IC Travel Agent April 2014

Page 1

TRAVEL AGENT

THE HOW-TO MAGAZINE FOR ICs, OSRs & HOME-BASED TRAVEL AGENTS

APRIL 2014

Tips, Tools & Techniques

The ART of Selling Travel from HOME AN SMP TRAINING PUBLICATION


TABLE OF CONTENTS – IC APRIL 2014 4

EDITORIAL

6

SELLING SUMMER

9

SELLING THE SIZZLE

10

YOU CAN’T SIZZLE IF YOU…

11

BEACH AND… VACATIONS

12

IT’S A SHADY BUSINESS

13

SELLING SUMMER KOOL

13

THE BIRTHDAY WISH

14

FISHING FOR THAT PERFECT SUMMER TRAVEL EXPERIENCE Steve Gillick

17

SUMMER BAD

18

SECRET SELLING SAUCE

19

STRIKE ZONE FOCUS Cory Andrichuk

21

AHA! SO THAT’S WHY!

24

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH…

25

HEY, WHAT’S UP CHOC?

26

CALL YOUR TRAVEL AGENT

28

QUICK TIPS

30

TRAINING PAGE

31

SELLING ANCILLARIES

32

NEW TOOLS

36

SELLING TRAVEL WITH STEVE

Advertisers in this issue: Nexion Canada Page 3, The Travel Agent Next Door Page 5, The Travel Agent’s Store Page 20, The Travel Institute Page 34, Big Bark Graphics Page 37

Advertising in IC Travel Agent reaches the serious business-minded travel agent. Promote your products and services via video, audio or generic text and images. IC Travel Agent is marketed direct to over 4,000 travel agents plus thousands more via social media channels such as Facebook, LinkedIn, SlideShare, trade contacts, partners and educational institutions. Your ad includes a BONUS How-to-Sell article. Full page rates range from $300 to $425 based on number of insertions.

If it’s not yet 5pm where you live, you still have time to make one more call, close one more sale or e-mail one more promotion!

Selling travel from home does not have to be a puzzle when you read IC! Find the host agency that best suits your needs.

Share your money making ideas in IC and help your IC colleagues. CONTACT Steve Crowhurst steve@ic-travelagent.com 250-738-0064 www.ic-travelagent.com Publisher: SMP Training Co. www.smptraining.com Contributors Steve Crowhurst IC TRAVEL AGENT is owned and published by Steve Crowhurst, SMP Training Co. All Rights Reserved. Protected by International Copyright Law. IC TRAVEL AGENT can be shared, forwarded, cut and pasted but not sold, resold or in any way monetized. Using any images or content from IC TRAVEL AGENT must be sourced as follows: “Copyright SMP Training Co. www.smptraining.com” SMP Training Co. 568 Country Club Drive, Qualicum Beach, BC, Canada, V9K-1G1 Note: Steve Crowhurst is not responsible for outcomes based on how you interpret or use the ideas in IC TRAVEL AGENT. T: 250-738-0064.


TRUE SUPPORT FOR TRUE PROFESSIONALS At Nexion Canada, we know that you are passionate about your travel business. So we provide you with the professional support and industry relationships you need to be more profitable and efficient, giving you the freedom to run your travel business the best way: your way. A full-service host agency combining decades of experience, Nexion Canada provides independent, Canadian-based travel professionals of all experience levels with: • • • • • • • • •

Your choice of up to 80% of commissions Top commissions with leading air, cruise and land suppliers Technology tools to better manage your business Access to our exclusive point-and-click booking engine or through the Amadeus, Sabre or Galileo GDS systems Training, coaching and networking opportunities Innovative marketing programs to grow your business Exclusive cruise block space and supplier offers Lead generation for qualified agents Vacation.com membership included at no additional charge!

It’s time to join a family of professionals that truly supports your independent business dreams. It’s time to join Nexion Canada.

Contact us today to learn more about our growing family of travel professionals. Visit www.Join.NexionCanada.com Email sales@nexioncanada.com Call 866-399-9989

MENTION THAT YOU SAW US IN IC AGENT MAGAZINE AND RECEIVE YOUR FIRST MONTH FREE! 10131503-Nexion_Ad.indd 1

10/29/13 2:18 PM


Steve Crowhurst, CTC, Publisher

Selling Summer & Sizzlin’ Sales With red hair and a fair skin you’ll know that I have to dodge from one tree shade to another and many times with a towel around each foot just like in the movie Arthur! You’d have to buy me a ticket to the museum and pick me up after dark! Unlike me there are many millions of people who can take the heat and love it and those sun lovin’ clients, regardless of how winter came and went are always a summer season target audience. As the saying goes, so many beaches, so little time! In this issue of IC-TA we’ll explore how to sell the summer heat, turn up the heat, sell some really cool or kool vacations for people like me who want to head to the cooler and higher areas of a hot destination - and if you’re up for it, you can even flog the sunscreen too. Hey why not? Money is money. Okay, no sunscreen – how about swim wear? Aw come on. We’re talking selling summer, chillin’ out, heating up, cookin’ up a storm and cooling down. Relax and sell something different. Here we go. See you inside. Look for me under the palm tree. Don’t forget to check out the new titles at The Travel Agent’s Store. Here’s to your continued success! Best regards. Steve Crowhurst, CTC steve@ic-travelagent.com www.ic-travelagent.com

Click me to Opt-In to the NEW mailing list for SMP.


When selling dreams, it helps to have realized your own... ...like working for yourself! Work in the comfort of your own home! • 85%-100% starting commission for preferred suppliers!

• Have a telephone extension that rings at your home.

• Get your tickets within an hour, 24 hours per day.

• Make a boo-boo? don’t worry, we have you covered!

• Have your own personalized, fully-bookable website.

• stay connected to 4,000 travel agents.

• Enjoy 24-hour customer support with our complete corporate solution.

• you do the selling... We'll do the marketing.

Join us today!

Join Today!

Visit: thetravelagentnextdoor.ca Call: 416-367-8263 tollfree: 1-855-212-8263 BB014 31-3-14


Selling Summer Oh summer! What a great season to sell and right about now. April is a great month for promoting summer travel. Most people around the globe are coming off a winter that by all accounts was terrible with way too much snow, freezing temperatures that wouldn’t quit and floods and in other parts of the world drought and wild fires. What can you say but “Hey! Time to chill out. Take some time. Regroup. Relax. Take a vacation.” So, are you working on your Summer Selling Promotion? Do you have your destinations selected? How about your tour products? Are YOU planning to lead your own tours anywhere? Let’s sell some sizzle.

There is sometimes a misnomer that people in general will hang locally and not bother to go travelling during the summer months. That statement is part true, depending on where you live, how nice the summer months are, and the people who choose to stay put. I’ve listened to those reports. My take on the world of travel is that there is always someone that has saved up to go somewhere, every day of the year. Travel is too personal to lump everyone together into the “They won’t travel in summer…” box. Nope. You have to have faith in the fact that the lives of your client’s are much the same as yours – you need a break and so do they. You have your dreams and so do they. In my book that means there’s travel to be sold each day every day.

Beaches Are More Than Winter Of course if where you live your winters are harsh, then many of your clients will be booking those beach vacations to soak up the sun, whilst those at home are freezing their tails off. There are beach vacations that also sell in the summer and there’s also a clientele for this mid-year product.

The decision is: which summer beach and where? Many of those winter destinations are actually year-round destinations as their climate stays more or less even throughout the year. What drives tourists there in the wintertime is the weather at home. So, you can still sell Hawaii and Mexico and the Caribbean during summer.

The European Scene As you know Europe as a whole has more than a splendid coast line complete with stunning beaches and hidden coves. Then not far away would be fabulous cuisine and historical everything. Do your due diligence and explore online for the top ten European beaches, or explore what your preferred suppliers are offering this summer in Europe.

Summer Luxury If you have the clientele with those deep pockets then there’s luxury travel to be had – and that means anywhere in the world during the summer months. So what type of luxury travel can be had during the summer? Let’s talk safaris as in Glamping, or river cruising in Europe, China and elsewhere. You name it there’s a luxury version of it.


What’s On the Summer Travel Menu? No doubt you have your niche to sell and that’s probably what’s on the travel menu you provide your client base. Whether you are 100% general or 100% niche, it will be your marketing of a summer vacation that attracts your existing and new prospects to contact you. If you know your products and you know your suppliers and the destinations you intend to push then all you have to do now is focus on the wording and imagery to be used in your marketing campaign/s. Remember sunsets and sunrises still pull no matter which destination or type of travel you are marketing.

Use Your Facebook Cover You know how to use your Facebook cover image but the question is: are you changing it to suit your current promotion? Excellent! Well now is the time to use it and push your summer campaign to your Facebook pals. Link your post to your website where your clients can find more information about your summer vacation ideas.

Turn Your Website Home Page Into… Like your Facebook page, your website homepage offers you huge screen real estate on which to create your summer extravaganza. Think about those screen sizes that your clients look at each day… let’s focus on those 20” desktop screens, then the 17” laptops and eventually you can drill down to those small smartphone screens too. But let’s stick with the large screens. Time to fill that 20 inch screen with a something screamin’ SUMMER! What does your homepage look like about now? Is it jam packed with loads of small hyperlinked images? Too cluttered? Okay make a change.

Can you make the change? Could you drive your clients to your website and when they get there, land there, click there – would be WOWed with your slogan, the image, the offer?

What’s Your Supplier Saying? Your suppliers pay a lot of money to have an internal or external team develop their slogans and phrases. If you are selling their products you can, with permission, use their slogans too. Some slogans are reserved purely for your supplier’s promotions however the nontrademarked slogans they will allow you to use as long as you adhere to their graphic specifications.

Look through the ads of your preferred suppliers and if there is a slogan there that is catchy and suits your promotion of that suppliers products then ask for the high resolution image.

The Sum of All Tweets Why not? Tweet your best summer vacation images, quotes, deals. Start a Sweet Tweet Summer Suite promotion. It’s all words. Just words. Make them catchy and things catch on. Ask your host agency for help here too. They have marketing gurus that are at your service.


Generational Graphics

Humour Is Good

Who is your client? Do you serve all generations or are you focused on one – the Baby Boomer or Generations X or Y? You may wish to choose your graphics and create your promotions based on the type of words and images that appeal to your clients.

Good humour is good. Not jokes, but humour. It’s worthwhile studying the difference.

It’s a fine art. You do not want to come across as trying to be younger or older than you are. You don’t need to try and fit in. There will be a time to use some ole hokey expression from the 50s and the same applies to text messaging abbreviation – you don’t want to be seen stringing a line of abbreviations one after the other! But you could use:

Videos are GREAT! Everyone is watching videos. Different genre for different generations. Why not source your supplier’s best videos and use those in a social media marketing sense. Great summer scenery: vineyards, beaches and bodies, horseback riding, running through waves, dances with others, river cruising, touring, eco-tours and adventurous activities… they all fit somewhere. All you have to do it point your clients towards your video channel.

Summer is All Things to All People

A3 meaning Anywhere, Anyplace, Anytime.

There you have it. A summer vacation has different meaning to each and every person on your client list. Look for groups with a common summer interest – could be outdoors, up the Amazon or heading off to Rome. Ask your client’s what they intend to do this summer for their vacation. It’s the only way to know for sure. 


Selling The Sizzle This phrase is as old as dirt – but, still valid and a wonderful term to lock away in your head and bring it forward as and when you are in a sales situation. What it means of course is to make sure you are talking about the things that are or would be attractive to your client. So attractive that they are eager to buy the travel experience from you now, today. Let’s explore:

Okay, think about the game, be out in the park, near a camp fire, walking past a street vendor and suddenly the aroma of hot dogs and onions comes zipping past your nose… MMM! Then there’s that steak on the Barbie - and not only the aroma but the sound of it cooking. The sizzling sound that suggests one very tasty meal coming to your table any minute now.

words that will have your clients salivating over what you are cooking up for their vacation.

When To Sell The Steak Now we switch menus for a moment. When you have clients who are beach lovers and enjoy all things sun related – then they are savvy to the benefits of anything you are going to tell them about. What you do now is promote the features of the “steak”.

The phrase sell the sizzle not the steak is what we’re focusing on. In other words, sell the benefits not the features. You know all about that steak in terms of what it is and where to buy it and how to cook it. You also know that it’s very, very tasty… AND it satisfies your hunger. Those two comments are the key benefits. That’s the sizzle you are selling. So let’s equate all this to selling hot and sizzlin’ summer vacations.

So, this resort has a larger swimming pool, they have 5 more night clubs than other similar resorts. The golf course is one of the top courses in the area. You see that in reviewing these types of features, a savvy client would be picturing the benefits in their mind. They know what a larger pool means to them, same thing for the choice of night clubs on the property and so on.

What’s HOT and on the Summer Menu?

Adding The Secret Sauce

First stop is to search online for THE WORLD’S BEST… and then you can fill in the blank with the words: beaches, surfing, scuba, with night life and then when you check the results of your search you can check with your preferred suppliers to determine if they feature that specific destination. When it’s time to market your chosen SIZZLIN’ vacation spot then you’ll be searching for those

Every top salesperson has a secret sauce or an ingredient that puts them ahead of the rest. What will yours be when it comes to selling the summer sizzle? Do you know the features and benefits of your top summer destinations, products and packages? If you do, now you can work on your sizzlin’ sales pitch for selling those benefits and then – for those savvy clients – reel off those extra special features. Be HOT! Sell HOT! 


You Can’t Sizzle if you… That’s right. No sale no sizzle. No sizzle no sale. If you’re not sizzling then is might just be down to lead generation plus the question of what your marketing is doing to drive the leads you need. You can’t sizzle if no leads are being generated. You have three lead generators based on the marketing activities of yourself, your host agency and your preferred suppliers. Those are the three sources that shake the world around you – then it’s up to you to secure those leads and waltz them to a sizzlin’ close. Let’s take a closer look:

There’s your three sources of lead generation and they should be on fire each day every day. Of course you’ll have your own marketing plan and before you commit to it, make sure you have made notes as to when your host agency has their marketing planned. Then review your suppliers to see what they are doing, followed by any collaboration between your host agency and those same preferred suppliers. That is a lot of marketing activity and your job is to channel every lead you can to your email, phone or website which in turn will route your prospects and leads back to your email or phone. You can sizzle if you have those incoming leads. The main thing you can do is to put yourself in the way of the prospect and in your own marketing promote:

“Hey… over here! I’m the best travel agent in town! I can get you there from here!” Whenever you see a supplier’s promotion that you like and it’s a product you sell, then that’s when you market yourself as the main booking engine, the place where that promotion can be discussed and booked. You cannot propose to be or represent that supplier, but you can sell it as an agent of record. To sell and sizzle at the same time means to turn every marketing opportunity in your direction. Pitch yourself, join in on host agency marketing and support your preferred supplier marketing and you will indeed attract some sizzlin’ leads to close. 


Beach and… Vacations The beach vacation is one component of many combo styled vacations. A combo vacation is when your clients want to add something else to their beach holiday – something extra to do, to experience after lazing on the beach. You can also structure your own selection of BEACH AND… combinations and market them locally to ready-made groups, associations and common interest clubs. Here’s a few ideas for you to think on and develop your own programs.

Okay, thinking caps on. What can you combo up with a beach vacation? That’s the puzzle we need to solve when your client hits the ESCAPE key. They want something more than sun, sand and sea. And it looks like you found it: GOLF. Yes golf actually goes with most vacations and for sure a beach vacation. Do many beach resorts offer a golf club?

Yes they do and for sure you can arrange the full package for your clients. Okay what else?

Are you thinking other sports? Right on the money. Scuba, hiking and para-gliding could fit. Then we still need factor in a nice air-conditioned activity for those that cannot take the sun day-in and day-out. Are you with me? Yes of course SHOPPING – an air-condition activity! Did anyone think food? Wine? Sushi? Cheese sarnies? Come on now… food after the beach is a gimme. Keep going… how about sightseeing and flightseeing and if your clients are heading to Hawaii then for sure it’s a trip to the top of the volcanoes and bike down. If Mexico then it’s atop the ruins they go. Now if you’ve managed to sell your clients on a European beach vacation then you might add a side trip to Monaco or Rome or Paris. So many combinations to add to a beach vacation – about 200 activities in fact. Perhaps start here: what do you like to do pre and post lazing on the beach? 


It’s a Shady Business So what do you do when your clients are all sun lovers and then there’s the odd one in the group who is not the black sheep, more the white, the pink and the delicate one! YUP… just like me! Remember in the editorial I mentioned finding me under the shade of a tree, well here ya go! That’s me under one of those very large whateveritis plants! So how do you sell shade when it’s full on summer? Let’s explore:

Believe it or not shady vacations go hand in glove with sun, sand and beach vacations. Let’s say you have a family heading off to a beach vacation. They will for sure at some point in their stay need to protect their kids from the sun’s rays and fill the time with something exciting. That’s where your knowledge of shady vacation opportunities comes into play. Talking inside entertainment for the whole family.

DMOZ.OG The Open Directory Project is a fascinating thing. Find out all about it here at DMOZ.ORG and before you do that, click the link below to review the list of museums that might fit into a post beach visit. http://www.dmoz.org/Reference/Museums/Dir ectories/

What Else Can You Suggest? How about KIDZANIA? It’s one of the hottest (our selling theme) entertainment companies to come along for some time. Watch the video and you’ll get the message. They are not everywhere yet, but they soon will be.

ART Museums Here’s a terrific site for… well you guessed it! ART! Kids live art and you can always check for hands-on kids programs.

Thinking Shade Okay over to you. Where can you find shade for your sun loving clients? Must be inside a building or could be inside a forest on a day long eco adventure. Then you have techie, all things smart centers too. Check with your clients. Ask about their shady preferences and surprise them with your knowledge.  http://www.artcyclopedia.com/museums.html


Selling Summer Kool Everyone has their own ideas about what a summer vacation is all about. Some head back to the local beach, others go for a beach far away on a distant shore, cycling through Europe sounds good especially with a cool one after the peddling. Then there are vacations that can truly fit the summer fare and on the kool scale reach a 10. Let’s chill out and check in.

The Word Kool

Go High, Go North, Be Cool

Kool actually means cool as in not hot and also great, different, interesting. Kool is often used in marketing slogans to attract by spelling the word cool with a ‘k’.

North of the Equator, above 45° or 60° depending on the season of the selected country and you’ll be experiencing both cool and kool. If you have not yet sold ice-bound vacations, give it a try. Not talking the North Pole, but to visit Inuit villages on a tour for instance and to view the wild life of the north is very, very kool.

Where is it Kool to Visit? Every traveller has their own definition of kool places to visit – but then, many do not have an idea of where to go next. All they know is they want something different. Others actually want it cool as in low heat and they want to mix that in with an adventure or a more cerebral type of vacation.

Off the Cliff Monasteries to Opera Places that are cool and kool might be those ancient places of worship that are built into and on top of cliffs and mountains. You can find them in Europe and Asia. Then there would be those fabulous, ornate opera houses found in Eastern Europe and elsewhere.

Our Summer Their Winter Check your world map and seasonality charts to find out when it is winter there as opposed to where you live when it is summer. Generally it would be on the opposite side of the planet to where you live. Some countries experience wonderful climates during “our summer” and offer cool, crisp, clear vistas to enjoy. For some countries your opposite would be Australia and New Zealand and what wonderful and different scenery they offer. You can even go north in those countries to be cooler!

The Top Ten There is always a top ten. Most travel magazines generate a top ten of all things travel from cruises, to tours and everything in between and that includes countries, inns, vineyards, treks – you name it, there’s a top ten list. Your next click then is to search online for the Top Ten of whatever it is that you would like to sell this summer that would be kool for your clients. The Cool Travel Club Here’s an idea for you: start a travel club for people like me who cannot take the heat. Be cool. Travel cool. Go to kool places. Start KoolTravel.com. Now that’s a kool idea! 


GUEST ARTICLE BY STEVE GILLICK

Fishing for That

Perfect Summer Travel Experience When I was asked to write an article with something about ‘fish’ in the title, I agreed to do it (just for the halibut) but found it to be a challenge. Then I remembered the quintessential summer lyric, dreamily sung by Ella Fitzgerald and many others. The 7th word in the classic “Summertime” is ‘fish’: Summertime, and the livin' is easy, Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high. There are lessons in fishing that relate to travellers and their secret summer desires, much like a horoscope that reveals their travel personality. Let me begin by suggesting that I am NOT a fishing fanatic. In fact the last time I went fishing was on a sunset cruise in the Maldives 8 years ago and I don’t believe anyone on the boat caught anything… but the scenery was pretty. The time before that was when I was a kid and we went fishing just north of Toronto. After 5 hours of listening to my transistor radio, as well as coaxing, hoping, wishing, spotting and cursing, not one fish took the bait. Now I haven’t given up on fish altogether. When I embraced the three graces of travel, photography and writing, I discovered the joy of visiting seafood markets. The vendors were hard working but almost always friendly when asked about their products. And then there was the fresh smell of the seafood (which admittedly some people can’t stand, but I happen to love), and the colourful displays, especially in Asian markets, where the produce is arranged with artistic symmetry and pride. I think about the fish market in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. I was there on a travel agent “Fam” trip and was told that the market opened at 5:30 am—cool, pitch dark, and a 15-20 minute walk from the hotel. But I was there to discover and

experience so the first morning I wandered there alone. The vendors were friendly, smiling, posing for photos, explaining their catches, working hard in footgear that ranged from thighhigh rubber boots to simple broken plastic thong-sandals. But this was their livelihood and as the sun rose and the crowds of locals grew, there were times when I just had to put away the camera and appreciate the ‘spirit’ of the market. And I can say that the same holds true in Tokyo’s famous Tsukiji fish market or Shimonoseki’s ‘fugu’ (poisonous blow fish) market or various fish markets in Thailand, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Panama, Chile or Ireland. And this is not to forget markets closer to home: Granville Island market in Vancouver, and the Market in Seattle, Washington where tossing large slippery fish from one end of the market stall to the other end has become one of those legendary fish market ‘must sees’. Not that we want to classify travellers…but with some imagination, humour and the prospect of summer getaways, we can enjoy a bit of psychographic (the study of why people do things) license.

Summer Traveller Types mixed with a bit of aqueous humour…


The Halibut

Travel Theme: Summer Time and Living is Easy… Travel Image: Lazily fishing by the creek on a hot summer day, wearing a straw hat tilted over the eyes, chewing on a piece of straw, dipping the fishing rod into the creek and waiting for a bite. Travel Type: Laissez-faire, let everything unwind as it will. Traveller does not want to be scheduled to death. Needs lots of free time. Travel Communication: This is your text/twittercommunicating client who will decide this afternoon that he/she needs a travel add-on tomorrow and will want you to arrange it. This client is long term; wants you to take care of details but only as requested. Travel Accommodation: Prefers small intimate hotels.

The Marlin

Travel Theme: Summer Time and the Fish are Jumping… Travel Image: Deep sea fishing adventures with the wind blowing in his/her face, strapped into the ‘fighting chair’ with rod bent over and reel spinning as a blue-fin Tuna flies out of the water. Travel Type: Adventure, independent, DIY, throw caution to the wind, do it for the bragging rights. Travel Communication: This client prefers email—the less contact, the better. When something goes wrong he/she will just ‘fix’ it and tell you about it later. Once you interview the client and create their CRM profile, don’t ask the same questions again. Travel Accommodation: Prefers small hotels, will not tolerate mass tourism but ensure that the hotel bar is fully stocked.

The Flounder

Travel Theme: Summer Time and the Sounds of Silence. Travel Image: Standing hip-deep in a river, wearing waders, and casting your fly fishing line into the water again and again. The emphasis is on peace, quiet, fresh air, the ripple of the water, the sounds of nature. Travel Type: Outdoors, walker, hiker, trekker. The person who appreciates at least one day on a holiday that is off the beaten track—communing with nature—and recording their peace and quiet with photographs and even writing. Travel

Communication: This is your Blog or Facebook client who likes to record and relate things in detail. They are likely to book a customized package tour where at least one day can include a get-away-from-it-all activity. Travel Accommodation: Hotels/ Resorts/ B & B’s are not really an issue as long as there are people to meet.

The Grouper

Travel Theme: Summer Time with So Much to do and So Little Time to Do It. Travel Image: Fish markets, temples, attractions, restaurants, shopping, beaches & tours. This is a busy itinerary for a busy person who likes to do and see. Travel Type: Likes to have fun, prefers to have someone else do the organizing and scheduling. Has no issue with group tours as long as the itinerary takes in everything and the coach or waterway cruise allows plenty of time to see and do. Travel Communication: This is your selfie-photo person. He/she is on Instagram, Pinterest and Flickr. Probably also on Facebook and Twitter, as communicating everything possible to everyone at every possible moment is very important. Travel Accommodation: All inclusives are great, as you can have choice, try different foods, eat quickly and get back to your activities.

The Sardine

Travel Theme: Summer Time and I Hate Fishing aka Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer Travel Image: Slathered in sun protection, lying on a beach, lazing under a beach umbrella, sipping sweet summer drinks from a straw (paper umbrella in drink, of course). Travel Type: All-inclusives, package holiday veteran. Wakes up early, reserves 5 lounge chairs with towels, then goes back to sleep and eventually returns to pool or beach after breakfast, 3 hours later. Enjoys watching hotel activities, the buzz of talkative hotel patrons and the evening entertainment. Travel Communication: Telephone and in-person. Attitude is ‘show me what’s available at my price point and send me there’. Thank you. That’s All. Travel Accommodation: All-inclusive but great


potential for upselling—appreciate the value of spending more to experience enhanced convenience—and also cross-selling—willing to try new destinations and new resorts as long as quality and value are not compromised. The Angel Fish Travel Theme: Three Little Fishies in an Itty Bitty Pool (in the summer time). Travel Image: Parent(s) and Kids(s) loaded down with luggage, wearing sunglasses, shorts and sandals in the departing airport and talking incessantly about what activities they will sign up for. Travel Type: Family Traveller. Everything is for the kids. Hotel staff better be kid-friendly and show it. Travel Communication: Before the trip: in-person and telephone. During the trip: Emails, texting and collect phone Calls. After the Trip: Letters. Travel Accommodation: Family-oriented allinclusives are perfect but will accept other ideas as long as there are tons of kid-oriented activities available (and some for the adults too). Menu choices have to be kid-friendly. There’s no such thing as too many hamburgers and fish and chips. The Carp Travel Theme: Summer Time and “I Want it My Way”. Travel Image: Arguing on arrival with

Fishing for summer clients…

customs, lecturing the taxi driver, fighting for a better room at the resort, complaining about the air conditioning, grumbling about the temperature of the pool, criticizing the food, whining about the wine selection….you get the idea. Travel Type: Professional Anger Management Candidate. Mouth is almost always open wide, permanent frown on face, eyes say “go away”, but absolutely loves to travel as often as possible. Travel Communication: Everything that gets the message across. Letters to the manager, letters to the airline president, letters to you and your supervisor, letters to the tourist board, blogs, Trip Advisor review. Travel Accommodation: Mostly all-inclusives but will try anything once. The attitude is that everything is fair game for a complaint so why not experience it to add to the inventory of ‘don’t like this” The advent of summertime travel brings out all sorts of travel types and this is just one fun way to appreciate them. Segmenting your market and understanding that each and every person has their own travel wants and desires is very important… as is maintaining a sense of dedication to responding to your client’s needs, and maintaining a sense of compassion mixed with humour in working with those clients.


Summer BAD It’s summer. People heading off to the beach. They don’t need anyone waving an insurance brochure in their face. What can happen? The family are all healthy. Never had a problem before. None of their friends bother to purchase travel insurance and they travel a lot. That was easy! Didn’t have to struggle with that sale, trying to argue the issues, pros and cons about whether or not travel insurance is a good buy in today’s world. I mean come on. There’s an app for that. Isn’t there? Surely. Well an app or a video. One of the two will work. So you fall over, sprain your ankle on the middle of nowhere, you hit the Emergency App button and “they” come and rescue you. Whoops! There was no mention of the cost of extraction, the chopper, the team. You mean that Buck-99 was just the cost of the app. You mean that didn’t cover EVERYTHING? Explaining why travel insurance coverage is needed to a young, healthy, fit young person is a tough road to haul. However, this is where your experience comes into play – if you have it that is. Most senior travel agents know from first-hand experience why insurance of any kind is a good investment. Younger travel agents may need to have something stolen, lost, or their health challenged before the message actually sinks in. It’s the worst way to learn a lesson of course, but sometimes it is the only way. The worst of worst lessons would be having a friend die in your company because no hospital or doctor overseas would tend to them. Click the link below to view the Infographic in a larger format and then scroll to the bottom of the image and you will find a link to the HTML. Copy it and paste into your website to embed this image on your insurance web page. http://www.insureandaway.co.uk/why%20do%20i%20need% 20travel%20insurance/#sthash.RgImXla1.dpuf

The Travel Insurance Niche Specialist eGuide is a great resource and one every travel agent should read. Click here to view.


Secret Selling Sauce Selling with extra sizzle calls for something more, something added to the mix and that will translate into a secret sauce of some kind. A hot sauce. Something Frank’s would put on their label. Talking Red Hot. Bollywood hot. Slammin’ HOT! So what have you got in your selling kit that’s hot, hot, hot? What do you have that’s secret to you and no other travel agent in your neck of the woods? What can you whip up and dole out that’s a zinger of a closer?

Most sales pros have a secret sauce of some kind. Very few people know about these secret sales sauces due to the fact that… that’s right! Secret. When you study a variety of sales and marketing books both generic and travel sales related you can read between the lines to determine the ingredients to that sales person’s success. It might be their personality, natural or developed, could be their knowledge in general or of a specific destination, might even be their preferred closing technique. All we generally know is that they make money and close more bookings than anyone else. The secret sauce for some travel agents develops over time. Some learn from their travel agent parents, others from travel trade mentors and others pick it up from reading and mixing with high producing sales people. Others are born to it and have “it” flowing in their veins. One of the best ways to develop your own secret selling

sauce is to first of all learn the craft of sales. Next is to mix with those high producers to listen and learn. Then when you feel you have the basics, you can determine what it is you would do differently to set yourself apart from the rest. Something unique. Something so hot, everyone will want to get a taste. Today that difference, that secret sauce means something techie, something socially alluring.

Selling From Where You Are Selling on Location is the new HOT sauce. Sending Wish you were HERE! e-mails and posting the same on your agency Facebook page has a whole new meaning when you are on location. Your pitch is: I’m here now. It’s fantastic. I can book your vacation now. Be it package, cruise, tour or resort stay or wedding & honeymoon combined. You are onsite and selling that fact. It’s your secret. Your competition has no idea where you are – only your customers and your suppliers. That’s secret and it’s saucy and that’s HOT. 


Strike Zone Focus

GUEST ARTICLE BY CORY ANDRICHUK

Although I never played organized baseball growing up, I now find myself helping to coach my nine-year-old son, Caden in his community baseball development team. As my baseball skills are limited, my wife and I decided to hire local pro, Coach Shawn, to help Caden fine-tune some of his baseball skills. Coach Shawn is not only a true professional but an exceptional communicator. One of the key elements of sport he spoke to Caden about was discipline.

A key feature of discipline is the ability to eliminate distractions. In order to do that, Caden must practise with a specific purpose in mind. For example, one purpose might be to throw his pitches with accuracy. To achieve this requires delivering the throw in the strike zone, which is the invisible space between the batter's shoulders and knees. This he must picture in his mind. The purpose of this "strike zone focus" is to eliminate all distractions and create a reachable target.

After hearing this, it occurred to me as a business coach that my clients could use this "strike zone focus" when conversing with their own clients. The value of delivering such "strike zone focus" is priceless as such communication can determine the difference between getting the business or not. So, how do you eliminate distractions and deliver "strike zone focus" in your conversations with clients? Here are 3 tips to help you:

1. Define your purpose.

2. Ask questions.

3. Actively listen

Before the meeting, decide what you want to accomplish. Anticipate your client's needs and possible objections and prepare for them.

During the meeting ask closed, open and meaningful questions to determine the big picture and get as many details as possible. Taking notes is essential.

Actively listen summarize and/or paraphrase your client's conversation after they finish their sentence or thought. This will help you clarify their thoughts and demonstrate you are on the same page.

Try these tips and I guarantee you will deepen and grow any business relationships you want. Batter up!


Are You On The List? As a member of The Travel Agent’s Store you’ll recieve advanced notice of new titles when they hit the shelves AND you’ll receive a discount too.

Click here to join The Travel Agent’s Store member list.

The BIG ALL Store Bundle valued at OVER $200 now on sale for ONLY$124.95!


Aha! So That’s Why! I caught this book, author and superfast interview with the author Paul Taylor on the Jon Stewart show. It doesn’t really matter where you live, the information here would related to almost every country in the world – except for a few obvious non-players. You could change the title to The Next… and fill in the blank with the name of your own country. In a nutshell the information is pointing towards a number of trends that travel agents need to be ready for.

This is a direct copy from the review on Amazon.com and it starts with this: The America of the near future will look nothing like the America of the recent past. I suggest that’s going to be true for every country in the world and especially the countries opening up to more immigration and facing similar generational events as in the US. Every marketing website and journal is talking about the next generation and marketing to Millennials. So what’s a travel agency to do when, as the book points out: Today’s Gen YMillennials well-educated, tech savvy, underemployed twenty somethings are at risk of becoming the first generation in American history to have a lower standard of living than their parents. Okay, not every 20-30 year old has a low standard of living. Many are Presidents and CEOs of their own businesses. This next situation is happening world-wide as a certain age group turn 65 and retire. The word is for the US that: 10,000 Baby Boomers are retiring every single day, most of them not as well prepared financially as they’d hoped. If the retiring Boomer is under financed for retirement then that’s a challenge for the travel agency community who sells to this client base.

This graying of our population has helped polarize our politics, put stresses on our social safety net, and presented our elected leaders with a daunting challenge: How to keep faith with the old without bankrupting the young and starving the future. There are 214 million people that no longer live in the country they were born in. This mass movement has caused a few challenges too: By mid-century, the population of the United States will be majority non-white and our median age will edge above 40 both unprecedented milestones. But other rapidly-aging economic powers like China, Germany, and Japan will have populations that are much older. The next 20 years of selling travel is going to be very interesting – interesting can mean many things, usually “Oh no!” Keep the faith. Watch the trends in new faces in your community. All new faces mean, trips ‘back home’. The younger generations of all races will more than likely be hooked on social media channels so nothing will change there. The aging Boomers will still have money to travel, some more, some less.  http://www.amazon.com/The-Next-AmericaMillennials-Generational/dp/1610393503


Just Published

A 38 page eGuide full of tips, tools and techniques that will help you use your photography to generate more travel sales. Only $15.95 + tax* *Become a Store Member by joining the mailing list to receive advance notice of new publications and a special Store Member’s price.

The Travel Agent’s Store


The Photo Page

Steve Crowhurst

Wintry Palms Taken with an iPhone 5 – subject: frosted glass patterns that resembled palm trees.


What Do You Do WithIt’s 9pm at night. Do you know where all your travel keepsakes are? Ya do?! WOW! Excellent. So what are you going to go with them? Talking marketing here. Those coupons, tickets, programs and other goodies you collected over the years are now called “content”. What do you do with your keepsakes to help market your travel services? Here’s a few ideas:

Here’s a couple of coupons I found as I was searching through my own horde of “stuff” and this is what got me to thinking about what you might have tucked away and whether or not you use it to help sell more travel. It’s this type of scrapbooking travel keepsakes that proves you were there and it also makes your marketing more real to the reader. Selling a summer trip to Egypt would indeed be a sizzling hot trip to make… but oh, what a feeling once you stand by those ancient monuments, tour the museum or head out into the dessert. Exchange Egypt for a summer scene somewhere else. A beach. A mountain top view… what have you got, kept, retained (legally of course) that you can use in your marketing activities?

The Date You have to decide, if there is a date on the keepsake you intend to use, whether or not it will work against you. Some dates, old dates can prove you were there “way back when…” allowing you to market your past experience. A more recent date, puts you in the realm of being current and up to date with what’s happening at the destination you are marketing today.

If you have a photograph or a postcard that’s dated as in the image below – then you could use this as a before and after, a then and now promotion.

Postcards From Clients Postcards: always a wonderful item to use to promote your services and especially if there is a nice quote from the client who sent the card extolling your services and the trip you arranged. If you use a client’s postcard be sure to blot out their last name. Their personal home address wouldn’t be on the postcard if they are mailing from the destination – but if it is, then that too should be blotted out. Easy enough to do in any of the scanning / photo editing software programs.

What Else Do You Have? It’s better if the keepsake is yours. You might even take a Selfie showing you holding it. If you are into videoing then switch on your webcam and record a short video of you holding an item and relate the story around it. Then post that video on your agency YouTube account or post it to your agency’s Facebook page and start a conversation about travel keepsakes. Add the line: More keepsakes waiting for you here: then pitch your summer sizzlin’ promotion. 


Hey, What’s Up Choc? You know it’s coming soon. The question is: What are you going to do to promote travel come Easter? One activity might be to start promoting your faith based tours going somewhere in the summer months. Easter time as you know is full of religious based TV shows, news and social media coverage too. It’s a prime to ride on the usual promotions and to sell your own products. You might even want to tie in a few chocolate giveaways. Hmm?

You have two things happening here. One is wrapped around the other. The main event being the most important and oldest festival of the Christian Church, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The other event is all about chocolate and rabbits and eggs and who knows what – and these goodies are available right now in your local grocery store and elsewhere. The question is whether or not to use the ongoing Easter promotions to promote your own faith based tours. The

Chocolate Gift Cards All your favourite brands of chocolate can offer you a gift card to use as a deposit or final payment “Thank You” gift. There are companies who also offer you Religious Chocolates. Yes indeed. What a way to pray! Even Pope Francis has been replicated in chocolate! True. I’ll let you explore that one online. So, chocolate, Easter, faith, the Pope… it all ties together nicely for a great April promotion to sell something in summer.

What Event, Where?

answer is of course, yes you should.

A Little Humour Adds to the Faith: The world is always in need

Search your favourite destinations online to find a faith based event you can identify with and one that your clients would be interested in seeing, attending and witnessing.

20 Days and Counting

of good humour and a silent chuckle and handing out chocolate fellas like this guy is one of those things you can do to cheer someone up AND tell them about your Faith Based Tours at the same time.

The clock is ticking. Start planning your Easter ads and social media promotions now. You’ve got 20 days, correction, make that 15 days to get your summer faith based tour ideas sorted.

You might be able to tie in your own church group or attract people from any faith to come and listen, ask for your flyer & more information. Your chocolate giveaway does not have to be huge. Small things go a long way.

Chat with your preferred faith based suppliers and see what they’re up to. Perhaps you can join in and represent them locally. At the very least – buy yourself an Easter egg and enjoy the moment. 


Call Your Travel Agent As you may have heard, a survey was conducted in the US and whoever responded to the survey confirmed that they wished to be referred to as a Travel Consultant or Counsellor not as Home-Based Travel Agents. This “what shall we call ourselves” has been going on for some time and all sorts of reasoning has been put forth about why travel agents are no longer travel agents. They don’t “agent” any more. They don’t represent the companies that supply the cruise, the tour, the air seat and so on. Travel agents, sorry Travel Counselors work for the consumer. Yup. That is apparently how it works. Yup! Better get this sorted, and especially if you are new to selling travel from home as you might be falling into a trap and not know it.

I’ll write this as if you have never been in the travel industry, just joined and now setting up to sell travel as an independent travel agent from a home office. This page should also interest you, the person selling travel from a physical location.

It’s Travel Agent – Not Counsellor Just like an Accountant is an Accountant not a Ledger Counsellor, or Number Consultant, so you are a Travel Agent and it doesn’t matter where you sell travel from. High rise tower, street front, your home or the beach – you are still a Travel Agent as the Accountant is and always will be an Accountant. Then there’s this – how travel suppliers market and promote you in their own advertising:

When you remove yourself from the term Travel Agent you are moving yourself away from the potential sales generated by supplier ads.

Travel Agent – Specializing In… Why not be the travel agent you were meant to be and promote your skills and niche talents with a byline under your Your Name, name. That way Travel Agent you’ll have the Specializing in best of all worlds. Jamaican Honeymoons Remember this is all about making sales. Generating income. Not labelling yourself to suit misguided commentary.

It’s Sales – Not Consulting First things first. Yes of course you will be talking with your clients, advising, questioning, answering and counselling their decisions as they consult your knowledge, extensive or otherwise. But in all the chatter, never lose sight of the fact that you are in a sales role. You sell travel.

Opportunity

With all that money behind all those ads promoting call your TRAVEL AGENT why would you want to confuse the consumer with Travel Counsellor? That’s not good business at all.

With so many suppliers promoting: Call Your Travel Agent… why not create a website and name it Your Travel Agent. Then, when you promote yourself, local customers will see that you are the one ALL those ad’s mention. You are YOUR TRAVEL AGENT – and, you must be very good, because almost every travel supplier is promoting you.


Suppliers are not promoting Call Your Travel Counsellor and that’s because few if any consumers really know what or who that is except for travel trade companies and associations. Be known as a travel counselor or consultant internally, but outside your workworld is where your clients live and it’s your clients who book with you, not your colleagues.

About Being an Agent for Suppliers As someone new to selling travel you will no doubt hear that “things have changed” we as in sellers of travel, are no longer agents for suppliers. We are agents for our clients. Let’s hold it right there. Once again, the commentary is slightly off base. Without travel trade suppliers investing in and creating products for travel agents to sell, there would be nothing to sell. Like any other store with products on its shelf, you too, like that retail store owner, have two clients to service. You have your suppliers and you have your clients. As your supplier is a client to you, so you are to them. It may not seem like it at times – but there is always that two-way relationship.

The Agent of Travel You are an agent for your supplier AND you are the agent of travel for your clients. It’s your role to work with each client, helping them select the best travel product for the type and style of vacation they are seeking, explain the features and benefits, discuss travel insurance details and then close the sale. Do not be swayed by trade talk that Generations X & Y do not know what a travel agent is or what they do. To reach these so called younger travellers, (actually adults not kids as some in the travel trade seem to talk about them) – all you must do is reach out through the communication channels they use. Nothing has changed on that score. Baby Boomer aged clients are still with you as a customer for the next 20+ years and you know how to reach them I am sure – AND they

know who and what a travel agent does for a living. They have booked with travel agents since they started travelling.

Travel Agent Ng No matter what age you are, you are heading into the next phase of travel agency work. Whether you know it or not, you are a Travel Agent Ng and that’s because of existing technology. Forget the Home-Based Travel Agent tag and think about the fact that you can sell travel from anywhere. All you need is a laptop, tablet and or smartphone. From those tools you can research, market, promote and sell. The Home-Based Travel Agent tagline is purely to help the trade identify whether you are an owner of a bricks & mortar or not.

Last Word… Do not be too keen to throw away 150 years of history that some would have you believe holds no relevance today. It’s called provenance. That history includes your roots. Before that, the job of procuring travel arrangements for customers dates back to Roman times and beyond. Seize on the romantic side of the job you do. Seize the history and grandeur of all those past explorers, adventurers and the people who gave you the industry you work in today. And with that rock solid foundation, go sell something and be the TRAVEL AGENT you were meant to be. 


Quick Tips Here’s a few tips to help with your marketing activities. Also a couple of tongue-in-cheekers to help make your day a little brighter.

Testimonials have the magic power of Persuasion Make sure your clients can access them, use them in your email signatures, post them in your blogs and throughout your social media channels.

Offer interesting How-To information on     

Taking travel pictures Packing Buying luggage Travel tips Price tips

    

Travelling with kids Travelling with grandparents Travelling with a grump! New places to go A sports tip

    

Storing a pet Planning a trip Purchasing travel insurance A savings tip Tips from other customers

 

New service New travel apps

Post articles about…  

Fam reports Vacation reports

 

Brand related Your achievements

Inspirational Travel Quotes Inspirational quotes can help open up your clients or prospects to a new way of thinking about travel, or perhaps learn to accept the challenges of travelling in the present day as they realize that some of these quotes where quoted long ago - the author had the same challenges as we do today – despite a difference in transportation.

Brochure Speak for the New Travel Agent Phrase 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Old World Charm Majestic setting Options galore Explore on your own Nominal fee Plush Light and airy

Translation 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

No bath A long way from town Nothing included Pay for it yourself Outrageous charge Top AND bottom sheets On the hurricane path

You’ll know when it’s a No Frills Airline when: They don’t sell tickets, they sell chances. All the travel insurance machines in the terminal are sold out. You cannot board without the exact change. The Pilot asks all the passengers to chip in for gas and a pizza. The flight attendant asks you to join their frequent near-miss program and to enjoy the in-flight movie in the plane next to you! 


Marketing Tip

What have you got planned around the FIFA World Cup event? It’s a prime time to be promoting your tours to South America and to take advantage of the TV coverage as they showcase Brazil. FIFA World Cup 2014 begins on Thursday, June 12 and ends on Sunday, July 13


Training Page THOMAS COOK Whether you are new to selling travel or not, this 7 minute video will inspire you to go for it, whatever your “it” is. The video is short review of the legendary Thomas Cook. If you can create a fraction of what he created and accomplished you’ll be up there with the best of ‘em. So watch, listen, learn, take notes and then ponder what you are actually doing with all the tools that Thomas Cook could not even dream about. Enjoy.

BURTON HOLMES The George Eastman House video is a brief insight in the life of one of the world’s foremost avid travel video and photographers, the one and only Burton Holmes. Unlike Thomas Cook who was poor, Burton Holmes had money. Even so, money or no money, he did what he did and accomplished so much in the realm of travel and recording the world for others to see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZGO_F3IElA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwC9COY_TEo


Selling Ancillaries… You are independent right? Yes. You are the entrepreneur, correct? If you love an opportunity and want to make more money selling travel then you might as well start profiting from selling the add-ons, the peripherals, the ancillary sales. Your suppliers are already down this road and more so your airline partners who according to the IdeaWorks survey took home a cool $42.6 billion+/- in 2013. Let’s explore the ancillaries you can sell, too.

Travel aside, you’ll be thinking about what a traveller needs to complete their travels. If you service a niche market then the same thought occurs – what is it that your niche clients need and purchase in order to better enjoy their trip? The concept of selling ancillary products is based on convenience for your clients. Save them an extra step or click and place before them those things they need on or during their trip. You’ll not be trying to compete with the local department stores or online stores. In most cases you’ll be offering your clients the same products as an affiliate outlet for the branded product your clients would normally purchase away from your business.

Affiliates Programs Today almost every vendor operates an affiliate program of some kind. Most of them a free to join and your role is to promote the product via your website and in your social media marketing too. Select the product and brand you would like to sell, go to their website and scroll to the Footer area and there you will find the link to their affiliate program. Here’s a quick look at the REI program. Drive traffic from your site to REI.com or REIOutlet.com and make money! You'll earn a commission on every purchase made by customers you refer. Our top affiliates average $40,000 a year in commissions. Know a non-profit or local outdoor group looking for extra income? Refer them to the REI Affiliate Program—a great way to earn money in support of stewardship and educational pursuits in our communities.

IdeaWorksCompany, the foremost consultancy on airline ancillary revenues, and CarTrawler, the leading provider of online car rental distribution systems, project airline ancillary revenue will reach $42.6 billion worldwide in 2013. The CarTrawler Worldwide Estimate of Ancillary Revenue represents a massive increase of 89% from the 2010 estimate of $22.6 billion.

Ancillaries You Can Sell

Here’s a list you can add to. Starting with additional travel add-ons over and above the generic flight. Travel insurance being the #1 addon to sell. After travel add-ons comes books and luggage etc. Select what works for you and locate the best affiliate program for your agency. Advice Car Rentals Hotels Tours Travel insurance Books Camera Clothing

Flash drives Laptops Luggage Notebooks Pens Phones Safety gadgets Shoes ????

Check with your host agency to find out which affiliate programs they have arranged for you. 


New Tools Welcome to ClockLink Get your free world clock. ClockLink.com provides the most widely used Web clock in the world with over 30 million views around the world. In addition, clocks can be set to display any time zone in the world online, so they are not only decorative but very practical as well. You can use our world clock to see all time zones of the world, and it's free to use. Use it to show what time it is in your area. There is no charge to use any of the clocks or for the world clock on your website or blog.

Everyday for iPhone This is a great video to watch. Quite humourous and offers a terrific Selfie tool for travel agents. It reminds you to shoot a Selfie each day – so imagine you are on a Fam or vacation and capturing yourself here, there and everywhere. Then, you can click the button to create a Selfie movie. What a great marketing tool this is.

The Pocket Spotlight A continuous light source you can mount to your phone's headphone jack, your camera's hot shoe or off-camera in your hand. A flash can be surprisingly harsh (especially on the iPhone) and it's always fleeting. The Pocket Spotlight is a constant light so you can actually see what you're shooting and set your focus and exposure before you snap. Charge it via USB for up to an hour of brightly shining, gently diffused light. Light up an Instagram of your candle-lit dinner or use it on the move for a light painting.

24-7PressRelease 24-7PressRelease is a leader in the online press release distribution industry. Through its multi-channel distribution network, 24-7PressRelease helps corporations and organizations disseminate their news to consumers, editors, journalists, bloggers and websites. Basic price $49.

Marketing with Phone Cards Who thought that phone cards are still in use? Well they are and they have always been a great way to market your agency. Now, you can have your custom phone cards printed and this time they can be used on a mobile phone using the Phonecard app.

Marketing with Bookmarks Bookmarks have always been winner as a simple marketing piece. Today you can use a ready-made template, add your own graphics, include a QR code at the top or on the reverse and send a bookmark to every client. If you are taking a group departure then you would adapt the images to suit the group theme. Book marks come in all shapes and sizes and range from paper to metal clips. For your luxury clients – make it leather stamped. Not paper.


When you need one-to-one training contact the Home Based Travel Agent Trainer‌

If you would like a one-to-many training session, invite your local home-based colleagues to your home office then gather round your computer screen for the training session. All sessions are conducted using Skype – so be sure to download the program here: www.skype.com

Send your topic and request an hourly or project training quote. steve@ic-travelagent.com


Romance travel is always a pleasure to sell, come see why and get a sneak peek at our revised course - coming April 22nd 2014. A Closer Look at The Travel Institute’s Honeymoons & Destination Weddings Course

hosted by Chelle Honiker Yarbrough, CTC Director of Operations



REPRINTED WITH KIND PERMISSION FROM CT MAGAZINE

SELLING TRAVEL WITH STEVE The Power Of WOW by Steve Crowhurst, CTC

A 3-Letter Word To Help Your Commissions Rise Beyond Your Wildest Dreams

H

AVE you noticed how much WOW we use in our conversations? The WOW word has become the word to describe any and all of the destinations featured in each issue of CT magazine. Not only the country as a whole but also the cities, towns, the buildings, the people, the cuisine… the beer! So many places so many WOWs to shout out. Where’s this “Why WOW?” going you ask? Why WOW? What the WOW! It’s time to rev up your WOW Marketing Plan and factor in the WOW word. Let me explain starting here…well back in the 1500s actually.

Och Aye The WOW!

Marketing With WOW If you’ve travelled far and wide or just close and narrow you would have seen more than a few sights to behold anyone’s eyes. Before the 1500s you might have heard those hardy explorers as they came upon a glorious sight, say something akin to “I say Nigel…would you take look at that… must tell mummy when we get home…” How times, things and language have changed. I like the WOW word and it just seems to be emitted constantly. I hear it from others and on TV, too. It’s a common word now and so, to the marketing mind it says: use it. You can use the word by itself to push the beauty of a special place in the world

World of Water, Week of Welcome, What’s on Where?, Wide Open World, Wish Only Well, Walk Our Way, Wise Older Women, World Ocean Watch, Women Organising the World, Warriors of Wellness, Writers on Writing and Wonders of Wildlife.

WOW With Images What’s a WOW without an image to support it? And what’s an image without a WOW? The two go together. It’s the way it is. So look for your best imagery and add a WOW to it. If you’re not sure how to do that check in at The Travel Agent’s Store, and join their mailing list. Then you’ll be able to review the various how-to eGuides on marketing with WOW. www.thetravelagentsstore.com. For now, you can simply copy and paste your image into a Word document by opening a text box and inserting your image, then open another text box over your image and type in your text.

“You have to capture the WOW moment

Yes most people would end that statement with ‘noo’ – but not I! We needed a WOW in there as the reason was you see, it appears that the word WOW (not always written or pronounced in caps…) was born in bonnie Scotland. Here’s the skinny: The word ‘wow’, a Scottish interjection, was coined sometime in the 1510s as a natural expression of amazement. It was borrowed in 1924 by American English slang as a verb meaning “overwhelm, delight or amazement”, but has been used as a noun since 1920 meaning “unqualified success”. It gained a second resurgence in popularity in the 1960s. How it came about and who said it first is up for discussion but I sense the wind was a blowin’ one day out on the heather and as the kilts blew skyward the clan ladies all let out a joint “WOW!” in obvious amazement and probably followed with a “Well wil’ya noo look at that!” and a glen full of laughter.

and project it out through your marketing channels and then ask your recipients to share it ” you love and want to share, and then you can look for acronyms that might also work for your headlines. You might even check to see how one cruise line has started to use the word in their marketing to travel agents.

WOW Acronyms This’ll WOW ya! According to the Acronym Free Dictionary there are 95 WOW acronyms and many of them just perfect for embedding in your e-mails and social media posts. Or anywhere for that matter. Here’s a couple that suit the travel WOW: World of Wonder, Words of Wisdom, Wonders of the World, World of Wonders, Women On Wheels, World of Wisdom, Wide Open West, Wonder of Wonders, Word of Wisdom,

WOW Words & More The word WOW is one word. After that, what else? Think how you and or your clients use the word WOW and then listen for what follows. “WOW! You should see this!”, “WOW! It’s unbelievable.”, “WOW! You’ve gotta see this for yourself!” – you get the idea. You have to capture the WOW moment and project it out through your marketing channels and then ask your recipients to share it, send it viral to their friends. Study the Way of WOW and you’ll see your commissions rise beyond your wildest WOW dreams – and we’re not going there! That’ll be a “Och aye the noo way!”

Steve Crowhurst, CTC, is an author, speaker and trainer specializing in New Business Generation for the travel and tourism industry. Visit Steve at www.sellingtravel.net and Like his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sellingtravel. E: steve@sellingtravel.net; T: 250-738-0064. 4

CANADIANTRAVELLER.NET FEB 2014

SW_Ca


THE TRAVEL AND TOURISM PRINTER FOR OVER 30 YEARS

A HOME FOR THE

HOME BASED AGENTS Big Bark has all your print-marketing needs covered!

TOP 6 WAYS WE ARE DEDICATED TO THE HBA:

1. Easy to use, do-it-yourself, 24/7 online print-ordering store.

2. No design/setup fees – choose from our selection of pre-designed templates or Design Your Own.

3. Full use of our image gallery at no extra charge. Ave.

BonvoYage

THE HUNTINGT

HUNTINGTON

The agents choice since 1973

Before You Tra vel:

• Ensure that yo u are to-date passports carrying your upand have obta any required/ ined nece for entering the ssary tourist visas country(s) you visiting. are • You trip involve s cancellation penalties in the unforeseen even that you canc t el/postpone your travel arrangements. Ensure that you aware of these are penalties. • Carr y your Ou t-of-Country Hospital/Medic al/Travel Insur Policy with you. ance • Be aware o f luggage restr ictions such as weight, size and type of suitc allowed on the ases international and domestic fligh ts on your itine rary. Excess bagg age charges are steep and can caus e great incon venience • Ensure you hav e obtained recommended or inoculations. Ce required rtain inoculatio are mandatory ns for travel to ende areas. Your tra mic vel agent will have provided full details. • Check out the a vailability of lo ATMs in your cal destination and/ or purchase some local currency travellers cheq or ues. • Give family/fr iends the cont act information at hotels/lodges you will be staying during your trave Information on l. your accommo datio is provided withi n your documen ns ts. • We recommen d tha newspaper subs t you put your cription on hold the duration for of your trip and have your mail colle cted held at your local by a neighbour or post office. • It is always rec omm secure your hom ended that you e with a secu rity alarm before you leave.

5. Wide selection of ticket packaging options for groups, weddings, and niches.

BonV oya ge

4. Travel related marketing products such as calendars and magnets plus all your standard business products – business cards, envelopes, letterhead, flyers, and more.

ON GROUP THE HUNTING

0 Ridgeway Dr., Suite 17, Mississ auga, ON Canad 8.887.9710 | info@myescapa a L5L 5M5 des.ca | www . myescapade s.ca

HUNTINGTON

The agents choice since 1973

TON GROUP

6. All products available in small quantities (some as low as 25).

Thank you for choosing to travel with MyEscapades We take pride .com. in providing one-of-a-kind travel experienc in Africa, Asia, es Europe and South America. The majority of our clients require a trip customize d to their likes , interests and budget. Whe ther you wish to travel in the lap of luxury to indulge in or choose an authentic adventure (we call it ‘roughing will create a -it’) we trip to suit your preferred taste s. In other word we will give s, you a travel experience that goes beyond expectations. your Rest assured, MyEscapades .com is your traveling comp perfe ct anion.

BonVoyage

ill 1 Underh 201 – 301 BC Burnaby, V5A 3C2

BIGBARKGRAPHICS.com

T:

905.857.6333 |

TF:

1.866.607.1556 | sales@bigbarkgraphics.com


Be Sure to Share

www.ic-travelagent.com


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.