Leisure Travel News - July 10, 2000 Enterprising Agent Marilyn Green Defying Tradition Traditional wisdom says that location, location, location is the watchword in business success. Traditional wisdom also says Canadian agents are pulling from a weaker client base than their U.S counterparts. But Mary Jean Tully moved from Chicago to Mississauga, Ontario, just outside of Toronto, and defied traditional wisdom to build one of the very top producing agencies in the highly competitive luxury cruise market. Her accomplishments are impressive: she celebrated the 13th anniversary of The Cruise Professionals in June with a placement among Conde Nast's top 70 travel agents (a colleague told her it is statistically easier to get into Harvard than to make that list). Her business has grown steadily to 24 agents in the office and one outside salesperson, and her clients come from all over the world, originating in places as far flung as Dubai and Mauritius. She had 36 people on Crystal's recent World Cruise along, some doing segments, some doing the whole voyage. "The main reason for our success is education" Tully said. "A lot of owners take all the perks, but it is most important for the front line agents to deal with the product directly. It's not just brochure product knowledge; you have to spend the money to go to the destination itself. In five years, for example, a hotel may change drastically, and the cruise line industry, which is our specialty, is changing from month to month. The people who are actually making the sales represent you. They must experience what your client's experience." Seeing it first hand Tully said she paid for each of her employees to go on Crystal cruises recently, since the cruise line was showing tremendous growth in popularity among her clients. Two years she sent her employees on the Seabourn Sun for the same reason. "I also arrange for them to take different kinds of tours so that they can see the difference," she added. "Sometimes they've been amazed at the price of private car tours, but once they've experienced it both ways they can speak with authority on the value of the experience." In June she sent one agent and her husband on a cruise with three bus tours and twp private car tours. "What did it cost me to be sure that they toured both ways?" she asked. "About $650. It will come back tenfold. We always hear about how branding is important and you can't just sell cruises out of a brochure. That means that the people who sell have to understand the whole sale, not only the brochure cruise. They must be able to speak to the client from the basis of solid understanding." In addition to direct experience, Tully encourages agents to get their CTC designation from the Institute of Certified Travel Agents (ICTA) and to network with other travel agents. She feels that many agents make the mistake of isolating themselves. "None of us knows it all; education is absolutely the key factor," she added. "you have to know what you're selling and who is doing the buying decision." Breaking it down Her agents do know their buyers. Within the luxury market, The Cruise Professionals sell 98 percent FIT, along with small groups and one incentive group every year. Tully herself, makes sure that she handles clients and phone calls, and doesn't cut herself off from the front line experience. She spends time talking with both travel agents and her clients on an ongoing basis. She regards her affiliation with Virtuoso as the single most important step in her career. "The quality and calibre of professionalism is so high," she said. "I learn something from them every session. And it is not only the agents; it's also the suppliers. The networking and relationships are priceless." Another aspect of her business which has been of tremendous value is her quick response to clients, seven days a week. Her office is open until 9 p.m. on weekdays, Saturday's 9-6 and Sunday's 10-3. One of her busiest days is Saturdays, and during the winter Sundays become heavy booking days too. "The dot-com users want convenience over all," she stated. Web Available Dot-com users find a strong presence for the agency on the Web, as well. Tully's husband designed her Web site, which has won eight design awards to date. "I treat internet inquiries exactly like phone calls; we respond immediately, and follow up once more if they don't answer. It's just another medium. We try to get everybody from the Internet to pick up a phone and call us; so far, nearly everyone does. It's just another medium to reach clients, and they play by the same rules. It's rapport that counts, and service, always. Expanded hours and Internet access have erased regional limitations in her pool of customers. "Geography doesn't mean anything any more," she said. "Sixty-five percent of my business originates outside of Canada; the bulk of the business is repeat or referral." With international cruise clients Tully books the cruise separately from the air. "The region no longer has to be the defining factor in travel retailing," Tully argues. "If you specialize, make a segment of your own, and follow through with the most current information and the most responsive service, your client pool is set by interest or economics, and it is far larger that the regional potential alone. Referrals go from one member of a group to another, but the group doesn't have to be physically connected."   Back         Top of Page

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