Become a Home Based Travel Agent

CRUISEWHIZ CRAIG OR HOW DO YOU KNOW
WHERE YOU’RE GOING IF YOU DON’T KNOW
WHERE YOU’VE BEEN?
By Craig Satterfield, ECC

I HAVE BEEN ASKED MANY TIMES over the years, how do you remember where all of those ships go, the names of them and the details with each cruise line?  I have to admit that it is much more difficult to do these days then when I first started.   Thirty five years ago when I got excited about selling cruises Carnival was operating a 3-ship fleet with the Carnivale, Mardi Gras and Festivale, NCL had their white fleet of “Ward ships” and Royal Caribbean sailed their Song of Norway, Sun Viking and Nordic Prince.  There were at least a dozen other cruise lines out there which are now just a memory.    I think that if some of them could have stayed in business, these old lines would have been a great addition in today’s market.

HOW DOES THIS TRIP BACK DOWN MEMORY LANE got to do with today’s selling climate?   Much of it has to do with chops.  How you can market yourself differently than the next guy.  How can you put yourself in a sales position that is exclusive and more valuable than the on line bookers, the Costcos, the order takers, or the multi- level marketer who is really looking to sell enough to earn a fam.

In those early days my passion was so strong that it was easy to know every ship, all the ports and the differences between the lines.  I used my excitement, which was contagious, and it got clients exited too. I still do that today.  These days with so much more competition in the marketplace, passion is just not enough. I also must use my experience and training to get the point across that new clients are working with a cruise expert.  Sometimes you have to blow your own horn until somebody blows it for you!   If that is still not enough, bragging about your training is also beneficial.  That is why I earned the CLIA Elite Cruise Counselor status and am on the way to becoming an Elite Cruise Scholar.   Whether it is CLIA or becoming a CTC, this training is not only good for you but is also a good pedigree.  You want to be proud of your accomplishments and share them with anyone who has ears.  Potential clients want the best and that can be your goal. 

We all have experiences we can cultivate while attempting to position ourselves as experts in at least one segment of the travel industry.  Take inventory of these experiences and see how they fit into your passion.  Was it the honeymoon in Italy that you will never forget, that first cruise, or when you won a big jackpot in Las Vegas?  In most cases, the past can dictate the future.  Take your experience and use it to become an expert in what you love. Be it cruises like it is for me, an expert in Italy or even Las Vegas. Potential clients want to work with people that have that passion, that have been there and can offer something unique without reading it in the brochure.  It is a big World and nobody can be an expert in it all.

REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOUR PASSION LIES get involved with vendors and travel bureaus that support your interest.  There is nothing better than having an ally in those areas.  In my case I love Greece.  I have had the opportunity to visit that country twice escorting groups.  The minute I get a call from someone interested in Greece my ears perk up.  After my first visit it was all Greece, the food and wine, the history and culture, with contacts to the Greek National Tourist Organization.  They were great in feeding my passion.  My office was plastered with Greek posters and brochures which made me feel like I was still there!

Sometimes professional training can be really helpful to get excited about inventing your brand and telling the World how great you are. I find the books of Debbie Allen, the author of, “Confessions of Shameless Self Promoters,” a fun resource.  She shares the secrets of successful people and moguls and how they got there. She has been around for many years and doesn’t seem to be one of those “get rich” gurus on TV.   Obviously you cannot always use these ideas in the exact ways these markers have, but what reading Debbie Allen does is to give you an incentive to start the ball rolling.   When she  wrote her first book, one way she helped gain interest in it was to secretly plant copies on the “self-help” section of the major bookstores.  When a customer would bring the book to the register to pay for it, of course there was no record of it in their inventory.  Book store managers figured it needed to be stocked, but was somehow not inventoried, continued to re- order it.   It became a best seller.

Dealing with our clients each day, it is hard to think outside the box and spend time trying to improve our business and keep up with everything we need to keep track of.  We really do need to it. I try and set aside time only for my marketing or training.  It is not easy but the sense of accomplishment is worth it when you reach a milestone.

Our careers development is a very important part of the journey.  Who said getting there is all the fun?