Safety matters, Part 2

A vacation overseas is not the time to take a break from common sense, according to travel safety expert Malcom Nance, chief consultant at San Diego-based Real World Rescue.

Travelers can get into trouble in virtually any destination if they harbor an unrealistic idea of their safety abroad, he said.

It is always a good idea to practice petty crime protection, including such basics as not carrying your wallet around or putting it in your front pocket, and only carrying petty cash, Nance said.

Here are some other tips on staying safe no matter where you are, adapted from Real World Rescue:

Be aware that passports are the world's hottest commodity.

Hot pockets in the news

News buffs know that there have been recent coups d'etat in the Fiji Islands and the Solomon Islands, but, according to travel safety expert Malcom Nance, this only tells half the story.

Based on recent history, Nance, chief consultant for San Diego-based Real World Rescue, predicted a speedy return to stability in Fiji, adding that travelers could be going back to the islands in a matter of months.

In the Solomon Islands, open warfare has broken out in the access area to the airport, he said, which means that evacuation is going on by sea.

And although Western tourists are not being targeted, according to Nance, the use of heavy automatic weapons creates a dangerous situation.

Other hot spots include the Philippines, where 21 hostages from a Malaysian dive resort were kidnapped by a terrorist group, and Sri Lanka, where suicide bombings have taken place in the capital of Colombo.

To help travel agents keep abreast of these and other changes in the political climate worldwide, Real World Rescue is in the process of designing a by-subscription Web site for the industry. The site is expected to be up and running by midsummer.

Also in the works is a list of travel do's and don'ts for agents to give to clients. In the meantime, agents can log on to www.realworldrescue.com for free general information on travel safety.

Telephone etiquette

Have you ever taken a class in telephone skills?

No? Well you're not alone.

According to one study, 90% of businesspeople have never received phone-skills training.

Yet many of us conduct most of our business via the phone, so this lack of training is surprising -- and a problem.

With face-to-face selling, body language is key to communication.

Customers often signal deeper feelings and intentions through facial expressions, gestures and even posture to "say" if they're interested in what we're recommending. But over the phone, this information is lost.

Furthermore, we lose the ability to "speak" to our clients with our own body language. That's why it's important to understand and overcome the telephone's limitations. Here's how:

First, smile when on the phone. Not only will you feel better, but -- as strange as it sounds -- your clients can "hear" if you're smiling or not.

Second, try to picture the person to whom you're speaking. Are they returning your smile? Are they showing interest in what you have to offer? When you treat your phone client as a whole person and not just a voice, you're more likely to communicate warmth.

Also, remember that your client can't see you. When they're talking, they have no idea if you're listening intently or nodding off. So make affirming noises throughout the call -- such as "right" or "I see" -- to let the client know that you're not only still there, but you're interested.

Finally, focus on your communication partner and build a relationship. Use the words "you" and "your" as well as their name. Once you've established their trust and qualified their needs, shift to "we" and "us" to signal that their satisfaction is now also yours.

Above all, express that you're glad they called. Here's where a simple thank you can go a long way, both toward making them feel respected and toward closing the sale.

Marc Mancini is a professor of travel at West Los Angeles College.