by John Frenaye
Monday March 02, 2015

Face it, running a travel business is difficult. While we all have the passion for travel in our blood (and please do not let that be your main selling point—it does not differentiate you), we all have a specific set of skills with which we are proficient. Usually, and unfortunately, there are many more skills needed to effectively and profitably run a travel business with which we are…shall we say less than proficient. 

Most of us are based out of our homes and do not have the luxury of a staff. When I had retail locations, my “job” was to sell the agency to clients. I was the “face” of the company and that is what I did well. We grew from a single location doing…

Em* pa* thy: The experiencing as one’s own the feelings of another.

It is important to remember…

by Richard Earls
Sunday March 01, 2015

Many travel agents dislike the word "sales"- our vision of sales and the sales process is jaded and we see it as less than authentic. In fact, many view sales as nothing other than manipulation. As a result, sales is often neglected as a part of the basic training that travel agents take on in their practice. Yet is is possible to understand sales in another context, one of helpful assistance. The best sales people are involved in an effort to meet needs and achieve dreams. Travel consultants who view sales this way approach their clients from a perspective of passion and enthusiasm. The quality of their effort begins on the inside, but it shows outwardly.

For a sale to happen, both you and your client…

Kier Matthews is the Vice President of Sales at Europe Express, where he is responsible for travel agent sales. Prior to his job at Europe Express, Matthews was a Manager of Member Sales & Service at Virtuoso, the travel industry’s leading luxury travel network. While at Virtuoso, Matthews was an integral part of the network’s social media engagement. He conducted seminars for travel agents and suppliers on how to use social media to grow their business, as well as help establish Virtuoso’s corporate social media policy.

Travel Research Online (TRO): What initially lead you to pursue a career in travel?

Kier Matthews (KM): I wanted to work in this industry from the time I was a teenager. I traveled…