Love story

By Phyllis Fine

Feb 15, 2000

"The first time I kissed her was on a plane," said Scott Ahlsmith about his wife Diane.Naturally. What other setting would be so perfect for two travel professionals to get together? The saga of the Ahlsmiths -- who now both work for Trams, the Los Angeles-based travel technology company -- makes a nice love story for Valentine's Day.

Still kissing: Scott and Diane. When the two first met in Chicago, in October 1990, it was strictly business. Diane, formerly an outside agent, planned to locate her new meeting planning firm inside Scott's agency, Trava. The deal: In return for office space, Diane would share some commissions with Scott.

"When she accepted the offer, I found out she had about a million dollars' worth of business -- so I figured I had to marry this woman, quick," said Scott.

He was kidding. What really happened was that the two started working very successfully together on corporate and meeting accounts. While coming back from a business trip to Vancouver, they started "talking about how well things had gone, and what a good team we were," said Scott. The kiss seemed a natural next step, since "we both knew there was more than professional energy between us."

It was almost a storybook romance after that, with practical Diane the ideal complement to the more dreamy-minded Scott. But then Scott had a massive heart attack in 1991, "which turned our world upside down," said Diane.

She took charge of the agency while Scott recovered his health. Still, overcoming that obstacle taught Scott to put things into perspective.

"I'd always wanted a ranch and a farm with lots of dogs, so that became one of our top goals," he said.

The two moved to California in 1992 to work for Trams (Scott as vice president/general manager, Diane in a financial capacity) and bought a ranch in Santa Ynez. They married in 1995.

Now, said Scott, "I don't sweat the small stuff. When there's a problem, I just get on the floor and hug the dogs." And Diane, too, of course.

Handling the work/love thing

Here's what married couple Scott and Diane Ahlsmith, now co-workers at Los Angeles-based Trams have learned about mixing business with romance:

The happy couple. l Opposites can clash, then attract -- and eventually work well together. "I didn't like Scott when I first met him," said Diane (ah -- the old meet-as-adversaries story!). "I'm more of a dreamer and visionary," said Scott, "while Diane wants things done today, by 3:30." But the two soon realized their opposing styles could make a stronger business and personal team.

Develop clear boundaries. Now "we respect what each of us is good at and keep our responsibilities separate," said Scott. This strategy, because it helped each partner shine individually, was crucial to another piece of advice: "Make sure both egos come out fulfilled and intact," said Scott.

Keep the romance business-appropriate. Although the two no longer work in the same place (Diane now works from home), they used to. That's when they learned that "there is a fine line where [expressing affection] becomes obnoxious and overbearing," said Scott. "While I might [have]come up to Diane's office and given her a hug," that's it, he added.

Keep things honest with co-workers. When the two first started dating, they were low-key about their connection, but eventually decided to tell the world -- and were surprised when virtually everybody said they'd known all along.

Keep things honest with each other. "Don't harbor resentments," said Scott. Clearing the air frequently helps avoid hidden resentments, which can sabotage private as well as working time together.

Finding real salespeople

Here is one method I recommend to locate members of the general public who have outside sales potential: Prepare a seminar in a local hotel for "well-traveled individuals who can sell and escort cruise and tour groups worldwide."

Send out appropriate press releases announcing your seminar, and advertise the event locally. Invite a cruise line or tour operator sales manager to address the group on "insider strategies." This will enable you to get co-op support for your event and allow your supplier(s) to motivate the audience to sell groups on their product.

Richard Turen. The seminar ought to end with a detailed explanation of what you are offering in terms of commissions and benefits. And, you should carefully describe "the test": Those interested in joining your agency in a sales capacity must first demonstrate their talents by putting together and escorting a small group. If potential salespeople can't sell their own friends on a trip they will personally be escorting, they're probably not worth the investment of your time.