Thrillseekers Travel Club — Still a work in progress | Travel Research Online

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Thrillseekers Travel Club — Still a work in progress

Now that the summer months are behind us and the fall and winter loom ahead on the horizon, I am feeling a wee bit out of kilter. During the summer months, our phones were ringing and our members were booking trips from Israel to Italy, Ireland and back. Yet as soon as school was back in session, things slowed down considerably. Now I fret because I have too much time on my hands, mixed with a fear that I am not putting any of it to proper use.

Should we be buying more print ads? Do we need to hire a blog developer to give our blog some life? Do we continue trying to grow our club through social networking, which, as it turns out is not as simple as everyone makes it out to be? How do we increase our website traffic organically?

With regards to our ever present budgetary constraints, it is very difficult to know what will bring the most value for our time and cash investment — therein lies the dilemma.

On top of that, excitement for upcoming events has not been as palpable as the past. So again, how do I convey my enthusiasm in such a way as to create an atmosphere of highly motivated and committed travel members without coming off as the Billy Mays of travel group planners?

If I have learned anything during this past year, it is people are in no mood to be sold anything. What they are looking for is maximum value, product knowledge and service after the sale. Another thing I have learned is that your current client base is your best marketing tool if you can learn how to harness it and maximize its potential. This is a skill set that does not come naturally to me and must be honed and refined constantly in order to deliver any real results and it does take time.

And while all of these issues pose challenges, the feedback we have gotten from our current members has been overwhelmingly positive except for a few critical words which we have taken to heart and are working to improve. When all is said and done, and at the end of the day, I think it’s safe to say that we are still a work in progress.

But in all honesty, it is wonderful that I can honestly say, “I Love My Work!”

April Scarlott is a lifetime Houston Bay Area resident, travel and adventure junkie, and member of the International Travel Writers and Photography Alliance. She attended college at the University of St. Thomas and currently holds multiple licenses in real estate and is a member of OSSN. She is full partner for Thrillseekers Travel Club which arranges group tours for other travel and adventure enthusiasts. She has combined her passion for writing and adventure travel into a full time dream career. Contact her at april@thrillseekerstravel.com or toll free at 1-888-970-8747 or visit at the website at www.thrillseekerstravelclub.com.

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