The Facts Half-Truths About YTB--Part 6

Earlier this week I said that the "Values" page was the shortest page in the site. I was wrong, it is the second shortest. The shortest is the one for today--SUPPORT. But again, no surprises that there is not too much YTB says on the support issue. Today, let's take a look at the sixth tab on the new YTB site called www.TheFactsAboutYTB.com:

Support:

First Class Training is indeed a travel training program. While it is a very minimal program, it is a step in the right direction and it was developed as a result of the current lawsuit by California against YTB. Formerly, this class was called Certified Referral Travel Agent Training (CRTA) and while the title suggested something about travel--the curriculum was anything but. When confronted, YTB developed something about travel. It is an open book online course completed in 4 hours and there is a costs for the RTA to do this. To be candid, it needs to be pointed out that in your $449.99 start up fee, and your ongoing $49.95 monthly fee, travel training is NOT included.

The YTB e-Campus by Marc Mancini is another good step in the right direction. The classes are not really "unique" to YTB as they advertise as they are the same curriculum that Marc has been teaching for years. They are however a very nice income stream for YTB. The classes are licensed in bulk to YTB and then YTB charges the RTAs individually. It also needs to be noted that YTB is very behind in releasing these classes--or maybe they have not paid for the classes yet. The initial concept was to release a unit per month, but in the year plus that it has been around there have only been a handful of units released. And finally, while YTB will not release the numbers, the percentage of RTAs taking these classes is woefully minimal.

The YTB National Convention. Well, what more proof do you need that this is the "largest annual event in the travel industry" than a YouTube video produced by Beryl-Martin--a company privately and wholly owned by Scott Tomer, Coach Tomer, and Kim Sorensen. Ironically enough, the California Attorney General served YTB papers on the eve of their convention charging them with operating a pyramid scheme and fraudulent business practices. Fake seemed to be the theme of thhis year's convention--fake statue (which has it's own story), fake Ray Charles, fake attendance numbers, etc.

Please note that there is not a single mention of any support that might be offered to the people that purchase travel. But we already know how they support that.

News From The Convention Floor

Fighting for truth, justice, and the YTB way! Our very own Clark Kent Travel-Pro is reporting from the convention floor. The report was extensive, so we are including only excerpts.

I would urge anyone who is not here in St. Louis to get yourself to the Opening of our Convention at the Edward R. Jones Dome, Friday morning at 9:00am Central Standard time. The company has decided to postpone the unveiling of our Lady Liberty and dedicate the first 15 minutes of our opening specifically addressing this issue before we move into the Second Phase of YTB.

How un American. How can Liberty be put on hold? Oh wait, this "Liberty" is a fraud. Must be the theme of the convention.

We can not express how important it will be for you and your YTB business to see first hand what our Founders and our Legal Team have to say. We want to give you ample opportunity to hear first hand just how we will vigorously fight this personal attack" and why we believe we have a very solid shot at prevailing and inning the frivolous lawsuit.

Recruit to the death! Must recruit! What is Coach gonna say that he already has not? If he talks about it to 20,000 people his ego has finally been eclipsed by his stupidity!

Make no mistake, this suit was a personal attack towards YTB and the Traditional Travel Agents are behind what is going on. The timing of this suit was far too orchestrated and calculating for it not to be, as an embargo was put on the release of this suit until 10:00 PM Pacific Time on August 4th. Just 1 day before the opening of our National Convention.

The TTAs are flattered that you feel we orchestrated this. I am pretty sure the attorney general might feel otherwise. And just how is it that YTB has been negotiating this for 18 months and the TTAs have been actively campaigning for only 12? Travel-Pro...make sure you attend a math class at the University!

In addition, California has also filed suites this year with Heinz, Frito-Lay, Kettle Foods, McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, KFC, Pepsi, Proctor and Gamble, AOL, and Country Wide Home Loans just to name a few.

Travel-Pro---take spelling as well. Those "suites" they filed. Can you show shere they were intended to topple McDonalds, Burger King, Et Al? Most likely it was for something less than scamming hundreds of thousands of people out of money. I mean McDonalds has screwed up my order on occasion, but to my knowldge they never scammed me. And to boot they don't use styrofoam! And it seems like all of those companies actually pay people to work for them. Not ask people to pay to work for them.

If however you want to be part of the battle with another State just like Florida in 2006 and Rhode Island in 2007, both of which YTB prevailed, I urge you to be in the Dome Friday morning. Our National Convention has more than 20,000 Reps and RTA getting the same play at the same time from Founders and Leaders and we have plenty of room for you.

Wait a minute, for the past year you have said YTB has never been investigated. Please decide which side of your mouth you want to speak from.

Coach, Scott and Kim know how to handle this, they are handling this, and we are not going to hide. We recommend that you stand tall with us on Friday, August 8th at 9:00am when the play is called.

So Coach is calling another play? We saw how well the play turned out when you sold the Carnival certificates in November. The Olympic play was also a good one. Heck, it seems that his play on the two cruises did not work out too well. If the lemmings will not get behind him during good times, what are they gonna do now? And what is he? A coach, pastor or what? Or does it depend on the audience? And what team does he coach? And why does he have only a corner when most coaches have fields or courts? But I am sure he is pleased that you got one more recruiting pitch in!

It should also be noted that if anyone tries to contact you about this suit, please forward any questions and comments to media@ytb.com, and let our Company handle this battle. This is their responsibility, not yours.

Oops, you maybe should tell that to the people at the convention that are talking to the media out front. When you have 438,000 people in a scam one never knows what they will say. And to be honest, the ones that are quoted so far, have not really shed any type of intelligent light on YTB. Note to those that do talk to the media...calling the Attorney General an idiot doe NOT help the case.

See you at the Convention!!
Doug & Ronda BauknightAKA:
TravelProTravel Agents / Network MarketersYTB Travel NetworkPhone:
678.458.5812

OK, one last pitch!

Well there it is, live from St. Louis! All is well and the Coach is going to address the 3,600 Reps and RTAs that are in attendance on Friday. Wait...3,600 you say? Well, yes, 1,600 is the number of people that are Reps and RTAs. The remainder of the reported 22,000 are family and friends. The attendance figures do include friends, neighbors, children, aunts, uncles, and anyone else that wants to attend. You see, even the play called for the convention was a disappointment and they (like the cruise) decided to give it away. After all, it is all about recruiting.

Don't expect too much on Friday other than a round of Kool-Aid and soothing music assuring you that it is all a misunderstanding. Have we heard that before?

--Kate Holmes

PS: Tell Candi May that all of her travel agent friends say hello. And please tell Dr. Bob Seligman we are thinking of him!

Marc Mancini Has An "Aha Moment" Too!

Or is he beginning to get it too? I cannot believe that Marc Mancini, the man that YTB said was heading their charge to become the world's largest travel agency would actually believe that there is a viable future for e legitimate real live travel agent. I mean isn't travel all about referring people to your website and then seeing if they would like to sign up and get a discount?

Last week, Marc had a column in Travel Weekly entitled Creating Opportunity From Travel Expertise. Scroll down it was a bit hard to find, but was obvious in the print edition. Some of the comments he makes include:

So here's my investment tip for you: Here are three more things that currently are scarce and getting scarcer, things you should invest in right now: time, service and expertise.

Uhm, well I guess MLM does not have that.

And expertise? In today's Web world, there's so much information that a professional who can find, sift through and interpret what's relevant has a rare skill indeed.

Uhm, what do you mean? We just point people to our sites and the site takes care of it.

Yes, all this is sort of obvious, yet most of us have yet to integrate it into the way we work, sell and market. You must target customers who don't have the time to buy online and who hit the Internet to book travel only when they can't find anyone knowledgeable and efficient enough to do it for them.

But, but but..Marc, 80 Million people like to book online. I was told that was fact!

Another tactic: Promise in all your promotions and networking to do things more efficiently and better than anyone or anything else (that includes the Web). Underscore the time savings you can provide. Cite your certifications and expertise. Volunteer to write a travel column for your newspaper or write a blog; anything that brands you as an expert.

Finally, something that makes sense. I will just flash my CRTA card and my CLIA card that I bought for $149 and $25 (respectively) and that will prove it!

What about the service issue? This is your ace in the hole, because a computer may provide personal service, but not personalized service. It's a machine, after all, not a person.

It has an especially difficult time dealing with more experiential, unique or complicated products, like cruises, resorts, tours and FITs.

In fact, the Internet's content is so dense, biased and contradictory that many customers who'll happily book a flight online fear buying a more complex or expensive product on the Web.

For such purchases, a customer wants someone, not something. And if they feel you know your stuff, then loyalty will almost surely follow.

I once met a couple who were on their first cruise. I asked them how they chose the line, ship and sailing we were on. "Well, we started with the Internet, but we simply got more confused. So we went to a travel agent our neighbor uses. She recommended this sailing."

"Is it what you wanted?" I asked.

"Absolutely," they replied.

And then they said something quite unexpected. "And you know, that $150 service fee we paid her was totally worth it."

Well, there you have it folks. Straight from the mouth of the lead trainer of the largest travel MLM in the industry. All of a sudden the future does not look so bright for the model now does it?

Is YTB Getting A Bang For The Buck With Mancini?

Last year, YTB kicked up the training a notch by hiring Marc Mancini to private brand his travel curriculum. Marc is one of the brightest people I have ever met and certainly knows his stuff. He is respected in the industry and YTB could not have chosen a better person and organization for their training programs.

Some have said Marc has lost credibility by "selling out". Perhaps, but business is business and modifying his curriculum for 140,000+ "agents" is probably a very profitable and shrewd business move on his part.

However, I am not sure YTB is getting the bag for their buck! I was reading a recap of the first course in the Mancini curriculum and it appears that while the training is being offered, very few are taking advantage of it (or very few are being able to pass it).

I have said for a long time (and still do) that YTB is not engaged in the sale of travel as a primary business. Travel is a means to "legitimize" and perhaps legalize the recruiting end of the program so it falls outside of the pyramid laws. I think this recent blurb from the YTB Travel Compass supports that:

For completing Course 1 of the YTB E Campus within 60 days of launch 5 lucky winners won a free cruise for two. Congratulations to :
Randy Mabry of Albemarle, NC
Marsha Garrard of Sherrills Ford, NC
Luz Paez of Moreno Valley, CA
Carma Hilliard of Loveland, CO
Cindy Reyes of Corona, CA

Wow, 5 out of 140,000! Now I am sure that there were many more that are taking MORE than 60 days to complete the course, but this course was released in November and considering it is all online, 60 days is plenty. I wonder how many actually took the time to enroll--and paid the fee. My guess--not many.

Will be interesting to see the results of the second class and the third which was just announced this week.