I gotta tell ya, for a company that some proclaimed as dead (or at least out of the travel business) it sure looks like YTB can still raise the hair on the back of some necks in the always opinionated – yet very amusing travel industry.

Everything from Attorney Generals who would finally shut YTB down to ZamZuu as a clear sign that YTB was getting out of the travel industry has been fired at this company. Frankly, I quit counting over two years ago how many times I was told that YTB was getting out or that they would be filing for bankruptcy any day. Basically, I chalked it up to the boy who cried wolf and wishful thinking with wild eyed speculation that would justify all the attention this little ol’ MLM has gotten over the years.

There have been a lot of words posted since Wednesday afternoon when YTB let the industry know via a press release that our travel division had been purchased. For me – and I’ll explain how and why here in just a bit – the words over the last week are pretty much meaningless. What I’ve been looking at a lot closer are the actions of the travel industry surrounding this news. Every major travel publication (even minor publications) has announced this transaction of YTB Travel Network.

Let’s face it – YTB still makes top billing for travel news.

Speaking of news and travel publications, I need to give a shout out to George Dooley and Travel Agent Central. I was checking my stats and traffic last night and found a number of hits and links from George who posted an article yesterday in Travel Agent Central. George was nice enough not only to link to this blog, but also quoted our YTB newsletter that we’ve been publishing for RTA’s and Reps for the last four years. George and I do know each other. He not only interviewed me but was kind enough to print my side of the story several years ago in this same publication during the 2009 Convention.

If you’re wondering, George isn’t a member of YTB. Nor did I forward him the article for his review. I’m still having issues with pin heads who don’t follow directions or think rules apply to them. Fears and phobias override ethics or boundaries where YTB is concerned. You delete or kick them out the ones who don’t belong or break the rules, and they find a way to show back up under another assumed name and e-mail address in order to get their fix on YTB.

Speaking of the hideous – and always opinionated anti-MLM zealots – they took to the blogs and message boards in a hurry. That cult was on this press release like white on rice – which tells me they’re still sleeping with one eye open at night knowing that YTB is still around. Most, as usual, react with the same old rhetoric and anti-MLM pile of horse dung. All the basic myths and legends surrounding MLM I’ve heard about since before I ever got involved in the business. Very little original thinking or logic is ever associated with this overly emotional group.

There was one however that reacted in his usual sloppy way last week – but then made an abrupt about face over the weekend to respond to the same message. For me, this illustrates perfectly what I’ve been saying for years about the anti-MLM crowd. Most of what you read is pure emotion and fear right out of the gate. You have to look deeper than just the words – but look at the activity or actions of the individual. They just blurt out whatever they’re feeling at the time without taking the time to think about what they’re saying or doing. Emotional charges appear to cancel out logic and rational thinking.

Ironically it points right back to last week’s newsletter we sent out and the very same communication from an unknown Director in YTB.

I’d link to the articles directly, but unlike George Dooley who believes this blog is “influential” – I beg to differ and have come to the conclusion this guy is a complete basket case. For the sake of documentation however, we’ve created two PDF’s for your review to point out how someone “reacts” and how they “respond”.

Last Thursday, when news broke surrounding the sale, here is the emotional reaction. Please pay particular attention to the bottom half of the copy and paste, which was forwarded from a Director to their team. The actual communication was sent from the YTB Home Office, and the unnamed Director simply passed the information along.

What’s so amusing to me (and trust me, it was a good hardy laugh) is that because this came from a Director, the overwhelming emotional reaction from the author of the blog was “OMG! They’re selling IATAN cards again!!”

Now, take a look at the response posted on Monday on the same blog, by the same author with another copy and paste of our weekly newsletter. This time however, the response is HUGE and welcomed sight that could possibly gain an opportunity that YTB could become a legitimate seller of travel.

The problem I have with these two posts is that the author is reacting and then responding to the same communication on two separate days. The only difference is that one came from a Director, and one came from our Newsletter. It’s the same message forwarded by the YTB Home Office.

Thing is – guys like John Frenaye are so emotionally charged and sloppy in their research and documentation that I don’t think he realizes that he’s provided two different perspectives to the same communication. (That is until he reads this.) Directors in YTB equate to “recruiting” – and that’s points to the core of all the issues YTB has had over the years in the travel industry. That single word makes their head swim and their stomach turn.

They just can’t handle that word for some unknown reason.

All I did was put the emphasis where I thought it should be – on travel. All this news is about YTB Travel after all, not the marketing side of our business. Yet there will always be those who can’t separate the two. Maybe they’ve never seen the two 1099′s we’ve always received. Some however, like John have signed up for the opportunity to recruit others and make money without spending a dime. Nobody that I know of however on that side of the fence has taken a real good look at the travel side of the business.

The reality is this separation takes all their justification and bizarre behavior away. It also puts them face to face with the reality that YTB isn’t dead – but a model that smart business minds see value in and are willing to pay top dollar for. (To the tune of $7.5 million.)

In the meantime – they’ll continue to dig, poke and pry into this deal. Spending an enormous amount of energy and time to figure out how they can spin this into something they can either justify or handle. We are after all talking about a bunch of MLM recruiters here. ;-P

Fun to watch and a pleasure to see that YTB isn’t dead after all.

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!

Book Your Travel & Vacations With

In my short five years in the Travel Industry there’s one thing that I’ve come to not only know, but expect from traditional Travel Agents:

They absolutely LOVE to complain.

In all the industries, all the companies I’ve worked for during my adult life, I’ve never seen an industry so quickly drawn to anger and criticism the way Travel Agents are. It’s no wonder so many of them have gone out of business. Currently, with two thirds unable to show a profit last year, one might suggest that a bit more focus on their own business would be in order – rather than spending time and energy on someone else’s.

Not Travel Agents. They relish the role of victim and have an uncanny way of finding something to complain about – even if it’s a half a world away.

I first caught wind of this iTrek story and promotion in Australia called “The Travel Agent Is Dead” at the beginning of the month. I didn’t think much of it, nor was it “news” to me by any means.

As we’ve come to expect, the industry can never let anything go. Quite the opposite. Since the initial story posted on March 8th, there have been numerous other articles on the progress, compounded with more bickering back and forth within the community.

As a result, more heals are being dug in on both sides of the fence that only heightens the hostility and anger – now almost a month old.

There soon appeared to be a tie with Travel Guard in this developing story, in which they proceeded to do some major backpedaling in order to save themselves from the wrath of the Travel Agent community. If you’re wondering how Travel Guard got mixed up in this mess half way around the world, they do some of the underwriting for iTrek. Enormous pressure (and blame) was bestowed upon them in order to “fix” this promotion once and for all.

After all the dust settled, I’m reading Travel Agent Central yesterday only to find that iTrek has decided to move forward with the promotion. While putting an end to the gala affair they initially planned for this promotion, they’ve decided to move forward with the film competition and prize awards, however, on a much smaller scale. We found this on their website home page.

THE RUMOURS ARE TRUE.

Unfortunately “The Travel Agent Is Dead”, is dead. The competition has come to a tragic and premature end due to the unprecedented hostile response from Travel Agents in both the USA and Australia.

There has been a biblical over reaction by Travel Agents to this marvelous competition. The pressure that was put on our Underwriter to withdraw support for this competition was of the highest degree and due to this relentless onslaught we are unable to continue with the campaign.

Biblical overreaction. Sound familiar? You bet it does!

I’ve seen far too many “relentless onslaughts” from this community over the years, to the point that it makes me sick to my stomach that we actually work in the same industry. It’s not only appalling; it’s embarrassing to see grown adults react in this fashion.

And that will eventually be their downfall – they “react”, they never “respond”.

And there is a difference.

In my humble opinion, Travel Agents as a whole need to get a spine and start promoting their value – rather than attacking and condemning everything that appears to stand in their way. It’s gone past the point of sad to the point of absurd. You just can’t get anywhere effectively by doing this type of bickering. With every problem lies a solution, but most can’t get out of the way, due to the emotional outbursts we see all too often. None of them ever appear to take the time to look at more effective ways to respond to any given situation.

Look at YTB. Sure, the hostility and public shame has driven some away, but our company as a whole is much stronger and far more resilient than they ever imagined. That’s the nature and the beauty of the Direct Sales and Network Marketing model. There’s power in our numbers, and no two people are going to perceive or respond exactly the same way. In stark contrast to the Travel Agent community, our industry spends far more time looking for opportunities to advance and improve – not blatantly attack and tear down.

In their defense, nobody likes being called a dinosaur or worse – dead. They see evidence of things changing around them every day. Look at the Travel Weekly Power List. Four of the top ten companies are on-line Agencies, producing a combined $45 BILLION in sales without any need or want for their fine services, which they proudly hold near and dear to their heart. And they should be proud of what they offer. Likewise there is a market for their fine customer service and support.

The problem as I see it comes from the heart – instead of using their heads. As a result, the emotions elevate and compound each situation instead of finding an applicable resolution that most everyone can agree on.

Produce another competition here in the U.S. for all the reasons why you actually need a Travel Agent. (Without any need or desire to even speak of iTrek.) With all their years of experience I’m sure there are some wild stories that could be told. Real horror stories and how they came to the rescue and aid of long time clients they’ve helped over the years. Not only could it be extremely informative but down right fun to watch if done in the proper spirit. And by proper spirit – I mean in a way that I’ve heard them talk for years – a Travel Agent is your partner – a Travel Agent is your friend – a Travel Agent is there to build a relationship with you. It’s the only way a Travel Agent can offer the perfect vacation or travel experience.

All features you just can’t get from a web site – bits and bytes simply can’t compete in that regard.

Promote your features, advantages – benefits as to why your worth every penny, while at the same time saving your clients valuable time and money.

What a novel idea.

Instead…what we see is more anger, with more fingers being pointed – this time from across the globe. All that does is push potential clients away. What’s even more amazing to me is their anger is directed at a company that the average American has never even heard of until Travel Agents decided to make a stink. Now, not only do more people know about them, but iTrek actually won more promotional leverage in a market that’s very keen on saving every penny they can. Based on what I’ve seen, who would want to work with a hostile and angry Agent like the one iTrek described? You couldn’t pay me to book with some of these “professionals” at this point.

At this rate and with their attitude, they will be dead when it’s all said and done.

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!

Book Your Travel & Vacations With

Last week, I had the pleasure of being interview by George Dooley in Travel Agent Central. What made this even more of an honor was finding out that George is an admitted fan of my blog and my perspective of YTB. I found him honest, fair, and genuinely interested in my side of the story.

George is also a reporter.

Part of the job of any good reporter is to provide both sides of a story. Think Fox News here…”Fare and Balanced”, right? I can’t knock George for providing an alternative view about YTB, but I have to ask why in the world did he have to pick one of the most narrow minded, self absorbed, and damaged critics in the industry to speak for the other side?

John Frenaye and I go back for almost two years now, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to correct, clean up, or otherwise call John out for not getting things right. Like most self professed “experts” John continues to take a singular quote or comment and attempt to dazzle the reader with what he feels are important facts and figures in order to distract everyone from what is really going on.

His current response to my article is no different.

John, among other critics, took exception to the fact that YTB grew from $414 million in travel sales, to $425 million in this years Travel Weekly Power list despite all the criticism, mud slinging, and various other issues totally unrelated to the travel industry. (Mind you, both interviews can be found in a “travel publication”.) But as we’ve seen so many times before, we have “travel agents” who can don the cap of Legal Counsel, Financial Auditor, Stock Broker, Travel Supplier, Business Consultant, and Better Business Bureau at a moments notice; all in an attempt to make you look away from the real story and guide you in a direction more in line with their own limiting beliefs.

You need to remember that this is the same guy that said Coach and Scott would call it quits – one who speculated that California could achieve it’s goal of shutting YTB down – that called the amended class action “powerful” – and an individual who forgot to check with Peter Jensen if he was in fact leaving YTB!

If you have this much egg on your face in one month’s time, wouldn’t “tough minded” begin to look more like “simple minded”? I mean good grief, what is it going to take to finally wise up and start living in the real world instead this fantasy land? If it weren’t for the constant reactions to what YTB is doing, he’d be a just some average John Doe without much else to do.

But John has provided some good comic relief through the years and this article is no exception. I don’t know if he’s aware of this, but one of the first points John attempts to make in the article actually links to the “ungainly monster of 39 pages containing 133 paragraphs” that didn’t pass muster under federal standards. We all know by this time how the Honorable Judge Murphy reprimanded Counsel concerning this case for being nothing more than redundant, immaterial, impertinent, and scandalous. But John, the BBB, and various other critics have decided to ignore the reprimand, and still use this failed class action in an attempt to provide a “powerful” message?

If it works for you John, be my guest. But the rest of us will more likely side with the Judge who actually knows the letter of the law in this case and called a spade a spade here.

Furthermore, the other link reports that Jerry Brown brought an end to an “elaborate pyramid scheme”, yet YTB just finished up one of the most meaningful conventions I’ve ever been a part of. We now have valuable tools that in years past have proven substantial and something the entire field has been asking for. While John wrote yesterday on his bog that the $6000 guarantee didn’t work, YTB’s RTA numbers soared from 20K to 122K during that program release. If it were me, I’d be more concerned about YTB regaining it dominance, rather than focusing on thinking that it’s over for YTB.

As we’ve heard so many times before the real phobia surrounding YTB is the “Recruiting”. John and others continue to pound this dead horse mixing the recruiting revenue with travel revenue.

“It does not take a rocket scientist to figure it out,” Frenaye said. “Their entire income is based on the sign up fees and the continuing monthly access fees to the cloned privately labeled Travelocity booking engine. For a stark look at the numbers, the TSOs have paid (sign-ups and monthly fees) a total of $283,513,046, or over a quarter billion dollars since 2006 and during that time have earned a total in travel commissions of $39,999,552. Not the greatest return on investment if you ask me.”

Rocket science?

After all this study – all this time, energy and focus on YTB he still can’t grasp that Hotels.com, Trav-Tech, Apple, Pleasant, Travel Impressions, Collette, TicketsNow, and RCI among a host of other suppliers isn’t offered through Travelocity. But he wants you to think that what YTB offers is nothing more than Travelocity to make him and his pals feel better. In addition it’s not YTB’s responsibility for the pour commission percentages producing only $40 million ($55 million to YTB) from over $1 billion in gross travel sales in a three year period. (Based on verified gross sales found in Travel Weekly in 2006, 2007, and 2008) More to the point, John’s upset the he missed out on his free Rep position with YTB, and cashing in on selling “replicated Travelocity booking engines” for a piece of a $200 million pie paid to other Reps just like him.

If you’re going to look at numbers, it’s wise to look at ALL the numbers. By placing $1 billion in gross travel sales in the “travel category”, and $200 million paid in the “Rep Category” those that have figure this out know that evens things out a bit. Or at least know that John’s concerns certainly don’t mix when it comes to pitching the sad, sad story of MLM’s and Travel.

For folks like John, it’s all about the model being flawed. “Very few” as he states make it in this industry, simply because it’s MLM.

One of the fist articles I ever wrote was about Roger Bannister breaking the 4 minute mile. Like Roger’s story, John is telling you it can’t be done. I’m here to tell you that it can. Because people like me, Candi May, Von Nickleberry, Nick Pagano, Rick Ricketts, Jeanie Sharpless, Tim Dominey, and hundreds of others have done it, what gives anyone the right (or the gall) to tell you that YOU can’t? If they’ve proven to be successful, wouldn’t it be wise to followed the same path we have, in order to obtain some level of the same success in this industry?

If you want John to protect you…that’s your choice. But I have to warn you, from experience, he’ll turn on you at a moments notice to slap you upside the head for not doing it exactly the way he wants you to.

John doesn’t see YTB competing favorably as a franchise because Royal Caribbean, NCL, and Perilo have decided not to utilize YTB’s massive sales force. John ignores that YTB is already is competing as a lowly MLM with year over year growth from #35 to #25 in just three years. The question isn’t if YTB’s going to compete, it’s when Royal and NCL decide they need to compete.

But because John and the others have never been able to accept any amount of actual Travel Sales, it perpetuates the myth that YTB is inferior. In order to prove his point he takes the TSO income disclosure statement stored on his own server to lay claim that only one person can make $25k. Maybe he should take the time to pull the PDF again to see that both an Associate at the 60% contract level has earned in excess of $25k, and an RTA at the 70% contract level has earned closed to $27K. Only one has exceed the $25K mark? Fact is, he doesn’t know how many have actually earned over $25K, but it sure sounded good for the purpose of his story. My question is how TSO’s are now encouraged to push from say $20k to $25K to earn the additional 10% contract, bonuses, and fully paid medical and life insurance that I can promise you the “other” hosts would not provide.

If you don’t think a travel professional might be swayed by fully paid medical and life insurance, for the same contract or better, with additional performance bonuses to boot…you’re dreamin.

But as we’ve seen John quoted so many times before “I just don’t get it”?

At least he got that right. But it again begs the question why George had to use this simple mind to react to a the articulate message brought forward during last weeks convention in St. Louis.

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!

Book Your Travel & Vacations With

In this mornings article, I mentioned an industry veteran I had spoken with over the phone. I have to let the cat out of the bag now and let you know that this veteran is George Dooley, an independent travel writer of some 35 years who wanted an exclusive on the Convention. George and I first spoke a few years ago when he interviewed me surrounding the dueling blogs between myself (Pro YTB) and John Frenaye (Con YTB)

Little did I know that George has kept up with my blog over the years, and I think it’s safe to say he’s a fan of my work here on Just Picture It Now. He writes in today’s exclusive interview with me:

“YTB International’s annual convention opens this week at the America’s Center in St Louis, with 5,800 plus YTB agents and representatives expected. Among them will be Doug Bauknight, one of YTB’s most articulate defenders who has stood by YTB in good times and bad. Bauknight’s web site, www.justpictureitnow.com, is available to help interested parties understand the ever-controversial YTB and its future.”

On Monday, George contacted me to write this piece. While driving home from dropping off my kids so Ronda and I could come to Convention George and talked at length about the industry and YTB. George was very open and honest with his positioning of this piece and also granted me an opportunity to view the first draft to ensure accuracy of my quotes and view of YTB.

I’ve poured my heart into YTB and this blog for the last 4 years. As I have grown as a writer and entrepreneur I can’t tell you how humbling it is to have a veteran like George not only recognize me, but contact me for this exclusive interview. On top of his accolades Ronda and I have been stopped by other YTB Agents here at the Convention countless times so far to thank us for the work we have done on this blog and for our weekly newsletter.

This interview which posted today is icing on the cake, and we’ve been here for less than 24 hours.

Please feel free to read this interview in it’s entirety here and pass it around as much as you like to show the credibility of YTB.

And George…thank you. I know you put yourself out there for ridicule when taking a pro YTB stance. I appreciate it, and the company appreciates it.

Your Friend and Fans,

Doug & Ronda

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!

Book Your Travel & Vacations With