As a travel industry professional, I have seen the following scenario unfold countless times—always with one of two endings.

When you first decided to become an independent travel professional, you were excited to be embarking on a new career that could take you all over the world, doing what others only dreamed about, and heck—you were even going to get paid for it! The thought of associating yourself with a trusted brand or finding a business model that worked for you made the decision that much easier. Regardless of the reason—you jumped in with both feet.

Now you feel like the pumpkin that was Cinderella’s beautiful carriage until the clock ticked past midnight. Read the rest of this entry »

Southwest England has some of the most iconic shores in the United Kingdom and nearby coastal countries. The craggy coasts are mystical, with rocky cliffs often obscured by fog. This area juts from the mainland into the Lizard Peninsula, where the ceremonial county of Cornwall sits. Recognized as one of the Celtic nations, Cornwall has kept a distinct identity from the lands next door for the traveler to discover. With prehistoric and Bronze Age monuments that tell a story of an ancient nation, Cornwall is vastly different from its neighbor.

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Of all the notorious four-letter words, the word “quit” warrants top-shelf positioning. I am not sure when I started to disdain this word as I am sure along my life’s journey I managed to quit a time or two.

When it comes to business, and sales in particular, those in position to expand one’s customer list “throw in the towel” too soon in the majority of cases. When they hit an obstacle, challenge, roadblock or objection they opt for greener pastures and “ease on down the road.”

Seasoned professionals realize that it takes time to establish trust these days Read the rest of this entry »

Call me out of touch with reality or just place me in the “fossil” category, but I think a well-crafted personal letter still has a place in our business environment. Emails are easy. Texts are fast. But the letter is focused and sincere.

When you take the time to write me a letter you are saying that I am important to you and worth a few minutes of your time. I like that.

Today’s reminder is not a lesson in penmanship or creative word placement. I am blowing in your ear to remind you that if you want to get somebody’s attention the old fashion way, write them a letter. Read the rest of this entry »

Chances are that if you are like me you are fed up with receiving unsolicited surveys in your email inbox. In the vast majority of instances, you immediately hit the delete button. But let’s stop and think about this.

All the supplier is trying to do is identify where they are doing things right and where they could use a little improvement. That does not make them bad people. If they are like you, they treasure the opinion of their customers.

Bottom Line: Surveys are good things. Read the rest of this entry »

Cutting right to the chase, the term kaizen is a Japanese word roughly translating to “incremental improvement.” I suppose you can think of it as the principle behind the phrase, “A Journey of a Hundred Miles Begins With a Single Step.”

Biting off more than we can comfortably chew is a common practice for those wanting to make some form of change. The truth is that giant leaps rarely hold up over time. One doesn’t lose 20 pounds by wishing, hoping, and praying. You do it one pound at a time – by following a sequence of events. Read the rest of this entry »

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had a fun and safe holiday and that Santa was good to all of your loved ones!  The final two weeks of each year, we take a break at TRO to rejuvenate and refresh. It is a much-needed respite from the weekly deadlines. But, once that is over, it is back to the grind. I was thinking about topics for the first column of 2020 and was struggling when my girlfriend handed it to me on a silver platter—is 2020 the year of the travel agent? Read the rest of this entry »

This is a column from 2015, and a key lesson from our new course on travel marketing.

I admit to being one of the few people who liked The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty. The movie is a reminder of the importance of travel to the human psyche. Travel is not just a mechanical act of movement from one point to another. On occasion, it helps to be reminded of this small and obvious truth: travel is often an outward expression of something happening internally. Read the rest of this entry »

There is plenty of information on our website that deals with helping you make informed decisions when it comes to booking your cruise. There isn’t as much information on what you should do after you’ve booked your cruise. The good news is that while you can do a lot to prepare for your cruise, you don’t have to. Most of it is already taken care of for you. Read the rest of this entry »

Happy New Year!

If 2, 4 or 6 of your clients are planning to visit the UK this year, let’s talk about an itinerary that can be customised to meet their interests, time frame and budget. Being the home to some of the world’s finest Flower Shows, these internationally renowned horticultural extravaganzas make a very good focal point for tours that also include visits to stately homes, cathedrals, literary and on-location venues, ancient pubs for lunch and interesting places for English Afternoon Tea. This collection offers some imaginative starting points for a profitable conversation.
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We provide better service. We have been in business for 20 years. We only hire qualified personnel. We care for each and every customer. We offer the lowest price. We have great supplier relationships. We’ve traveled all over the world.

Enough already! We have heard it a hundred times from a hundred different travel “professionals” just like you. I expect you to taut your own services. I expect you to drink your own Kool-aide and believe in your own press releases.

My questions for you: Read the rest of this entry »

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Here we go fellow travel professionals. Kicking off another New Year.

Another year which translates to another 12-months to make a difference. I closed 2019 “warning” you that my column was taking a new look. I will be following the salesman’s mantra… Be Bright – Be Brief – Be Gone.

I realize how little extra time you have to internalize external messages, so I am making an attempt to hit you right between the eyes… short but sweet.

My 1-Minute Marketing Memos will be designed to call your attention to an important aspect of your life and/or business, and to leave you with a thought or two to get you through the day thinking positively and with a bounce in your step.

You won’t be identifying with every single message, but I am betting the majority of these “minutes” will be meaningful to your future’s eating habits. Read the rest of this entry »