Saturday, March 31, 2007

Space Travel - Space Ports are Being Developed - Travel Agents are Being Trained

Podcast Number One-hundred

Space tourism will be a reality in 2008 or early in 2009. A space ports are in the planning stage for New Mexico and in other states. Travel agents have been trained to sell these space adventures. You can learn more at Space.com.

I made a mistake in the production of the show last week. You may have noticed that I left out the segment on differentiating your business. The way I produce the show is that I record it in segments and I then put the segments together in audio editing software. I simply overlooked the segment on differentiating your business when I was assembling last week's show. I didn't discover the missing segment until I uploaded the show. I always listen to the show after I upload it to the server. That way I can tell if something has gone wrong in the upload process. While I was listening, I discovered that I failed to include a whole segment in last weeks podcast. That is why it is in this weeks podcast.

This podcast is sponsored by GoToMeeting. Online meetings made easy with GoToMeeting. Try it for free for 45 days. Use Promo Code Podcast.

Cystic Fibrosis is a horrible disease that robs the future from its victims. Do your part to help fight this disease by joining podcasters from all over the world in their effort to raise money. Please visit BlubrryJam.com and add your name to the list of those that are giving their support!

Check out Lorene's travel website at http://www.sharptonguedconsulting.com.

Check out Blubrry. It's a great place to be a listener. You can comment on podcasts you listen to and you can sign up to be friends with the podcasters on the Blubrry Network. Go over to Blubrry, sign up and become my friend. I would like to get to know all of you!

Stop by my travel business site Special Destinations where you can just browse or create your own account and blog. Would you like to get more information about the travel business, about life and about business in general? Check out my personal blog at http://www.hometravelagent.net/WordPress/ Thank you for listening to the Home Based Travel Agent Podcast. You can email me at barry@hometravelagent.net or email Lorene at sharptongued@mac.com

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Impress Your Clients With These Tips and How Are You Differentiating Your Business?

Podcast Number Ninty-nine

In th co-hosted segment, Lorene talks about some tips that you can use to impress your clients. Or, you can include these tips in your client newsletter. We also talk about some resources that are useful for the new travel agent.

Barry talks about why you should differentiate your business. Do you really want to compete with the big web based travel sites? Of course not, learn how you can set your business apart and get the right clients.

Show 100 of the Home Based Travel Agent Podcast is going to be the starting point for some changes in the presentation of the show. Look for new introduction audio clips, bumper music and audio for the closing segments of the show. The changes will begin at show 100 and continue until we achieve a new feel for the show.

The resources we talked about in this show are:

The United States Postal Service

Budget Travel Magazine

Travel Agent Magazine

Home Based Travel Agent Magazine

Agent at Home Magazine

Vacation Agent Magazine

Recommend Magazine

The Travel Agent Academy

Cruise Travel Magazine

Porthole Magazine

Travel Trade Publications

This podcast is sponsored by GoToMeeting. Online meetings made easy with GoToMeeting. Try it for free for 45 days. Use Promo Code Podcast.

Cystic Fibrosis is a horrible disease that robs the future from its victims. Do your part to help fight this disease by joining podcasters from all over the world in their effort to raise money. Please visit BlubrryJam.com and add your name to the list of those that are giving their support!

Check out Lorene's travel website at http://www.sharptonguedconsulting.com.

Check out Blubrry. It's a great place to be a listener. You can comment on podcasts you listen to and you can sign up to be friends with the podcasters on the Blubrry Network. Go over to Blubrry, sign up and become my friend. I would like to get to know all of you!

Stop by my travel business site Special Destinations where you can just browse or create your own account and blog.

Would you like to get more information about the travel business, about life and about business in general? Check out my personal blog at http://www.hometravelagent.net/WordPress/.

Thank you for listening to the Home Based Travel Agent Podcast. You can email me at barry@hometravelagent.net or email Lorene at sharptongued@mac.com


Saturday, March 17, 2007

Thinking About a Travel Business? Kellie Evans Shares Her Experience as a New Travel Agent

Podcast Number Ninty-eight

Kellie Evans joins Barry and Lorene to discuss the challenges and rewards of starting a home based travel business. We discuss the resources you need to begin your business and how ongoing learning is an essential asset for the home based travel agent. This is the show to listen to if you are thinking of starting a travel business. Kellie would like your advice, questions and feedback. Please drop Kellie an email at kellie@travel-allways.com.

This podcast is sponsored by GoToMeeting. Online meetings made easy with GoToMeeting. Try it for free for 45 days. Use Promo Code Podcast.

Cystic Fibrosis is a horrible disease that robs the future from its victims. Do your part to help fight this disease by joining podcasters from all over the world in their effort to raise money. Please visit BlubrryJam.com and add your name to the list of those that are giving their support!

Check out Lorene's travel website at http://www.sharptonguedconsulting.com.

Check out Blubrry. It's a great place to be a listener. You can comment on podcasts you listen to and you can sign up to be friends with the podcasters on the Blubrry Network. Go over to Blubrry, sign up and become my friend. I would like to get to know all of you!

Stop by my travel business site Special Destinations where you can just browse or create your own account and blog.

Please check out my personal blog, my MySpace and drop over to the Frapper Map and let us know where you're at by placing a pin in the virtual map. My goal is 100 pins by show 100.

Thank you for listening to the Home Based Travel Agent Podcast. You can email me at barry@hometravelagent.net or email Lorene at sharptongued@mac.com

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Saturday, March 10, 2007

Boot Camp for Travel Agents and Pet Travel

Podcast Number Ninty-seven


Lorene discusses her experience at Nexion's Bootcamp for Travel Agents with Barry and Deb Gronski. Deb also talks about her experience with training through Cunard Cruise Lines. Deb discovered that Cunard allows pets to travel on their ships. We recorded the co-hosted segment at TalkShoe. Talkshoe is an interactive podcasting site where listeners can join in on the conversation.

Barry talks about a website that specializes in helping you travel with your pet. The website TripsWithPets offers hotel listings, travel tips and pet travel products.

Thanks to Gary Bembridge for the nice comment on the show notes for podcast number 95. Gary has the Tips for Travellers podcast. Gary's podcast is an excellent resource for your clients.

This podcast is sponsored by GoToMeeting. Online meetings made easy with GoToMeeting. Try it for free for 45 days. Use Promo Code Podcast.

Check out Blubrry. It's a great place to be a listener. You can comment on podcasts you listen to and you can sign up to be friends with the podcasters on the Blubrry Network. Go over to Blubrry, sign up and become my friend. I would like to get to know all of you!

Stop by my travel business site Special Destinations where you can just browse or create your own account and blog.

Please check out my personal blog, my MySpace and drop over to the Frapper Map and let us know where you're at by placing a pin in the virtual map. My goal is 100 pins by show 100.

Thank you for listening to the Home Based Travel Agent Podcast. You can email me at barry@hometravelagent.net or email Lorene at sharptongued@mac.com

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Marketing Your Business at Local Events Plus Air Cruising - A New Way to Cruise?

Podcast Number Ninty-six




Marketing your travel business at local expos can bring a lot of clients to you. Lorene talks about her experience when she set up a table at the Windsor Chamber of Commerce Business Expo. This segment is full of tips and advice about creating a successful display and gathering contact information. Take a close look at the first picture and you can see the clamshell that Lorene talks about in the podcast. There is also a starbucks cup to the left of the clamshell. Imagine that. In the second photo is Gayle and you can see the name tags that Lorene talks about in the podcast. A lot of the ornaments, decorations and fun stuff were obtained at the Oriental Trading Company.


A place like Australia is so vast that your clients must make several trips to explore much of what Australia has to offer. Some clients may only have an opportunity to visit Australia once in their lifetime. Asian Transpacific Journeys offers a product called Air Cruising. Air Cruising will allow your client to travel throughout Australia making several stops to explore and partake in the local culture. This is a luxury travel offering. Your clients will be staying in the best hotels in Australia and pampered all along the way. Learn more by listening to the show!

This podcast is sponsored by GoToMeeting. Online meetings made easy with GoToMeeting. Try it for free for 45 days. Use Promo Code Podcast.

Check out Blubrry. It's a great place to be a listener. You can comment on podcasts you listen to and you can sign up to be friends with the podcasters on the Blubrry Network. Go over to Blubrry, sign up and become my friend. I would like to get to know all of you!

Stop by my travel business site Special Destinations where you can just browse or create your own account and blog.

Please check out my personal blog, my MySpace and drop over to the Frapper Map and let us know where you're at by placing a pin in the virtual map. My goal is 100 pins by show 100.

Thank you for listening to the Home Based Travel Agent Podcast. You can email me at barry@hometravelagent.net or email Lorene at sharptongued@mac.com

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