Posts Tagged ‘Travel Agent’

Yet Another YTB Upgrade

Wednesday, December 10th, 2008
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Did you feel that? It’s the winds of change.

The NEW YTB booking engine came as an early Christmas present and the upgrade is now official in the US. You may or may not have heard about this and I’m only too happy to update you on advancements and upgrades from the folks in Wood River, Illinois, YTB Travel Network.

I’m sorry to inform some that “Being Powered by Travelocity” is no more. Our new platform is being serviced by Convergentware, out of Canada. (Thus why the beta testing was being done there.) While the relationships we had with both Priceline in 2005 and 2006 and World Choice (Travelocity) in 2007 and 2008 were extremely beneficial in helping the growth of our company, it’s clearly time to step up and not only own the client information, but provide better services to these clients via customer profiles.

Travel Agents are typically connected to one or more GDS systems. Today, travel content can be found outside of the GDS’s and directly via supplier websites or via direct links to suppliers’ back-end systems. (Which YTB is currently working on with its growing list of suppliers and vendors as these vendors create their own infrastructure to do so.)

This new product with Convergentware not only represents multiple GDS systems, (Global Distribution Systems) but they also seamlessly combine such GDS content with non-GDS content such as Web fares, Charter fares and Consolidator fares into one interface. There are air, car, hotel, insurance, tour, cruise and net fare modules for both client and business environments.

Convergent CRS Gateway is a back-end Centralized Reservations System (”CRS”) that is capable of searching and integrating data from the following five environments:

  1. The Global Distribution Systems (“GDS”) such as Sabre, Galileo and Amadeus;
  2. Travel suppliers directly via Application Programmer Interfaces (“API”);
  3. Travel supplier Web sites;
  4. GDS New Entrants (”GNE’s”) such as ITA Software;
  5. Specialized or customized content via Convergent Publisher.

Convergent CRS technology is a global leader in automating these environments for the entire front-office to back-office reservations process which involves searching for relevant travel content, managing and attaching customer profiles to a particular reservation, and then book all the individual components of a travel reservation, including, but not limited to air, car, hotel, cruise, insurance and tour packages, ticketing specific components of a travel reservation that require ticketing in conjunction with reserving space such as air bookings.

Another nice feature I’m thrilled about is creating integrated quotes, itineraries and/or invoices regardless of where the travel content comes from. I can create and send a complete quote to a client and if they like what they see, all the client has to do is log in and pay for the trip I created for them.

How cool is that?! Talk about customer service.

The Convergent CRS Gateway powers all Convergentware front-end products such as Convergent Online and Convergent Professional. Add the power of Convergent Publisher, with its specialized content, contract and inventory management capabilities, and the Convergent CRS Gateway transforms into the leading customizable, centralized reservations system in the world. (Sorry, no more “gleaning” of travel bookings.)

Hang on…it gets even better.

You heard about the Worlds Largest Travel Party last week with the Worlds Most Popular Cruise Line in the World. This format was just a glimpse of things to come with MONTHLY Travel Party’s all across the country featuring suppliers and destinations each and every month that clients can not only book for themselves, with a Best Price Guarantee, but clients can also register themselves for monthly sweepstakes featuring a free vacation to one of these exotic destinations. Sweepstakes will range from 3-5 day weekend getaways, a 7 day all inclusive, or up to 14 days of bliss at an exotic destination that can be won only from the fine folks at YTB each and every month.

If you have not done so yet, I would highly recommend you subscribe to the Weekly Steals & Deals. (Found at the bottom right hand corner of our Booking Engine.) This is your first step in creating a customer profile and getting yourself registered for these sweepstakes. When you hit our web site, simply register with e-mail and password, and the Convergentware system will keep track of frequent flyer numbers, passport information, home/office and billing information, and other traveler information that you’ll only have to input once as the CRS does the rest.

By the way, are you as tired as I am over these “other companies” who send specials from Chicago to San Diego when YOU live in Atlanta? No longer a problem with YTB Travel Network as Convergentware Publisher will only find specials from your specified city in your customer profile. I don’t know about you, but I’m not all that interested in flying up to Chicago or finding that special to San Diego isn’t all that special from Atlanta.

And some have the audacity to claim we’re not serious about selling travel.

Hard to fathom, I know. But this is just the beginning. As other vendors and suppliers create the backbone to connect with this new platform, you’ll see more and more offerings and ways to combine great travel deals with the best prices, from one incredible travel agency.

And the cost to either RTA’s of YTB or customers for this advanced booking system?

Not a penny more. (In fact, it’s on sale right now.)

Congratulations YTB. You’ve proven yourselves to be a true innovator and leader in the Travel Industry once again.

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!

Doug & Ronda Bauknight
Doug & Ronda Bauknight
AKA: TravelPro
Travel Agent / Networker
Phone: 678.458.5812
Learn How To Become A Travel Agent

Book Your Travel & Vacations With


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Where’s The Beef?

Thursday, May 22nd, 2008
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I know I haven’t been around much lately, and honestly, I thought I’d have a post before now but my “new source” has failed to come through on a number of occasions. I don’t know if you read the comments section of my blog, but I was told by one of the “Travel Agents” that she has documentation for me. You may remember the “Real Travel Agent” I posted about a couple of weeks ago. Apparently there are claims that Candi May isn’t who she says she is, and at this point, I have to wonder if any of them can verify that their own mother exists. From what I’ve been reading via the comments on this blog, posts on other forums, and e-mails sent to me over the last couple of weeks there is “something” out there.

Exactly what they claim to have is still unknown.

On Wednesday May 15th a challenge was posted by “Martha” which stated:

“I have documentation that I would be willing to share with you BUT ONLY if you would post it on your blog.”

You know me, I’m always interested in documentation, and I’ll share a little more with you momentarily why I was so interested in this particular documentation. The story is that these Travel Agents sniffed out “red flags” and all agree “things don’t add up”.

So here I’ve been sitting for over a week now when I was promised that “proof” would be provided several times, so I’ve just been waiting.

And waiting.

And waiting…

Aaaand waiting….

If you don’t know “Martha”, be truly thankful. She’s one of the most obnoxious individuals I’ve had to endure here. You don’t see her very much over here because she admittedly “vomits” every time she reads my blog. (Her words, not mine.) And I never find much value in anything she has to say, with her tone and temperament being incredibly nasty I simply delete most comments to save the rest of you from being sprayed. (Collective “eww” here.)

I really don’t know Martha at all, she hides behind a rather anonymous name and I really haven’t had much of a desire to attempt to figure out just who this woman is. I will admit this however; the image I have of her is this blue hair named Maxine from Hallmark.

So “Martha” offers up this challenge to me to post the documentation she finds here on my blog. I decided that this would actually be a fun challenge when she made the following comment:

“She [Candi] said she did the bookings for KIVA. They have never heard of her and use a B&M agency in Louisville. I could go on but it’s not necessary to prove something that you won’t take seriously because you believe everything that YTB and it’s sponsors have to say.”

I wonder what “Martha” would do if she found out that not only does KIVA know of Candi, but if she goes straight to the top she’ll find the Director of this program. Imagine her surprise when she finds out that this Founder, Director, and this “Coach of the Year”, also happens to be Candi’s sponsor in YTB? Why the Director of the Association books with a B&M instead of his own site is strange, don’t you think?

In Martha’s defense she did add:

“Do you recall when I told you I wasn’t “conventional?” I’m not. I only post facts. I cannot say that KIVA said this and said that because the person did not want to be identified. So rather than put that as fact, it’s off the record. Hearsay isn’t something I go by.”

Makes you wonder just who Martha might have spoken to? Maybe a 9th Grade Forward on the volleyball team?

I’ve also heard that that the timeline Candi mentions and events that happened in the Travel Industry with Travel Professionals International being bought by ByeByeNow.com, and then being purchased by Carlson Wagonlit doesn’t add up. Maybe we can call Regis Philbin to see if he can shed some light on the subject. We all know and trust HIM right?

See, links like the ones above are exactly what I’m looking for from Martha and the others, but all I get is junk like “believe me”, or some insinuation that they know the “truth”, when it’s nothing more than mud thrown up without any documentation or links to back it up.

So I’ve got to ask: What’s the deal?

Well the problem is two fold.

Number one, Candi’s now with YTB and nobody in YTB can ever be trusted according to them, and number two, they don’t want you knowing that the Travel Industry has been in turmoil for many many years and these types of acquisitions, bankruptcies, and mergers have been on the rise since the Airlines cut commissions leaving them high and dry.

Even with the turmoil in the Traditional arena I find some pretty interesting stuff on the internet from what little I know about Candi. When John for example inquired about Candi, he could have checked out the domain listing of her e-mail address when he wrote to her and she responded. For most like me, (and you) that would only ad validity to what she’s talking about. Travel-Pro.com was registered in 1998 with a physical address being a retail location. In John’s defense however, maybe he found out that the person who registered the domain back then is also a member of YTB now.

Another “Travel Agent” ruined by the scourge he knows as YTB.

“RAT’s!”

So all they CAN do right now is simply throw up some mud and hope that what they’re telling you is “believable” like finding Candi’s home address on Google Maps to offer proof that she never operated a “Brick and Mortar”, while information of her domain name sits somewhere on the internet the whole time.

A couple terms like “smoke and mirrors” or words like “deflect” and “misinformation” start to emerge in my mind right now, what about you?

I am conventional, and I’m not talking about words, I’m not talking about “believe me”, I’m talking about actual documentation that supports what these knuckle heads claim to know. So far, what I’ve been able to dig up on my own doesn’t support any of
the trash talk I’ve been reading about either here or on other forums.

In fact, the more I dig into this and discuss with Candi about what is being said, it’s astounding to me how I’m beginning to realize that none of them have a thing in regards to documentation. You can’t produce what doesn’t exist, and that’s exactly why I’m requiring documentation.

Are you beginning to get the picture as to why I don’t allow trash like Martha’s and the others infiltrate this blog? Why post it if there is nothing to verify or document one shred of proof or documentation to back it up? Talk is cheap, especially with these “non-conventional” types who get upset because they can’t vomit here.

I read somewhere…

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

So Martha…here’s your chance. Here’s an opportunity front and center to offer the “proof” that you claim to have. It’s not buried somewhere, and I’m giving you center stage right here, right now to offer up what you have in actual documentation that everyone can verify on their own.

It’s time to prove to me and everyone else that I’m the liar, coward, and asshole that you claim that I am. (By the way…part of her latest comment to me that I simply deleted, and didn’t feel appropriate as “proof”.)

Can she do it?

Doubt it. But we shall see.

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!

Doug & Ronda Bauknight
Doug & Ronda Bauknight
AKA: TravelPro
Travel Agent / Networker
Phone: 678.458.5812
Learn How To Become A Travel Agent

Book Your Travel & Vacations With


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No Real Travel Agents??

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008
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Since the beginning of the year, YTB has had a new Level One Director with the company. This isn’t any ordinary Director however, and I wanted to share her experience with you to help you and the others who are willing to gain some sort of perspective what a 20 year travel industry veteran saw in YTB.

Candi May has been an entrepreneur all her life, and she actually owned several Brick and Mortar Agencies back in the day. Something came along that caused a dramatic market shift in her industry. That something was the Internet. Very quickly things began to change. Candi soon realized that the masses no longer needed a “travel agent”. In 2006 over $40 BILLION dollars was spent on line, and that was just with 4 of the top Internet Based Travel Companies. (Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia, and Priceline.)

She made an effort to “reinvent” herself and her travel business. She spent large sums of money on Internet marketing and ads. She started working with large group travel because it was harder for groups to book online. But she quickly realized that there was no way to compete with the HUGE Internet travel companies.

One night at an Industry awards show, she began to ask her peers how things were going, and wanted to find out what they were doing to compete or how they were doing in regards to the market shift. None of them appeared to be phased by what was going on.

“Things couldn’t be better!” was the common answer she got, and she began to question what she was doing and why nobody else seemed to have the same problems she was having. What was she doing wrong?

Then when the awards started to be passed out and when she was the one who was winning all the awards, she looked out to her peers who just told her moments before “Things couldn’t be better” and wondered…

“If my business is struggling, and I’m the one up here winning all these awards, what does your business REALLY look like?”

That’s when Candi started to look for something else, anything else, even a fast food franchise to get out of the sinking ship she was tied too. The others she talked to didn’t want to admit it, but she knew the signs and wanted out.

A former client then asked her to take a look at a business, not for her, but for him.

Here’s the thing, knowing Candi the way I know Candi, I don’t think she even went to Scam.com to see what everyone was talking about there. I don’t think she posted something on Yahoo Answers to find out if anyone heard of this new Travel Company. I also seriously doubt she even went to the Travel Weekly forums to see what was going on there.

What she did do was look at the public numbers, she looked at our Founders, and she looked at what other successful people were doing in this business. She also went up to meet the Founders personally.

Both Candi and I have FREE Newsletters that we offer our teams to help them build a Team or their Travel Business. We both shared the Virtual Home Based Business Expo with our team this past weekend that offers dozens of vendors, tour operators and supplier information and training for those that want to learn more about their Travel Business.

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!

Doug & Ronda Bauknight
Doug & Ronda Bauknight
AKA: TravelPro
Travel Agent / Networker
Phone: 678.458.5812
Learn How To Become A Travel Agent

Book Your Travel & Vacations With


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Top Tips For Becoming A Home Based Travel Agent

Thursday, April 19th, 2007
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Of all the home-based business possibilities, it’s hard to imagine one that’s more fun or potentially profitable than operating a home-based travel agency.

Not only do you get the enjoyment of sending people off on their dream vacation, but you earn a good commission for selling services that you do not have to actually provide yourself. What could be better than that?

If you’d like to become a home-based travel agent, and enjoy discounted or even free trips for yourself as well, then the following “Top Tips For Becoming A Home Based Travel Agent” will get you started in the right direction.

1. Affiliate with a legitimate host agency that has all of the required certifications.

The most successful home-based travel agents are independent contractors who work with a host agency. You use the host agency’s resources and established relationships to tap into their network of travel vendors and suppliers. It’s important that your host agency has the proper industry credentials and that they have a program in place that allows you to use those credentials in order to establish yourself as a legitimate travel agency.

As a home based travel agent you need certain credentials like the CLIA card. CLIA stands for the International Airlines Travel Agent Network endorses travel agents and provides the IATAN ID card, which identifies you as a U.S.- based travel sales professional.

If you are considering working with a host agency that doesn’t provide you with their IATAN/ARC number, and other required credentials, move on and select one that does.

2. Choose a host travel agency that provides comprehensive training

Even though you are an independent home-based travel agent, you still need professional quality training so you know how to operate in the travel industry as well as what you are and are not allowed to do.

Getting up-to-date on the best places to travel, tourism trends, and how to fulfill the needs of your customer is vital to your travel business. You want to choose a host travel agency that offers comprehensive training and courses on various travel services, products, marketing, etc.

For some host agencies, taking a course or training is necessary in order to be eligible for certain travel credentials. And, although it is not required to book travel, your job will go much easier and you’ll develop more repeat business, if you are well-trained and well-informed.

3. Choose a host travel agency that will help you promote your business.

Don’t choose a travel company that does not offer some assistance with marketing your travel business. The best ones will offer a turn-key website or online booking engine for your clients to use when booking their travel.

Even better are the travel companies that also provide you with automated marketing tools such as auto responders to handle email campaigns and promotions.

You’ll save money, and gain more customers, if you partner up with a host travel agency that provides ready-made templates to print business cards, postcards, flyers, etc. These are all the tools in your marketing arsenal that will help you get the word out about your home-based travel business.

4. Choose a host travel agency that handles ALL of the travel details for you.

Most host agencies handle all the booking and routine travel details for your clients, but what happens if a name is misspelled on a plane ticket or your customer wants a refund? Find out what type of customer support is available and read their policies carefully before you sign on as a home-based travel agent.

At a minimum, look for:

· How long your host agency has been in business and if they are reputable.
· 24/7 telephone support, not just e-mail or web-based.
· Clear and easy-to-understand refund and cancellation policies.
· A track record of speedy resolution to customer service issues.

5. Choose a host travel agency with a fair commission policy.

Notice that money is not mentioned as the #1 thing to look for when you’re choosing a host travel agency. Sure, the commission is important; it’s how you get paid. But the best commission policy in the world does you no good if the host travel company that you choose to partner with is not aboveboard and honest.

Once you have found a travel company that meet the requirements of items 1-4, it’s time to check their commission policy. Here’s what to look for:

· Make sure that you know exactly how much commission you earn on every travel product you offer through your host agency. Be sure to find out if you earn commissions for add-on sales like trip cancellation insurance or lost luggage insurance. The best host travel agency partners pay you a piece of everything you sell.

· Be sure you know what their commission chargeback policy is when a client cancels a trip or seeks a refund.

· Find out at which point your commission actually gets locked in. Is it when the sale is made; when the client debarks on their trip, or when they return?

· Find out how long it takes to get paid. Some agencies pay Net 30, some pay longer. Whatever the payment period is, make sure you can live with it.

6. Choose a host travel agency with the best perks for you

The opportunity to go on a FAM trip is the most appealin
g benefit to travel agents. FAM trips are short for ‘familiarization trips’. These are special trips specifically for the travel agent. These trips are offered by hotels, cruise lines, convention and visitor bureaus, and tour companies.

The intent of the trip is to familiarize the agent with the product or service so that they can then sell the service or product to their clients. By experiencing the product, agents can sell it more effectively.

These trips are either totally free or have a small cost involved to cover the expense of the trip. These FAM trips are offered at a huge discount compared to what it would cost to the average consumer. If your host agency doesn’t offer FAM trips, you should think about finding one that does.

Also, since you will be working out of home and on your own, medical insurance plans or group coverage plans are sometimes offered. Check to see if the agency you are considering has a group plan that you can buy into. Group plans are usually less expensive than buying
medical insurance on your own.

Some final thoughts

Owning your own travel business means you can take advantage of many tax breaks. Deductions are allowed for you initial investment, home office expenses, cell phone and land lines, automobile, computer, fax machine, insurance, and other equipment. In addition, when you travel anywhere in the world, it’s a business expense!

Overall, becoming a home-based travel agent has some major perks and benefits. The important thing is to find a good host agency and become familiar with your product so that you can offer the best travel experience for your customers. Doing this will keeps a consistent flow of repeat and new business coming your way.

Good luck and Bon Voyage!

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!

Doug & Ronda Bauknight
Doug & Ronda Bauknight
AKA: TravelPro
Travel Agent / Networker
Phone: 678.458.5812
Learn How To Become A Travel Agent

Book Your Travel & Vacations With


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Former Employee celebrates his own Independence Day

Tuesday, July 4th, 2006
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Regular 9-5 Employee announces his retirement after partnering with a solid company and leadership to market a $7 Trillion industry and creates his own freedom.

Atlanta, GA – July 4, 2006 – The 4th of July has been a special day in America for the last 230 years, a day that all of America celebrates its Independence with our Stars and Stripes flying proud and high, back yard barbecues and fireworks. This year, July 4th has a special meaning for Doug Bauknight who celebrates his own independence with YTB Travel Network, an internet based travel agency, which uses referral marketing to build its business.

Thanks to both travel commissions made from his state of the art booking engine, and lucrative compensation received for helping others start a home based travel agency of their own, Mr. Bauknight has retired from the 9-5 grind of being an employee, to being his own boss. “I’ve always wanted to do my own thing, and have financial security, but never had any success.” Doug looks back “I began to feel as if success and prosperity was meant for somebody else, not me.”

Then on January 16th, 2005 Doug and his wife of 9 years, Ronda, joined a little known company called YourTravelBiz.com. “I remember thinking, what’s the worst that could happen?” Ronda smiles “We get to take a couple vacations a year with our two children, and because we own our own Agency, we can now claim that same vacation as a tax deduction. Even if we didn’t make a fortune, we’d still save far more on taxes than if we continued to vacation like we were.” That was only the beginning of what the Bauknight’s would learn about the travel industry and all the advantages a home-based business really had.

YTB Travel Network is a 5 year old, debt free, publicly traded internet based travel company, headquartered in Edwardsville, Illinois. Offering Franchise type support to tens of thousands of Referring Travel Agents across the country, YTB competes directly with other highly advertised internet travel companies such as Expedia and Travelocity. 72 year old Founder and CEO of YTB, J. Lloyd Tomer, affectionately known as “Coach” within the company, believes YTB Travel Network can surpass any and all other travel companies out there by choosing “referral marketing” as their marketing strategy.

“It’s brilliant! Who do you know at Expedia?” Doug asks “Do you even know where Expedia is? If I tell anyone I’m a Referring Travel Agent do you know what the very next thing out of their mouth is?” Doug answers “Can you get me a deal to_______?” So far it seems to be working, booking over $50 million in travel services in 2005 and thus far 2006 is showing indications that the company could exceed 5 times that amount, with expectations of $250 million in travel bookings for the current fiscal year.

Doug also believes there are other reasons he’s been able to succeed with YTB where he has failed before. The first being market appeal. Young or old, male or female, rich or poor, everyone dreams about, talks about, and wants a vacation. The second is inventory. “Not having to maintain any inventory is a big bonus for me.” Doug says “My inventory is a 160,000 ton cruise ship down in the Port of Miami right now.” The third is the current industry shift. 85% of all travel is now booked on line, and with Baby Boomers now starting to retire, there is substantial growth in the market for at least the next 20 years. “Baby Boomers have always dictated what will be explosive markets from the time they were born.” Doug points out. These same Baby Boomers will now retire once every 8 seconds for the next 20 years. Doug asks “What are they going to do with all their spare time?” His answer is “travel”, and industry experts agree that the current $7 Trillion industry will double to $14 Trillion by the end of the decade.

Jim Sloan, who also retired as a Police Officer and is Doug’s Sponsor with YTB, has worked with Doug for the last 18 months and considers him one of his closest friends. Jim looked back to when he first started mentoring Mr. Bauknight. “Doug was just like everyone else. He had the same dreams we all do. He just needed help in how to turn the dream into reality.” Jim recalls “Most people don’t understand that they didn’t form their current mindset and habits in a day. It takes time to learn new and better ways of thinking and working to create this type of independence.”

Jim credits most of Doug’s success to having a simple willingness to learn. Doug’s own research and personal development and growth, began to set a course to achieve success, something he once thought was meant only for others. Doug states, “There is some really good information out there, more information than you could ever imagine.” He continues “It’s just a simple matter of opening your eyes and mind to ideas and principles that have honestly been around for thousands of years.”

Now Jim believes that the student has become the teacher. “Doug would always thank me for what I would do for him.” Says Jim “I told him that the best way for him to thank me would be to teach others and help others the way I helped him.” Susan Hynes who joined Doug’s team from across the country in January of 2006 agrees “Doug was the first one who asked me what I wanted out of the business. That told me he really cared. He has a great desire to help. I just knew, I signed up with him on the spot.”

Doug Bauknight named his Marketing Company “Just Picture It Now” He believes this industry brings up vivid images and pictures in everyone’s mind. “If you keep those pictures in the forefront, and actually feel the emotions they create on a daily basis, anyone can achieve the independence I’ve received.” Says the newly Independent Network Marketer “It’s all about passion and emotion, it’s really that simple.”

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!

Doug & Ronda Bauknight
Doug & Ronda Bauknight
AKA: TravelPro
Travel Agent / Networker
Phone: 678.458.5812
Learn How To Become A Travel Agent

Book Your Travel & Vacations With


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TSO #588629
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America…Your Career Starts Here?

Friday, May 26th, 2006
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I was talking to a woman around the New York area late last week. She found my web site after doing a search and requested more information. I followed up with her and she mentioned she was actually looking to go back to school to become a travel agent. After asking a few more questions I found that she had been arranging family travel plans for some time and had a lot of people who used her as a resource on where to go. She had become frustrated with her own “brick and mortar” agency because she could actually find better deals on the internet than her own agent.

I mentioned what my wife and I have been doing with YTB Travel and Cruises and how I could actually get her up and running as her own referral agency, and supply a plethora of information on how she could book this same travel without spending hoards of time and expense in school. After sending her a few links on industry certifications that I know of, and have taken, she sounded very interested in our business model. Both she and I were certain she would get started with us late last week.

I got an e-mail from her Monday:

“Thank you for all your information and answers to some tough questions. After careful reading and consideration and conversations with some people locally I have decided to obtain a degree in Travel and Tourism Hospitality Services at our local college.”

WHAT?!! She more than likely ended up getting that advice from the same agent who couldn’t find the deals she could find on her own! She will also find out very quickly like I did that people who can…do, people who can’t…teach. I’m also willing to bet that she will find out like I did, she is far more intelligent than any of the teachers she will run into. Than why is she listening to others instead of me? Because she’s been trained like I was from a very early age that going to school is the only way to go to get ahead in life. She simply doesn’t know what she will be learning when she does go back to school.

She is looking for know-how, and isn’t aware that travel agent schools are designed, primarily, to train low-paying, entry-level employees for travel agencies. Consequently, travel agent schools concentrate on dull, rote tasks like using a computerized reservation system. Furthermore, travel agent schools do not teach you how to think like an agency owner or how to get out in the community and sell travel. That’s because travel agent schools are designed to serve the needs of storefront travel agencies, providing them a steady stream of entry-level employees who will sit at a computer screen all day and enter orders.

Travel agent schools also don’t go out of their way to teach you that selling cheap, point-to-point airline tickets is no way to get rich quick — or to get rich at all, for that matter. Once again, this is because travel agent schools serve the travel agency business first and foremost.

I ended up wasting 2 years of my life and over $40,000 with nothing to show for it but debt and depression after doing the same thing. I went to school for Audio Video some years ago. It wasn’t until I got an internship at a local radio station in Pittsburgh that I found mentors, not teachers, who were willing to teach me all the tricks of the trade FOR FREE. These men and woman had actually been working in the field of my choice for 15 to 20 years and I learned more from them in 6 months than I did two years sitting in some class room. They also had the connections I needed to get my own gig in radio and by the time the other classmates got out of school, I was already established in the same industry they were trained for.

Every year hundreds of thousands of people aspire to participate in this business transaction called “college”. We have graduating seniors in high school all this month and next who will be listening to their parents and friends to do the same thing.

I’ll give you $80,000 and 4 years of my life, and in return, I get to scramble for a JOB that starts at $32,000 on the high end.

AND PEOPLE STRIVE FOR THIS. Corporate America has done a GREAT job at selling the public that this is a really good deal! That “college” is the way to go!

Well here’s the truth.

As a business owner, I attended a free Sandals Seminar on Tuesday of this week here in Atlanta. The top executives of the company trained my wife and I on the benefits of booking family vacations, honeymoon packages, and large corporate events with their resorts. I make more money, and save money earning free nights at these beautiful resorts selling these packages! This bright, intelegent woman will spend her time and money sitting in a classroom learning how to book airline tickets for pennies for someone else.

A college education does NOT teach you how to make money. It teaches you how to become a productive part of corporate America. It’s a training camp for the next participants of the rat race. They are nothing more than “employee farms”. They don’t have your best interest in mind. You are a product. You are nothing more than low grade human fuel for the guy who started the company.

And you will continue to pay the ultimate “stupid tax” for the rest of your life until you wise up and take matters into your own hands.

If you want to pursue a life in business, college is a scam. If you have dreams and desires to make a 6 figure income, why do we listen to people who don’t make that kind of money themselves? Until you find MENTORS like I did in the REAL WORLD, you will never learn what you need to make it in any business.

Like I said, this was a very smart woman, who is simply misinformed about which direction to go when it comes to learning about the industry of her choice. If she’s as smart as I think she is, she’ll soon realize that what she has been told by others she knows and trusts is not the way to go.

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