By Carol Eannarino

Radisson Seven Seas Cruises understands that, with more home based agents than ever before as well as agents who may be in distant locations, inside sales training may not be available. As a result, the line has created an online program designed to help these agents become RSSC dedicated travel partners.
“RSSC recognizes the volume, and the importance of the home based trade,” said Andrew Poulton, director of strategic planning. “Home based agents are often some of the best networkers, as they are not confined to an office, and often are involved in their communities — churches, chambers of commerce, country clubs, business owners’ organizations, etc. At the luxury end, this is so important.
‘They are also self-starters and are usually highly motivated, smart business people who fully understand the potential profitability of selling cruises (and especially luxury cruises).”
Poulton said that the interactive Radisson Seven Seas Cruises Certification Program contains everything an agent needs to know to understand the Radisson product. Successful completion of the course will earn 2 CEU credits from The Travel Institute (formerly known as ICTA).
Interested agents should visit www.rsscu.com to see how the online course works. There is a $25 registration fee. Once an agent is registered and logged in, he can study the course material at his own pace. If there’s an interruption, agents can simply log off, and upon return the system will remind them where they left off.
After the course is completed, access to the Certification Examination will be enabled. Agents will need to have RSSC brochures readily available when taking the exam. There is a link to order brochures on the E-learning Gateway page at www.rsscu.com.
After the exam is submitted, it is graded and results E-mailed instantaneously. To complete the course successfully, the agent must answer 45 of the 50 final exam questions correctly. Once this happens, the agent receives an E-mail that contains a $100 bonus commission certificate valid for 30 days from the date of issue, which can be used for the first RSSC booking.
Agents who successfully pass the exam will also receive an RSSC certificate of completion, an exclusive RSSC gift and will be considered an RSSC Certified Cruise Consultant.
Radisson has distinctive marketing and group programs to help certified agents become known as the RSSC cruise specialist in their communities. The line recommends that once the E-online training course is completed, agents contact their local RSSC director of sales to report that they are now certified and “more determined than ever to sell RSSC.”
“The program is highly successful, with almost 1,000 agents registered to date,” said Poulton. “Clearly, there is a thirst for knowledge and training from agents who might not otherwise have access to our live training programs or seminars. The savvy agent will soon recognize that not only does RSSC have award-winning products, but that selling our cruises is a highly profitable exercise.”