I wanted to post something on Friday concerning Travel Weekly’s Preview 2009 and one presentation in particular. Before I did however, I wanted to make sure that what I thought I heard and my notes from the presentation were in fact accurate. So I decided to hold off until I could listen in again with the On Demand feature which is available for the next 90 days.

It shouldn’t be that big of a guess that the one presentation I was interested in was Thursday’s “What Proves You are a Travel Pro”. Questions were asked by agent groups looking for answers from association heads about – you guessed it, “credentials” as they explored just who should be recognized as a travel agent, and who shouldn’t be.

The presentation was kicked off with a brief presentation by Bob Sharak from CLIA, Kelly Chiusano from OSSN, Scott Koepf from NACTA, and Bert Rivero from IATA as they clarified their roles in the industry.

After the overview presentations, the Q&A started with Kim Sorensen who asked the first question to the panel. The question can be summarized in two parts:

With the industry in “a perfect storm” with agents and agencies closing down, what are these associations doing to not only attract but train new blood that enters the industry? Secondly, what type of training, qualifications and documentation should an agency provide for the new blood in order to guide them to obtaining the roll as “Travel Professional”?

We’ve documented here before, fairly recently as a matter of fact, that the industry as it stands is struggling. I’ve written about Liberty Travel closing a number of its locations, and Cruise Value Center closing overnight without warning. Those that are left have resorted to embezzlement, and defrauding airlines to make ends meet. Even the current leader in the Travel Industry is looking for a $3.5 Billion bailout.

Based on what we’ve seen in recent weeks, any illusion that the traditional industry is doing well, is just that; an illusion.

There’s no question in my mind that the industry is in dire need of attracting not only new blood but new ideas into this industry. To be fair, it’s not that the industry hasn’t changed, although it appears to be with a considerable amount of resistance. The industry does eventually adapt. (As I suspect it will with MLM’s.) Scott Koepf did a great job in summarizing all the changes with the age of internet bookings, cruise only agents, and home based agents who were at first frowned upon and met with resistance. Today, these entities are not only accepted, but respected.

The face of the industry has also changed from being viewed as an “Agency” to that of an “Agent”. I’m often asked by Traditional Agents how I maintain any type of bookings with all the negativity critics produce about YTB. The answer is simple; the relationship is with me, not YTB. When clients look to make a booking, they look at me, not my host agency. Pricing, service, and professionalism are a direct reflection on me, not my agency. You might want to read Chris Andersons, “The Long Tail” for better clarification on how our entire capital structure is changing in this way. Another reason why I believe YTB and Network Marketing is on the right track.

Even with this shift in capitalism, Agents and Associations look to be more concerned with complaining and how companies like YTB make them look. More importantly as we’ve heard time and time again, is their illusion that we only get involved to take advantage of industry without giving back in the form of travel sales. The solution for them of course doesn’t rest on their shoulders, but on the suppliers themselves. It’s suppliers who ultimately decide just who they want to do business to produce income and gain market share.

Especially with the current economic conditions.

So how do these Associations help the new person who wants to get involved in the industry?

Bert Rivero (IATA) wouldn’t take any responsibility to ensure agents are trained properly. IATA is designed for those who have already acquired not only the knowledge, but skill set to sell a minimum amount of travel in a calendar year. IATA seems to be more interested in educating suppliers on how much money they’re loosing because of “card mills”.

Bert may need to take a lesson from Gerry Cahill with Carnival, who produced a very sound solution that was brought to light almost a year ago to curb this perceived problem of “card mills” taking advantage of FAM’s without giving back to the supplier. Of course, the relationship between YTB and Carnival has flourished, even with the new requirements, which doesn’t match IATA or the Travel Industry agenda.

Kelly Chiusano was much the same, in that OSSN really doesn’t have a current structure in place to guide, train or educate the new person who enters the industry. It’s up to the host to provide this type of training and education. She did mention that the larger host agencies did have training and education in place to help bring them into the fold and help them become a professional.

It wasn’t until we heard from Scott Koepf from NACTA who I think was the first to really understand the question in its entirety, and does provide both training and continuing education for those of us who aspire to become professionals in the industry. It looks as if YTB may be on the right track now that it has an entry level with Affiliates, Referring Travel Agent, and Travel Agent program in place. Each of the YTB levels produce a better understanding, better commission splits, and enhanced privileges within the industry.

CLIA, was by far the best equipped to answer this question, and Bob Sharak did an exceptional job of explaining how their association works hand in hand with host agencies and individuals to educate and train both the new recruit, but the seasoned professional in the industry. Not only does CLIA provide various training experiences, from on line to more intimate classroom training. CLIA provides various levels of qualifications starting with a brand new Associate Cruise Degree (ACD) along with various Cruise Counselor levels which stars with Accredited (ACC), to Master, (MCC) and even Elite (ECC) levels.

Like Carnival back in January, CLIA has come up with its own solution to the Agent ID cards with new requirements that include training and minimum booking requirements in order to obtain the privilege of carrying their credentials.

Instead of complimenting and giving CLIA credit for these new requirements, critics (as they always do) tend to twist and create problems within a solution, and are now obsessing over a loophole they claim to have found. Instead of highlighting the loophole from our critics, I would instead suggest that you chime into YTB who will be providing an overview of these new requirements with CLIA on tonight’s “Getting Started Call” with Jeannie Sharpless. This way you’ll be guided with an overview of how to qualify the right way. (If you miss the call, you can find it archived in your back office.)

By following the guidance of both CLIA and YTB, who knows, you too could qualify for that elusive roll as a “Travel Pro”.

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I can still remember the first time I saw the YTB booking engine. My wife called me at work and told me to take a look at the site. It took me all of about a millisecond to know that I wanted to find out more about who this company was, and what it had to offer. Back then, you really couldn’t find anything about YTB. It was difficult to do any type of research over the internet about the company. I do recall finding a couple posts about how some considered the company nothing more that one of those “pyramid deals”. Even then, I was able to see through the ignorance and hype, and wanted to verify on my own what the company was all about.

Many who are currently with YTB have no idea what the booking engine looked like “back in the day”. A couple weeks ago while browsing some old photos, I found a screen capture from April of 2005 and to look at the booking engine today, you certainly wouldn’t see what I saw in the company back then.

I wrote a little bit on Friday about how you need to constantly monitor and check your course, then make adjustments accordingly based on the current conditions you find. Those of you who subscribe to my newsletter were able to listen to a conference call with Scott Tomer who told us that for the first time we have a clear understanding of what California really wants. More importantly, we know how to address California based on the discussions we’ve had and this weekend we’ve seen our first glimpse of the result of those discussions.

First Class Training.

I couldn’t tell you how many people were actually bombarding the servers of the First Class Training on Saturday, but the training modules being served up were obviously pushing bandwidth to the limits. While Sunday seemed to be somewhat better, personally, I found the only time feasible to enjoy these courses was early Sunday morning. It will be interesting to see if we can get an actually number, and I’m betting it will be in the tens of thousands.

About all I could think of while watching these training modules was how much trouble our critics will be in now that we have this very thorough and leading edge training available to us via a few mouse clicks. Most of the issues that you find our critics complaining and crying about are directly addressed in these modules, and to make matters even worse for them, it’s by far the most thorough training I’ve seen from any single industry supplier or association in all the years I’ve been attending industry events, seminars, and trainings.

The courses included video modules form CLIA, Marc Mancini, along with Carnival, Pleasant Holidays, Oceana, Globus, and other vendors. To see how these industry leaders took the time to be filmed and offer up their experience and expertise in the industry for YTB spoke volumes about what they think of our company. (Although some will lead you to believe they feel differently.)

Other features that impressed me were the quality of videos themselves. Done in wide screen and in high definition with professional film crews and editing scored very high marks for me. The entire course is extremely professional and broadcast quality.

Some may find it odd or out of character that something was noticeably missing in this updated training. The “R” word. You know the one I’m talking about, because of the huge phobia that surrounds it.

“Recruiting”.

Nope. Not one mention of that aspect of our business, nor were Coach and Scott even seen or heard from during the entire training. To have YTB talk for close to 4 hours and not even mention the Rep side of the business could be equated to a fish being out of water.

This was all about travel, from some of the best in the business, and the only company that has this comprehensive overview of the entire industry is YTB. I love what Marc Mancini said in his interview concerning the “E-Campus” courses he’s put together for YTB. “The educational training and learning landscape has changed because of technology.” The Travel Weekly Leisure Summit is a perfect example of this, (both Marc and Kim will be participating) and probably a big reason why Travel Weekly described Kim as one of ‘three people who are defining the contemporary landscape for home agents…’

A new day has dawned in YTB, and while our critics will continue their attempt to shame and embarrass anyone involved in YTB, you as an RTA now have First Class Training to arm yourself in everything travel related to become just as knowledgeable, and just as competent as they claim to be.

Please don’t mistake or misconstrue that as First Class being the ONLY course you need to take in order to achieve your goals as a Travel Agent. That however will become evident as you work your way through the modules. It is however, the best foundational tool I’ve ever seen in the industry to enable you to chart a course that will rival any industry veteran out there.

Come to think of it. If our critics who claim to be embarrassed or insulted by YTB RTA’s not knowing anything about the travel industry would simply point those they find to YTB’s First Class Training, many of their problems would be resolved. Me thinks however, they’re far more comfortable simply complaining and pointing out what’s wrong instead of working on a solution.

You in YTB however, know how to pick up the ball. If you’ve already taken the course like I have, you know how valuable this is, so maybe you can offer up the support to your fellow RTA’s our critics find and help them get on course with this foundational tool.

How nice it is to have such an outstanding and powerful program to help take care of our own.

Hats off to the Home Office and YTB.

Thanks guys!

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

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It’s that time of year again! Funshine East!

I LOVE Funshine because many of the travel upgrades are announced during Funshine East, and often times, I get to put a face to a name or a voice that I’ve been either reading via e-mail correspondence or via the Thursday and Saturday training calls. I was blown away by Ann Sedgwick two years ago when Ronda and I did a Seminar @ Sea with her on Carnival just before Funshine. I also remember getting my first taste of American Destinations, Inc. that year, and have been promoting that business ever since.

It’s odd to me that our list of vendors and suppliers keeps growing. I’ve been told that suppliers and vendors don’t like us. Yet, the bigger we get the more suppliers take the time to not show up but want to be part of the largest Travel Trade Show in the industry. Last year, YTB had more than 6000 in attendance, compared to another Orlando show this week, which estimates only 2000 travel agents world wide.

Money talks.

It’s also nice to have industry leaders like Marc Mancini and Davidoff Associates seeing the value of YTB and stepping up to the plate to offer their experience and knowledge of the industry. When the best our critics can come up with is that these industry leaders are paid, that speaks volumes. Not because our critics don’t understand what it means to be “in business”, but because that’s the best complaint they can come up with. I’ve researched Marc Mancini extensively and have taken the E-Campus courses he’s designed for YTB, and there’s a reason why he’s so well respected in the industry.

I guess he can live with the asterisk next to his name – “Bought and paid for by YTB” as he’ll be at Funshine with his industry famous “Geography Bowl”, which I hear is extremely challenging.

Davidoff Associates seemed to have liked what they saw at the 2008 National Convention, and are providing their services with a Seminar @ Sea with 3 courses taught while at Sea.

More than 17 new suppliers and vendors will be on hand this year, and the opportunities to expand our travel business have increased dramatically. I just saw a snippet in our Travel Compass, (the one that focuses on travel) concerning a new addition to our booking engine with Wyndham Worldwide & RCI e-certificates, found under the Hotels Tab of our booking engine for 7 Night Resort Vacation Certificates starting a $379.00.

Ultimate 5 Adventures will also be there, and I’ve got to tell you, while the sky diving scares the daylights out of me, the Indy Car offering looks mighty appealing.

I also saw a snippet on Modern Agent this week from Branson Online, who will also be at Funshine this year. Personally, I’ve never had an interest in Branson, Missouri, but the heart of our country (or is that Canada?) sure is making quite a name for itself the last couple of years.

But the vendor or supplier that has caught my eye more than any other, are the private sailings in the Abaco Islands, complete with crew and chief. (Although I need to find out which one!) It’s not uncommon for our entire family of 15 to 20 to get together for a family vacation, and this puppy sounds like one heck of a family vacation!

If you get my free Newsletter you might have listened to the call we had last week with Gregg Fritsch and David Lash. Gregg and David came on board last year, and are the ones responsible for the Mancini and Davidoff trainings, and these new vendors. I know it’s been said by others that we don’t have anyone at the home office that has any travel industry experience. Honestly, it’s just another myth being thrown out there and I’m okay with letting our critics believe what they want. If you however, haven’t listened to the call, you need too. I loved what David had to say about YTB being “competitive” in this industry.

I believe the exact quote was, “We have no desire to be competitive; we want the rest of the industry to eat our dust”.

After little more than a years worth of work from these two, looks like we are well on our way, but you know as well as I do that the best products in the world don’t mean diddly if nobody knows about them. That’s why we need to open our mouths and tell someone about it!

PS – I’ll be back to regular posting again starting next week. As a matter of fact, I’ll be doing a special series on Coach next week. I heard that people can’t seem to find anything positive about Coach on the internet. Took me all of 5 minutes to find several news articles that will fill up the week, so be sure to check back.

I may even post an update on Funshine. ;-P

Referral Marketing appears to be a huge mystery for some people. It’s probably one of most often asked questions I’ve heard during my years with YTB. More specifically, on-line marketing appears to be a major interest for most. (We ARE an “On-Line Travel Agency”)

I wrote a post some two years ago about 5 ways to market effectively on-line, and for anyone new to the industry, this is a fantastic foundation to start marketing your business. These marketing techniques are not only effective but if done properly, in time you will have extensive exposure to all kinds of customers, ready to purchase products from you that relate to them. In fact, these techniques are so good; I still use them to this day and I actually reuse this very same article in my Newsletter for new team members in my 7 day training program.

One of the key components of effective Marketing is “know your customer”. If you know why people visit a particular site and what the major motivation is, and match products that relate to them, you will be amazed at how easy and profitable referral marketing really is. Mike Dillar in his Magnetic Sponsoring program gives fantastic insight in one of his his free 7 Day Boot Camp videos.

When someone goes to buy a drill, they don’t care about the drill; they care about making a hole.

To many people focus on the features and advantages of the program, company, whatever, but what they should be looking for is the end benefit to the customer.

Since most of my readership here is already in YTB, let me give you one of the best marketing tips I’ve ever come across that’s easy to do when it comes to selling travel. I’ve had albums of my vacations on a site called WebShots for years. If you take a look at any of the pictures, in any of the albums, you’ll see my BandBVacations.com logo on the bottom left hand corner of each and every picture.

At the present time, these 400 photos have had over 161,000 views and I get anywhere between 1000 to 1500 views per week.

Now think about this. Who is viewing these photos? What is their major motivation for visiting this site? Based on why I was there before I got involved with YTB, I wanted to find pictures of ship layouts, layouts of buildings, how white and fluffy the sand was, and because pictures say a thousand words, how someone else enjoyed their vacation on this ship or at this resort.

Because my logo is at the bottom of every one of those pictures, some will see that logo, wonder what that site is, physically type it in and low and behold what to they find?

My booking engine.

I can’t tell you how many times I find flights, hotels, vacation packages, and cruises booked on my booking engine from people I don’t even know. It just shows up!

Another cool little trick I learned was writing articles about our experience during our vacation. I did an article three years ago about one of our first FAM trips down to Sandestin Resort and Independent Traveler posted it on their site.

These are just two examples to simply “refer” people to your travel web site. There are a ton of resources for both articles and pictures that you can find on the internet.

Here’s the best part of all this guys. I took those pictures and wrote that trip report three years ago. Do you know that I’m still being paid via Referral Marketing for posting these pictures and writing this trip report?

Harv Ecker talks about the difference between rich people and the poor and middle class. The middle class and poor believe that they have to work hard for their money. You have to actually have to “do something” every time you produce income. Rich people focus on something called “passive income”. Streams of income that pay you over and over even when you aren’t producing anything for that income at the time. (If you’d like to find out more about Harv’s differences between rich and poor, he has a free teleseminar next week on May 22nd that will explain more.)

Here is one of the most critical factors that I believe is very important. Notice, I’m not sending people to my marketing site with these pictures. Notice I’m not trying to recruit anyone into my YTB business as a team member. Reason being is that the people who are looking at these articles and pictures are not looking for a business; they’re looking for a vacation. (Go back to why you buy a drill, to make a hole.) You have to keep in mind who the primary customer is and if you can match a product with the primary need or benefit, you’re likely to get sales.

The key is to understand your market. Take the market here on this blog. It’s changed over the years, and currently, most of my readership here is already in YTB so why bother trying to recruit you into a business you’re already in? But I can capitalize on helping you build your business and become more knowledgeable and successful right?

Here are just a few examples of how referral marketing has worked for you using the exact same principles we’ve learned from Coach, Scott and Kim in YTB.

Last year I did a write up on saving money on taxes via a home based business. Now I wrote that article last year, but this February and March got paid for that article over and over again. Something you in YTB wanted to learn about.

Something else that I found you wanted to learn about was Marc Mancini and the E-Campus. Do you know that I sell entire sets of his books each and every month?

You also gobbled up Brian Tracy’s Success Principles like crazy when I was entertaining the questions our TTA’s had about YTB.

No poking, no prodding, no “Join Me Know”, but very simple referral links and if you found it relevant and of value, you bought the products I recommended.

Speaking of the TTA’s, how many 6 in 1 travel blankets do you think they sell on their blog? How ‘bout Star Trek figures, or Urban Fashion accessories? If I were that blogger, I’d be selling FitzPatrick’s “Pyramid Nation”, to make up for all the time I spend writing on that waste of cyberspace. Problem is, FitzPatrick doesn’t understand referral marketing either and would never promote his books to gain better exposure in th
at way.

Stuck in a “Catch 22” sorry to say.

Guys, travel is just one example of how the Internet has changed things. E-commerce is a HUGE business and industry and if you learn to play the game right using “referral marketing” the right way, you’ll find yourself working less and enjoying more of this game we called life.

It’s not wrong, it’s not lazy, it’s a simple fact of the way we do business these days. Gone are the days of the Petroleum Distribution Engineers that we had when we were kids…we pump our own gas these days in the world of self service.

It’s quick, it’s easy, it’s convenient, and it can make you extra income doing the same thing you’ve already been taught to do in YTB.

If you’d like to keep up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB feel free to sign up for my FREE Newsletter. Just like here, it’s loaded with links and documentation for you to share with clients and prospects alike.

Doug & Ronda Bauknight
AKA: TravelPro
Travel Agent / Networker
Phone: 678.458.5812

Learn How To Become A Travel Agent

Book Your Travel & Vacations With

Travel Reservations: 1.800.243.4450
RTA #24635

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I think you’ll be glad you did! ;-P

I started a huge task weeks ago when I promised John Frenaye that I would get his questions answered. ALL his questions. Over the next couple weeks due to the length of this list, I have focused on each of these questions one at a time. My goal here is not only to answer the question, but also point out why this question is even asked in the first place.

This will also be an excellent opportunity and tool for anyone with additional comments about each of the specific questions to get better clarification. Use the comments section to discuss each of the questions in greater detail. I remind you that I learned how to accomplish such a huge task from Brian Tracy and his courses, which teach that you focus on the each task one at a time, focus on the solution, break it down into manageable chunks, and before you know it, you’ve achieved your goal.

It should be a really fun debate, and for those of you in YTB, take this information and documentation and use it. Here are the questions we have gone over thus far.

Question #1 – Why a compensation plan takes 12 pages to define?

Question #2 – How YTB arrived at $226 Million in travel sold for 2006. (Still waiting.)

Question #3 - Why so little of the “training” at the annual convention was for travel. (OK, YTB only believes in training at other meetings. We can let this one go.)

Question #4 - How nearly 150,000 RTAs can pay in the course of 9 months $79 million dollars in website sales, fees, and training; and receive $9.3 million in return. (This is huge…anyone?)

Question #5 - And for those that say I don’t get the math, I did not learn how nearly 150,000 people paid in $79 million dollars and only got $64 million in return. (Hello? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?)

Question #6 - Why it is a good thing to have your top executives selling off stock. (There were no takers on this one, so I am gonna assume that it probably is NOT a good thing as everyone initially thought.)

Question #7 - Why a 3:1 split was a good deal when two of the three shares are worthless. (Thanks to Doug for the most reasonable explanation of this. The split may have been a good deal but with the current value of the stock, it is anyone’s guess.)

an style="color:#000000;">Question #8 - Why employees at YTB could not sell me a cruise on November 9th. (Still no answer on this one yet other than they don’t do anything till an RTA sells it. Well, the YTB site said to call them. Coach in an interview was touting how the res center is all staffed with professional agents. So, why is it that they cannot sell me a cruise, and how is it that they do not know that cruises do not depart from Phoenix?)

Question #9 – Why when presented with facts and figures, the argument mysteriously turns to “you don’t understand”. (This is another one that we will just have to say…because that is the way it is.)

Question #10 – How many RTAs drop out in a month…a year….. (This number I fear will NEVER be known.)

Question #11 – How long does an RTA continue to pay the fee before canceling? (Answered. They continue to pay as long as YTB continues to charge them and they jump through the hoops to get them to stop.)

Of course John would like you to believe that you have to jump through hoops. It wouldn’t be John if he didn’t. John, (and others) have a very unique way of twisting words, concepts, and ideas to mean something completely different from its original intent. Anyone who can take a training program like E-Campus, designed by Dr. Marc Mancini, probably the most highly respected speakers, educators, consultants and authors in our industry, and turn a contest drawing around to mean only 5 RTA’s out of 140,000 actually took this training…

Let’s just say there is a substantial disconnect when it comes to who YTB is and what we do. We’ll talk more about this however in John’s next question of what a misunderstanding is.

By the way YTB, you do know Course 103 is now available, right? John did say that YTB could not have chosen a better person and organization for their training programs (in that regard, he’s right on mark) so get after it!

I don’t know were I was when this “revelation” was brought to light that we have to jump through hoops, but like most of what we have been talking about lately, things aren’t exactly what John perceives them to be. Our RTA agreement is based on a month to month basis. There are no long term contracts, and anyone can cancel at any time. All that is require is submitting something in writing. This can be done either via snail mail, or e-mail. YTB also has an option of doing so via a “Support Ticket” under “Web Site – Cancellation”.

An RTA will be unsuccessful in is submitting the request via phone, which is how most would like to do so. While I do understand this is probably the easiest alternative, YTB needs to have some form of documentation in order to fulfill this request. You didn’t sign up via phone, so you can’t cancel by phone.

We learned in my last post that the majority of RTA’s happen to like being an RTA with YTB. What an individual’s reasons are is entirely up to them. I don’t know about you, but if I had a pay day coming to me like this RTA with a group scheduled for April of 2009, what do you think the chances are of this RTA cancelling even if they don’t make a single dime in travel before then? I can’t speak for all 140,000 as to why they want to stick with the company. The remaining minority, who do not find value in their YTB business, will also vary. This business isn’t for everyone, and when some people find out that a four letter word is involved (w-o-r-k) in order to build and profit from this business, their perspective of the business changes. While this is a very simple program and business model, it’s not “easy”.

There are people who do perceive this business model as a “get rich quick” type deal, and an argument could be made that it’s sold that way based on what I’ve read in SPAM e-mail’s and web sites surrounding this industry. I don’t see this perception being driven by YTB however. (I know I don’t.) I have numbers of team members who have signed up, got themselves trained, and actually sold travel, and because of the way this industry operates, we don’t see the fruits of our labor until after the travel has been consumed.

Many in our company who have been trained properly understand this. While the opposition was screaming last year that 60,000 RTA’s only produced $7 Million in Travel Commissions, some of us had Travel Bookings in the wings to produce $14 Million in commissions inside of the first 9 months of 2007. Those of us who knew this was coming for us, obviously continued to pay our monthly fees. With $18-24 Billion spent each year in Groups and Tours alone, there is plenty of money to be made for those of us who want to go after it.

I can’t do that however if I “cancel”. ;-P

Subscribe to Just Picture It Now for additional announcements and details!

Doug & Ronda Bauknight
AKA: TravelPro
Travel Agent / Networker
Phone: 678.458.5812

Learn How To Become A Travel Agent

Book Your Travel & Vacations With

Travel Reservations: 1.800.243.4450
RTA #24635

Before I head out today for an extended weekend with family, I wanted to do one last post. I can’t tell you how thankful for I am for YTB and what’s it’s done for myself and my family. I’ve been talking to team members, both above, below, and cross line to me for months about what’s been going on in our industry and our company right now. While some have expressed concerns, we also know that YTB has made some major advancements and headway into the travel industry this year. There appears to me, an underlining confidence with everyone I talk to and an understanding that even in the face of all that’s being pointed at us from outside sources, we will continue to grow and prosper.

There is no question that there has been a lot of fighting, (like cats and dogs?) and finger pointing going on the last month and a half in our industry. I want us as a individuals in YTB to take some time this weekend to point inward for a change. We as RTA’s are the face of YTB, and I want you to take some time to seriously think about what you are doing in regards to helping or hurting the image of a company I know we all love.

I’m sure it’s no secret at this point that many of our Professionals feel that we embarrass them. We are unprofessional, we are untrained, we are uncertified, we are unqualified to enter into an industry they have loved and respected for years. I’ve stated many times here that they are sadly mistaken if they want to lump me personally into any of these stereotypes when it concerns our business model and company. I am not only very competent, but confident in what I do.

It’s been commented to me from several sources that I’m actually spoken of in high regard from some of our Professionals. Many of our Professionals do understand that I am not the typical “Yahoo”, and for that I am truly thankful. That doesn’t change the fact that I happen to be the exception, not the rule when it comes to YTB and the overall perception of our company.

I got to ask…why?

It’s my belief that part of the respect I’ve managed to gain from the Professional side of this industry is because I am one of a growing number who not only acknowledges, but calls attention to some of the problems and issues are regarding some of our RTA’s who are the main cause of our problems. I’m starting to see more of us actually acknowledging what’s going on and for that I am also thankful. We can’t just stick out heads in the sand and hope it all just goes away. We need to call a spade a spade, and we need to let others know that some RTA’s are certainly not helping our cause or our case.

There always seems to be a jerk, a fool, a person who lacks professionalism, and lacks just plain good manners and common sense. All of which gives a bad name and taste and a target for any business out there. i.e. the expression “One bad apple can spoil the whole barrel.”

I’ve been to dozens of Trainings and Seminars in my years with YTB. I’ve also been with Team Members at these functions, and have never personally seen any of what’s being told to me, but with so much of this being expressed, I can only assume that it is going on. In addition with some of the garbage I’ve seen on the internet, if it’s going on in here, it’s certainly going on out there.

Here are some of the things I’m hearing and want all of us need to be aware of:

It is not appropriate to attempt to recruit at Travel Seminars where other Brick and Mortar stores paid for themselves and their employees a lot of money receive the trainings. Nor is it appropriate to attempt to recruit while walking the floor at Travel Shows or Vendor Fairs where vendors have paid a lot of money for booths in order to inform Brick & Mortar stores and other internet stores and others in the travel business about what’s new in their business.

Nor is it appropriate to go walking around like fools as a group wearing green tee shirts with sayings like “ask me how you can get your travel for 50% off.”

Or crashing parties of other travel agencies.

Or running around ships spouting off to the travelers that you are with YTB and you can show them how they can travel at 50% off when they paid full fare.

Or slipping hand made flyers under all the doors of the ship’s passengers that say about the same thing.

Is it any wonder that we look unprofessional? (Actually, I think the word “turkey” would be appropriate this weekend.) It’s unfathomable to me that anyone would even consider doing any of this, but I also have something called integrity and ethics that simply won’t allow me to even consider something so rude or down right stupid.

“If it aint right, don’t do it.
If it anit true don’t say it.” ~ Coach

While it’s my understanding that action is being taken with an RTA or REP from a Corporate standpoint. We have made agreements with vendors who we want to do business with to behave in a professional manor. An RTA might stand the possibility of losing their YTB business. We also need YOU as a YTB professional to take a stand with anyone you may see doing this out in the field. If I personally ever see anyone defacing that good name of YTB like this, you will certainly know before it’s all said and done that not only is this inappropriate, but will not be tolerated.

Period.

YTB has a name, a great name, to protect as do all of us as RTAs. We are a company to be proud of. Help us to keep that way. Before you act, ask yourself, “If this was my company, my show, my business, how would I want someone else to act at it and what would I want them to say or better yet not say at my function?”

It’s like owning a store and having stranger come up to your long standing customers and say, “Don’t buy this here. You should go to a store I know where you can get the same thing for 50% off.” How would you feel as that owner? I’ve seen some other Travel MLM’s try to recruit me and others in YTB using these lame tactics and I got to tell you, not only am I not going to join an organization like that, I too want to expose them for what their doing as well.

Got it?

Good.

I want you to not only be thankful this weekend that YTB has a “Travel University” (E-Campus), I want you to read about it and take this training this weekend. It’s in your travel portal, it’s up and running. It’s an awesome program and it’s specifically designed for us by one of the most respected names in the industry, Dr. Marc Mancini.

I want you to not only be thankful for vendors this weekend but review the tons of vendors who have put their training up in our back office in order to help us to do great things with them as well. Pages and pages of information direct from the vendors themselves. These companies know that we have over 135,000 agents and growing rapidly every day, who are bringing them lots and lots of business and they want to do what ever it takes to help us bring that business their way.

I want you to also be thankful for the Travel Professionals in our industry. There is so much we can learn from them to help build a profitable Travel Business. They have years of knowledge and experience that is absolutely priceless.

YTB is a force to be reckoned with and we are only getting better. We can and will be as well trained as every other travel agent, if not better. We can and will be the best trained, most professional Agents in the industry. It is up to us, and if we want to be #1 we need to learn and know all we can about our business so we can take it there.

This is the best company in the best industry with the best people I’ve ever had the honor of working with and I feel blessed and Thankful everyday that I am a part of YTB.

PS – Eating a little Turkey and watching a Football game in your spare time this weekend is also acceptable.

Gobble Gobble!

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The calls and e-mails have been coming in droves over the last several days. News of our Carnival Sale was originally stated to be announced yesterday. A minor glitch has come to our attention which to my understanding has no bearing on our ability to sell or get paid on travel. (Nor does it lack the ability to be corrected.) This in turn has detoured our efforts with Carnival in announcing these numbers.

For those of you who truly understand the forces out there who have been slinging mud lately, certainly you understand. The rumors and accusations that I’ve seen been thrown around the internet are amazing, especially in light of the fact that there has been no definitive announcement made by anyone concerning anything. People “think” they know what’s going on and while some are calling for a concert from the Fat Lady, others who know what has happened realize, it’s a little naive to make assumptions without having all the facts. That has little bearing however, when you have an opportunity to point fingers and create your own story to advance the cause.

I don’t really know the proper word or phrase to describe the announcements made concerning YTB, both last Thursday, November 8th, and then again yesterday November 13th concerning YTB. Ironic, maybe. Coincidental, possibly. I think our good friend John Frenaye and our Petitioning Agents may consider the news “exquisite timing” however.

Therefore, the company has decided to keep a very tight lip as speculation and rumors continue to mount while YTB prepares to answer all the questions circling around the industry. While some of us wait confidently, unfortunately, at this time, I must take a back seat and allow my company to issue statements concerning the future growth and dominance in this industry. As an Independent Representative of the company, it’s not my place to speculate to anyone what our future plans are.

I will tell you this. Based on what I know, I personally feel not only very good about what will transpire, but confident that the company will answer in a way that is both accurate and meaningful in regards to just who YTB is, and how we will continue to play a major part in the Travel Industry for the coming months and years.

The first part of our answer has come this evening just after the market close, with news of our second profitable quarterly report in a row, with record revenues of $39.9 Million and our best profit to date of $2.1 Million. ($1.6 Million year to date.) All this, while we continue to grow and expand our infrastructure to support our valued Reps and RTA’s.

More importantly, Travel Commissions are starting to support the $226 in sales from 2006 on our SEC filings. I’m sure we will have those who botch these numbers throwing out figures from this filing that support their cause, while ignoring the growth of Travel Sales by those that that have been with this company for more than 9 months. I’ve seen these numbers and filings ransacked many many times over the years.

We may have to provide a special course on what these numbers actually mean for some of our guests here to enlighten them, but that’s another post at another time.

More news to come, I’m sure, and I believe based on the release of our quarterly numbers, it will be sooner than later.

Till then.

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

PPS - Subscribe to the Just Picture It Now RSS feed, (including e-mail) for all the latest posts and updates found right here!

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