by John Frenaye
Monday January 16, 2017

It’s funny how words change. Or maybe it is how we define them. Take the word “tune up.” To a musician, it may be the preparation for a concert. To a mechanic, it is all about spark plugs and filters. So, let’s cut to the chase and just say that for this week, I am talking about your website. And I am about to list some recent figures about the Internet that you will want to know.

The Internet is a pretty competitive place. As of December 2016, there were 3.26 billion Internet users. And if you were wondering about the power of Facebook—they currently have 1.5 billion active monthly users.

When people go online, they have a choice of 966 million different websites. How do…

Targeting your market is perhaps the most logical way to grow your business. Although it makes all the sense in the world, it’s remains an elusive strategy for most small business entrepreneurs.

It is more than obvious that one way to grow one’s business is to go out and find more customers. That may be true enough, but all your good intentions will be thwarted if the task is not defined tightly enough. Just “more customers” is not good enough.

You do not go out and find a husband or wife by accepting the first one that comes along. Nor does one build a business by simply going out and finding a bunch of  “new clients.” Your success will be expedited once you spend ample time and…

by Richard Earls
Sunday January 15, 2017

People rationalize their buying decisions using the most precise logic. Once they have made a decision, a buyer can list all of the features that drove them to purchase. The reality, however, is that people make buying decisions in a large degree based not on logic, but on emotion - how they feel about the product and, more importantly, about you. That's why a good travel consultant must understand both the client's logical thinking process as well as their emotional make-up. At the end of the day, buying decisions are based on other than pure logic.

These baseline facts can create confusion for the travel counselor. Playing to people's emotions sounds like a cheap sales trick. However, it…

Ann Chamberlin, the President of the National Association of Career Travel Agents (NACTA) and is responsible for the overall operations of NACTA. This includes member and supplier sales, revenue management, meetings and events and membership service. Ann leads the overall vision for NACTA, strengthens the company through strategic partnerships and membership growth to ensure NACTA remains the top membership choice for travel consultants. Last July, Chamberlin also added the title of Senior Vice President, Operations for the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of ASTA, focusing on membership growth and support, chapter operations, and consortia partnerships…