In the last issue I wrote about the need to change and how hard it is to make the change. In this article, I will suggest a few changes. But let me ask you something first. Are you a travel agent who sits in the back of the boat and looks where the boat has been? Or are you one who goes on the bow and looks where it is going to be?
I need you to move to the bow. You need to be in front of that boat and look ahead. To my AuthorizedAgents.com Home Based agents I tell a story attributed to Wayne Gretzky, the hockey great. Someone once asked him why he is so good. “I don’t go where the puck is” he said. “I go where it is going to be.”
Your goal is to see where the travel puck will be in the future and decide if you want to be where it will be. You might be the type who will stand by the net and defend it until there is nothing to defend. Or you might be the type who will aggressively attack and try to score on the other team. Or you might be happy where you are and not need to score at all.
For those who are living in the past I have three words: Get over it. For those who want ideas, let’s look at some.

1. Can you compete with the Internet?
You sure can if you position yourself the right way to your clients. You have existing clients and you have potential clients. Existing clients know you and need to be reassured that you are in the 21st century and can give them competitive pricing.
You need to have a Web site with fresh replenished content that can give your client the feeling that you are up-to-date. When they say that they look for ideas on the Internet our Home Based agents proudly say: “Great, here is my Web site. I am also an Internet company and have a $2 billion vacation organization behind me with competitive pricing and one of the largest inventories around. Check it out and I will call you tomorrow to see what you liked and will book it for you.” Now isn’t this better than muttering to yourself, “Lost another one to the $%##^ Internet.”
Potential clients are especially sensitive to pricing and many labor under the misconception that the Internet is cheaper. It may be in few cases. However, in most the price is at least the same but does not have your cheerful personality, knowledge and support.

2. Do clients like your image?
Two cruise line sales managers and I were at a travel show making it a game to see if we can spot who is a Home Based travel agent. Now you are not going to like what I will say next. “You can spot them a mile away,” said this major cruise line rep. “They are a sorry looking bunch.”
She was right. Why do many travel agents look so grubby? Why don’t travel agents look like business people? Of course I am exaggerating to make a point. But I talk with suppliers on a non-travel agent level and believe me, we as travel agents need to clean up our image with them. And then we have to start cleaning up our image with the public.
Look at yourself in the mirror. Would you buy a $5,000 package from you if you did not know who you were?

3. Can you charge commitment fees?
If you look and act professional you can charge fees. You will lose some potential clients. So many price shoppers out there just waste your time and will jump agents to save $5. Do you want to spend countless hours researching packages only to be told that they’ve changed their mind? Now research China instead of Sandals? Or that the potential clients decided not to go (likely story...probably found it for $10 cheaper).
I suggest that you institute a research and commitment fee. Position it this way: “Great! We will conduct research for you as to best properties, flight times and most reliable suppliers that fit your requirements and tentatively hold the space so that when I call you, the air will be guaranteed. I need two things from you to be able to do that. The correct spelling of the passenger’s name as it appears on the government ID and a $100 good faith deposit that covers our research and will be fully 100% applied to your packages. Now what is the name of the first passenger?”
Not all will be willing to pay that fee. Great. You make a choice. Do you want to spend hours researching products for buyers who will waste your time and not buy or for buyers who at least will give you a commitment, and you make something if they don’t buy? Are you a business person or a non-profit research library? If you are happy to give away your knowledge, your time, your resources, your money, fine, it’s your business. Do it for free, but don’t complain about the clients.

4. Can you make it on your own?
Chances are that as a small player you will not have the tools and resources to grow. Some of you don’t want to grow. Some of you are happy exactly where you are and do not have the desire to make this a bigger business.
However, those who want to make more money should affiliate with one or two good Hosts that care about you and can give you support.
Ask yourself: Can you afford to print up a 56-page glossy full color consumer magazine or do professional looking E-mail newsletters to your clients with unique specials? Can you reserve group space on 900 sailings by yourself? Our AuthorizedAgents.com can because they belong to a marketing Host Agency that gives them those tools.
Do you have someone to call and discuss promotional ideas with or ask them to intervene with a supplier or help you write that group contract? Can you get daily updated content for your Web site with promotions that are not in the hands of everyone? Again, AuthorizedAgents, being a part of a $2 billion travel cooperative, can. And there are other good Hosts out there who can give you the support you deserve. It is my strong belief that it is a mistake to try to make it on your own.

5. Do you want to sell to everybody?
No. Unless you are a discounter and all you offer is price, price and price. If you are a professional, you need to focus. Choose a narrow specialty that is big enough to sustain you and focus your energies on that specialty.
Do you like dancing? Then focus on dancing cruises and dance trips. Do you like drinking wine? Then focus on wine tasting trips and cruises. Do you belong to a church or synagogue? Then get the pastor or rabbi involved, offer him a free cruise if he helps you put together a church cruise with a minimum number of participants. Do you like golf? Then go to your nearest country club and offer that golf pro a free all-inclusive golf vacation if he or she gets you 20 golfers to go. You make up the flier and the golf pro hands it out.
You will only be successful if you become proactive and you sell within your sphere of influence and enlist pied pipers to carry the torch for you.
Well, I ran out of space again. We at AuthorizedAgents.com are happy to work with you on ideas, on new directions and help you change to position yourself for the future. Become a member. It costs nothing and you gain a lot.