Wanna know what everyone is reading? Here are the week's top 5 blog posts:
5. YTB Cuts Price To $99 And More Good News
4. A TTA In Training: Part 2
3.
2. Travel Weekly Looks AT YTB
and the number one blog post of the week........
1. A TTA Gets CRTA Trained
I’m going to ramble on this subject because it’s personal and more important to me to be the best not the largest in the travel business.
ReplyDeleteAnn's information brought out some outstanding points from a professional travel agent's point of view which really points out some major shortfalls in YTBs RTA travel training.
Currently, it’s very expensive ito get the needed RTA travel training YTB offers. Since Ann has exposed RTAs aren't getting it locally at CRTA trainings leaves RTAs either have to attend an East Coast or West Coast periodic travel show which costs in the hundreds of dollars for expenses to attend or the annual national convention which costs in the range of $1,000 in expenses to attend. At most only 10% of the RTAs attend these venues where the very best travel training is being offered to RTAs.
Maybe YTB can figure out how to make the $49.95 monthly fee cover some of the RTA travel training or something in webcasts or something. I don't know, but after what Ann shared, I see a great big shortcoming in YTBs RTA travel training.
I hate the CRTA format. I'm not all hate. I think YTB can be fixed. I would like it the Current RTA Certification Training was available online like the Passport to Giving Program. Talk about saving money on training expenses.
YTB travel training must adapt to the need for higher quality standards. If YTB must due to lack of in-house personnel, outsource the travel training to certified travel consultants.
Current CRTA material is outdated, misses the mark to provide quality RTA training that attains high quality travel industry standards.
CRTA training should train RTAs who are brand new to the travel business to have an idea where to start when everyone starts calling you to get quotes on tour packages to Mexico, Hawaii, Caribbean, and Disneyland.
And for some thoughts on other travel training topics:
-- Qualifying the client
-- Geography
-- The details about E & O insurance
-- Business management
-- Customer service. There is a start! Handling Problems when they arise.
-- Client Consultations
Why aren’t these classes which 10% of RTAs take, available at CRTA which 99% of RTAs take?
Here's a sampling of Travel Training classes that would be excellent quality for RTA Certification Classes:
Developing and Selling Unique Groups - It's Where the Money Is!
Davidoff Associates President Philip G. Davidoff will talk to you about expanding your income by developing and selling unique groups. Learn how to provide added value to your group programs, control your pricing and secure repeat business. Davidoff Associates, Inc., specializes in seminars, consulting, writing and research within the travel industry. They have more than 35 years of experience and recognize that business is being conducted differently in the 21st century. Their seminars, consulting, writing and research are focused on assisting business owners and managers in understanding the practical aspects of the changes necessary to survive and thrive in the current business environment.
Building Momentum through Travel Parties
YTB Level 3 Directors from Miami, Florida, Roland and Michelle Athouris are experts at throwing a travel party. In fact, they want to tell you all about how travel parties can change your YTB business forever! They’ll discuss sacrifices you’ll have to make, how to become a conversation specialist in this people business, taking charge of your business to become a Director, how you can begin building momentum today and how to plan your next travel party - because let’s face it folks…travel parties pay the bills! Roland and Michelle have previously instructed classes for YTB University in 2007 at the National Convention.
Charting Successful Group Cruises
YTB Level 1 Directors from Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, Barbara Braveboy-Locklear and Horace Locklear have to ask - Are you drowning in Group Cruise fear? No need to worry! Barbara is a Group Cruise Specialist and will guide you through a step-by-step 5 “W” question process that is sure to cure any anxiety you have about selling and managing profitable group cruises. This class will take your travel business to a new level! Barbara and Horace have previously instructed classes for YTB University in 2006 and 2007 at the National Convention.
Travel Bookings Made Simple
YTB Level 1 Directors from Daly City, California, Mary Liu and Jenny Campbell want you to increase your income booking vacation packages with VAXVacationAccess - the travel pro’s best friend. You are not a secret agent and you tell everyone you're in the travel business. Great! But what happens when everyone starts calling you to get quotes on tour packages to Mexico, Hawaii, Caribbean, and Disneyland and you have no idea where to start? In this session, you will learn: how simple it is to book travel if you just know where to look and who to ask; where to find the tour operators who will help you; how to register with the tour vendors to access their agent only websites; and how to increase your income through travel sales. This workshop is a must for those who want to build a thriving travel business.
Help! My First Group Cruise Booking
YTB RTA and Coaches Corner member from Richmond, Virginia, Mary Cofield knows that the travel business is rapidly growing and there are many new travel agents who need some assistance to get started. This workshop is for the novice RTA and provides step-by-step procedures to book your first small group cruise (25 cabins or less). The guidelines are tailored to meet the needs of the new RTA and include worksheets designed by Mary’s RTA team to help you every step of the way. Discussions include group cruise selection, contacting the cruise line, pricing, marketing, and processing payments offline.
Cruising – The Experience
YTB Vice President of Travel Marketing from Edwardsville, Illinois, Shelly Coppersmith knows that cruises can be tough to sell when you lack the cruise experience. Do you feel your cruise sales suffer because you have not cruised yourself? Solve that by attending this informative class - you don’t want to miss this! Shelly has previously instructed classes for YTB University in 2006 and 2007 at the National Convention.
Rewards of Educational Student Travel: Financial and Personal Perspectives
American Destinations President & CEO, Curtis Edwards along with Vice President and Director of Marketing Lorie Edwards want to share 27 years experience in Educational Student Travel (schools) and help you to achieve larger groups, larger commissions, more repeat business, hence more residual income than any other segment of the travel industry. In addition, the personal reward from having a hand in positively impacting a child’s life is beyond measure. American Destinations, Inc. specializes in customized, all inclusive, comprehensive tour packages anywhere within the US and Canada. Learn from Curtis' first hand experience as a former high school teacher and coach how traveling with his students changed their lives and his.
How to Make YTBcars Work for You
YTBcars Administrators from Wood River, Illinois, Bob Federico, Bill Haegele, and Craig Schmitz show you how to utilize the YTBcars program and add value to your business. This simple program will not only enhance your income with generous commissions, but also add another feature to your YTB business for your potential team members.
Mastering your Booking Engine
YTB Level 1 Director from Simi Valley, California, Kevin Fitzgerald will help you master your booking engine and knows this will enable you to confidently go out and share your YTB travel business. This seminar is designed to greatly shorten an RTAs travel learning curve. Once your travel site is mastered, expanding your business becomes fun. Be empowered and bring your business to new heights. Kevin has previously instructed classes for YTB University in 2007 at the National Convention.
YTB Ant Hill Travel Building 101
Spring Tour International Coordinator & Liaison to YTB Joe Jarvies and Spring Tour International Educator for YTB Worldwide Tours Becky Byrom are here to share their expert tour knowledge. Figure out how to build your Ant Hill with YTB/Spring Exclusive Worldwide Tours by learning how to book tours, when to book tours, how to build your own recognized tours, how to build consumer confidence, how to navigate through the YTB/Spring Exclusive Worldwide Tours website, how to effectively communicate through individual and group training classes, and how to build powerful advertising spots to promote your website, cost effectively, through National Travel News.com.
Uncover The Hidden Benefits that Lie Within your Travel Biz
YTB Level 1 Director from Manalapan, New Jersey, Ian Olito, along with Dr. Patricia Baszczuk, is here to help you uncover the hidden benefits that lie within your travel business. The travel industry is awaiting you! Come learn the discourse, improve your chances of capitalizing on "High-end" upgrades, perks, and benefits. See the world for less! And remember, there is way more to your website than travel: unlock the misconception that YTB is only "travel." Explore the multitude of services that lay dormant at your fingertips.
Groups Made Easy
Carnival Cruise Lines Business Development Director from St. Louis, Missouri, Ann Sedgwick wants to show you easiest and the most profitable way to make money in the travel business? Become a group specialist! This seminar will walk you through the process from prospecting, promoting, and facilitating group business. It is a must for those RTAs interested in entering the world of group cruises! Don't think you have group business? Don't worry, you do! You'll walk out of the seminar with the knowledge to get started immediately! Whether you are brand new to the business or a travel veteran this seminar is for you! Ann has previously instructed classes for YTB University in 2006 at the National Convention.
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Starting Out Selling Cruises
Carnival Cruise Lines Business Development Director from St. Louis, Missouri, Ann Sedgwick wants to jump start your travel business by focusing on one of the most profitable sales for you in the entire vacation industry - cruises! This fast past seminar is perfect for entry level RTAs and those that want to learn more from their travel business! The basics from A-Z of what you need to know to start selling cruises immediately. If you don't know where to start, look no further! This is the seminar for you! You'll leave this seminar with a game plan and the knowledge of how to promote and sell cruises. You'll know where to go to get your questions answered. Great ready to earn travel commissions by selling Carnival Cruise Lines! Ann has previously instructed classes for YTB University in 2006 at the National Convention.
Your Booking Engine and Travel Portal: Know Your Product
YTB Level 1 Directors from Midlothian, Virginia, Bill and Jeanie Sharpless want to know: how can you promote your travel business, if you don't know your product? How can you build your YTB team by using your travel products? Join me to learn how to benefit from both sides of your business by using your travel products. Your booking engine is convenience at its best with one-stop reservations for so much more than airlines and hotels. Everything needed for travel (and more) is right at our finger tips. When people travel, they want to “do” things. Your website has everything from the minute they start planning their vacation to the minute they get home. Bill and Jeanie have previously instructed classes for YTB University in 2007 at the National Convention.
Originally Posted by vacationMAN
You are missing the point. 90% don't participate perhaps because they don't want to. Now, for my own team it is less than 90% but still about 80%. They got involved with YTB to buy their own travel from their own website. They lead very busy lives and would not have the time or effort to get into some training. The other 20% on my team who have interest in working have all been to CRTA training AND have been on conference calls and other travel training.
No problem VM. In that case, YTB MUST establish a new policy, that if you are not CRTA certified, then you are prohibited from booking with travel vendors direct via phone or their website because you are not qualified. You are restricted to online travel sales from your website only. That prohibits untrained, unqualified RTAs from embarrassing the professional travel agents.
YTB will not be legitimate until they revise RTA policy that no one is qualified to have direct contact with a travel vendor who is not trained and qualified through a revised and upgraded CRTA travel professional class, period. The CRTA credential should be adequate, which it is not in its present form, to train a RTA to know true travel professionalism procedures and be qualified to perform as a knowledgeable Independent Contractor that will not discredit and/or bring embarrassment to other travel industry professionals.
This week I have figured it out what TTAs mean when they say travel mlm's have cheapened the industry! They are talking about untrained, unqualified RTAs attempting to be a travel agent.
Now I realize I had blinders on and usually went into auto defensive mode whenever I heard that travel mlm cheapen the travel industry.
Here’s an example of an untrained, unqualified Certified RTA:
About a week ago, I received a call from an unknown YTB RTA who called me asking for YTB Customer Service. He'd been a RTA for 4 months. 4 Months.
He had gone to Yahoo.com to search for the YTB Customer Service phone number. My former YTB travel website which had my phone number on it popped up 4th on the search list and the first with a phone number so he called me. I answered the phone with a "hello" since I'm not a RTA at this time.
He asks is this YTB? I answer No who is this? He tells me and says he is a YTB RTA. I ask him how he got my number and he told me about the Yahoo search.
I was able to help him out, but the bottom line is that this RTA was clueless about his travel business. He was calling to ask where to find a form he needed to do a hotel property inspection.
It disgusts me that YTB Directors haven't come up with a better idea for comprehensive quality YTB RTA training program that all YTB RTAs get ASAP after purchasing a YTB Home-Based Travel Business. Don't even try to throw Marc Mancini in my face and also the backoffice (travel portal) training. I'm talking about RTAs need training ASAP available to them included out of the box in their YTB business equivalent that what is given at the National and Travel Trade Show Conventions.
As long as CRTA travel picture is 10% are vs. 90% aren't getting the BEST travel training the TTA's will have a legitimate "Gripe" about YTB RTAs aren't trained, but they want to be accepted as "travel pros".
And the beat (or beef) goes on…..
Here's what I got of a TTA Goes to CRTA to Get Trained:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.scam.com/showthread.php?p=526302#post526302