OSSN is 20!
by Melody Fee

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These same three suppliers will also host two other wonderful events during OSSN’s 20th anniversary year: a mini trade show for Florida chapter members at the OSSN Headquarters (during our October "OSSN Ranch Barbecue") and the OSSN Southern California "Morongo Resort" full-day training event in January! We really appreciate their great support during this special anniversary year.

While I am on the topic of support, we at OSSN want to thank ALL of our Allied Supplier Members for their ongoing support during the past many years, as they have participated at many levels – including trade shows, chapter meetings, webinar training, direct advertising to OSSN members, regional events for multi-chapter training, and so much more. It is the relationships built during these educational training events that create successful growth of OSSN agent and agency members. A great example of this type of training is the upcoming full-day training that will be hosted by Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises on Oct. 6 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. Although this one-day training is now sold out, you can look for more great training like this special day during the year ahead!

To us here at OSSN, it seems like this past 20 years has FLOWN BY! And, the amount of recognition that the home-based professional has garnered from travel industry suppliers during these two decades is well deserved! Whether you are a home-based professional or whether you are a host agency who delivers GREAT service to a sales force of home-based agents, YOUR success has been hard won through so many industry changes.

The changes have come in SO many ways! And, each area of change has given you, the home-based agent and the host agency partner, the opportunity to scale to the highest peaks of success! Like at no time in the past, it is understood that this industry accepts and embraces the home-based seller of travel.

Consider the tools that are at your fingertips! If you have chosen to operate through one of so many successful host agency partners, they are now able to provide you with dynamic booking tools and training opportunities that you may find invaluable to your business needs. They are negotiating excellent commission structures and putting together winning sales opportunities through their affiliation with major consortiums. Many of these host agencies have made HUGE investments in your success, and by aligning yourselves with them, you may be creating your own master plan for future success. An excellent number of very successful host agencies have joined OSSN, and they can be found in our members-only website.

The recognition of the home-based agency model by our travel industry suppliers during this past 20 years can be likened to taking a "power walk" through the hills of San Jose, Calif.! (That’s a trek that I truly enjoy every time I visit OSSN's Western Regional Manager, Anita Pagliasso, in her home territory.) It starts out with a bit of a warm up, but then it is UP and UP and UP another hill ... and, you just keep climbing. You realize that your endurance is growing and your stamina is building ... and it just makes you stronger! The huffing and puffing turns into exhilaration at some point, as your sales increase and as your confidence in your products and services grows. That is the type of successful climb that I believe so many of our home-based agency members have had to complete as they have grown their home-based travel agencies. We all have to realize one thing: It is all about PRODUCTION and SALES. To get the recognition (and the paycheck) that we need and want, we must go out and GET THE BUSINESS. Keep Climbing!

Let's not leave out the changes that our suppliers have made to help us succeed during the last 20 years! We may not be in the best of economic environments right now, and the pricing of our products may be challenging in some cases, but travel industry suppliers are GIVING us GREAT tools to sell their products! Like never before, we have professional marketing tools at our fingertips! I can remember having to spend a lot time at Sir Speedy or Kinko's trying to get a graphic artist to create interesting flyers, so I could promote a group cruise about 15 years ago! NOW, with the "click of the mouse," agents have the ability to create amazing marketing material to help you sell cruises, tours, and so much more!

Next month, as we set off some exciting fireworks in recognition of how far YOU, our members have come, we want you to know how very important your success is to OSSN. We want to celebrate that success. In the October issue of the OSSN E-Agent News, OSSN will publish a list of special awards that will be given during our 20th Anniversary Year. These awards will be created to celebrate the creativity of OSSN Members who are Home-Based Professionals! They will highlight your marketing and sales skills during this special anniversary year! Some of the special prizes will be awarded at the next Home-Based Agent Show in Fort Lauderdale in April 2010!

We want to thank each of you for your support of OSSN, both at the local chapter level and at the national level. OSSN's recognition as a major trade association has been built one small accomplishment at a time, and it has been in direct proportion to YOUR needs as professionals. We applaud our 75 active chapter directors for all of their hard work, and we truly appreciate the input and interests of our members across North America!

Melody Fee serves as vice president of the Outside Sales Support Network. You may reach her at melodyfee@ossn.com.

(Credits: Melody Fee; OSSN)