KHM Travel Group hosted its third travel agent Boot Camp of the year, May 16-18. We had 40 agents from around the country join us for three days of valuable skill-building and business development sessions, to give them the confidence needed to kickstart their travel agency.
Day One of Boot Camp was held here at home office in Brunswick, Ohio. This allowed agents to see where and how their host agency operates, and be introduced to our team members. The event started with welcome remarks from Bill Coyle and Chantelle Nye of our Agent Development team.
Following that, our staff led sessions on building a business mindset, choosing your right supplier and getting to know the popular vacation destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean. Each Boot Camp agent also had the chance to have their headshot taken, and be a part of our group photo!
“Everyone should go to Boot Camp,” said agent Karen from Massachusetts. “Not only does it help point you in the right direction, you’ll also learn how much support KHM truly provides!”
Attendees continued to develop a foundation for their agency on Day Two, which started with the essentials of qualifying clients and the sales cycle. Along with a presentation from our Royal Caribbean BDM Kathy Killen, agents learned about the benefits of our partnership with Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) from Charles Sylvia, CLIA’s Vice President for Membership and Trade Relations.
Agents also had breakout sessions to become more familiar with myTravelCRM, which is the client relationship management our agents use to track their clients and bookings. They were also given a small homework assignment: to craft their own 30-second commercial for their business!
“Boot Camp gave me the opportunity to meet the KHM Family and confirmed I made the right decision,” said Nancy, an agent from Texas. “Their commitment to my success showed through in every aspect.”
Friday was no less jam-packed. Not only did agents present their 30-second commercials and gain important information about keeping compliant, they also heard from one of our top land suppliers, Apple Vacations.
After lunch, agents dove into the world of marketing. Our Creative Marketing Director, Carolyn, provided agents with an overview of how to brand their business and promote themselves. From there, Bill provided an outline for creating a marketing plan, with a few tried-and-true techniques that he has used after years in the industry.
We hope each Boot Camp agent left prepared to take their business to the next level, and establish themselves as true travel professionals! It was a pleasure hosting you, and learning more about your businesses last week.
View more photos of our May Boot Camp event in our Flickr album!
Registration is now open for final two Boot Camp events of 2018, being held in August and November. Visit TravelAgentMeeting.com to learn more and register!
Our New Agent Boot Camp is just one of many opportunities KHM Travel Group offers its agents. We invest our time into developing the best travel agent education, technology and support to give agents the knowledge and confidence needed to build successful businesses.
For our free Travel Agent Information Guide that will answer your questions about starting your own home-based travel agency, fill out the form on the right or call 1-888-611-1220.