The second annual Home-Based Travel Agent Expo & Conference is shaping up to be even better than the first, with more sessions, more speakers, and more opportunities for learning, networking and optimizing your home-based business potential. 
This year's three-hour CLIA offerings will take place on Tuesday, December 4 and will include "Selling to Special Interest/Niche Markets" and "Group Sales Made Easy." On Thursday afternoon, "Professional Selling Skills" will also be available as part of the program.
In this interactive seminar, CLIA's "Selling to Special Interest/Niche Markets," you'll learn dozens of strategies to help you reach and satisfy niche clients.
You'll see how both mainstream and specialized cruise products can satisfy clients' needs. And you'll explore the profile of six common niche client types and precisely what they want from a vacation travel experience.
CLIA's "Group Sales Made Easy" will demonstrate how to develop group business as a profit center.
This seminar will cover the following subjects: identifying groups and their characteristics, sources for lead development, marketing to groups, working with group leaders, analyzing group potential, pricing and promotional budgeting.
The 90-minute version of CLIA's "Professional Selling Skills" will take place on Thursday afternoon. This informative session is geared toward front-line travel counselors who have experience but want to sharpen their sales skills.
The seminar will enable participants to: recognize the five essential steps of the sale, qualify a client, overcome the most common barriers to the cruise sale, add value to every sale and employ strategies to get and keep the business.
In addition to the CLIA sessions offered on Tuesday, the popular Niche Cruise Specialist certification program will be available once again. Agents will learn about the opportunities of selling unique niche cruise products, how to identify the market and prospect for this commission-rich product.
Agents will also receive tips on marketing and promotion and receive a briefing on the unique experiences provided by niche cruise products.
Education in Tandem With The Travel Institute
Brand new to this year's program is an educational partnership with The Travel Institute, offering no-nonsense, "how to" workshops including, "Powerful Tech Alternatives for Home-Based Agents," "Strategies to Successful Upselling for Home-Based Agents," "Developing Your Home-Based Business Plan" and "Pricing, Fees and Understanding Your Value."
There are many other sessions being formulated to meet the needs of the burgeoning home-based community. The hottest topics in the industry will be addressed. Please continue to visit our web site, www.homebasedtravelagentexpo.com, for more updates and to register.
The early-bird registration fee of $15 is valid through August 31. After August 31, the rate will increase to $20 through December 3, and the onsite rate is $25 December 4 through December 6.
Alicia Evanko, CMP Show Director [email protected]