Home Based Travel Agent Podcast: February 2011

281 - A Great Destination Resource and QR Codes for Your Business

BUSINESS SEGMENT

What are QR codes and what do they mean for your business? These codes are popping up everywhere. You will find them on business cards, on stickers placed about anywhere, on products or anything else you can imagine. The big deal is when the QR code is scanned with a smart phone, your contact information, or your event information or your website appears in your smart phone browser.

My QR code with contact information is in the image above. Scan this code with your smart phone's camera and my contact information will appear. Once the contact information appears on your phone you can add the information to the address book in your phone. You can create your own QR code at http://zxing.appspot.com/generator/.

CO HOSTED SEGMENT

"The Amateur Traveler Podcast" is a resource for you and your clients where you can learn about destinations. There's hardly a destination on earth that hasn't been the subject of "The Amateur Traveler Podcast". Chris Christensen, the host of the show, joins Lorene and Barry in the co-hosted segment to talk about "The Amateur Traveler" and the many destinations covered by the show. Chris also hosts the shows "This Week in Travel" and "The Bible Study Podcast." Join us to learn more about Chris Christensen and The Amateur Traveler podcast.

TRAVEL NEWS

Top travel insurers for 2010

The TSA Comments on procedures for CPAP machines

Forty-five new airports for China in the next five years

Visit us on Facebook –

Barry at http://www.facebook.com/barry.kantz

Lorene at http://www.facebook.com/lorener

Gary at http://www.facebook.com/gary.ebels.

Join the Home Based Travel Agent Show Facebook Group.

On Twitter

Lorene’s Twitter name is lorener

Barry’s Twitter name is kantzb

Gary's Twitter name is gary222

Check out Lorenes travel agent website at www.sharptonguedconsulting.com.

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 and Gary at wdwgary@gmail.com.

Cyndi Harvell, Cyndi Harvell, John Howland, MIke Steves, Jim Greer, Andrew Gibson, Mike Stevens

"Northbound" (mp3)

from "From the Echo"

(Ninth Street Opus)

Buy at iTunes Music Store

Buy at Amazon MP3

280 - Avoya Travel Leads to Increasing Your Business

Podcast Number 280

BUSINESS SEGMENT

Accept credit cards anywhere and at anytime with these new smart phone apps. Intuit, the company that owns Quickbooks is offering a free app and reader device for your smart phone to allow you to accept credit cards. Imagine closing your sale for a cruise and taking the deposit by credit card before you leave the table.

Intuit's credit card app is found at gopayment.com. A similar product is offered by Square at squareup.com.

CO HOSTED SEGMENT

Scott Koepf, Vice President of Sales at Avoya Travel joins Lorene and Barry on the co-hosted segment of the show. Avoya Travel is a host agency with a strong internet presence. Scott explains that more than sixty percent of travelers use the internet to research their vacation plans. Avoya Travel has a strong internet presence to capture this market and provide leads to their agents. Learn more by listening to the show!

TRAVEL NEWS

Star Wars weekends at Disney World Resorts.

Independent travel agent business increased in 2010!

Visit us on Facebook –

Barry at http://www.facebook.com/barry.kantz

Lorene at http://www.facebook.com/lorener

Gary at http://www.facebook.com/gary.ebels.

Join the Home Based Travel Agent Show Facebook Group.

On Twitter

Lorene’s Twitter name is lorener

Barry’s Twitter name is kantzb

Gary's Twitter name is gary222

Check out Lorenes travel agent website at www.sharptonguedconsulting.com.

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 and Gary at wdwgary@gmail.com.

Amy London
"There's a Boat That's Leavin' Soon" (mp3)
from "When I Look in Your Eyes"
(Motema Music)

Buy at Napster

Buy at iTunes Music Store

Buy at Rhapsody

Stream from Rhapsody

Buy at Puretracks

Buy at Amazon MP3

Buy at appliedSB / MCNE (Groupietunes)

Buy at mTraks

279 - Putting Together a Theme Cruise and Helping Your Clients Rave About You

Podcast Number 279

BUSINESS SEGMENT

Testimonials are great sales tools everyone should employ to drive business. Don't leave your client scratching their head about what to write when you ask them for a testimonial. Bust through a client's writer's block by giving them a template to prompt them to write a winning testimonial for you. Barry describes this template approach in the business segment of the show.

CO HOSTED SEGMENT

Lorene describes her experience with setting up a theme cruise. Lorene is arranging a Danube river boat cruise with Lesa Snider in December of 2011. Lesa is the author of the Photoshop "Missing Manual" series of book. Lesa will conduct courses in digital photography during the Danube river boat cruise. You can learn more about the cruise at www.photocruisewithlesa.com.

TRAVEL NEWS

Book a scooter or wheel chair for your cruising clients on line!

A cruise ship that meets a families fantasies.

Delta Airlines and Seattle's Best Coffee create a winning customer experience.

Visit us on Facebook –

Barry at http://www.facebook.com/barry.kantz

Lorene at http://www.facebook.com/lorener

Gary at http://www.facebook.com/gary.ebels.

Join the Home Based Travel Agent Show Facebook Group.

On Twitter

Lorene’s Twitter name is lorener

Barry’s Twitter name is kantzb

Gary's Twitter name is gary222

Check out Lorenes travel agent website at www.sharptonguedconsulting.com.

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 and Gary at wdwgary@gmail.com.