Don't Like Change? Leave It Here!
Did you notice a change to our YTB Marketing Sites yesterday? It’s actually pretty small, but I think it will prove to be a very important development in the months and years to come. If you subscribe to my Free Newsletter you already knew about this change, but I wanted to let others who may not be aware know not only what has just transpired, but why.
"As YourTravelBiz.com and YTB Travel Network continue to grow we are working diligently to define the differences between the travel and marketing businesses. Beginning Monday, July 14, 2008, the "Book Travel" link and the "Deals and Steals" link will be removed from the marketing website. You will no longer be able to access the travel website from the Marketing home page. In order to access your YTB Travel Network booking engine, you must go directly to www.ytbtravel.com/userID."
It is important to understand that we must differentiate between the marketing and travel businesses.YTB Travel Network ranked 26th in the nation by Travel Weekly with over $414 million in travel sales in 2007. (That’s an 83% growth in TRAVEL SALES over last year by the way and a 9 spot jump from #35 in last year’s list.) As our travel sales continue to increase, our vendors and our critics need to see a clear separation between the travel business and marketing business. Having the "Book Travel" link and the "Deals and Steals" link on the marketing site fuels their confusion. Not our fault, but the critics especially are just a little slower than others and it is our hope that this step will help our critics see this separation on our Marketing Sites and curb some of the criticism and outlandish claims about a business model they are having so much trouble grasping and understanding.
The National Convention is just 19 days away. Could this move before the National Convention be for a specific reason? We don't quite know just yet, but we believe there are very good and legitimate reasons in making this move at this time and we know that Coach, Scott, and Kim are ALWAYS thinking of us first when it comes to YOUR BUSINESS.
PS - If you’d like to keep up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB feel free to sign up for my FREE Newsletter. Just like here, it’s loaded with food, water and sunshine to grow your YTB business.
Doug & Ronda Bauknight
AKA: TravelPro
Travel Agent / Networker
Phone: 678.458.5812
Learn How To Become A Travel Agent
Book Your Travel & Vacations With
Travel Reservations: 1.800.243.4450
RTA #24635
"As YourTravelBiz.com and YTB Travel Network continue to grow we are working diligently to define the differences between the travel and marketing businesses. Beginning Monday, July 14, 2008, the "Book Travel" link and the "Deals and Steals" link will be removed from the marketing website. You will no longer be able to access the travel website from the Marketing home page. In order to access your YTB Travel Network booking engine, you must go directly to www.ytbtravel.com/userID."
It is important to understand that we must differentiate between the marketing and travel businesses.YTB Travel Network ranked 26th in the nation by Travel Weekly with over $414 million in travel sales in 2007. (That’s an 83% growth in TRAVEL SALES over last year by the way and a 9 spot jump from #35 in last year’s list.) As our travel sales continue to increase, our vendors and our critics need to see a clear separation between the travel business and marketing business. Having the "Book Travel" link and the "Deals and Steals" link on the marketing site fuels their confusion. Not our fault, but the critics especially are just a little slower than others and it is our hope that this step will help our critics see this separation on our Marketing Sites and curb some of the criticism and outlandish claims about a business model they are having so much trouble grasping and understanding.You may not know this, but some time ago we removed the marketing link from the travel site for the same reason. It’s been about 2 or 2 ½ years now; and honestly, it’s been so long ago, I don’t remember an exact point in time. I’ve also read that some of our critics have signed up for our “Steals and Deals” in hopes that they would find some sort of solicitation from the Home Office about joining our Company for all these “Perks and Credentials” we hear so much about and to come join YTB. Since I’ve not heard word one about any such mailing in all the time I’ve been with YTB, no such solicitation has ever sent.
YTB also clearly states on all our company approved Marketing Materials the following statement:
"The YTB companies offer two unique and powerful opportunities, that of referring travel agent or "RTA" and that of independent marketing representative or "REP". The travel agent opportunity has an initial fee under $500 and a monthly license fee of $49.95. There is no fee or travel agency purchase required to be a REP. You may choose to participate in one or both opportunities."
This statement is read at every Company Presentation and is found on all Company Marketing Materials in the Countries we operate. (United States, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, the Bahamas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada.) We also operate through three subsidiaries: YourTravelBiz.com, Inc., YTB Travel Network, Inc., and REZconnect Technologies, Inc. and we are publicly traded on the OTC under the symbol YTBLA.OB.
It’s no secret that there is a tremendous amount of focus on our company at this time, and we need to be very cautious how we as a company operate in both a corporate entity and as Independent Representatives. (This means YOU!)
We have known Coach, Scott, and Kim for many years and every decision they make is with a "Reps Heart" and we need to trust that these decisions are made in our best interest. We trust and believe that removing the "Book Travel" link and the "Deals and Steals" link will help separate our two unique and powerful opportunities.
Based on what I’ve seen from those who have already subscribed to our Free Newsletter, most of you with our company already have a registered domain for your booking engine as our booking engines for most are the primary focus of our business. (Contrary to what you may have heard by others.)
If you’re like me you use another domain extension (.info - .net - .biz) and purchase either clear or white "Return Address" labels (or purchase a stamp) to affix your "other site" to the back of the business card.
When marketing your Travel Business under http://www.ytbtravel.com/justpictureitnow and you come in contact with a very sharp individual. Simply turn the card over when handing them the business card and tell them to take a look at this site, http://www.ytb.com/justpictureitnow. If it looks interesting to your prospect, your contact information can be found either on the front of the business card or on the web site and all you have to do is answer a few simple questions.
YTB also clearly states on all our company approved Marketing Materials the following statement:
"The YTB companies offer two unique and powerful opportunities, that of referring travel agent or "RTA" and that of independent marketing representative or "REP". The travel agent opportunity has an initial fee under $500 and a monthly license fee of $49.95. There is no fee or travel agency purchase required to be a REP. You may choose to participate in one or both opportunities."
This statement is read at every Company Presentation and is found on all Company Marketing Materials in the Countries we operate. (United States, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, the Bahamas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada.) We also operate through three subsidiaries: YourTravelBiz.com, Inc., YTB Travel Network, Inc., and REZconnect Technologies, Inc. and we are publicly traded on the OTC under the symbol YTBLA.OB.
It’s no secret that there is a tremendous amount of focus on our company at this time, and we need to be very cautious how we as a company operate in both a corporate entity and as Independent Representatives. (This means YOU!)
We have known Coach, Scott, and Kim for many years and every decision they make is with a "Reps Heart" and we need to trust that these decisions are made in our best interest. We trust and believe that removing the "Book Travel" link and the "Deals and Steals" link will help separate our two unique and powerful opportunities.
Based on what I’ve seen from those who have already subscribed to our Free Newsletter, most of you with our company already have a registered domain for your booking engine as our booking engines for most are the primary focus of our business. (Contrary to what you may have heard by others.)
If you’re like me you use another domain extension (.info - .net - .biz) and purchase either clear or white "Return Address" labels (or purchase a stamp) to affix your "other site" to the back of the business card.
When marketing your Travel Business under http://www.ytbtravel.com/justpictureitnow and you come in contact with a very sharp individual. Simply turn the card over when handing them the business card and tell them to take a look at this site, http://www.ytb.com/justpictureitnow. If it looks interesting to your prospect, your contact information can be found either on the front of the business card or on the web site and all you have to do is answer a few simple questions.
We’ve been conducting our business this way for years and it works!
Paradise Network is also an incredible Marketing Site that not only has links to your YTB Marketing Site, but your Booking Engine, Live Webcasts, Contact Manager, Event Calendar, and Auto Responder system for follow up for anyone you have spoken with and has requested more information. Forwarding your domains to Paradise Network has also proven to be an effective Marketing Tool and it’s also approved by YTB.
Same business cards, same registered domains, just a slight shift in how you market two unique and powerful business opportunities.
We once heard that an Entrepreneur is nothing more than a problem solver. Sometimes we need to think outside the box from our usual way of thinking.
We also saw a tip jar not too long ago that said, "Don't like change? Leave it here!" In business, change is inevitable, and as a company we are capitalizing on the change the Travel Industry is undergoing in its change from "Brick and Mortar" to "Click and Order". We need to be able to adapt to situations easily and readily and sometimes that's hard to do with a company the size of YTB.
Paradise Network is also an incredible Marketing Site that not only has links to your YTB Marketing Site, but your Booking Engine, Live Webcasts, Contact Manager, Event Calendar, and Auto Responder system for follow up for anyone you have spoken with and has requested more information. Forwarding your domains to Paradise Network has also proven to be an effective Marketing Tool and it’s also approved by YTB.
Same business cards, same registered domains, just a slight shift in how you market two unique and powerful business opportunities.
We once heard that an Entrepreneur is nothing more than a problem solver. Sometimes we need to think outside the box from our usual way of thinking.
We also saw a tip jar not too long ago that said, "Don't like change? Leave it here!" In business, change is inevitable, and as a company we are capitalizing on the change the Travel Industry is undergoing in its change from "Brick and Mortar" to "Click and Order". We need to be able to adapt to situations easily and readily and sometimes that's hard to do with a company the size of YTB.
The National Convention is just 19 days away. Could this move before the National Convention be for a specific reason? We don't quite know just yet, but we believe there are very good and legitimate reasons in making this move at this time and we know that Coach, Scott, and Kim are ALWAYS thinking of us first when it comes to YOUR BUSINESS.
PS - If you’d like to keep up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB feel free to sign up for my FREE Newsletter. Just like here, it’s loaded with food, water and sunshine to grow your YTB business.
Doug & Ronda Bauknight
AKA: TravelPro
Travel Agent / Networker
Phone: 678.458.5812
Learn How To Become A Travel Agent
Book Your Travel & Vacations With
Travel Reservations: 1.800.243.4450
RTA #24635
Labels: Critics, Travel Agent Issues, YTB International, YTB National Convention, YTB Travel Network
