Written by: Bill Todd

Why? It costs five times as much to acquire a new client than it does to motivate an existing customer to buy again. Repeat business is your most powerful engine for hitting your 2009 sales goals.

As a rule, most travel businesses quickly reduce their marketing and sales efforts during poor economic times. As a result, they tend to focus their reduced business resources on finding new clients. This practice violates a long-standing prescription for success that suggests you spend 60% of your time on existing customers, 30% on qualified new accounts, and 10% on prospecting.

Too often we take our existing clients for granted. As a result, we spend little time communicating with the very people who are currently paying our salaries. Remember the words of a wise old advertising executive from Texas: “Don’t neglect your horses to find new ponies.”

Business professionals who consistently outperform their competitors understand one simple rule—the greater the competition in your area, the greater the importance of consistent follow-up and customer service. In short, your existing customers must feel appreciated each and every time they do business with you. When your current customers feel appreciated, they become walking, talking billboards for your company.

Bill Todd is one of the travel industry’s most sought-after sales and marketing speakers and coaches. He is the co-author of the new book Speaking of Success which also features best-selling authors Stephen R. Covey (Seven Habits of Highly Effective People), Ken Blanchard (One Minute Manager) and Jack Canfield (The Secret and Chicken Soup for the Soul). Todd has served as vice president of sales and industry marketing for the 5000+ franchises and seven global brands of Choice Hotels International, and was vice president of sales and marketing for Marriott International’s Corporate Lodging Division. BTodd@BTodd.com | www.BTodd.com | 301.633.5856

By David Farley, Shane Mitchell, Hannah Wallace, Jennifer Flowers, Amanda Pressner, Heather Wagner, Karrie Jacobs, Luke Barr and Bob Morris

In these tumultuous times, we return to the essential pleasures of travel, rediscovering classic destinations and old-fashioned manners, seeking out comfort and serenity and quiet. What’s old is new again this year.

The shaky economy has lead to some drastic changes in the ways people travel, creating new breeds of travelers like flashpackers. This flashier version of the backpacker values the same low-cost methods of traveling as the traditional backpacker but would rather steer clear of group accommodations in lieu of a private (but affordable) room.

Cruise lines are reinventing themselves. Take the launch of Celebrity Cruises’ Solstice, the first of five in a new class of ships intended to change the way people feel about cruising by putting a modern spin on the glamour of ocean liners past. The luxury ship exceeds the average ship’s accommodations and level of sophistication. It even adds a touch of eco-friendliness with its heat-absorbing half-acre lawn, where guests can picnic and play croquet.

Even airlines, which have been under a tremendous amount of heat with a rise in fees and delays, are taking steps to accommodate disgruntled passengers. In a pre-emptive move, Virgin America is requiring empathy and stress management training for all of its employees, who attend classes on such topics as politeness and conflict resolution.

Even our travel memories are undergoing an update. The Nikon Coolpix P6000 is an example of new technology that will change the way travel memories are not only documented, but catalogued and shared. Not only will it capture stunning digital images from around the globe, but its built-in GPS system is perfect for keeping an accurate log of where each picture was shot, essential for a multi-destination excursion.

Article from Travel+Leisure. To view the original article, click here.