Marketing support is one of the most important reasons for affiliating with a host agency, because this is the mechanism that touches your primary asset: your client list. That’s why it is essential that you delve deeply into a prospective host’s marketing strategy, says Scott Koepf, CTC, MCC, and ...

There is no doubt that the Internet can be one of your most effective and least expensive marketing tools. You must remember, however, that the Internet is only one tool (or group of tools) in your overall marketing plan. For the best effect, your Internet activities must be integrated externally ...

There’s no denying that consumers are still using the Internet to book hotel rooms, but more and more of them are turning away from such online retailers as Orbitz and Expedia and going directly to supplier websites. According to a recent study of the online travel industry by comScore ...

Mayakoba is fast becoming the last word in luxury travel to Mexico. Located on the Yucatan Peninsula, the lavish resort community hosted its first PGA event, the Mayakoba Golf Classic, in 2007, with only one of its five ultra-luxurious properties open. The Fairmont Mayakoba opened its doors in May 2006, ...

Marketing is not the exclusive realm of big corporations with big budgets. There is that business that walks in the door, but the rest of it has to be pursued. Aggressive marketing on the local level is essential to increasing your business with the clients you have and the ones ...

Sometimes you read a book that really makes you stop and think. More importantly, it inspires you to do things a little differently in the name of striving for success. Such was the case for me upon reading “Differentiate or Die,” the book by Jack Trout and Steve Rivkin that ...

I’m not sure how it all began, but the fact remains that people have a tendency to believe the written word more than they believe the spoken word. This may stem back to the days when salespeople were known for their “gift of gab.” Even today some salespeople tell me ...

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            Agents who work from home offices know better than anyone that sitting and waiting is no longer a viable strategy for growing a successful travel retail business. In today’s hypercompetitive business environment, even a well-trafficked store front is no guarantee ...

Diane Hoffman, owner of Hoffman Travel in Eaton, Colo., loves the finer things in life, especially food and wine. She’s even married to a chef. But she’s also keenly aware of the inequities of the world and wants to give back as well.

That yin and yang ...

Back in 2006 I wrote a column for this magazine called “The More You Know, the Luckier You Get.” Readers will recognize this tongue-in-cheek aphorism, which links hard work with success and is the obvious response to someone who says to you in an envious tone “You are so lucky.” ...

Most vendors offer sales and marketing education and assistance to agents working at home as a way to increase productivity and revenue for both parties. Many of my clients market not only through the web but also by using multiple channels to reach potential clients. It is well worth remembering ...

Sometimes it is tough to tell what works when you are selling. You may be saying to yourself: “I know that half of my marketing efforts may be working. I just don’t know which half.” Let’s face it, marketing requires time and money. That’s why we want to use the ...

Sometimes you’re so busy marketing all those wonderful leisure products – cruises, tours and resorts – that it’s difficult to focus on some of seemingly mundane products our industry has to offer. Car rentals have never truly been a sexy sell, but the key to marketing the category is to ...