Highly Tailored, Tiered Approach Designed to Accelerate Advisor Training

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. (June 11, 2019) – Travel Leaders Network, North America’s largest travel agency organization, recently announced plans to unveil its new customized approach to travel advisor education at its 2019 annual conference known as EDGE, which stands for Educate, Discover, Gather, Evolve. More than 2,100 travel advisors and industry representatives attended this year’s conference, which took place from June 7-10 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center at National Harbor, Md.

The new “Travel Leaders Network – Professional Learning Path” consists of professional growth tiers for every travel advisor – from highly experienced agents to those who are newer to the industry, and from corporate and leisure focused advisors to owners and managers. A pre-work exercise prior to the conference that included input from each advisor’s agency owner, manager or host agency, ensured that advisors are participating in workshops within the correct tiers. The tier levels are:

-Tier 1 for newer agents who are mastering the technical and supplier aspects of the job. Some topics within those workshops address building a client base, using various social media platforms, using exclusive amenities to close the sale and walking through professional, ethical and preferred etiquette scenarios.

-Tier 2 for established advisors who are enrolled in or have completed at least one specialist program. Sessions include marketing strategies, tactics for closing sales and creating a persuasive digital presence to how to generate sales and start building relationships.

-Tier 3 for experienced advisors driving their business based on specialization and utilizing the newest generation of Agent Profiler, or corporate advisors with 10 or more years of experience. Workshop topics include “supercharging” your digital profile and using digital platforms to better engage with the traveler throughout the customer journey, learning about Travel Leaders Group’s SELECT Hotels & Resorts program, which features more than 1,000 hotel properties worldwide, and how its unrivaled benefits and programs can bolster sales in the long and short term. And, discussing how to become a “million-dollar plus seller.”

-Tier 4 for very highly experienced trusted travel professionals on the leisure and corporate side. These workshops focus on growing one’s personal brand, using technology more efficiently and effectively for clients, paid advertising opportunities on social media channels and identifying and strategically evaluating client lists to maximize sales, among other topics.

Corporate-focused sessions are in tiers, as well, addressing topics on traveler safety, building new contacts from existing customers, reaching the real decision makers in every organization and using technology for greater customer service.

Of the 210 workshops offered over the course of the conference, more than 70 were within the Professional Learning Path program to help guide advisors through specific tracks based on where they are in their career development. Ongoing educational opportunities within the program will continue throughout the remainder of the year.

“These tiers have been very thoughtfully tailored to foster talent acceleration in a highly effective manner,” said Roger E. Block, CTC, President of Travel Leaders Network.

The new professional learning path program was developed with the assistance of former and current advisory board members from travel agencies within the Travel Leaders Network family of associates and affiliates. Lea Diele, CTIE, Senior Director of Educational Services for Travel Leaders Network, who became head of the organization’s education and training program last year, has been conducting research into the creation of such a program for the past decade and subsequently implemented the concept at Travel Leaders.

For travel agency owners and independent contractors interested in learning more about the award-winning programs and diverse offerings that Travel Leaders Network offers agencies in leisure and luxury travel, business travel, honeymoon and destination weddings – as well as active and adventure travel – visit  TravelLeadersNetwork.com.

Travel Leaders Network (www.TravelLeaders.com), assists millions of leisure and business travelers annually, and is one of the largest sellers of luxury travel, cruises and tours in the travel agency industry, with approximately 5,700 travel agency locations across the United States and Canada. Travelers also have access to The Travel Collection by Travel Leaders Group, a selection of travel offers and discounts available at no additional cost to holders of select American Express® cards. For more information visit www.TheTravelCollection.com.