Spared by sustained growth, Vacation.com reports the completion of its recent reorganization of its sales force to serve its membership. This includes redefining current roles and expanding both outside and inside personnel, Vacation.com says.
Vacation.com notes it recently welcomed more than 100 new cruise-focused travel agencies through the acquisition of Weston, FL, based Cruise Shoppes. This was in addition to 300-plus travel agencies added in 2011 through traditional recruiting methods.
The new structure brings four dedicated Account Development Managers and four Sales Managers to the Outside Sales team. The Account Development Managers will focus on helping member agencies maximize their membership benefits and supplier sales, while the Sales Managers will be dedicated to attracting new members to Vacation.com.
“In the past, our Business Development Managers did it all: recruiting, training our members on new programs like AirPRO and In-Sites, and, of course, helping grow their sales,” said Vacation.com President John Lovell. “Now, thanks to the new structure, our newly-created Account Development Managers are focused on one thing and one thing only: making our members more profitable. This was a necessary step to take as Vacation.com’s membership continues to expand.”
“Each year we set our recruitment goal higher and higher, and each year we surpass it, thanks largely to the wealth and quality of the programs we offer,” said Karin Viera, Vacation.com’s vice president of sales. “Now that we have dedicated Sales Managers onboard, I expect Vacation.com to grow at an unprecedented rate, which will bring more clout and success to all of our member agencies.”
Both the Account Development Managers (ADM) and the Sales Managers (SM) will be strategically based across the United States, including the Northeast, Southeast, Mid-Central and West. They will be supported by two new Inside Sales personnel, along with newly-appointed Director of Sales, Chris Blandamer. Blandamer has been with Vacation.com since 2007 and previously held the position of Manager, Sales Planning and Analysis. Prior to Vacation.com, he worked in airport operations and corporate sales.
The revamped Sales Team includes many industry veterans who have held long-standing positions with Vacation.com, including ADMs Mike Spinelli, Jr. and Linda Geer, along with SMs Michael Migliore and Ron Bentley, Vacation.com said.
New to the team are ADMs Laura Dominguez, formerly with Princess Cruises and Cunard; and Ginger Russell, previously with Results! Travel and Qantas Holidays; along with new SMs Edi Meadows, formerly of Carnival Cruise Lines and Holland America Line; and Jeff Cimack, previously of Brendan Worldwide Vacations.
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