepf
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1
Travel Agent Professional TAP
2011
Ad In
dex
64 Guest Editorial — Checking Off Your Bucket ListBy Vicki L. Freed, CTC
Senior Vice President, Sales, Royal Caribbean International
66 Are You Planning for Success?By Sherry Laskin
Travel Writer, Blogger & Social Media Advisor
12 Turing Negatives Into PositivesBy Les-Lee Roland
Owner of The Package Deal
16 Clients for Life: By Mitchell J. Schlesinger
Vice President, Sales & Marketing Voyages to Antiquity
18 All Things In ModerationBy Rusty Pickett, ECC
Shellback Cruises
20 Into The FireBy Scott Koepf
Vice President of Sales Avoya Travel/America’s Vacation Center
April
http://www.joinavoya.com/default.cfm?ref=11583http://www.azamaraclubcruises.comHttp://www.celebrity.comhttp://www.leisurepops.com/
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/http://www.trams.com/ http://www.myhosttravelagency.comhttp://us.voyagestoantiquity.com/
Avoya Travel/AVC.......................IBCAzamara Club Cruises ....................7Celebrity Cruises ........................IFCLeisure Pops ...........................19, 21
Royal Caribbean Line ...................BCTRAMS .........................................15Travel Planners Int’l........................9 Voyages to Antiquity ......................3
Joel was the industry’s and my friend, mentor, and guide. I
cannot believe he has left us and he will surely be missed.
Joel tirelessly and continuously worked and worked to make
things better for the travel agent and the results of his effor ts
will be felt by thousands for many, many years to come.— Lee Rosen
Reprinted from Jan. 29, 2007 TTN with writer permission
Travel AgentProfessional
April 2011 Issue 6
April 2011
Travel Agent Professional has its roots in Home Based Trade, the firstmagazine of its kind, started by Joel Abels in 2004. Joel and Lenore Abelsran Travel Trade for nearly half a century – it was started by her grandfa-ther, John S. Lewis, and her father, Sidney Lewis, in 1929, and they took thepublication over after her grandfather’s passing.
Under Joel’s direction, the company grew to be one of the travel agentindustry’s leading publications, reaching more than 45,000 agents throughoutNorth America. It spawned a famous series of trade shows and threemonthly magazines – Cruise Trade, Tour Trade and Home Based Trade.
The Abels also garnered enormous respect – Joel received the NealAward, called “the Pulitzer Prize of the business press,” for his hard-hittingeditorials.
On a personal note, after working with Joel for over a decade and stayingwith him until the end, I grew to truly care for and respect the man. He waslike a second father to me. Joel was old school, he stood by his word andbelieved in his work. There will never be another.
While nobody can replace this industry legend, we’re hoping that this newpublication, which reunites the original Home Based Trade editorial board,will be able to carry on his passion for travel and those who sell it.
Ann M. Hoek
Travel Agent ProfessionalP.O. Box 120202
Staten Island, NY 10312E-mail:
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 [email protected]
Rusty Pickett, ECCShellback Cruises
www.shellbackcruises.com
Les-Lee RolandOwner of The Package Deal
Scott KoepfVice President of Sales
Avoya Travel/America’s Vacation Center
www.joinavoya.com/default.cfm?ref=11583
Sherry Laskin, ACCTravel Writer, Blogger & Social Media Advisorwww.sherrylaskin.com
Sherrie FunkCo-owner & President of
Just Cruisin’ Pluswww.justcruisinplus.com
ContributionsLee Rosen, CEOLeisure Pops
www.leisurepops.com
This online magazine is dedicated to the memory of Joel Abels, Travel Trade's editor and publisher. Joel and his life's work may be gone, but with your help it can live on.
Joel M. Abels Legend In the Travel Industry
April 1927 to January 2007
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April 2011
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4
Guest Editorial —
Checking Off Your
Bucket List
By Vicki L. Freed, CTC
Senior Vice President, Sales
Royal Caribbean International
An expedition cruise to Antarctica has been
on my bucket list for as long as I can remember, and
recently, I finally embarked on a voyage to this
remote region of our globe. And wow — it’s truly
like no other vacation I’ve ever known. As you
explore the icy white scenery of enormous glaciers
dotted with wildlife, you have to frequently remind
yourself you’re still on the same planet. And what a
beautiful planet it is!
My family sailed on Silversea’s Prince Albert II, an
amazing expedition ship whose 132-passenger size
was a sharp contrast to my last cruise experience
onboard Royal Caribbean’s incredible, 5,400-passen-
ger Allure of the Seas (though these voyages were
two of my best family vacations yet!). I saved up and
Sharing a photo-opp with a pen-guin on the shore of Antarctica,
check.
Watching whales surface frombelow the chilliest of waters, check.
Observing seals sunbathing by thedozens on a huge ice floe, check.
Travel Agent Professional
paid full price (no agent rates or comps here) for
my family to sail on this special Antarctica voyage
— and it was worth every penny.
I’m willing to bet the majority of your clients are
saving up to splurge on once-in-a-lifetime vacations
on their own bucket lists. Are you capitalizing on
these high-commission experiences? Remember:
Don’t pigeon-hole your clients based ontheir past travel habits. A “bucket list” vacationis often unlike any client’s recent travels — maybe
unlike anywhere they have ever ventured before.
Qualify and re-qualify your clients. Circumstanceschange from year to year — tastes, family situations,
finances, etc — and these changes may give you an
opportunity to sell new types of experiences.
Be a value interpreter. Most fantasy vacationscome at a higher price than your average weekend
getaway. Even if they’ve saved, some clients could
still feel knocked out by the numbers. Stem off
sticker shock by interpreting the priceless value of
experiences you can plan for your clients. Infuse
details and imagery as you work to sell the vaca-
tion, and emphasize inclusions where you can.
With your help, they can really visualize the unbe-
lievable journey they are about to embark on.
Vicki Freed is Royal Caribbean International’s Senior
Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Services.
Contact her at [email protected] with your questions,
comments or stories.
5
April 2011
It’s easy to forget whatseason it is when you live in
Florida. When a client would
say that she wanted to book a
cruise for next spring, I’d always
stop and think,
“What season are we in
now?”
In case you have been too busy to notice, the
second quarter of 2011 has begun. Cruise lines
have opened deployment into 2012 and some into
2013. I’m totally confused as to what year this is
right now, because I’m booking travel for people
nearly two years in advance.
If the cruise lines are open to booking a year and a
half ahead, they have certainly done their homework
and business plan. I’m also booking a year and a half
ahead, but I’m not so well planned. I’ll go out on a
limb here and venture a guess that most of you who
are reading this article have not mapped out your
marketing plan/business plan for 2012-13 either.
When I was a travel manager for a major travel
company, I had to prepare two plans: a marketing
plan and a business plan. The marketing plan told
me where I was going to spend my time and
money. The business plan told me how much I
could spend on marketing. Since you are responsi-
ble for balancing your checkbook, let’s focus today
on creating your marketing plan.
It doesn’t matter if you are an independent agent
with your own agency, work with a host or are in a
storefront location working for someone else.
Without a well thought-out marketing plan, you have
no concrete direction to follow and no way to track
and analyze the success or failure of your business. A
carefully designed and worked marketing plan is like
a roadmap for success. It can help you proceed in
the right direction, stay on course and not get lost
among the myriad of marketing opportunities that
may lead you off the road to success.
Just because you are moving forward doesn’t mean
you are moving forward in the right direction.
6
Sherry LaskinTravel Writer, Blogger & Social Media Advisor
www.sherrylaskin.com
Are You Planning for Success?
By
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(continued on page 8)
www.Cruisingpower.com
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April 2011
I’ve learned that creating a marketing plan accomplishes three goals:
1Assist with identifying which clients are your best prospects
2 Provide a way for you to evaluate your business against the marketplace
3 Track the results so you can learn what works and what is a waste of time (and money.)
Within these three goals, there are five basic steps to create a well-planned and practical marketing
plan. I’ve compiled and adapted this information from several courses I’ve taken, articles I’ve read
and from presentations by leaders in various industries.
STEP ONE: Positioning Your Product (cruise, tour, vacation rental, etc.)If you have taken any of the CLIA marketing courses, this might sound somewhat familiar.
This is a distinction between actually marketing your business and the actions you take for
promotion, advertising and public relations. Those three actions are components of a mar-
keting idea, not the actual marketing. Marketing itself is basically made up of the Four Ps:
Product, Price, Promotion and Placement.
Product: Have the right product for the market to which you plan to sell. Repeat thatplease. While you cannot pigeon-hole or assume one type of travel is not suitable for a
particular demographic, you do have a good idea from your client base what would work
and what would not work.
Price: Wouldn’t it be great if everyone sold the same product at the same price andpeople shopped where they received the best service? These days, even your most loyal
clients are shopping online and exuberantly point out to you where they found the bet-
ter price. Then you are supposed to match it. That leaves you to not only find a way to
match the price, but also to create a value-added mindset in order to keep your client
away from the online discounters.
I’ve lost count as to how many times I’ve booked a group and a friend/relative of the
group leader has insisted on booking outside of the group because they think they are
getting a better deal. Know the prices of your competitors. Be prepared to stand up for
your worth, value and expertise. Nothing feels better than (politely) telling a tire-kicker
to “call back when you are ready to book.”
Travel Agent Professional
STEP THREE: Listen to Your ClientsNo one can give you a better image of your busi-
ness than your clients. Are you making the wel-
come home calls? If so, this is the perfect time to
ask your clients if their needs were met and what,
if anything, you could have done better/different.
You might consider composing a brief survey to
email to your clients. Keep it short, simple and
offer a thank you gift for completing the survey.
9STEP TWO: Ask for OpinionsSometimes it pays to ask for opinions. Your
friends, family, trusted colleagues or other pro-
fessionals can be a great source for narrowing
your marketing ideas. Ask them who they
think your target clients might be (based on
what they know of you), if they think you can
reach that target demographic, what it is that
makes you stand out from the crowd, your
strengths and weaknesses and what marketing
tactics they think would make your business
stand out and be noticed. Sometimes, it takes
seeing your business through others’ eyes to
truly understand your intent and ability to
achieve your goals.
STEP FOUR: Get the Lead OutNow that you have started to more clearly identify your clients and the marketing environment, it’s timeto put your thoughts on paper. This doesn’t have to be a formal edict nor written in stone. A successfulmarketing plan is not static; it is a malleable piece of work able to be modified as needed throughoutthe year. Points to include in your plan are:
• A summary of your market position (what/whom you intend to target) and goals;• What you expect to accomplish in a given time period (this can be a dollar goal, a booking goal, amove to a new travel venue goal – it’s your plan!) Be sure to state the time limit and stick to it as
closely as possible;
• A list of several target markets and complementary products to go with them;• Financials — expenses — and how you will allocate;
• Marketing channels — flyers, E-mail, snail-mailed newsletters, consortium brochures, blog entries,tweets and Facebook posts — and how you will get them to the target clients and then be noticed;
• Competition — what strategy will you use when confronted with lower-priced competitors?
(continued on page 10)
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April 2011
STEP FIVE: You should know whether your money is being well-spent or wasted on marketing chan-
nels that don’t pay off. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars mailing out consortium brochures,
cruise line alliance brochures, printing postcards, subscribing to online E-mail blast compa-
nies.
Ask your new clients how they found you. It’s important to know where they came from
so that you can focus your strengths and dollars on ventures that have a high return on
investment.
Plan a marketing calendar in conjunction with when your customers tend to book travel.
When I started my online agency nearly two decades ago, my busiest booking period was
Thanksgiving weekend. Families got together and would plan next year’s vacation. Phone
calls and emails were off the charts for me from Friday to Sunday.
Be sure not to invest most of your marketing dollars during the slow months in the travel
industry. Plan ahead for Wave Season and use your resources wisely.
Find out when your sales reps get their annual budget. Ask for a piece of the action. It
doesn’t help to ask your rep to participate in a cruise night if they have already allocated
and/or depleted their marketing funds for the current year.
Remember, a successful marketing plan one year may not work in the next year. Analyze
the successes and not-so-successful attempts. Re-evaluate and adapt a new marketing plan
on a yearly basis.
Once you start to put all of this in writing and take the time to systematically re-visit
your plan and review your progress, you will find that you are not caught off guard when
you realize that you should have been more pro-active.
Your business will thank you for it.
Sherry Laskin is a travel writer, blogger and social media addict as it relates to business awareness and sharing
information. Founder of the Vacation Shoppe in 1992, she offers advice and creative ideas for marketing and pro-
motion for travel agents. Sherry is the webinar moderator and a Chapter Director at NACTA.
Do you sell AIRLINE TICKETS?Are you a Storefront or Home-based Agency?
Your technology partner
Travel Agent Professional
www.myhosttravelagency.com
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Les-Lee RolandOwner of The Package Deal
12Turing Negatives
April 2011
Now, let’s behonest. There is aword that we allare skirtingaround: “No!”
It can also be heard as, “Not interested.” We sometimes areso in fear of hearing this word, we’re afraid to offer something
that WE feel may cause someone to say “No.”
First, we have to dissect the word. It’s only two letters, not
even worth any great points in Scrabble. Yet, anyone in sales
finds their confidence going down the drain at the mere utter-
ance of the word.
So, how does this intro fit in with all the positive hype of selling
cruises, tours, or vacations? Not everyone you approach will
give you the sale. But you should learn from every response
you get, either good or bad. You must learn how to change a
negative into a positive.
Travel Agent Professional
It’s been said that you should never accept “no”
until you have heard it three times. A perfect
example are telemarketers. We’ve all gotten their
phone calls, usually around dinner time — when
they assume the decision makers are there togeth-
er. You try to say you are not interested, and they
keep on talking, adding more info, because they
have not heard you say the word — three times.
This essay is not all doom and gloom. It’s just to
help you better understand how to handle the sit-
uation, while still maintaining a good relationship
with your clients. Also, it’s to give you some exam-
ples on how you turn a no into a yes.
1 Don’t waste your time on peoplewho do not qualify. Take time to planon who you will contact. Concentrate on
the demographics, info that is readily
available for you through many sources.
If you qualify your clients and understand their
schedules and needs, you won’t set yourself up to
hear a “No.”
2 Price is the number one obstacle inclosing the sale. Sometimes, selectinghow you quote the price causes people
to react differently.
If you walk through a grocery store, you see
examples of it everywhere. Cans of soup are
advertised as two for one dollar Of course, it just
means each can is 50 cents, but people think they
are getting a deal by buying two cans. The wording
is always important.
Justify the rate. You can quote the rate as a total,
including all taxes, or you can quote the rate as a
daily cost. It’s one area where you can make the
decision. Sometimes it just sounds better to say
the cruise — including all the food, entertainment,
sun and ports — is only $75 a day per person.
The cruise lines that bundle wine with meals,
shore excursions and gratuities into the price are
easy to quote. Tell the client that the rate includes
over $600 in extras. Once it is explained, they
have a better understanding.
I was checking out a rate for air tickets for my
clients — Tampa to London. I was actually quoted
$524 roundtrip — an incredible deal! I almost
thought I would join them. Then the res agent said
the taxes were an additional $500 — for a total of
$1,024. Now I had a different reaction, but she
went on to say, “Everyone has to pay the taxes.”
The client said it sounded fair to her and pur-
chased the package.
Into Positives
13
(continued on page 14)
14
April 2011
3 Payment plans. Set up a schedule foryour clients. It’s more paperwork, but
you get the sale. Monthly payments,
bimonthly, whatever it takes. Just set the
rules, and the penalty for cancellation.
4 Pay attention to celebrations foryour clients. A birthday, a family reunion,retirement, an anniversary. People tend to
spend a little more for these occasions.
That’s where keeping a good database is
paramount to your growing business.
It is to your advantage to contact the client at
least six months to a year in advance of the spe-
cial date to offer a special getaway. Plant the seed.
What’s the worst thing the client can say — “No,
not this year?”
5 Ask for business. Ask your clients ifthey are not interested or able to take
advantage of the October rates, do they
know anyone who you should contact?
6 On all your E-mail blasts, or mailers,include the line “Please share this offer
with your friends.” You may be surprised
how that one line stimulates referrals.
And referrals are the best endorsement
you can receive. You should also do this
with your Web site — ask your clients
to send the link to their friends.
And always acknowledge the referring person. Send
a thank you note, or a gift card, or a gift certificate
for a dollar amount of their next booking. When I
sent out a gift card to my client for a referral, she
couldn’t wait to send me more people.
7 Understand that not everyone will justthrow their credit card at you and say
“sign me up.” Be prepared for a 10% pos-
itive response. When you reach that goal,
try for 20%, and keep growing.
Most important, never show anger or disgust that
they didn’t book. There may be situations that are
not visible to you. You have to learn to keep posi-
tive and let the client know that you are always
there for future vacation plans.
8 Get endorsements. Ask your clientsfor comments you can use on your Web
site about their trips. Ask for pictures. So
when someone says they are not sure
about visiting a certain country, you can
use your clients’ feedback.
Lastly, when you hear the “No” word three times,
just let it go. If you could not turn a negative into
a positive, just tell your client that you will keep
them in the loop about other opportunities, and
don’t give up on them.
Sticks and Stonesmay break yourbones, but “NO”
will never hurt you.
www.sabretravelinetwork.com/tmu
16
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April 2011
1 Clients come to you with their own motivation for travel and the expected result. The key
is that they purchase based on emotions and then justify with logic. To be successful, you
must listen very closely to what they want and then match the right product to fulfill their
expectation.
2 You need to create an emotional connection with each client so that they perceive you
understand what it is they are seeking. Remember, they buy for their own reasons…not
yours. Selling them a vacation that fulfills their personal emotional desires directly impacts
their ability to logically justify that they made the right choice….of both the travel pack-
age…and YOU.
3 Customer perceptions of you and your service are crucial. They must feel that there is sig-
nificant value in your relationship. It starts with their trust that you will be invested enough
in the relationship to recommend the travel that best fulfills their expectations, which cre-
ates the perception that their purchase had significant value. It continues with your commu-
nicating with them on an ongoing basis and the acid test, how you handle “challenges.” And
part of this perception must be their sensation that they are your most important client!
Clients for Life:
Managing the Think about your own motivations when you buy…any-
thing. For clothes, it is how stylish you feel you look or appear to
others, or those of you in Green Bay…warmth. For insurance, it
is security, and peace of mind; for toys, the pleasure in the eyes of
children; for a computer; a way to connect to the rest of the
world – and, importantly, conduct business. The use of the word
“commodity” to convey a non-brand distinct thing is not accu-
rate. We don’t buy “things,” we buy ideas, personal feelings, hap-
piness, self satisfaction, respect and solutions to challenges.
Capturing “Clients for Life” starts with understanding the basics
of consumer behavior, which provides a fuller understanding of
each of your client’s individual motivations. So let’s focus on
how this works:
Mitchell J. SchlesingerVice President, Sales & MarketingVoyages to [email protected]
17
Travel Agent Professional
Customer Relationship4 And speaking of service, how each and every
member of your agency team comes across
establishes a service benchmark for the
agency. This is a reflection that every contact
is a judged experience highlighted by:
Physical appearance: Attractiveness counts;Attitude: Accommodation, understanding,responsiveness;
Phone etiquette: Attitude can be heard as wellas witnessed;
Responsiveness: “How important am I?”
5 Learn from mistakes and criticisms —
this is CRUCIAL. You can’t ignore what a
client is telling you. It is their perception
and their reality. And whatever it is, it
provides a platform for you to communi-
cate your appreciation, thank them for
their honesty and create the perception
that you are addressing their input.
An intrinsic part of managing the customer rela-
tionship is communication. There is a distinct dif-
ference between how this is handled by clients
who are becoming customers for the first time
and those who have purchased previously:
With new customers, it is the process of estab-
lishing the relationship, learning about what they
really want and providing a high quality initial level
of service and product recommendation. It is
important to reinforce how the recommendation
reflects the input they provided by pointing out
the features of the travel and how each segment
fulfills the “wants” they expressed.
For existing clients, this is taken to a completely
next level, including what you already know and
augmenting it:
• Communication must be consistent inorder for clients to feel engaged by your
agency;
• You must constantly update your profilefor each client with demographic and psy-
chographic trends and changes;
• Clients must be asked repeatedly, “Howare we doing? How can we provide better
service? What new ideas do you have for
future travel?”;
• Send information on new travel destina-tions and products and ask for their reac-
tions;
• Send communication of a personal natureto show how engaged you are.
Creating and managing client relationships by
understanding consumer behavior is crucial for
you and your team members. The reaction to the
service you provide will be judged and evaluated
by your clients based on key factors:
• Credibility• Communication• Attractiveness• Reliability• Responsiveness• EmpathyArranging the first letter of these factors spells
the word CARE. Show your clients how muchyou CARE and increase the number of clients you
retain for life.
April 2011
“All things in moderation.” It’s an oldsaying that can be overrated, but can
also be necessar y.
I recently had my hip replaced due to significant arthritis — left-overs from years of varsity athletics and long distance running.
Prior to the surgery, I was probably working 50-60 hours per
week in my office.
Much of my time was spent on the important things — such as
bookings, packages, payments and invoices. However, I also spent a
significant amount of time on smaller things, like filing, Web
research and even cleaning the office on occasion (my office is a
converted two-car garage).
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By
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All Things In
Moderation
Rusty Pickett, ECCShellback Cruises www.shellbackcruises.com
During the work day, I spent little time in my home,
other than taking 15 minutes for lunch. I’d come
home for dinner at about 6 p.m. I worked at least
half a day on Saturday and Sunday and was always
checking E-mail and voice mail during the weekend
afternoons. After 11 years in the business, I had
gained a reputation for prompt service, most times
of the day.
My overzealous work ethic had, in fact, become an
issue at home. I haven’t played golf in two years – a
sport that I really like. My bride and I had promised
to take Wednesday afternoons off so we could go
do something together. These dates never material-
ized. I only put my boat in the water about four
times each of the past two summers.
I was always afraid that I couldn’t provide the
exceptional service that I had the reputation for. My
work had become an obsession — and, perhaps,
even an escape. Not a healthy situation.
After the surgery, I couldn’t go to the office much
for almost two months. I can still only sit for about
half my normal workday. With limited time, but pri-
oritizing effectively, as I was confined to recupera-
tion in my easy chair or in the hospital bed that we
rented, I learned that my business would still sur-
vive, prompt and effective service does not neces-
sarily equate to instantaneous service and that you
can still provide exceptional service within reason.
I am regaining my life with my family, and, in fact am
enjoying myself more in the macroscopic picture.
Bookings have been made, payments processed, and
invoices sent out. I am looking forward to hitting
the driving range again once I am physically able. I
am even taking Sunday off!
The bottom line: virtually all of my clients have agreat life and appreciate my service. I guess I can
too. Moderation might be a better idea than I
thought it was!
What is LeisurePops?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.
Lee RosenPresident, Leisure Pops
Leisure Pops: A New Application from an Old Friend
For more information go to www.leisurepops.com
• Sell more preferred suppliers.
• Sell more add-on products.
• Earn more commissions.
• Better service your clients.
The Power of Pops
By
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K
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pf
April 2011
Scott KoepfVice President of Sales
Avoya Travel/America’s Vacation Center
www.JoinAvoya.com/default.cfm?ref=11583
As a grizzled old veteran of the travel industry I am
often asked by the new young whippersnappers joining our
business a simple question. As we know, there are not enough
youngsters joining our industry, which is probably related to the
fact that the vision of a grizzled old veteran keeps them away,
but that is fodder for another day.
The question they ask, after some tactful inquires as to the
cause of my grizzledness, is “What do I need to do to be suc-
cessful in this business?” Over the years, I have crafted eloquent
and elaborate answers that I was sure would end up in a
famous quotes book. But I now think I have overcomplicated
the answer. It is not intense study of product knowledge, an inti-
mate knowledge of the sales process, inside secrets to closing
the sale, marketing and social media expertise or a winning per-
sonality. Now mind you, all of those are immensely valuable and
worthy of pursuit but the key ingredient, the one thing I need
to tell youngsters to focus on, is Courage!
Now, the cynical among you will chime in with an “Amen
Brother” as you reel off the problems and challenges that we
face in this business on a daily basis. I can hear the rally cry
about the competition, the lower commissions, and squeezing
customers and how courageous we are for battling those foes.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but I am singing a different tune.
Wait, did someone say sing? Why yes I did (and you thought I
was kidding when I said I was grizzled)! As both of my loyal
readers know, I always use a song from musical theatre to make
a point. So the courage that I think every travel retailer needs is
best described by this song from the musical The Scarlet
Pimpernel, with a few minor adjustments to the lyrics:
(continued on page 22)
Into The Fire20
www.leisurepops.com
22David walked in to the valley with a stone clutched in his hand
He was only a boy but he knew someone must take a stand
There will always be a valley, always mountains one must scale
There will always be perilous waters which someone must sail!
Against {rebaters}, with {Noncommissionables}
{Direct Sellers}, {High Airfare}
Let us {sell}, let us {sell travel} with a story to tell
Into {the close}, Into Danger
With {customers} that {keep us up} at night
Don’t give in, don’t give up, but give thanks for the glorious fight!
You can tremble, you can fear it, but keep your fighting spirit alive, {agents}
Let the shiver of it sting you, fling into battle, spring to your feet, {agents}
Never hold back your {close} for a moment
Never doubt that your courage will grow
Hold your head even higher and into the fire we go
Into Fire, Onward Ho!
April 2011
What sets apart the most successful travel retailers
is simply the courage to move forward no matter
what the circumstances. Competition will always be
a part of our industry, price focused consumers are a
fact of life, world events will always present chal-
lenges and rejection comes with the package as we
are in sales after all. Complaining about these facts or
blaming results on them is not only unproductive but
cowardly. Harsh words, I know, but the great exam-
ples in our business know these issues are ‘the fire’
that needs to be entered and do so courageously!
It is not only going into the fire that makes the
best outperform all others, it is the fact that they,
themselves are on fire! The great evangelist
Jonathon Wesley was asked why so many people
would come to see him and he said “When you
set yourself on fire, people come to watch you
burn!” It won’t happen with spontaneous combus-
tion, it will happen because you decide to perse-
vere through the challenges and set yourself on
fire with enthusiasm! You need courage each time
you talk to a customer and as the lyrics say
Don’t give in, don’t give up, but give thanks for the glorious fight!
Be thankful for the opportunity to plan the vacation of a lifetime and provide a level of service that will
exceed all expectations and no matter how tough it might seem…
Never hold back your {close} for a momentNever doubt that your courage will grow
Hold your head even higher and into the fire we goInto Fire, Onward Ho!
CST# 2016664-10 | Fla. Seller of Travel Ref. No ST36781
Ready to Grow Your Travel Business?
888-426-6184www.JoinAvoya.com
We are committed to helping independent travel agencies live a lifestyle of success and are looking for passionate experts that sell cruises, tours, and vacation packages, and who run their businesses with Integrity and ProfessionalismTM.
• O� ered 24/7, Live Leads enable travel professionals to focus on selling to new and repeat customers, earning top tier commissions, and living a lifestyle of success.
• Live Leads are sent via the phone, Internet, and now text message to only one Independent A� liate per lead based on their expertise and performance.
• Choose what you want your agency to sell, specialize in what you’re good at selling, and have the freedom to focus on your clients – we’ll take care of the rest.
Our home-based Independent A�liates earn income levels that are often double, even triple, the industry average. With our Live Leads program, the grass really is greener!
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Then, now, always: The Royal AdvantageSM
Throughout our 40-year history, Royal Caribbean International® has continually pushed the limits of what’s possible at sea to deliver the vacation of a lifetime, every time. We call it the Royal AdvantageSM
—our drive to provide the best, most innovative ships, features, destinations and personalized service to our guests. In 2011, the Royal Advantage will be more apparent than ever. That’s when Royal Caribbean will begin enhancements to expand our most popular innovations to select ships.
More to see, more to do, more to love. LIBERTY of the SEAS® Starting January 30, 2011 OASIS of the SEAS® Starting February 26, 2011 FREEDOM of the SEAS® Starting March 27, 2011 RADIANCE of the SEAS® Beginning of summer 2011 SPLENDOUR of the SEAS® Beginning of fall 2011
To learn more details on Royal Advantage 2011 enhancements, visit:www.RoyalCaribbean.com/RoyalAdvantage or www.CruisingPower.com
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