Do you sometimes get frustrated when you spend hours crafting the perfect email broadcast and after it is sent you see a dismal open rate, and an even more dismal click-through rate?  I am subscribed to a gazillion (no exaggeration there) email lists and I decided to look and find out what it was that made me open and click.  Here are some of my thoughts.

The first thing I noticed was that I open more emails if they say “John, here’s a special report for you!” Absent my name, there’s a good chance I will hit delete unless the subject line is compelling enough (more on that later). All the major email broadcast companies have a personalization tool. Use it.  Of course, you need a…

For too long, travel professionals have ceded their clients' domestic road trips to self booking. American Tours International, however, has put together the technology allowing travel advisors to customize domestic road trips in a manner to enhance the experience for the client and the commissions for the travel professional.  Charlie Kao and Richard Earls of TRO-Travelmole had an opportunity to interview Nick Hentschel, COO, and Jenny Tecklenburg, Vice President of Sales with American Tours International (ATI). 

Charlie Kao: Nick,  How are things in California?

Nick Hentschel:  Charlie, things are getting back to normal here in California. We have done very well with the vaccine efforts and the removal of mass mandates outside.  We are reopening restaurants at a 50% capacity here in Los Angeles County and other…

You have heard of the Pareto Principle, but you probably call it something else. 80% of all of your business comes from 20% of your marketing efforts. Roughly 20% of your time management is highly efficient and from that activity comes 80% of your productivity. 80% of the money made by travel professionals is made by 20% of the travel professionals. You probably know the Pareto Principle as the 80/20 Rule. It seems like everyone has encountered bully Pareto somewhere and is convinced of the immutable nature of its power. 

Is it possible to break the Pareto Principle? On a societal or industry-wide level, probably not, it is what it is. On an individual level, however, it more…

When I set out on the journey of self-employment nearly 40 years ago, I had my first brochure professionally produced. I planned to include the piece in all of my future sales letters. I recently found an original copy, and see that my tips are just as meaningful today. Here they are verbatim for you to…