Become a Home Based Travel Agent

We had the opportunity to chat with Kelly Bergin, Vice President of OASIS and a few of her independent agents in a phone conference last month.

Joanie: This is the first interview that I have done with OASIS because you are new to the host agency arena. How long have you been working with home based agents?

Kelly: Well, Joanie our travel agency has been in business for 23 years. We have seen it all and 2 years ago we decided that we could help home based agents grow their business like we have grown ours. I have conferenced in a few of our OASIS Agents today so they can also participate and give you their thoughts on certain topics. We have Lee LeFaivre who owns Where in the World Travel in The Villages, FL . Carolyn Ahern with Premier Travel in Cazenovia, NY and Alex Morze of Continents 7 in West Chester, PA.

Joanie: Welcome everyone! Kelly, you have a pretty unique program. Tell me about it.

Kelly: Yes, we do. All of our agents earn 100% commission from the minute they sign up with us. They do not have to meet any quotas to earn 100%. And we do not charge an extra fee to earn 100%. Our fee for each booking is $29. This is deducted from the commissions before we direct deposit it into an agent’s bank account. If the commission is $100 or less then the booking fee is 20% of the commission. So , for example, a booking with a $20 commission only pays $4.

Kelly: I get this question all the time. Many think it is too good to be true, but we actually make money from our fees and because our independent agents are adding revenue to ours we earn back end overrides from our suppliers and co-op. It’s a win for us and it’s definitely a win for our agents.

Joanie: What consortium does OASIS belong to and what are the benefits for independent agents?

Kelly: Our agency is a member of Signature Travel Network which is the oldest co-op in the U.S. and I think the most progressive and technologically advanced in the travel industry today. Because of Signature our agents have access to thousands of group sailings with high value amenities. They can book hotels in hundreds of cities around the world and give their clients breakfast always, spa credits, food credits, wine, etc. These are just a few amenities included in the Signature hotel program.

We give all of our agents ClientBase and this allows them to take advantage of Signature’s marketing programs. Our agent websites are second to none because of Signature content and the email and print marketing integration. In fact, we all just returned from our annual OASIS and Signature Sales meeting and Tradeshow which is free for all our agents. I should let Carolyn tell you what she thinks.

Carolyn: “Yes, Kelly the Signature conference provided great workshops and educational material. I came away with too many action items to implement. It was very motivational and provided new tools and ideas to increase my business. I loved the welcoming environment of the OASIS event prior to the Signature conference because it provided familiar faces for the large group events. “

Lee: “ I have been impressed with Signature because of my use of their e-Marketing tools. The convention gave me additional focus. For example, I learned that the hotel partners can make a luxury hotel competitive with a standard property. The high point for me at the OASIS meeting was the website announcement. I applaud the direction OASIS is taking. It is awfully easy to take the simple path that allows you to say ‘yes I have a website’ but the website is so simple that it is really worth very little in terms of getting business. Taking advantage of the Signature web offerings in a way that any agent can jump in is a really good thing and at a good price. “

Kelly: OASIS allows an agent to keep their identity and to build their own brand. The marketing experts say it’s all about branding. With OASIS you will never lose yourself in a brand because you are the brand. Also because of our size agents can take advantage of top commissions, programs, and tools that they could not get on their own. They can spend time selling and booking while our programs are working in the background helping to grow their business.

We are responsive and easy to contact. I know what it takes to build a successful travel business in these challenging times. I’ve been an agent and a small agency owner. I have great respect for agents that are working hard to keep their travel business going and growing. OASIS can help with that!

Alex: I’d like to say that we all know that the only way to succeed is that everyone has to make money and everyone has to feel that they are sharing in the success of the entire organization. In my opinion, the management of OASIS has put together a fabulous staff that are focused on reasonable, sustainable growth by providing outstanding support for their agents with new and better programs, quick responses to agents, and a commission program that is unheard of in the industry.

Kelly: We do not have a sign up fee. There are three membership plans to choose from. Basic is $29 per month and includes your ClientBase and Signature intranet logins, 100% commission, and a free booking fee each month which is worth $29. This can offset the cost of membership and make it Free. Our Pro Plan adds a professional , customized website and is $59 per month and the Elite Plan includes all of the above and an automatic email marketing program that integrates with your website. This plan is $79 per month. All plans include a free booking fee valued at $29. Our website is www.OasisAgent.com. Agents can sign up there and they can be booking within 48 hours. Also please feel to call me at 800-613-8380 ext. 120 or Lisa Baron at ext. 135.

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.


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