Inside An RTA's Mind

This seems pretty typical of the response of most in YTB. Are Steve Mencik and I the only ones who see the flaws in this type of thinking?  And this did not even come from one of my blog posts!

On August 18th, 2008 at 6:24 pm Chris G said

I would like to apologize to all the traditional travel agents out there. I have been a MLM junkie and have been a threat to your business. I have been in YTB since July 2006. I have currently have a massive downline of 4 RTAs (I used to have 6, but 2 quit) and 11 Reps (Reps can join for free in case anyone didn?t know). None of these RTA?s or Reps have been motivated to do anything. I have shown the business to maybe 25 people. I know, I?m such a recruiting machine. I have also booked a whopping total of $172.60 in travel commissions. I know, I know, I should be ashamed of my greed. Most of these bookings have been from family and friends, but also a handful of strangers who found my travel site on the internet. Most of the bookings have been with flights, hotels, rental car and an occasional extra like honeymoon registry or tour. I work a full time j.o.b, go to school and enjoy working my business part time. Even if YTB didn?t have the marketing company, I would still purchase the travel site, even if I knew I didn?t have a snowballs chance of making a lot of money. I guess if I give up my YTB site and if myself, my family and friends book through a traditional travel agent, they will share their commissions, bonuses, tax deductions, benefits and more, cool.

On August 18th, 2008 at 9:38 pm

Chris,
The small amount of commission that goes to you or any other YTB or other MLM agent is not the point. You are ?working? a business part-time. You have spent approximately $450 to sign up, and another approximately $1200 in monthly fees to collect $172.60 in commission. Quit now, promise me you won?t go into another MLM, send me a check for $500 for this advice, and you?ll only lose $500 over the next two years, instead of the almost $1500 you lost over the last 2 years. What a bargain! I?m saving you $1000 and you don?t have to do anything at all!

You said, ?Even if YTB didn?t have the marketing company, I would still purchase the travel site, even if I knew I didn?t have a snowballs chance of making a lot of money.? Why would you purposely get into a business in which you knew you would lose money? Are you one of those people that P.T. Barnum talked about?

Apparently you don?t understand that traditional travel agents are not concerned that you are ?stealing? our business. We are more concerned that by pretending to be travel agents, you are going to damage our reputation as people that know the products we sell, and have the experience to give people expert advice on which product is best for them. People that are going to book online aren?t going to come to us anyway. They will go to Expedia, Travelocity or a host of other places, including the YTB sites. Just remember, if you book your trip online, you?re on your own.

If you are really serious about having a part-time travel business, there are host agencies that will give you an 80/20 split on commissions instead of the 60/40 split that YTB gives you. Some of them charge no monthly or annual fees. Some of them give you a website just like YTB?s for free. They also provide true travel agent training, not the CRTA recruiting training.

To get what few travel benefits there are, you will have to earn them. You?ll actually have to sell enough to earn $5000 in commissions in a year so you can get your IATAN card, something you?ll never get with YTB, since IATA dropped them.

So, no apology needed. Go ahead and keep giving Coach and company the hard-earned money you earn at your j.o.b.
When you are ready to be a true travel agent, give me a call.