Become a Home-Based Travel Agent

An Interview with Nexion's General Manager
Ms. Jackie Friedman
By: Tom Ogg

I was fortunate to catch up with Jackie Friedman, Nexion's General Manager up in Vancouver. Nwxion has been around for a good number of years and is considered one of the major host agencies out there. Jackie is a wonderful lady and I thought you might like to hear what she has to say about Nexion.

How long has Nexion been in business?

Nexion has been in business since 1995, and was acquired by Sabre Holdings in late 2003

How much revenue is Nexion processing?:

In 2007, our estimated annual sales was just over $240,000,000. That includes $109,000,000 in ARC sales

How long has Nexion been hosting independent agents?

Nexion started out as an Internet Travel Agency however, moved into the hosting business in 1998. We have been focused strictly on hosting ICs for over 10 years now.

How many independent agents does Nexion host?

We currently have just over 2,150 ICs. Almost 1,500 do some leisure business with the rest doing primarily ARC fulfillment

Is there a fee to join Nexion?

We charge a one-time activation fee of $199

Are there any other fees to belong to Nexion?

Our monthly fees vary depending on the plan type selected. The Nexion90 plan has no monthly fee and the Nexion100 plan is $179 a month per agent. Both programs have multiple agent pricing. Details can be found on our website at www.nexion.com

What commission split does Nexion offer?

Our commission splits range from 90-100%. We are in the process of developing a hosting program for newer agents who need a higher level of training and support, and those plans will start out at a 70/30 split

Does Nexion offer any overrides to its agents?

Nexion earns top-tier front-end commissions with most suppliers. We pass on the total commission amount to our agents at their contracted commission splits

Does Nexion have any preferred suppliers?

We work with most major cruise lines and tour operators. We also have 14 airline contracts providing our agents with commissions on many international itineraries. All in all, we have over 80 preferred supplier agreements

Does Nexion offer any automation?

Nexion offers our members technology to help them manage their businesses and to simplify their processes.   All members have access to WebView, an browser-based agent portal specifically designed to provide our members with access to a variety of booking, training, reporting and administrative tools, as well as to supplier information, online services and an agent community.  In addition, Nexion offers our members access to any of the 4 GDS systems, and access to our booking tools such as Sabre Cruises, Nexion Cruise block space, TripTailor, Nexion Town, Nexion Xpress, and many more.

Does Nexion offer its agents any sales leads?

Nexion's focus is on client retention and we provide our members who are serious about marketing, access to ClientBase and TRAMS Marketing Alliance (TMA). With TMA, agents choose their primary supplier partners, allowing them to pursue the brands that are aligned with their strategies and business model.  Complete turnkey marketing is available employing high level database segmentation processes.  All marketing will be narrowly targeted to agent’s customers with the products they are most likely to buy. 

Does Nexion work with travel agents that are just starting out?

We are looking for agents who are serious about being a travel professional. Currently, we refer agents new to the industry to Career Quest to get some of the basic fundamentals. Once they complete the program, we do bring them onboard. We are looking at expanding our offering to new agents in the industry, since we find that prospects with strong sales and marketing backgrounds can be truly successful in this business. We want to help them get off to a good start. Our new agent program will offer training, weekly support calls, agent mentorship and additional support.

Do you require your agents to achieve a minimum level of revenue?

We do require those agents on plan types with no monthly fee to produce at least $10,000 in gross sales over a six-month period. If they do not achieve the threshold, they can continue with the program, but they have to pay a $39 monthly fee until they achieve the sales goal.

What qualities does Nexion look for in a prospective agent?

First and foremost, we are looking for agents who are passionate about being successful in the industry and who love people. Ideally, they come to us with a book of business and background in travel, as well as strong sales skills. We want entrepreneurs who are committed to marketing to increase their customer base. Even through we do not mandate that our agents book only preferred suppliers, we are looking for agents who are prepared to support our preferred supplier partners so that we can all mutually grow our business.

What special qualities does Nexion offer independent travel agents?

Our members don't have to feel isolated or like they don't have resources.  Nexion has over 50 staff in Customer Service, Ticketing, Cruise Desk, Tech Support, Document Processing etc., to assist all of our members.  We launched Nexion Town--our new community networking tool where our members increase their knowledge base by sharing their expertise with others in the community. Nexion provides our members with cruise block space opportunities for preferred pricing and amenities. We offer a wide variety of training and education solutions to increase our member's knowledge on suppliers, our processes or general business skills, through Webinars, 3-day Boot Camp training, FAM trips, Seminars at Sea and Regional Conferences.

Who should Home Based Travel Agent News readers contact for more information about Nexion?

www.nexion.com; 1-800-747-6813, sales@nexion.com

Are there any other comments that you would like to add Jackie?

Nexion is owned and backed by Sabre Holdings, a multi-billion dollar travel company. This provides our members with financial security that they will get paid on time (twice a month via direct deposit).