总部事件:桅杆旅行网络标记50年
byCheryl Rosen/
泰晤士报(Times)早在1969年,当今的许多顶级旅行社财团诞生了。在芝加哥,一群旅行社,通过ASTA的朋友遵循合奏和签名的模型,并团结起来,互相支持和学习。半个世纪后,他们发现对教育和支持的必要性同样至关重要,就像新一代旅行顾问加入该行业一样。
上周,有400多名旅行顾问和80个供应商庆祝桅杆旅行网络在风城的黄金周年纪念日,这是有史以来桅杆会议有史以来最大的投票率。
在过去的17年中,约翰·沃纳(John Werner)一直在掌舵。在担任总统期间,该小组从140个会员机构增长到220个,有1000名旅行社,11名全职总部员工和80多名优先供应商。
During a conference full of educational sessions, private supplier meetings, and fun events at Second City and Unnamed Supper Club, MAST debuted a number of new initiatives for the coming year.
新的教育计划
一流的教育项目——议事日程top priority, given that, in one of the best years for travel in recent memory, “Our member agencies are hiring and more independent contractors are affiliating with them — and they just don’t have the time to create training programs for their new people,” Werner told Travel Market Report.
To meet the demand, MAST is expanding its Xpedition training program, a series of self-paced courses that run from 6 to 12 weeks three or four times a year, allowing working travel professionals to take them at their leisure during each week. Amber Zakem, at headquarters, sends out the materials and monitors each person’s progress. Courses cover Mexico and the Caribbean; ocean and river cruising; and Western Europe and Hawaii, incorporating supplier training materials and certificates. A new course added this year focuses on Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.
Mast Travel Network的黄金周年会议上的教育内容。
In addition to the annual conference, MAST will offer two, full-day educational Travel Forums with a mini trade show; these also will be broadcast online for those who cannot attend in person. There are also destination immersion workshops, webinars, and Coffee Talk, where members chat about operational issues; and ClientBase training will be added soon.
One program Werner thinks is being underutilized is MAST business coaching, where “we come into your agency for about two hours and talk about whatever you want, compensation or liability or goal-setting. It’s a great way for experienced agents to choose goals and develop a marketing plan.”
On the technology side, MAST is working to create a booking platform for member agencies, more reporting capabilities to track sales, and technology to help members better manage their mailing lists.
但是可以公平地说,在芝加哥,重点更多地是一对一而不是房屋的后背。有400名旅行顾问,今年的会议出勤率比去年增长了25%。关键是“互相交谈并互相学习,但也要与我们的供应商共度三到四天。在大多数情况下,他们在一起,每天互相交谈。”
Eye on the next 50 years
至于未来,Werner(与旅行市场报告所说的每个与会者一样)感到乐观。beplay客服
他说:“曾经有一段时间,每个人都担心[旅行社]社区的老龄化,并且仍然对此感到担忧。”“但是,我们一直在看到很多年轻人进入业务和拥有机构,以及他们的第二或第三职业。他们想成为企业家,拥有自己的业务。而且我们绝对需要更多的人,因为业务正在增长。非常令人满意。”
In general, Werner said, total sales of member agencies, as well as of MAST as a whole, are up for 2018; and new suppliers tend to be at the higher end and luxury markets, like Regent Seven Seas and AMA Waterways.
但是,旅行“仍然是一项艰巨的生意;业内没有人知道您需要知道多少才能做到这项工作。”招聘和培训是最大的挑战。
Werner’s tip for travel agents, both new and seasoned? “Hold onto your clients,” he said. “Do everything you can to solidify those relationships, because there are a lot of places where they can buy travel. Too many agencies tell me their referral business is so good, they don’t need to market themselves. And I just say to never take your customers for granted.”
Cruise line executives talking to attendees at MAST Travel Network’s Golden Anniversary.
Other take-aways from the conference
Another tip came from three different speakers at the conference: The importance of personal storytelling when you sell travel.
“Show off your credentials,” said consultant and Travel Market Report columnist Steve Gillick at his morning breakout session. Post photos showing off what you are doing on social media and “sell the dream of repeating your adventure” to your customers.
吉利克说:“讲故事是一种面向关系的销售策略。”不要只是谈论目的地的功能;提及对您和客户的好处,并讲述一个故事为什么这些事情对您有意义。
Meanwhile, Ryan McElroy, CEO of Travel Agency Tribes, cautioned not to let yourself be overwhelmed by social media. Write down your goals for the two biggest, Facebook and Instagram, and start small, somewhere that plays to your strengths. If you are a writer, start a blog. If photography is more your speed, create some videos. “Don’t worry about what others might think; put yourself out there” and tell your story. And always refer your followers back to your home base, your website.
“Expedia sends you an email every single day, but travel advisors are afraid to do that because they are afraid of annoying a customer. Think instead about how much value you are adding [with daily communications],” McElroy said. “Create a newsletter of pure value, not a commercial — and get to even your dormant customers before these big companies do.”
Keynote发言人,Cruises和Cunard的高级副总裁John Chernesky也谈到了一个好故事的诱惑。研究表明,故事中传达的消息的有效性是22倍。个人评论的影响是其他职位的12倍;他说,92%的消费者喜欢口口相传。
“When I talk about Alaska, I tell my personal story and show pictures of my family,” he said. So, show your pictures — and if you don’t have your own story to tell, ask clients to post their pictures and tell their tales on your Facebook page.