The Art of Working Smarter, Not Harder
by Mike Daly

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For example, this year's USTOA Tour&Cruise Travel World in Tampa offered a great education and sales track on golf vacations. I was honored to moderate a wonderful panel of experts that included both golf resort specialists and golf package wholesalers. Our seminar was packed with agents, so clearly there was interest. Now, I must be honest: I don't golf much. In fact, my "handicap" is that I can't hit the ball! A round of golf with me is a scene from a Jerry Lewis comedy movie. However, that doesn't mean I can't sell golf. I simply need to learn how to sell it better than I play it.

So I did, along with everyone else. At the start, we asked who in the room enjoyed golfing, and 80 percent of the attendees raised their hands. Then, we asked how many knew people who had a passion for golf and really loved the game. This time, 90 percent raised their hands. Then, we asked how many of them had SOLD a golf vacation -- and only a few hands went up (fewer than 5 percent). Clearly, an exciting proposition had been laid before us all, and thus we began to share ideas and offer tactical solutions. How to work SMARTER, not HARDER, to get additional revenue by selling golf and spa packages. Not wanting to wait for our evaluations to see if we had truly helped those in attendance, we stepped up to the tee, took the risk and asked, "How many of you feel you have learned how to go after this lucrative market and feel this session was of value?" Eighty percent raised their hands. Perhaps not a hole in one, but we certainly birdied that round!

These conferences also offer social opportunities to network and learn. One such opportunity in Tampa, provided by Gary M. Fee of OSSN, was an evening cruise for OSSN members. It gave us the opportunity to meet forward-thinking industry leaders like Debbie Parker of South Africa Tourism and learn what's new and what's selling.

Just two weeks later, Cruise3sixty in Fort Lauderdale provided yet another opportunity to learn. CLIA and independent researchers painted a picture of the incredible growth available to the cruise market. According to the latest research, only 17 percent of Americans have taken a cruise. That leaves a lot of prospects out there! The perspective of cruise industry CEOs who personally offered updates and ideas as to how they plan to increase sales was invaluable, showing that no matter what position you achieve in your business, you must always be open to new ways of thinking, willing to pursue new avenues for sales. You must be innovative in your environment in order to really create your own success.

Destination experts and CVBs were present at both conferences offering tips and updates through the seminar format, providing agents with the needed education in order to close a sale. For example, at Cruise3sixty the City of Fort Lauderdale showcased an easy and convenient way for you to customize vacations to this "hub of hip" city. You can now create "pre's" and post's" for the cruises you sell from this bustling port. They give you the tools to tailor a unique, customized vacation for your client, while increasing profitability for you. Check out www.sunny.org/travelagents and click on "pre post" for more details. You'll see they also have an awesome travel agent appreciation promotion in August at great rates!

I'm proud to announce that, in the pursuit of finding a better way to close sales, we at CSI Creative Solutions have launched our new technology solution called Vacation Planning Party , a patent-pending, Web-based sales solution that complements any existing database or marketing application. I invite you to visit www.vacationplanningparty.com to see it. After all, planning a vacation should be fun!

It was great to see the variety of technology solutions available to travel agents today, ideas that have turned into products and services, all with the goal of helping you work SMARTER, not HARDER, and helping you achieve the success you want.

As I've said before, this is an incredible time to sell travel, and these industry conferences prove it. See you at the upcoming Home Based Agent Show in San Jose, Calif., in October!