On Wednesday, the Home-Based Travel Agent Expo's 12 packed-to-capacity afternoon sessions covered everything from marketing strategies to sales tips to in-depth looks at destinations. One of the most lively was the standing-room-only "The Secret to Doubling Your Home-Based Income in `07," presented by Shelton Hill, sales and business development coach for America's Vacation Center. "If you truly want to grow your business, you must first grow yourself," Hill said, referring to both an agent's self-esteem and continued education. He chided agents who didn't have business plans, saying, "You must think like a business owner.... If you don't know where you want to go, how are you supposed to get there?" Representatives from small cruise lines talked about their products in "Cashing in on the Specialty Cruise Market." Mike Daley, president, Creative Solutions Inc., gave agents helpful strategies in his session "Creating a Game Plan for Success"; and a panel of southern Africa experts talked about the seven countries and myriad products for clients and educational and sales tools for agents in "Selling Southern Africa; It's Easier Than You Think."
