CONFERENCE REPORT — CLIA SELLING CRUISE 2015
Skills: ‘Be really good at just a few things’
Agents were encouraged to master a limited number of skills rather than stretch themselves trying to learn too much. Mark Kammerer, senior
vice-president of marketing and sales for Holland America Line, said: “I often say to people they should be really good at just a few things. Once you’ve mastered that, you can make room to be good at more things. “If you’re starting out and finding it overwhelming, master one thing. You will have to give things up and that means you won’t be good at certain things, but you’ll be a master at the thing you’ve chosen to focus on.” Kammerer urged agents to utilise all the assets available and to value their time. “You’ve more chance of
mastering something by valuing something you can’t get back – your time,” he said. “If you plan ahead, you’ll be ready for what’s coming. If you don’t plan ahead, you’re just playing catch up.”
Innovation: Agents urged to stand out from crowd
Agents who don’t innovate and take risks run a chance of their businesses “going rotten”, a senior boss at Celebrity Cruises told delegates. Dondra Ritzenthaler told
delegates to “stop with the stinking thinking” and “get innovating”.
She said: “It’s the people who aren’t afraid to take risks and the
people who are deemed crazy that are the most successful – and that applies to our world with selling cruises too. “You must be innovative. You
have to be different. “You have to stand out. You
can’t be like everyone else because you have to be the green apple among the bushels of red apples. “If you’re still doing business in the same way you were five years ago, you are not only a red apple – you’re rotten. You have to evolve. It’s OK to try something and not be perfect. Take a chance and don’t be afraid.” Ritzenthaler said it was vital that agents used their expertise to show off the experience of cruising, rather than the price. “You have to be the expert: going out there with the price doesn’t make you one,” she said. “You’re the expert when you
know what you’re talking about. “You must have passion and
Dondra Ritzenthaler
love what you do. Remember that you are valuable and don’t give your commission away. Keep it because you deserve it.”
Tools: Website overhaul perks up navigation
Clia UK & Ireland is relaunching its website to make it easier for agents to reach information they need. The association’s director, Andy Harmer, said agents needed to make the most of the tools available to them to “cut through the noise” and shout about cruise holidays. Harmer added that they needed to fine-tune their expertise if they were to “cut through to customers who are bombarded with information from other companies”. Clia, which refreshes every
training module each month, is dividing its website into three areas: Learning Academy, Clia Cruise Daily and Cruise Toolbox. Clia Cruise Daily will feature news on webinars and ship visits, while Cruise Toolbox will provide details about the lines and their ships. The Clia website is also now optimised for mobiles and tablets for the first time.
28 May 2015 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 13
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72