Become a Home Based Travel Agent

An interview with Terri Burke, SVP of Relationship Marketing
Cruise Planners/American Express
By Joanie Ogg CTC, MCC

We talked with the Terri Burke, SVP of Relationship Marketing about the all-new CPU. The web-based, virtual university armed with resources for travel professionals at every skill level.

Answer: Did you know CLIA reports an average increase in booking revenue of 261% for certified travel professionals? And 75% of consumers prefer to book through an accredited travel professional. So we created CPU with our continued philosophy of ongoing training and unparalleled industry support for our travel professionals in mind.

Answer: We asked ourselves: “How do you train, educate and communicate to a nationwide sales force, in hundreds of locations, efficiently with a standardized manner?”

Our answer was to build a completely unique, industry-leading training program offering Cruise Planners core business content; a partnership with CLIA; Cruise Line University program integration with anchor partners including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara; and courses taught by internal and external business experts., ALL in one place. The new CPU incorporates cutting-edge technology by delivering videos, instant testing, fun games, robust reporting.

It’s mirrored after user-friendly social networking sites such as Facebook, the online program manages courses taken, videos watched and testing scores so agents have the convenience of continuing their education at their own pace. While CPU is all about access to earning industry accreditations, the main objective for the program is for agents to graduate as a CCPE, the highest certification currently attainable.

• Classes available in Sales, Marketing, Social Media, Groups, Operations and Content Training.
• Classes available for every level: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior, Masters and PhD.
• Earn points from: CLIA, our cruise line partners, and our live and on-demand webinars.
• Earn CPU dollars to use in the Student Union (coming in 2010) for CPU logo items and other cool things—like free Marketing dollars, RegisWeb credits (Cruise Planners’ proprietary group web-based registration/management tool).
·       online Library featuring Cruise Planners CEO & Co-Founder, Michelle Fee's “reading list”, powered directly by Amazon.com
·       educational games
·       Yearbook
·       Interactive calendars and address books and more!

And the entire program can be accessed from anywhere via BlackBerry or iPhone.

How long will it take for someone to get accredited?

Answer: In its new virtual form, CPU is now a robust two-year program with more than 40 courses per training level and mandated testing where agents can earn the majority of the industry’s accreditations. It’s the first of its kind in the industry. Unique highlights of the university include a student union with motivating peer-to-peer games, CPU yearbook with seminars at sea, campus blog and a CPU Facebook group, just to name a few.

BUT WAIT...there's more! The new Certified Cruise Planners Expert (CCPE) program will feature a non-replicable accreditation recognized by the cruise lines and CLIA. This accreditation is set to become the highest in the industry....and the one that consumers seek when looking for an agent to book their next cruise vacation.

Answer: At Cruise Planners we pride ourselves on having the highest percentage of CLIA accredited agents in our franchise category. We knew we needed to raise the bar and create a career learning path for all of our agents that will set us apart as the most highly-trained in the industry, which was the genesis of the virtual CPU concept.

As I like to say: Higher learning equals higher earning.

Joanie Ogg CTC MCC
Joanie Ogg Marketing Group
Editor

Joanie Ogg is a thirty-five year veteran of the travel industry and has been involved with the independent contractor evolution since 1988. She is the principal of Joanie Ogg Marketing Group, which specializes in consulting and speaking on the topic of Home-Based Travel. She also provides marketing and sales for wide variety of products under the umbrella HomeBasedTravelAgent.com.

A demonstrated industry leader, Joanie most recently served as the President of the National Association of Commissioned Travel Agents (NACTA) and TravelSellers. She and her husband Tom acquired NACTA in 1996 and sold it to The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) in 2000. Joanie’s tenure in the travel industry includes owning and operating one of the first successful host agency models. She has owned and operated several storefront travel agencies (both commercial and leisure), as well as a Hawaii wholesale tour company.

Her decades of success have garnered her numerous accolades over the years. Her accomplishments have been recognized by receipt of two Lifetime Achievement Awards from major trade groups, being named as one of the “100 Most Powerful Women in Travel” by Travel Agent magazine on several occasions, voted as “Travel Agent of the Year” by the readers of Travel Trade magazine, and has been recognized by many other industry organizations throughout her tenure in the industry. In 2008 Joanie Ogg was inducted into the CLIA Hall of Fame, an honor held by some of the most influential executives in the travel industry.

Joanie is a Master Cruise Counselor (MCC) and a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC). Joanie has co-authored two popular travel industry books for cruise specialists and home-based travel agents and has authored hundreds of travel trade articles. She has inspired tens of thousands of travel agents attending her presentations at trade events, cruise seminars, international trade gatherings and numerous local educational venues throughout the United States. With a time-honored background and forward-looking vision, she is often featured as a speaker at many of the travel industry’s major conferences and events. Joanie’s speaking talents are widely sought as a travel industry emcee by the most recognized travel organizations. She has emceed such events as Cruise-A-Thons, ASTA’s CruiseFest, The Trade Show, The Travel Institute Forum and all of NACTA’s National and International Conferences.


Home	FAQ	Advertise	Articles	About