============================================= THE HOME-BASED TRAVEL AGENT ============================================= A Newsletter for Those on the Cutting Edge of the Travel Distribution System http://www.hometravelagency.com Editor/Publisher: Kelly Monaghan, CTC :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Number 40 December 1, 2002 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: There's only one reason you received this newsletter: You asked for it! If you wish to stop receiving this newsletter, please see the Subscribe/Unsubscribe instructions in "Housekeeping Matters" at the end. Thanks. Ready to order the Internet’s #1 home-study course for homebased travel agents? Then head straight to:
http://www.hometravelagency.com/homestudy.html :::::::::::::::: In this issue... :::::::::::::::: + + + + Odds & Ends Where Do I Get My Customers? Designing Your Business Letters
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http://www.marketingtips.com/t.cgi/10120 Do it today! This guy really knows what he's talking about! **************************************************************** :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ODDS AND ENDS :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: GOING UP! The Travel Industry Association of American reported some interesting and exciting research findings recently. According to the experts, the trend in travel expenditures (at least as far as domestic US travel is concerned) is headed sharply upwards. The current estimate for 2002 is $455 billion (that’s BILLION, with a “B”). Projections are that that figure will rise to $471 billion in 2003 and to $491 billion. This after a sharp drop off caused by you-know-what. This is heartening news, especially for those who heeded the advice in my home study course and resisted the temptation to be all things to all people. Also, home-based agents are better positioned than most to take advantage of littleknown domestic travel niches that the “big guys” overlook. What are they? Well, how about weekend getaways, trips within driving distance from home, extended driving trips around the country, and a hankering to get to know the United States better. Trends like these put a premium on product knowledge about off-beat and unusual alternatives, such as B&Bs, condo vacations, and customized itineraries (for which you can charge a fair consulting fee). The “old” way of selling travel was heavily dependent on putting people on planes and flying them to major destinations where they’d stay in the same old hotels. There’s plenty of that business available, too, of course. But when it comes to “thinking different,” home-based agents are uniquely positioned to edge out the old-fashioned travel agency still mired in the old thinking. GOING TO ORLANDO I’m heading to Orlando shortly. I find the lull between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays is the best time to visit (a tip you might want to pass on to your clients). Maybe I’ll see you there.
On Thursday, December 5th at 10:30 a.m., I’ll be joining my good friend Steven M. Barrett who will be leading a “Hidden Mickey Scavenger Hunt” at Walt Disney World’s Epcot. Steve, as you may know, is the author of “The Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation” and is one the world’s foremost WDW experts. If you’d like to join in the fun, just meet the rest of the gang in front of Spaceship Earth at Epcot at 10:30 a.m. on the 5th. After WDW, I’m heading to Universal Orlando for a series of travel industry meetings. If you’re going to be there, look me up. I’ll be staying at the new Royal Pacific Resort. And speaking of Orlando, this may be a good time to remind you that the Orlando sale is still on at TheOtherOrlando.com. The update section of “The Other Orlando” web site is also growing, keeping pace with the ever-changing tourist landscape of this fabulous family destination. You can learn more at: http://www.theotherorlando.com AOL users can
CLICK HERE :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: WHERE DO I GET MY CUSTOMERS?
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Every once in a while, someone sends an email asking, “Where do I get my customers?” I have to confess, I’m a little confused about why anyone would ask this in the first place. Could they be confusing being a home-based travel agent with one of those so-called “business opportunities” where you “work at home” and someone sends you stuff to shove into envelopes? Maybe they are confused by the storefront travel agencies they see on Main Street. Those agencies seem to have customers just “dropping in” out of the blue. It’s nowhere near that simple, of course, but it might look that way. Most storefront agencies do a lot of “customer getting” that’s not visible to the casual observer. Maybe they think (and this is truly terrifying) that someone else will send them “leads” and all they’ll have to do is fill out a form and make hundreds of dollars on every lead. (By the way, if you come across an offer that suggests you can succeed as a home-based agent this way, be very, VERY suspicious.)
The simple fact is, you get your customers the old-fashioned way. You go out and find them. One by one. Or maybe two by two since so many people travel as couples. It can be a slow process (although it doesn’t have to be). And it is an incremental process. That is, it builds on itself, getting easier as time goes by. If the idea of going out into your community and turning friends, family, acquaintances, and even perfect strangers into that valuable commodity known as a customer is something that scares you to death, then do yourself a favor. Take the time to make sure you will no longer receive this newsletter (instructions are at the end), and move on to something else. Getting customers is part of the sales process known as Prospecting. My course has an entire chapter devoted to prospecting (and an entire section devoted to “The Art of Selling Travel”). A good salesperson is always prospecting. And successful home-based agents are good salespeople. I am willing to admit that there are some people who sales. I am not willing to admit, however, that good simple skills that can be learned. So if you have no worry; it’s something you can pick up and get better simply are not suited to sales techniques are not sales background, don’t at, if you work at it.
Some people start prospecting and get frustrated because not everyone they approach becomes a customer. They get stung by what they see as “rejection” and give up. That’s not the most constructive way to look at it. Once you understand that only a small percentage of the people you contact will become customers, it gets easier to approach them, especially once you understand that the few who become your customers will be worth literally thousands of dollars to you over the course of time. It may help to think of the prospecting process as a mining operation. (Maybe that’s why they call it prospecting!) Miners gather large quantities of ore. They have every reason to suspect that this ore contains valuable metals. Then they go through a process of sorting, refining, and smelting and smelting that ore. The process may be hard, but the result is pure gold. Another image salespeople use to think about getting customers is a large funnel with holes in it. because the funnel leaks, you have to put a lot in to get out what you need. If you feel you don’t have enough customers, you may want to review the sections in the course that cover this key step in the sales process. You’ll find plenty of suggestions on where and how to look for customers.
Eventually, of course, your “new” customers are your “old” customers. In other words, the person you sold an all-inclusive to last year returns to book a cruise this year. And these new/old customers are themselves a source of new customers through referrals. Still prospecting will always remain one of your key responsibilities, no matter where you are in your career. If you prospect well at the beginning, you will succeed. If you prospect well throughout your career, you will prosper. If you just think you can wait around for customers to come to you, you will be sorely disappointed. ***** This issue is co-sponsored by Clickin’ It Rich *********** “CLICKIN' IT RICH” by MICHAEL CAMPBELL How I earn $200,000 a year, in PURE PROFITS, working from home, using nothing but affiliate programs. Find out how you can too. ** Allan Gardyne said "Great stuff! You provide a nice mix of solid, practical advice and inspiration. ** Phil Wiley said, "It's not complex theory, just practical methods you can easily duplicate." “Clickin' It Rich” comes with a one-hour bonus audio interview. Hear step by step how to quit the day job and set up a home business, using affiliate revenue strategies alone. You can start in your spare time and - depending on how much effort you put in - watch your affiliate income outgrow your day job in no time. Click here to find out more. http://www.roibot.com/w.cgi?R4290_DN1 Those on AOL can
CLICK HERE. ***************************************************************** :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: DESIGNING YOUR BUSINESS :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: One point I make over and over in my course is that as an independent businessperson you are, above all, INDEPENDENT. No one can tell you what to do. That’s why every home-based travel business is (or should be) unique. You will find a more complete discussion of this key concept at:
http://www.hometravelagency.com/succeed.html AOL users can
CLICK HERE Many people find the idea of total independence liberating and very exciting. They go out and build a specialty business that reflects them and their interests, one that uses their specialized knowledge and enthusiasm to serve hundreds of happy travelers. However, I am also aware that there are some people who are not looking to build a full-time business, and that is fine. After all, if you are truly independent you should be able to be part-time as well as full-time. Then there are people who look into the home-based travel phenomenon as a means to expand their own travel horizons, as opposed to a way to earn a full-time living. There’s nothing wrong with that either, as long as you don’t expect to travel free with no work. It doesn’t work that way. If you find yourself in one of these last two categories (or maybe in both) and you are considering getting involved in what I call the home-based travel revolution, here is a suggestion. Please understand that this is not THE way to go, but it is one way to go. It might work for you, because it has worked for others. On the other hand, it might not work for you at all. I present it without recommendation or warranty. Make of it what you will. With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s discuss . . . HOW TO TAKE FOUR “VACATIONS” A YEAR Set yourself a goal of taking a trip each quarter of the year. Plan for a weeklong trip every three months. Or maybe three one-week trips and one two-week jaunt. If that seems too ambitious, how about three trips, one every four months? Then do some dreaming. Where would you love to go? What have you always dreamed of doing? What great sights have you longed to see? Next find suppliers who can make these dreams comes true. It probably won’t be the same one for every trip, although there’s nothing to say that you can’t use the same one for all of them. In fact, there are distinct advantages to giving all your business to a single supplier. Plot out your four (or three) trips, fix firm departure dates, commit to how many other people you can sell the trip to, negotiate with the supplier for a favorable group rate, and work with them to create a promotional plan and logistical support. Be sure to build in at least one “tour conductor” slot for
yourself, maybe two. (There’s guidance on all this in the course, as you might have expected.) Now all you have to do is sell these four dream vacations to friends, family, acquaintances, in short anyone you can find. If you succeed in selling enough slots on each trip to earn one tour conductor slot, you will travel free. The commissions you earn should pay the fare for a companion. If you have chosen wisely and negotiated well, you may even have money left over to cover the incidentals. You will, in effect, have taken four “vacations” for “free.” I use quotation marks because these are not true vacations in the classic sense. Since you organized them and are traveling with the people you sold them to, they will naturally look to you as the “leader” (whether you see yourself that way or not). So you will have some responsibilities. Nor are they free in the classic sense, because you have paid for them with your time and sales efforts. There’s no reason why all this can’t be done in your spare time. Plenty of people do it. And if you choose the right trips with the right suppliers, you may not have to sell that many spaces in order to travel free. (The course has guidance on this point as well.) Here are a few points you may already have thought of, but just in case… * This plan will take some time to implement. Don’t plan the first trip for next month. You won’t have time to organize it and sell it. Many experts recommend one year’s lead time to sell a group trip. It can be done in less time, of course, but the shorter the time the more pressure and the lower the odds of success. Once you get into the swing of things, if you decide to continue in this fashion, it just gets easier and easier. * These are group trips we’re talking about, tours and cruises mostly. Why? There are any number of reasons. It’s easier to get a good rate and build in a free berth for yourself this way. You will probably be more serious about promoting a trip you plan to take yourself, with at least some friends. It can be easier to sell to a group of friends if it’s positioned as “something we can all do together.” * There is nothing to say that you have to be as ambitious as the plan I’ve outlined above. You can always start with one trip (a cruise is a good choice) and see how it goes. Nor do you have to make it a carved-in-stone goal to travel “free.” If you take the trip yourself, every additional person you sell can reduce the cost of your passage by up to fifteen percent (maybe more), depending on the commission, the group discount you’ve negotiated, and whether you’re working through a host agency. If you don’t sell enough slots to qualify for a tour conductor pass, you can always opt not to take the trip and pocket the
commissions. Of course, if you have sold some of the slots to friends, you will have to explain to them why you’ve decided not to come along. * In fact, there is nothing to say you have to take any of these trips yourself. You can always sell the tour conductor slot, earning a 100% commission on that particular sale. You could use the money you make to take a completely different trip or to redecorate the house. If you organize four such trips a year, and sell enough people to get a tour conductor slot you can sell, you can make some decent part-time income. Let’s say the average per person cost of the trips you organize is $2,000. Let’s also say you earn a ten percent commission (it could be more) and, if you sell 15 slots, you get a free berth you can use yourself or sell. Let’s further say you meet the minimum sales requirements and decide to sell the tour conductor slot at full price. That means you earn $5,000 for each trip, $20,000 a year if you do four trips. Not too shabby for part-time work that can be a lot of fun. If this is the sort of thing that intrigues you and you haven’t yet invested in my home study course, learn more about it at: http://www.hometravelagency.com/homestudy.html AOL users can
CLICK HERE :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: LETTERS :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: THANK YOU I’m just dropping a note to say “Thank you.” I stumbled across your web site last night while looking for home-based travel opportunities. I almost made a HUGE mistake. last week, I received an email about getting into home-based travel through another company. They were going to charge me $500 to buy the program and after spending all that money, the commissions were very low. I figured, “What the heck, I can do it ‘til I understand the industry, since this is something I have thought about for 5 years now. Thanks to your web site’s information, I now know that this was a rip off!!! Thanks so much for putting out the information you did and
saving me from a financial mistake. I look forward to reading your material and starting my own business. Thank you. “T.A.” ANOTHER THANK YOU I just wanted to express how incredibly grateful I am to have purchased your home study course. I purchased your books approximately one year ago. At that time, I was getting into the travel business merely as a hobby. One year later I earned my IATAN card and now have a profitable business with extra valuable benefits. I owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to your program. I believe your course is the best education one can receive as a home-based travel agent! Thank you!!! I have already referred your program to others that are interested in the business. I can’t speak highly enough of your materials! Thank you for producing not only a valuable resource, but an affordable one too! Best regards, Anne Hovey
Great Rate Travel
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: HOUSEKEEPING MATTERS :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The Home-Based Travel Agent newsletter is copyright 2002 by Kelly Monaghan. The newsletter is published monthly, as time permits, and is absolutely free of charge. This newsletter may be forwarded, in its entirety, to your friends and colleagues. Articles may be reprinted or excerpted as long as attribution is given as follows: "Reprinted, with permission, from The HomeBased Travel Agent Newsletter, http://www.hometravelagency.com" YOUR PRIVACY IS IMPORTANT TO US! WE WILL NEVER SELL, LEND, OR TRADE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO ANYONE FOR ANY PURPOSE. This is your newsletter. I welcome comments, suggestions, and questions. I won't be able to respond to you individually, but I will use your questions as springboards for future articles and discussion in the newsletter. Write me at mailto:questions@hometravelagency.com
READING BACK ISSUES: Selected articles from this newsletter are archived at: http://www.hometravelagency.com/archive/ If you come across an unfamiliar word or phrase in this newsletter, refer to our online Travel Industry Dictionary, the most extensive glossary of travel industry terms, jargon, acronyms, and abbreviations available anywhere. You can find it at: http://www.hometravelagency.com/dictionary/ JOIN OUR AFFILIATE PROGRAM Earn extra money just by telling people about our site. For details, visit: http://www.hometravelagency.com/affiliates/ To leave this list: Send an email message to mailto:leave-home-based-travel-agent@lyris.dundee.net To join this list: Send any email message to mailto:join-home-based-travel-agent@lyris.dundee.net To Change Your Address: First, leave the list as described above. Then join agian with your new address, as also described above. You can also join on the Internet by going to http://lists.dundee.net/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?join=home-based-travel-agent