TravelSalesRep.com, a service of Ocean Crest Marketing, was launched in November 2001 at the World Travel Market in London and in December, 4,532 travel agents, mainly located in New England, received the first eSales Call.  In the short time since then, the list of subscribed agents has grown to nearly 50,000 travel retailers.   As the industry "buzz" continues and organizations such as the Association of Retail Travel Agents (ARTA) and the Outside Sales Support Network (OSSN) endorse TravelSalesRep.com, the number of retailers receiving a monthly eSales Call grows.

What Makes TravelSalesRep.com Different?

TravelSalesRep.com offers a resource that is quite different from any ever offered before.  It is the next step beyond a transient direct email campaign.  An email blast or on-line fax consolidation service only gives the travel agent a one-time reason to sell.  eNewsletters offer arbitrary information on random subjects or suppliers resulting in an inconsistent promotional presentation.  On the other hand, TravelSalesRep.com offers, a true cyber version of the traditional sales call.  No email blast or newsletter can even come close to comparing to the content and continuity that the world's first and only web-based sales representative offers. Here's why:

How The Service Is Presented

For starters, the way it is framed is unique.  When I was designing the service, I decided that many of the same things I had done in traditional sales calls for two decades could be duplicated in a web-based environment.   My philosophy regarding sales calls is not to try to stuff a lengthy dissertation on every aspect of the product down the agent's throat in one meeting.  Instead I have found that a small number of educational/promotional bullet points get much more attention.  I team this with frequent visits, which keep the supplier offering in front of the face of a busy retailer.  Over time, the travel agent garners a solid working knowledge of a product that they frequently think of and confidently book.

Easy To Read

The eSales Call and its associated text are also purposely kept brief and are available for review at a time of the travel agents choosing.  This dovetails with the multitasking lifestyle that today's agents lead (read "A New Kind of Sales Call For A New Kind of Travel Agent" now)

Content

Another important difference is one of content and time.  It is nearly a universal rule that the information a travel retailer receives from a standard e-mail blast or fax/e-mail consolidation service is detailing some kind of special, discount or some fleeting event.  With TravelSalesRep.com, the content is quite different.  While incentives are not overlooked, the main thrust is on overall, long term product promotion and education.  This on-line sales call endeavors to answer the classic sales question, "Why should I sell this company and why is it any different than its competitors/alternatives?"   This approach allows TravelSalesRep.com to draw on the complete resources of the Internet environment in a manner that an e-mail notification or even a simple newsletter cannot.

Mirrors A Traditional Sales Call

TravelSalesRep.com is just like the traditional sales calls you are used to only better.  24/7 your cyber sales rep is there for you with current topics (http://www.travelsalesrep.com/archive.htm), what was covered the last visit or two (http://www.TravelSalesRep.com/archive.htm)  and it even brings humor and personality into the affiliation by allowing them to get to know their cyber sales representative a bit better (http://www.TravelSalesRep.com/bill's.htm).

It is my sincere hope that you greatly benefit from TravelSalesRep.com and find it to be a true and indispensable resource in aiding you to be a profitable and successful travel professional.

Cheers!

Note to suppliers:  To find out about benefiting from TravelSalesRep.com, please click here.