travel agency manager may-june 2013

MAY - JUNE 2013

PROFITING FROM CUSTOMER SERVICE

INCLUDES THIS 120 QUESTION SURVEY: WHY SHOULD SOMEONE BUY TRAVEL FROM YOU?

EDITORIAL 3 Profiting from DAZZLING Customer Service

PROFITING FROM CUSTOMER SERVICE 4 What Is Customer Service?

5 The DAZZLING Customer Service Model

6 Fulfilling Your Service Role

7 Do You Have a Service Recovery Program?

8 Your Reputation Means Staying in Touch

9 Selling Customer Service

10 “Are They Being Served?”

11 Auto Responders & Customer Service

12 Customer Appreciation – Client Awards Event/s

TRAVEL SAFETY FOR WOMEN

13 Protecting Your Female Clients

15 Travel Safety 101

THE TRAVEL INSTITUTE 16 The Certified Travel Industry Executive

PROFITING FROM EFFECTIVENESS 17 The Top 25 Characteristics of Effective Leaders

STRATEGIC PLANNING 18 The Life of Pie – Using Charts to Plan

PROFITING FROM NEW TECHNOLOGY 21 Skype With Steve

PROFITING FROM ONLINE EDUCATION 22 Webinar – May 30: Profiting from Customer Service

120 QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO ANSWER 23 Why Should Someone Buy Travel From Your Agency?

This questionnaire has been adapted from a book called Why? Be sure to read it when you get the chance.

40 Have You Got Your Copy yet?

41 Reading Material

Travel Agency Manager is owned, operated and published by Steve Crowhurst, SMP Training Co. All Rights Reserved. Protected by International and Canadian Copyright Law. Travel Agency Manager can be shared, forwarded, cut and pasted but not sold, resold or in anyway monetized. Using any images or content from Travel Agency Manager must be sourced as follows: “© SMP Training Co. www.smptraining.com” . SMP Training Co. 568 Country Club Drive, Qualicum Beach, BC, Canada V9K 1G1 Note: Steve Crowhurst and SMP Training Co. is not responsible for outcomes based on how you interpret or use the ideas in Travel Agency Manager or on the SMP Training Co. website. Guest articles are the opinions of the guest writer and not Steve Crowhurst or SMP Training Co.

TABLE OF CONTENTS – MAY / JUNE 2013

In this issue we explore how you can profit from your customer service. There are many levels of customer service as you know. We will focus on the level of DAZZLING customer service as that’s what every travel customer wants – they want you to dazzle them in every way. Customer service is now said to be the new product on the shelf. You can actually package it, promote it and sell it – but then you have to have it, before you can do that.

Don’t get me started! I’m a customer service kinda guy and I love it when I receive it. Trouble is, (and I’ve not yet worked out why this happens) I always seem to attract poor service. Over the years I’ve put it down to the fact that the universe wants to challenge me. It wants to lay before me a variety of scenarios that I can write about based on first hand experience, which I do. I am not alone in my service challenges. I am sure you have experienced the check out staff having a chat whilst one of them serves you, rings up your purchases and when finished, taps the credit card machine indicating “here dummy” and then tears off and tosses your receipt to the counter for you to pick up. Sometimes, I’ll chip in with a cheerful, “Hey, thanks for the great service!” Blank looks are the response. The other evening a call came in on the home line. I picked it up, there was a brief moment of dead air, so I knew it was a telemarketer. I’m never rude as everyone has a job to do and so when the guy came on the line, I cut in and said, “Before you get started, I’m not interested and would ask you to take my name off your list…” His response was to call me a certain part of my anatomy where you get tax pain! Lovely and I was just about to have my dinner. Anyway, I ended up laughing at the scenario. Still do.

Customer service in a travel agency starts in the mindset of those dispensing it. Overall travel agents are not a testy bunch. Travel agents tend to like their job, love it even. It’s those pesky client’s though. The job would be fantastic if it weren’t for those clients who keep bothering ‘us’ with stupid questions, demanding this and demanding that and then going off to book with someone else. The nerve! Might as well put a sign up, “If you step in here, you’re travelling baby!” Now, that’s not a bad thought to keep in mind. If anyone walks in, phones in, emails in… you, me, we are going to DAZZLE them to the hilt and that will close the deal. There would be no way they would migrate to another agency or defect to the Internet. No one else would service them as you do. To make that happen, you need a customer service plan. You need to know why your clients should buy their travel from you and wouldn’t you know it, I have a 120 question checklist for you to review and answer as a team event. Your mission then is to deliver DAZZLING customer service, each day, every day. That’s all it is ‐ just top‐of‐the‐line, high quality, amazing customer service that you can promote as a product and profit from it.

PROFITING FROM DAZZLING CUSTOMER SERVICE

Steve Crowhurst, CTC

TAM Publisher

WHAT IS CUSTOMER SERVICE?

Everyone knows what customer service is. Just ask them. It’s that thing that never happens although it’s promised and it says so right there on the advertisement. There’s even a sign over the checkout area saying Customer Service. It’s repeated again on the television commercial. Promised but rarely delivered. That’s what customer service is to most people. But then travel agencies are different aren’t they? Are they? Are you sure?

There is a quote by a former VP of Nordstrom and author of Fabled Service. She wrote: “Fabulous service is quite simply ordinary people doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.” If you travel agency is already up and running then the service level is what it is until you make changes. When you start a new agency from scratch, you have the luxury of designing the service program from the very start. The agency that is already in business cannot be stopped, re‐engineered and re‐started. The change in service levels has to happen over time as training takes place and each individual buys into the plan or leaves the firm. At the same time, the manager is looking out for high end talent, well versed with the level of service that’s required. When a colleague “Yups” and “Yers” and offers a “You know…” every other second, well that shines brightly on everyone in the agency. When a client is mistreated in any way shape or form, that too paints the agency team as one. It is important that the agency team become self policing as to how they are viewed in the eyes of the customer and not just the ones they serve. How that level of service operates is your job. As the manager it is your role to manage the customer service plan and how it is delivered to the customer. Hopefully the head office customer service model

works for you and your team. Head office can offer you the service template, however it is the front line that puts it into practice with your coaching and tweaking of the model to suit the local situation. You might ask your team what they feel customer service is. Naturally we all have an opinion and that can be stated in any number of ways. Somewhere in files there is a Mission Statement and quite possibly the company’s Vision & Value Statements. If you have nothing else to go on, these are the basic essentials that will drive your customer service plan. If your mission states, “We strive to deliver ‐‐‐ to the best of our ability.” That is your first benchmark. Did everyone, do their best this week? Could anyone have done a better job of selling and servicing their clients? Honesty prevails. Been there and made that confession. Of course it seems we can always do a better job – and that’s precisely the track you want to be on. Defining and refining until you get it right. Roll playing until the words flow as intended. Interacting online correctly. Emailing etiquette fully understood. The true definition of your customer service can only come from your clients. Now check your agency window /website – is there a Customer Service Promise there? Are you living up to it?


THE DAZZLING CUSTOMER SERVICE MODEL

Dazzling customer service is your goal. For this to happen you must manage your agency

team to that point where they fully understand the concept of DAZZLEMENT. You might start with a discussion about the levels of customer service each person in your agency has received when they are in the role of customer. Typically you, me, we do not readily call to mind the best service received, that takes a few minutes to filter down from memory to lips. What we can articulate almost immediately is the poor customer service received. Brand, location, time, date and purchase ‐ almost instantly on the tip of the tongue and ready to tell anyone who will listen. Poor customer service stays with us for a long time. Below is The Six Point Dazzle Wheel. It starts with your customer’s expectations, followed by their actual experience, the level of satisfaction they feel, the quality of the service and their purchase and the value they feel they received. If each point scores a 10, then we’ve reached and delivered DAZZLEMENT.

You’ll need to find out what a customer expects from their dealings with you. Once you know their expectations you can meet them and surpass them if that’s possible. Some expectations may be far fetched. In that situation your team must be trained in advising the client what can be expected and delivered at the best of best level. If the agent continues without qualifying the expectation then the end result will not be

Dazzlement – more a case of dissatisfaction and loss of client. The customer’s experience is built before they receive it by Mapping the Service Path. This is accomplished by following the service path they are likely to follow. It means that you determine the MOTs the Moments of Trust & Truth along each service path (online – offline). This mapping is the route to DAZZLING customer satisfaction.


FULFILLING YOUR SERVICE ROLE The jury is still out as to whether or not the retail travel industry is a sales or service business. I lean towards sales industry. I believe that DAZZLING customer service is a component of the sales process. After I’ve delivered a DAZZLING sales experience my DAZZLING customer service continues. Without a sale, you have nothing to service. If you service that sale, you will win back that original client for their next trip and grow referrals, too. How about you? Is this a sales or service industry?

There are some people who just do not understand their service role. It could be that they have not been trained properly or harbour a certain point of view about servicing a fellow human being. Action Item: Ask your team to create service benchmark for themselves. Complete a walk through based on the customer’s service path and decide the service criteria for each stop along that path. Your criteria should match what your advertising, website and social media promise. From the moment a customer makes contact with you, your agency, the customer service plan should click into gear and do so at a DAZZLING level. Not everyone has the talent to fulfill their service role. There are travel agents who are excellent at selling and poor at servicing and vice versa. The challenge is this: no one has the luxury of one without the other – which means everyone on your team must be well rounded as the sales person and the provider of customer service. What’s Your Promise? Have you promised your clients anything? Is there any statement or offer that purposefully or inadvertently offers a promise to your clients? Your clients will know whether or not you do ‐ so you’d better check if you are not sure. The ‘promise’ is usually found in your company name, your slogan, your social

media content and very often hinted at during conversation. If your tag line includes the word experts, or #1 in… or perhaps you won a local business award, or one of your team said, “… it will all go well, I promise…” then you have made a commitment to which you and everyone on the agency team must now live up to. If you have a documented Mission Statement, Vision Statement, a Customer Service Statement, a corporate slogan and tag line or Pledge on your agency wall, then these are all promises you must deliver on. As you can tell the service benchmarks are now forming and each one must be fulfilled 100%. During staff and sales meetings, ask the team, one by one, did you achieve what we promise? Did you achieve the benchmarks we all agreed on? If things are not working out, you cannot downgrade the promise! You must upgrade the skills of your agency team so they are comfortable in fulfilling their service role. Start by deciphering how many promises you make. Are they all necessary? Can they be rolled into one promise. Both team and customer input can help here. Important: When you make changes to what you promise, be sure to update all documents, web pages, social pages etc. I have seen too many websites with old content displayed which damages your reputation.


DO YOU HAVE A SERVICE RECOVERY PROGRAM? What’s the plan when things don’t go as planned? You can review recent cruise line events to get the measure of the question. When all is well, your DAZZLE shines through. When the splat hits the fan… your Dazzle just fizzled! Murphy’s Law is alive and well. When something goes wrong it will happen to your best client, best account, best supplier. It’s the law of the universe. Normally customers are very forgiving unless the event has maxed out their levels of understanding and compassion for what you do. Somewhere along the line, something broke down. What do you do? What does the Service Recovery Handbook say?

You have read of many service disasters both great and small. They are fed to us by our very own trade papers and the national news channels as well as the mass media channels too. Each time there is a new headline you wonder what did that company do to generate that service situation and what did they do to correct it? This is not a focus on major tragedies – more so it’s a focus on the smaller things that most people overlook but then the situation escalates into a huge angry beast that needs feeding and it needs feeding NOW! Each and every service program has flaws. They are there, they just haven’t been activated or found yet. But it’s coming. You’ll know about them as soon as someone finds them and it could be your number one customer again. Twice bitten could mean sayonara to a long term luxury cruise client or one of your most lucrative corporate accounts. The best way to establish a service recovery program is to trace the customer’s sales and service path step by step. As you map out each sequence , you ask yourself what if this didn’t happen, what would we do? What do we action if that happens? Who does it and how? Tickets did not arrive. The price that was quoted was incorrect. A name was not

added to the manifest and now there’s a surcharge. The promised hotel is booked thanks to a convention in town, a smaller less quality hotel is the only other option. The promised car rental category now all sold. Only a larger more luxurious model is available. The cruise ship is without power. Your perfect service storm is about to rage. Think about situations out of your control. Take for example bad weather and delays of any kind. Another ash cloud. A bus crash or hotel fire. A disabled cruise ship. These are events happening in real time. What is your service recovery activity for each of these situations? The worst approach is a wait and see plan. I know many who have travelled that path and paid for it. If you want to deliver that DAZZLING level of service you would have, must have, thought through where there is potential breakdown and then, along with your team decide how you will respond when that splat does hit the fan. It pays dividends if you have a scanned copy of your client’s passport on file; track storms and weather patterns online, set up Alerts, RSS newsfeeds and other sources of instant information. When a more local event happens such as guitars being smashed in transit – well the next article will advise you why you need a service recovery program.


YOUR REPUTATION MEANS STAYING IN TOUCH Today your client can talk about you to their neighbour and at the same time inform the world. That old ratio of a customer telling 5 friends when they have a great service experience and 10 or more when they don’t has long gone. You can ramp those numbers up to 120 friends on Facebook (averages change by user age group) when the experience is good to great. That number moves to millions when the experience was terrible or worse. Remember the singer who had his guitar smashed by airline baggage handlers? Here’s the scoop after he posted his video on YouTube: At the end of the first day the number of views totaled 150,000 and three days later on July 9,(2009) it had amassed 500,000 hits, 5 million by mid‐August, and as of April 7, 2011, it has received 10,233,487 hits! What was that 10 thing?

Your reputation is in the hands of your agency team on the delivery side and how well your clients use social media on the recipient side. Service can also be misunderstood. It is very important that things are explained clearly and concisely and that specific action item is in the hands of your sales team. There are certain phrases that we use such as “You know…” and “etc.” and “I don’t have to tell you…” All leading the customer down the wrong path – and in some cases that path leads to the front door of their lawyer. Maintain your reputation, means staying in touch. Some of your baby boomer aged clients might still complete a customer service postcard with five service questions on it. Mailing it back when postage is paid. Most others, especially your younger clients will click to the survey link provided and complete the online version. If your service has been lousy, those baby boomers will be online just like their younger counterparts, telling their pals about their experience. As the airline found out, social media is and can be at the heart of a customer service experience, both good and bad. Your social service goal is to have every client working for you as a social media reputation ambassador.

Social Media Service Large consumer brands have turned to social media to resolve customer service issues or at least as a channel to eventually take the issue off‐line. Some companies are using Twitter as a customer service tool ‐ the challenges are: not everyone uses Twitter and many people prefer to keep their business dealings private. The same pros and cons relate to Facebook, too. Staying In Touch Use your social media connections to ask how things are going. Reach out via social media to inquire how was the trip – then follow up by taking it off‐line. Use the telephone or email or a personal face‐to‐face chat. Once the client’s service issue has been dealt with favourably, let the client take it back online as they tell their friends and connections about how their issue was resolved. Get In First Naturally your customer service model includes a follow up phone call or email to each and every client. You’ll want to plan this and action the communication before the client calls you. Time consuming but in the long run your reputation is yours to manage and in the longer run it will be as shiny as when you first opened if you stay in touch.


SELLING CUSTOMER SERVICE It’s true. Service has become a product. It is marketed just like any other product you sell. It is a product you have complete control over. In many cases it will beat out price. How about that? The type and level of service you deliver is usually customer driven. The more they demand the higher your level of service. Although every travel agency believes their service to be better than what the competition offers, in most cases the services are the same. The difference if any, is the level of delivery.

What do you do for your clients? What do you offer them in the name of service? Can you list the features and benefits of what you do and offer? If you do not have a list, start there. Once you determine what it is you can actually offer and deliver then you have the makings of a product called customer service… the DAZZLING kind. Your service model must include accessible customer service, social media customer service and other levels of customer service that are aligned with your specific client base. Accessible Customer Service can be as easy as using large print in your e‐mails and specific web pages, too. The text colour can be a quick win. Red or pink on gray cannot be read easily by most people let alone someone who is colour‐blind. Building a wheelchair ramp to enter your agency might be required. Clearing snow from the agency front door is a service (and bylaw) requirement. Sell it: “We make booking travel Accessible to ALL!” Sell it: “We Clear The Snow, So You Can GO!” Your meet and greet sells your service too. That smile in person, on the phone or the written version in your emails and texting. Selling the smile can work. Also the placement of your brochure rack and the functionality of your website constitutes a level of service. Make it easy to do business with you. Make it easy to enjoy your service.

Any action or activity that requires effort from your customer is not helping you sell your customer service product. Review with your agency team to plot the best of all outcomes then train everyone on the team to produce that desired outcome each time every time. You are working towards DAZZLING your clients with your customer service and that there is one more selling statement – here it is. Can I get a “Ta daaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

Okay so it’s a little Hollywood, and that ain’t bad. You need a touch of the pizzazz when you sell service. Anyone watching Mr. Selfridge? I’ve ordered the original book "Shopping, Seduction & Mr Selfridge" lots to learn there I am sure. Once you have your customer service plan in place with all staff trained to deliver it, then you can promote your service as if it was a revenue product – which it is if you charge service fees. If you do not charge fees, then we need a serious chat!


“ARE THEY BEING SERVED?” If you have ever watched this old, very old British TV show you will know it to be silly, daft and full of innuendos that only the Brits can deliver. The theme tune, the sound of the cash register, and that call from Captain Peacock “Are you free Mrs Slocombe?” Fun to watch as were the John Cleese customer service videos that were ‘over the top’ but provided customer service responses to think on. To the question then: “Are Your Customers Being Served?”

How and where do you start to analyze whether or not your clients are in fact being served and served at a level that is acceptable and meaningful to them? There is only one way to find out of course and that is to ask each and every client, “Are you being served?” and tally the responses. This go‐direct step in the process is very important. Your clients are the only original source of information that will help you define and refine the level of customer service experience you deliver. At the same time ask your agency team what they think about the overall service delivered as a company and compare their responses with what your clients tell you. Naturally some of your clients will want more than you can deliver and that issue should be addressed up front. On the other hand you may discover a new opportunity and a new service to offer which will boost the level of customized services certain clients would be willing to pay for. As you know, what was free now comes with a fee. This prompts a total review of what services your clients actually need, want, use and will pay for. Each service you offer comes with a cost to the agency. It’s either a soft dollar or hard earned cash that you are spending. A typical service provided by a travel agency is time intensive unless there is a physical product involved that also has a cost of acquisition for you. That cost would then be passed on to the client.

Here’s where your clients may NOT be ‘being served’ at the level of service you wish to deliver: 1. Agency location – not easy to find.

2. Agency signage not easy to read.

3. Lukewarm welcome.

4. Stale coffee.

5. Uncomfortable seating.

6. Not everything explained in one session.

7. Too many mistakes – written / oral.

8. Resolutions take too long.

9. Travel insurance not explained in full.

How are you doing on each of these nine points? Do you need to upgrade? There’s always an opportunity to explore each moment of truth and plot how each moment of truth could be turned into a dazzling experience for your client. Are YOU being served? What can you learn from your own shopping and customer service experiences? Have you received dazzling service? What happened? Can any part of your experience be introduced to your agency’s service model? Usually it can. Ask your agency team for their best service experiences, too. Don’t forget, if someone asks, “Are you free?” The answer is “Only for a fee!”


AUTO RESPONDERS & CUSTOMER SERVICE As you well know, when you or any of your agency team are heading off to a meeting, on vacation or attending a FAM, you switch on and update your email autoresponder and away you go. The question is, is your e‐mail autoresponder working for you? Does it deliver the right service message, or any message for that matter?

It’s a good idea to create a template for everyone in your agency to use when they need to announce their absence from the agency. The reason for this common template is simple – most autoresponder scripts are lies! Yes. It’s true. Here’s what most scripts deliver:

“… and I’ll have little to no access to email…”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” says the client in their mind. No one in business today has little to no access to email. If you carry a mobile phone as you do, then you have access to email. Here’s what you say. No need to lie about your access to email. You do not even have to mention it. Try this: “I’ll be away on vacation as of (date to date) and when I return I’d be delighted to tell you all about my travels. Until then if you need assistance please contact Steve…who will be responding to my e‐mails” When you offer this response you set the scene that you will be travelling or ‘away’ for a set period of time. You add in a sales pitch to stir the marketplace, tantalizing your clients with the fact that you will tell them about your trip, and you service them further by offering a colleague (Steve) who they can contact should they need assistance in your absence. Job done.

The Social Autoresponder Here’s a way to tap into your social media connections via your autoresponder and this idea assumes you have a blog, a Twitter account, a web page that you update or an online journal that you will update as you travel. Right. You are off on a FAM or vacation. Your autoresponder script now reads: “Thanks for your email. I am delighted to tell you that I am away on a trip to (destination) from (date to date) and although I will not be responding to email during this time, you can actually follow me and enjoy the sights and sounds as I see them. Click here (Link) to follow me, view my photographs and read my travel blog. I’ll be hosting a presentation when I return so check your email for your personal invitation. I look forward to seeing when I return to the office.” You can use the same wording for your telephone / voice mail responder too. Font Size: Make sure you use an Ariel font size 11 or 12 or similar. So many responders are scripted in font size that is too small to read. Not exactly service oriented especially if your client base includes seniors. There you have it. Your autoresponder should offer a contact person in your absence, date of your return, a link to follow and try to sell a presentation date, too.


CUSTOMER APPRECIATION ‐ CLIENT AWARDS EVENT You’ve seen enough award shows to know how they work and no doubt received some sort of customer appreciation goodie from the stores you shop at. Combining that first hand knowledge, you could create your own customer appreciation event and turn it into an awards show that in turn helps market your agency, your team, your brand, your preferred suppliers and your value.

The awards can be simple and awarded for certain “achievements” by your clients such as: 1. miles most travelled

2. most interesting tour itinerary

3. most far off the beaten track trip

4. visiting the coldest place on earth

5. booking the most adventurous trip

6. the most awe inspiring photograph

7. the most cruised

8. the most compelling travel story

The winners are decided by the agency team based on the categories you create. Make sure each category is interesting, challenging and when presented at the awards show, set to generate one or two WOWs from the audience. For instance if an 85 year old client made it to base camp for Everest, that would be a most adventurous award and as you present the award, you ask the client’s age… an audience gasp is sure to follow. Now you can follow that presentation with a statement such as: “If Ethel at 85 can do it, you can do it, too!” A subtle push for your clients to get out and be more adventurous. You can also involve your preferred suppliers in this event and have

them present their own awards and perhaps even dangle some carrots with a book tonight discount, or door prize. Keep in mind however that this is your show and it’s your clients who are being rewarded. The award itself should represent the globe, the activity, the destination. Your award choices range from plaques to orbs to crystal to wood. Shown below is one example. Your agency name, the client’s name and the award would be engraved where the maker’s brand is shown. This globe was selling for $29. Search locally for a trophy store and discuss your options.

Have your award recipients talk about their trip and be ambassadors for your agency. Your clients can help you sell more travel once you show your appreciation of their business.


PROTECTING YOUR FEMALE CLIENTS

When it comes to protecting your female clients whether they are travelling alone, with their partners or in a group there’s more advice required and not concerning travel insurance, but more explicit self protection and tips on survival. The media as you know has told us about a female tourist who was raped in India recently after the young Indian student was raped. Even more recently news of another female tourist who jumped from her third story hotel room to avoid what she thought was a dangerous situation about to happen. Another six tourists from Spain where raped in Acapulco in February and also two tourists in Rio expecting a safe ride in a tourist bus. It is unfortunate that your female clients as tourists are preyed upon and it can happen randomly anywhere, anytime as we have witnessed. So what can you do to help? Are there any preventative measures you can invoke before your clients leave on vacation? The following suggestions might be difficult for some male travel agents to talk about to their female clients – woman to woman shouldn’t be a problem. Read with your clients concern in mind and yours too if you are a female TA.

The focus of your advice to your female clients is related to prevention, awareness and common sense precautions – some simple, others drastic. When my daughter was setting off on her travels some years ago, I put her through some gruelling situations to teach her how to escape from a variety of attacks and holds that a man would attempt. Also how to walk with confidence, use shop window reflections to see behind you, and to become more crazy then the crazies when need be. I have many years of martial arts training and know the techniques that work versus being showy and basically useless.

If this topic has meaning to you, then you would do well to initiate a self defence training course for tourists and work with your local Community Police Centers where female police officers can help you. You can also work with a local self defence / martial arts studio but here you must be aware. There are many fake studios with so called masters running them. Your police contact should be able to advise you. To become proficient in any of the martial arts takes years of dedication and practice. What you need and want here is hard core basic training in self defence which includes

everyday things that a tourist would carry such as a pen, a belt buckle, iPad, magazine etc. I know it’s bloody when you watch it on television, however even the police are now training in MMA – mixed martial arts and as a long time practitioner of the arts I have to concur that many of the stand up techniques would work better for women in confrontational situations than typical self defence tactics.

Next step: You do not want to cause panic as you announce your new service to your clients. The idea here is prevention and escape. You can advise your clients about your Travel Safe event quietly by email unless you want to host a day long event where women learn about travelling safely, travel insurance, first aid, the dress codes of various countries, how to use personal alarms and survival apps for smart phones and then how to protect themselves in real time. Give them a taste of what they need to practice and where they can find further instruction. To my mind, in today’s world, this would be a very credible event to arrange. You would make the headlines for sure if you wanted the exposure.


I suggest you work closely with your travel insurance provider, too. I know of one company that offers Kidnap, Ransom and Extortion (KRE) insurance which is Chubb. Mention this company to your clients. Gadgets, Apps and More To my mind, every woman when travelling alone, should have a personal alarm device that operates quickly with one button to push. There are also small air horns that would deafen and disorientate an attacker instantly and the one shown here (Scheecher) also sprays Mace.

The door brace is collapsible, comes in various styles and strengths. There is a smaller lighter model that collapses to 12”. Sturdy enough to prevent someone barging through the hotel room door on their first attempt. The brace shown here is more sturdy and the type that I personally use. Easy to pack in your luggage and use as soon as you enter the hotel room or cruise cabin. Stun Guns are another option and this one is designed to look like (not operate) a cell phone. Just make sure you don’t tap the taxi driver with it to get his attention!

http://womenonguard.blogspot.ca/2012_09_01_a

rchive.html

Alert Apps for smart phones are very useful in certain situations such as when time is on your side to react, select an app and activate it = a post attack situation, lost in strange city. The passengers on the Concordia might have been located with the high level GPS based alert apps. You would do well to offer a selection of these devices and sell them ‘across the counter’ or at least list them on your website and where they can be purchased.

An ideal companion when heading into the bush or having to use unsanitary toilets is the Go‐Girl device. If offering advice about this device makes you embarrassed just include the link www.go‐girl.com in your pre‐trip documentation and post it on your website.

I’ll let you visit the website shown here so you read it for yourself. This is a simple device that should prevent any woman being caught in a disadvantaged situation when having to use nasty public washrooms and those thigh straining floor versions.

That’s it. Be sure to think about creating your Travel Safely brochure and fill it with advice that can help prevent your female clients being threatened, attacked, raped and kidnapped. Combine this advice with complete travel insurance coverage and if your clients are concerned more than usual suggest KRE coverage from Chubb.


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The newly redesigned Certified Travel Industry Executive (CTIE) program is a bold collection of courses and online training focused on the critical skills that today’s travel professionals need to succeed. Graduates will learn how to grow their business while earning recognized industry credentials. The CTIE certification is parallel to the Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) certification, thus, representing the pinnacle of travel industry professionalism for seasoned travel professionals who are interested in advancing their career.

NEW: It is no longer a prerequisite to earn the CTA designation or test out of CTA prior to enrolling in CTIE. NEW: While studying for your CTIE, you will enjoy Premium Membership benefits such as white papers, expert webinars, podcasts, blog posts and much more. NEW: All courses are completed online in The Travel Institute’s Communiversity. NEW: Interest free 12 month payment plan is now available. The CTIE program is perfect for travel professionals in non‐consumer sales roles such as:

Suppliers Host agency executives Consortia leaders Marketers

Internet travel executives Back of office accountants IT support staff

The new CTIE curriculum covers these five core competencies:

Communication Leadership Management Sales and Marketing Customer Service

To earn the CTIE, travel professionals must:

Possess at least 5 years of full‐time industry, management, or business experience

Complete a 2000‐3000 word White Paper

Commit to annual certification maintenance to retain certification

After certification, commit to annual Travel Institute membership

That’s right. I’m giving two‐thumbs up

for The Travel Institute’s CTIE program and recommend you check it out. At the same time look for my management webinars & workbooks that will indirectly support what you learn by studying the CTIE content. Click on The Travel Institute’s logo for more information.

www.thetravelinstitute.com

THE TOP 25 CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE MANAGERS This chart has been adapted slightly to suit the role of TRAVEL AGENCY MANAGER. You can change the titles and the responses to suit your own situation. For those in HR you can use it determine how you want your management team to function.

The Top 25 Characteristics Of Effective Managers

1.

Great listener. Really listened to my ideas.

14. Laid cards on the table. No hidden agenda. Knew what I was supposed to do so I could do it properly.

2. Believed in me. Respected my ability to do the job.

15.

Made me feel at home on my first day. Introduced me to everyone. Did not abandon me.

3. Delegated responsibility well. 16. Very strict but very fair.

4. Came in smiling. Always enthusiastic.

17. Had an open door policy.

5.

Complemented me on my achievements. Gave credit.

18. Found the best in each of us.

6.

Always asked how I was. Interested in me as a person.

19. Always remembered what we had discussed.

7.

Willing to share ideas. Excellent teacher. Teaches new skills to make process better.

20. Ready and willing to hear and try out new ideas. Didn’t believe in or defend the status quo.

8.

Criticized the job, not me. Told me both good and bad.

21. Took the team approach. Led like a coach. Cheered us on. Turned obstacles into challenges.

9.

His/her word was his/her word. Promises kept.

22. A true professional. Never gossiped or put others down.

10.

Not a phoney. What you saw was who he/she was.

23. Always took our side. Never put us down to clients.

11.

Realized there was more than one way to do a job. Allowed us to do the job in the way that was best for us as long as the job was done correctly.

24. There were no favourites. Everyone played by the same rules.

12. Could keep a secret. We could talk.

25. Practised what he/she preached. Was on time. Honest. Caring. Expected same from us.

13.

Showed me I was important and my job was important to the company. Made me feel important.

26. One more from you…?

PROFITING THROUGH EFFECTIVENESS

THE LIFE OF PIE – USING CHARTS TO PLAN

When you want and need to study your business from a metric point of view one of the best ways to do this is to use graphs. You do not have to be an expert as the software creates the graph for you. What you must do however is learn how to enter the data and read the results.

To create and view graphs you will need a program such as Excel and Excel can be purchased individually or as one of the programs in a version of Microsoft Office. Graphing your data presents a visual overview of your business and makes it easier to see patterns of business. Once you learn how you to graph you will be better informed and strategically planning the way forward will become easier.

The pie chart offers you an at‐a‐glance overview of how your team are servicing your clients. Gather your data from a simple 5 question survey, tally the points and then enter them into an Excel spreadsheet click the graph icon and choose the pie chart layout. You may favour a different chart such as a bar chart. Graphic visualizations are now all the rage as you will know from the many trade related infographics now being received. This combination of information and graphics is exactly what planning and graphing is all about. Data visualization is the phrase. Look for books on how to graph and explore the next two pages showing the various chart styles and the type of data they are used to represent. The charted graph is an excellent way to show your agency team how well they are doing in terms of customer service responses and sales.

STRATEGIC PLANNING

Types of Graphs

A picture is worth a thousand words. A graph could be worth a thousand bucks! The following list of graphs will give you a good idea about the level of sophistication in graphing the visual fingerprint of your business. You have a choice. First you must determine your message. Then, what is the comparative pattern you wish to present? Here’s how each graph can be used:

Vertical Bar Used to compare unique data sets using a bar for each data set.

Vertical Stacked Bar Used to compare unique data sets using a bar for each data set with similar data sets being stacked.

Horizontal Bar Used to compare unique data sets using a horizontal bar for each data set.

Horizontal Stacked Bar Used to compare unique data sets using a horizontal bar for each data set and similar data stacked on a bar.

Stacked Floating Bar Compare unique data sets using a bar for each data set with similar data stacked on a bar.

Stacked Floating Bar Compare unique data sets using a horizontal bar for each data set and similar data stacked on a bar.

Pie Chart Used to compare data sets as percentages of a whole.

Line Chart Summarize how data elements are related and the reaction to change on the data elements.

Pareto Chart Prioritizing the most significant items among many using the 80‐20 rule.

Area Chart Display data similar to line graphs with the filled portion of the graph depicting the relative contribution to the whole of each variable.

X‐Y Line Display relationships between large data sets with line indicators.

X‐Y Scatter Display relationships between large data sets.

X‐Y Bubble Plot circular markers of variable size to display three variables in two dimensions.

X‐Y Combo Display any combination of Line, Scatter, and Bubble plots in a single graph .

STRATEGIC PLANNING

Time Line Summarize how data elements are related and the reaction to change on the data elements over time.

Time Scatter Display relationships between large data sets over time.

Time Bubble Plot circular markers of variable size to display three variables in two dimensions against time.

Time Combo Display any combination of Line, Scatter, and Bubble plots in a single time graph.

High‐Low Plot the highest and lowest values for a variable over time.

High‐Low / Open‐Close Plot the highest, lowest, open and close values for a variable over time.

Candlestick Display open, close, high and low values utilizing a series of boxes with lines extending vertically from the ends.

Radar Display data radiating from a center point with categories having their own value axis.

LED Bar Gauge Use a single bar that changes color to indicate data is within preset parameters.

Bulb Gauge Use a single circle that changes color to indicate data is within preset parameters.

Source: PopCharts

Once you graph your sales & commission revenue history you can overlay this graph with the graphed responses to your customer service surveys and look for any correlation between sales growth and customer service excellence.

STRATEGIC PLANNING

When you need two‐heads thinking, or another point of view focused on a business challenge or input to help you make a decision, try Skyping With Steve and bring in the knowledge of someone that understands your business, your industry and your management challenges, someone who speaks the language of travel & tourism.

Here’s how it works:

Email Steve for a preferred time and date.

Include a brief overview of the topic / situation to be discussed. At the scheduled time – Skype Steve at: smptraining1

Rates are: $75 for the first 90 minutes ($65/hour thereafter) + taxes.

Long term commitments negotiated.

We will use the Pro version of Skype which allows us to share screens, exchange files, share desktops, deliver

PowerPoint and host up to 10 video feeds.

If you turn your webcam towards your management team in your boardroom, you can bring Steve into your meeting via the big screen.

www.skype.com

PROFITING THROUGH NEW TECHNOLOGY

REGISTER TODAY FOR THE

M A N A G E M E N T L E V E L W E B I N A R

Date: May 30th 2013 Location: at your desk Audio: VOIP Duration: 75 minutes Fee: $65 + taxes

TOPICS 1. Are They Being Served? Are You Sure? 2. What Is Customer Service? 3. Generational Service 4. Social Service 5. The DAZZLING Customer Service Model 6. Creating Your Customer Service Statement 7. IS Everyone Fulfilling Their Service Role? 8. How Do You Stay In Touch? 9. Selling Service and Servicing The Sale 10. Marketing Your Customer Service 11. The Service Recovery Plan 12. How Much Business Should Your Customer Service Attract? 13. The Issue Of Travel Safety and Your Female Clients 14. Customer Appreciation Events 15. Why Should Someone Buy Travel From YOU?

Step 1: Secure your seat here. Use your Visa or your PayPal account. Once payment has been made you will

receive a confirmation email with more details.

Step 2: Register here. Once you have reserved your seat, make

sure you register and create your personal password.

Need help? Call: 250‐752‐0106 or email here.


Book a 60 minute Skype session with Steve to discuss your current and future service model.

It’s included!

“PROFITING FROM DAZZLING CUSTOMER SERVICE”

http://www.instantpresenter.com/PIID=EC50DD888349

http://www.smptraining.com/registrations.html

DISCOVER POINTS OF DIFFERENCE THAT WILL MAKE YOUR AGENCY THE VERY BEST CHOICE

OUT OF ALL THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE

THE FOLLOWING 120 QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN SLIGHTLY ADAPTED FROM SAM GEIST’S BOOK “WHY?” TO SUIT THE AGENCY MANAGER’S ROLE. USE THESE QUESTIONS AS A

STARTING POINT TO ANSWER THE ABOVE QUESTION.

FOR A BETTER ALL‐ROUND UNDERSTANDING OF THE INSIGHT BEHIND EACH QUESTION YOU SHOULD PROBABLY READ THE ORIGINAL BOOK BY SAM GEIST. THE LINK TO THE BOOK

CAN BE FOUND WITHIN THE ARTICLE AFTER THE QUESTIONS.

TODAY 1. What are you doing to increase your knowledge, your information about the changing

travel marketplace, about emerging technologies? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What are you changing in your travel agency / organization as a result of new found

information to stay on the cutting edge of change as it relates to selling travel? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. How are you positioning your travel agency to take advantage of technical advances and

emerging technologies? Are you taking “tomorrow” (baby boomers decreasing, Gen X moving up) into account in your positioning decisions?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. What new, within the last year, advantages / reasons to book with you are you providing

your customers that you did not previously provide? What new advantages are you planning next year?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. What specific travel trends significantly affect your existing customers? What are you and

doing for your customers that is in sync with these trends? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. What do you provide your agency team to learn about the emerging changes in the travel

marketplace? How do you enable them to act on this information? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. How do you communicate your goals about change to your agency team? What are you doing to ensure they understand, inculcate and effectively incorporate these goals into their goals and work environment?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 8. How are you using today’s marketplace trends to attract new customers to your agency

and / or your specific niche market? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 9. How are you encouraging existing customers to travel more often, upgrade when they

travel or generally use your services more often? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 10. How many different solutions to a travellers problem are you able to provide your

customers? Think segment by segment such as FIT, Groups, All Inclusive… __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 11. What are your top five excuses for not changing? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 12. What can you do to eliminate these five excuses? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 13. What are your top priorities? How are they in sync’ with today’s travel marketplace and

with today’s traveller. Do these priorities have a window of opportunity into tomorrow? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 14. From how many different perspectives do you view the changing travel marketplace? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

15. How fast can you react & respond to change when it happens locally, nationally and globally? What can you do to speed up your reaction time?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 16. What are you doing to simplify your customer’s experience with you, with your agency

team, with your organization? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 17. What do you do in your role as the agency’s owner / manager to keep your agency /

organization moving in the right direction? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 18. When was the last time you asked your customers why they bought travel from you / did

business with you? With your competition? What did you discover? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 19. When was the last time you asked your former customers / customers who defected to

another agency, why they stopped doing business with you? What was their response? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

BASED ON TOMORROW 20. What makes you – your agency, your organization different from your competition? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 21. What is your competitive advantage? How do you know? How can you increase your

competitive edge? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

22. Would you buy travel from you? Why? Why not? Would you do business with you / your agency? Why? Why not?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 23. What extras / value adds have you built into your marketing plan to increase your

differentiation? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 24. What can you change today in your marketing plan to create a theatrical approach? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 25. On how many sensory levels do you communicate with your travel customers? What can

you do to increase your B2C communication? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 26. What would be their first impression of your travel agency when a customer / new

customer walks through your agency’s front door? What is your own impression when you walk through that front door? What can you do to create an even more positive impression?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 27. What have you included in your marketing plan to ensure your audience is comfortable,

satisfied, interested in continuing as a customer? What have you included in your marketing plan to attract new customers?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 28. Where do your customers make their buying decision? By phone. By e‐mail. In agency. On

your web site. On line. What are you doing to ensure that this decision is a positive one? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

29. Do your visual merchandizing efforts (agency window – in agency displays – wall decor) contribute to your bottom line? How would you rate this area of your marketing activities on a 1‐low to 10 –high scale? What can you do to make it a 10?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 30. What are the top three products, destinations and services customers buy from you? How

do you communicate your benefits? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 31. Where have you searched in the past month for marketing inspiration, innovation and

travel marketing ideas? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 32. What new solutions can you incorporate into your marketing strategy today? What new

solutions can you begin to develop for the future? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 33. How are you tangiblizing your intangibles and intangiblizing your tangibles? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 34. What have you achieved in the last year, last month, last week to stay ahead of the

copycats? Is your marketing strategy putting you on the offensive or defensive? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 35. How are you using social media technology to update your marketing strategy and its

benefits? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 36. What is your best‐selling item? How often is it sold? What is your most requested service?

Is it difficult for your customers to get it? Can your team skilled to sell it? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

37. How many new destinations, products, suppliers and services have you added to your sales plan this year? How much will they contribute to your business?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 38. Is there still “opening night excitement” in your agency? If not, what are you doing to

revive that feeling? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FROM THE CUSTOMERS POINT OF VIEW 39. What is the definition of customer service in your agency / organization? Who knows

about this definition? Do customers agree it satisfies their needs? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 40. What particular service needs do your customers have? What particular service needs do

you foresee your customers having in the next year or two? What solution are you providing for those needs?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 41. Who does a customer service review in your agency / organization? How often? Who gets

the feedback from the review? How is it used? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 42. Where are the MOTs ‐ moments of truth ‐ in your agency? What are you doing to turn

these moments of truth into moments of triumph / excellence? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 43. How effective is your agency to customer communication? When was the last time you

checked if your customer service was in synch with your customer’s expectations? What did you find out?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

44. What are you doing to customerize your service? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 45. What special benefits in your service strategy encourage customers to buy their travel

from you? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 46. Do you know what your customers consider to be good value? What is their definition of

good value? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 47. What do you do to deliver good value as defined by your customers? Is there anything

else you can do? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 48. What new opportunities can you create for your organization based on your customers’

definition of good value? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 49. Have you set clear customer service standards within your agency? What are they? Who

knows about them? Who can meet these standards? Who doesn’t? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 50. What steps can you take to remove any staff / service indifference that drives customers

away? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 51. How are customer complaints handled? Is the information recorded? Discussed? Where

and how is your “customer complaint” department located / accessed by your customers? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

52. What service techniques do you use, do your staff use, to stay in touch with your customers – after the sale is performed? What can you do to stay in touch that you are not currently doing?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 53. What new technologies are you using to better enable you to service your customers?

What new technologies are you using to optimize the service they receive? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 54. How do you rate the execution of your service strategy on a scale of 1 low – 10 high?

What can you do to make is a 10? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 55. Do your customer service policies and standards accurately reflect who you are? Do they

accurately reflect who you want to be? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 56. What is your competitors’ customer service like? Have you checked? How recently? What

can you learn? What did you learn? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 57. Does your mission statement include a customer service statement / component? Does

everyone in your agency know and understand your mission / vision statement? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 58. Do you give recognition to your customer service heroes? How? How often? What is it?

How do you recognize service excellence? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FRONT LINE BOTTOM LINE 59. Why should someone work for you / your agency… rather than someone else? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 60. Is your hiring record effective? Why? Why not? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 61. What can you change in the procedure, what can you include to ensure you hire skilled

next generation travel professionals? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 62. What do your agency employees want and need? How can you find out? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 63. Are you providing their wants and needs? How well? What can you do to improve? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 64. What motivators do you provide agency staff in your current business environment? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 65. What motivators can you add to this list? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 66. Where can you get inspiration for additional motivators? Have you asked your staff for

ideas? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

67. What can you do to recognize and reward staff? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 68. What else can you easily do? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 69. Is your training program organized around travel trade training available from trade

associations? Is it in‐house? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 70. On a scale of 1‐low to 10‐high, how would you rate the effectiveness of your training

program? Do you know the ROI on your training program? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 71. List at least five ways it can be improved. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 72. What can you do to incorporate your ideas into your training program? Make a list. Create

a plan. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 73. How regularly do you hold joint agency staff / management meetings to solicit ideas and

to air grievances, needs and wants? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 74. Do the meetings enhance the atmosphere in your agency? Why? Why not? What can you

do to ensure they do? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

75. Do you provide staff with evaluation of their performance on a regular basis? Do you provide your management team with evaluation of their performance on a regular basis?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 76. What evaluation techniques do you use? List them. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 77. How can your evaluations be improved to further enhance staff satisfaction and

productivity? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 78. What steps have you taken to empower staff? What additional steps can you take? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 79. How high are the brick walls of miscommunication in your agency? What are you doing to

knock them down? What else can you do? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FROM VISION TO IMPLEMENTATION 80. Why should someone buy travel from you next year – in five years? Ten years? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 81. What is your vision for your agency / company? What is your staff’s vision? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 82. Have you researched the viability of your vision? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

83. How will you ensure that your customers are in alignment with your vision? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 84. What is your vision statement? Have you written it down? Where is it? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 85. Have you put it to the test? Is its content appropriate? Does it fit your organization? Is it

credible, believable? How will you ensure that everyone in all departments in your organization is aligned with your vision?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 86. What strategies will you implement to make your vision reality? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 87. Who will plan the strategies? Who will execute them? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 88. What objectives will you strive to reach to make your vision reality? What innovative or

breakthrough goals do you intend to achieve? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 89. What value, what benefits do you envision your plan will have for your customers? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 90. What value, what benefits do you envision your plan will have for you, your agency, your

staff? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

91. What skills will be required to move from vision to implementation? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 92. Who in the agency / organization has those skills? What are your plans for acquiring next

generation skills not presently available in the agency? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 93. What environmental factors affect your vision? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 94. What competitive factors affect your vision? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 95. What mechanisms are you including in your strategy to assess viability, progress and

success along the way? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 96. In determining the success of your agency strategy, what percentage of your time is

devoted to looking outside the organization to external issues, such as marketplace concerns and technological development?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 97. In determining the success of the strategy, what percentage of your time is devoted to

future‐focusing? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 98. Is your vision in synch with today’s / tomorrow’s rapid change in the travel industry?

What can you do to ensure it is? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

99. What competitive advantages will the implementation of your vision give your agency? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 100. What new opportunities will the implementation of your vision give your agency? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A CATALYST FOR ACTION 101. As a catalyst for action what do you stand for? What are your values? Your goals? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 102. To whom have you communicated your values, your goals? How? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 103. What are your strengths as a manager / leader? What is your plan to increase them? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 104. What are your weaknesses as a manager / leader? What is your plan to reduce /

eliminate them? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 105. As a manager / leader, as a catalyst for action, what promises do you make? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 106. What else can you promise? What else can you give? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

107. How strong are your communication skills? What are you doing to improve them? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 108. What opportunities do you create to dialogue with your staff? With customers? How

successful are you? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 109. What else can you do to develop outstanding two‐way communication? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 110. From how many different perspectives do you view the same situation? Does viewing

from different perspectives change your response? Why? How? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 111. What have you done to better your risk taking? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 112. Which ones would you like them to apply to you? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 113. What are you doing to make that happen? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 114. A boss says, “Go.” A leader/manager says, “Let’s go!” What one important example

can you illustrate that demonstrates you are a leader rather than a boss? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 115. How has your role as a manager changed in the last 2 years? Why? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

116. In what ways have you improved as a manager? How do you know? In what ways can you still improve?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 117. When you look at yourself in the morning what do you say to yourself that

demonstrates you are a catalyst for action – an inspiring manager / leader? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 118. What would you like your staff to write (not yet though!) on your headstone as a

parting tribute? How would they remember you? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 119. What are you doing right now to make that happen? What can you do? What will you

do? How would you like to be remembered? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 120. If your staff were to read, “the top 25 characteristics of leaders” which ones do you

think would apply to you? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The 120 questions have been adapted from the book WHY? Should Someone Do Business With You… by Sam Geist.

Here’s the link to buy the book:

http://www.amazon.com/Why‐Should‐Someone‐Business‐You/dp/1896984002

SMP OFFERS THIS PROGRAM AS AN IN‐HOUSE WORKSHOP – USING THE BOOK’S ORIGINAL FORMAT, QUESTIONS, INSIGHT AND IDEAS WITH A FOCUS ON THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY. ATTENDEES SHOULD HAVE READ SAM GEIST’S BOOK BEFORE ATTENDING THE WORKSHOP.

Have you got your copy yet?

When you need marketing ideas, how-to tips, tools and techniques PLUS over 700 links to additional

resources – this 9” x 7”desk-sized soft cover 412 page book is for you.

Order Soft Cover from Order e-Book from

www.bigbarkgraphics.com www.thetravelinstitute.com

www.citc.ca

www.travelagentrevolution.com

TAM & Selling Travel support s all other travel trade magazines and encourages you to explore the following publications that deliver news, destination information and more tips, tools and techniques. Round out your daily intake of knowledge and this will help you sell more travel. The following logos appear in alphabetical order – click the logo to visit the website.

Make sure you subscribe and read not only the publication but also each website as many websites offer more than just news & views – there are also Guides and Supplements that you can use for in‐house training and development.

www.asta.org

www.canadiantraveller.net

www.expressvoyage.ca

www.gsapublications.com

www.hellowesttravel.com

www.sellingtravel.net

http://travelpress.com/DIGITAL/index.php?view=tc

http://www.travelpress.com/DIGITAL/index.php?view=ctp

www.travelindustrytoday.com

www.travelhotnews.com

www.travelweekly.com

www.travelweek.ca

www.travelagewest.com

www.issuu.com/smptraining

Training in MANAGEMENT SOFT SKILLS

for the travel trade now available

from

SMP

Move your management team To the next level

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travel agency manager may-june 2013

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