Recently, I experienced the kind of mass-media disconnect that I think happens more frequently these days.
I was driving home from work, listening to the news on the radio and was happy to hear about a rally on Wall Street. When it went back to the talk show, however, the guest was talking about how he expected stocks to stay low or fall even more in the foreseeable future. I was a little confused until it became apparent that this show had been taped earlier in the day (or perhaps the night before), and that the guest had no idea that his remarks were being interrupted by news reports that totally contradicted him. Clearly, the business outlook today is so volatile, there’s no way for even so-called experts to predict it day to day, or even hour by hour.
With this in mind, we believe this issue’s cover story "Winning Strategies" is a must-read for agents — particularly those who are either self-employed or own an agency. The 10 basic tips presented in the story will give agents a fundamental game plan for making sure their businesses stay sound in these confusing times.
One of the suggestions mentioned in the story is to work closely with preferred suppliers. Not only should you work with organizations that you believe in, but it’s a good idea to support those companies that support your business in turn. As part of this effort to acknowledge the best suppliers in our industry, it is time again for you to cast your vote in our annual WAVE Awards.
For those who don’t know, WAVE stands for Western Agents’ Vote of Excellence, and each year we ask readers to recognize their favorite travel suppliers in categories that include cruise lines, hotels, tour operators, tourist boards, airlines and more. You’ll find the WAVE Awards ballot on page 6 of this issue, as well as on our Web site home page at TravelAgeWest.com. Vote now; balloting ends April 30.
