Judith Sparrow, an instructor in the Travel & Tourism Careers
program at Dakota County Technical College in Minnesota, offered
the following tips for getting the most out of travel agent fam
trips.
Her pointers were part of a presentation, given at the recent
Minneapolis Star Tribune Travel Trade Show, on getting the most out
of training programs, fam trips and travel trade shows.
Carry tools for note taking, as "you must make notes if you see
lots of sites."Bring inspection checklists. Take a look at the Cruise Lines
International Association list for shipboard inspections and
develop checklists of your own, too.Copy pages from reference sources, such as indexes and
guidebooks, and check to see if your experiences and opinions
dovetail with those in the source materials.Read all you can about the site before departure.Carry a camera, even if it is a disposable, because photos are
notes; consider using a digital camera to put those "notes" on a
computer.When taking photos, think of what clients would want to see or
ask about. And take photos with your flyers, brochures, newsletter
or Web site in mind.Pay close attention to details pertinent to your market. Be
able to answer detailed questions about money-changing
opportunities or types of food and restaurants, for example.Attend all scheduled functions.When exploring, "Be your clients." Look for features that you
believe customers would like to hear about. Investigate by talking
to locals.Network with other agents on the trip.After the trip, use the newly gained information in a seminar
for office staff and consider writing articles for the local paper.
Write for your newsletter or Web site.Use the information to develop or enhance a resource file.Finally, use that information to increase sales: partner with
the hosts for a travel night; explore co-op advertising or co-op
mailings. Consider packaging your own trip to the destination.Listen carefully, teach others
Here are tips for getting the most out of agent training
programs, according to Judith Sparrow, an instructor in the Travel
& Tourism Careers program at Dakota County Technical College in
Minnesota, who spoke at the Minneapolis Star Tribune Travel Trade
Show:
Be selective about which training programs you attend or to
which you send your staff but be open to new opportunities, perhaps
options that suggest new niches.Bring tools, such as writing materials. Include a spiral
notebook sectioned by topic and a tape recorder and a supply of
tapes.Attend with goals in mind.Listen carefully. Concentrate on the information.Take notes, as this helps you retain information.Envision real-life applications for the speaker's points; draw
analogies in your mind for your business based on what is being
discussed.At work, use what you learned as soon as possible. Otherwise,
you won't remember it.Teach someone else. This is one of the best ways to remember
something. Even explain some of the concepts to a friend. ("Your
friend will forgive you," Sparrow said.)Review your notes after each session if the training lasts
several days.Review your notes again some weeks after the training to
refresh your mind.Plan ahead
Tips for getting the most out of travel trade shows were among
the pointers given by Judith Sparrow, an instructor in the Travel
& Tourism Careers program at Dakota County Technical College in
Minnesota, during her presentation at the recent Minneapolis Star
Tribune Travel Trade Show.
Other elements of her presentation were ideas for getting the most
out of training programs and fam trips.
Before attending a trade show, obtain a list of exhibitors.
Plan and prioritize your use of time on the show floor for visiting
suppliers most important to you.Select affiliated seminars discriminately.Bring materials for note taking and a suitcase on wheels to
accommodate all the literature you will pick up. Pack plenty of
business cards, too.Visit suppliers you planned to see but seek out new products
and suppliers. Be both selective about exhibitors to visit and open
to new possibilities.When gathering sales guides and other literature, collect
videos when you can.Network with other agents.At home, discuss the show with colleagues and update your
resource files.Also, follow up with the suppliers and go after sales. Contact
prospects for the products you learned about.