Travel Agent- March 30, 2009 - (Page 8) FROM THE PUBLISHER TravelAgent EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT/TRAVEL VICE PRESIDENT/GROUP PUBLISHER Back to Selling — More than Ever IN GOOD TIMES, WE MIGHT FORGET HOW TO SELL since the art of persuasion is just not needed. Now that times are not as good as they once were, I can assure you that the value of selling is what will keep your business alive. So how do you fine-tune these skills? Look to other industries that are similar and simply copy some of their sales tactics. The one that comes to mind is real estate. For example, look at Barbara Corcoran, the high-profile queen of real estate. Think: How often do you actually need a real estate agent? I bought my house 12 years ago, but I still get the calendar magnet for the refrigerator with her face on it. She still sends me a summary every month of houses she has sold. In other words, she lets me know that when I am ready to buy or sell, she’s still interested in my business. So go ahead and put your face on a calendar magnet. Send your clients sample itineraries that you have booked. Send them client testimonials. It’s all selling, and it keeps you fresh in your clients’ minds. One destination I recommend you sell is Vail. I was recently a guest of Vail Resorts at the American Airlines Celebrity Ski Event. This destination continues to reinvent itself. The Lionshead section of Vail has raised its profile with the addition of the six-star, ski-in, ski-out Arrabelle at Vail Square. With a skating rink and outdoor fireplaces as part of the framework, a ski resort doesn’t get better than this. Also attending the event were Brian Buttigieg and Mimi McGuire from Valerie Wilson Travel and John Dawsey and Gabe Shalley of Vail Resorts, all pictured with me above. Happy selling! GIDEON DEAN JOHN MCMAHON 212-895-8243, jmcmahon@questex.com AD DIRECTOR JOSÉ BARREIRO 212-895-8242, jbarreiro@questex.com DIRECTOR, DIGITAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT JASON GINDELE 703-259-0296, jgindele@questex.com SALES NORTHEASTERN USA & EUROPE NEW YORK SALES OFFICE SALES MANAGER—NORTHEAST USA DIRECTOR OF SALES—EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA 757 Third Avenue, 5th Floor New York, NY 10017 CHRISTINA RASMUSSEN 212-895-8267, crasmussen@questex.com MEGAN MEERES 44 (0) 20 8961 3706, megan@mm-2.co.uk SOUTHEASTERN USA, CARIBBEAN, MEXICO & LATIN AMERICA SALES MANAGER—CARIBBEAN, SOUTHEASTERN USA ACCOUNT MANAGER—MEXICO & LATIN AMERICA BARBARA MAGRO 305-668-5187, bmagro@questex.com STEPHANIE GORDON Gordon Media Group, Inc., 305-854-1622, stephanie@gordonmediagroup.com HAWAII & PACIFIC/ASIA ACCOUNT MANAGER—HAWAII SIMONE PEREZ Abbott Communications, 808-394-2090, simone@abbottcommunications.net ACCOUNT MANAGER—ASIA HAZEL LI +65-6728-2396, hazelli@starhub.net.sg WESTERN USA, SOUTHWESTERN USA, MIDWESTERN USA ENCINO SALES OFFICE SALES MANAGER ACCOUNT MANAGER — CO, NM, UT, MT, WY SALES MANAGER— WESTERN USA 16130 Ventura Blvd, Suite 570 Encino, CA 91436 CHRIS COON 818-788-1271, ccoon@questex.com TONY LYLE, Synergy Sales Solutions, 970-748-6412, tony@teamsynergy1.com BRADLEY LEVINE 216-706-3796, bradley.levine@questex.com CLASSIFIED/DIGITAL ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER—NORTHEAST USA SALES MANAGER—WESTERN USA CHRISTINA RASMUSSEN 212-895-8267, crasmussen@questex.com BRADLEY LEVINE 216-706-3796, bradley.levine@questex.com MARKETING MARKETING MANAGER CLIENT SERVICES COORDINATOR JENNIFER GINSBERG 212-895-8277, jginsberg@questex.com BELKIS CARRASCO 212-895-8294, bcarrasco@questex.com TRAVEL AGENT CUSTOM SOLUTIONS DIRECTOR OF CUSTOM SOLUTIONS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR DIGITAL DIRECTOR WEB DEVELOPER ART DIRECTOR NEIL STRICKLAND 954-296-9515, nstrickland@questex.com DAVID K. MOSEDER 212-895-8447, dmoseder@questex.com KEN GRANT 212-895-8448, kgrant@questex.com ARTHUR YOE 212-895-8437, ayoe@questex.com JAMES HUNTLEY 212-895-8433, jhuntley@questex.com PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT-HUMAN RESOURCES KERRY C. GUMAS TOM CARIDI TONY D’AVINO JON LEIBOWITZ DIANE EVANS PUBLISHERS OF: Travel Agent Magazine, Luxury Travel Advisor, Home-Based Travel Agent, Official Travel Industry Directory, Hotel & Motel Management, Premier Hotels & Resorts, Premier Spas & Romance 757 Third Ave., 5th floor, New York, NY 10017 e-mail: travelagent@questex.com Phone 212-895-8200; General Fax: 212-895-8210 JOHN MCMAHON VICE PRESIDENT/ GROUP PUBLISHER THE TRAVEL GROUP 8 | TravelAgent March 30, 2009
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