STAR Tales #2

[PerFirstName], we are now a month closer to your first ABA Marketplace! STAR Tales #2 is our second newsletter written especially for you, our first-time – STAR - attendees. If you missed STAR Tales #1, check it out.

We have created these newsletters to provide you with timely information, and refer you to the right places for more detail. And now the rest of the story!

Marketplace Preparations: Know Your Product

Marketplace will be here sooner than you think, but there is still plenty of time to be well prepared for Nashville. Seller RULE #1 in your preparation: know your product and how it may realistically benefit the buyer! At Marketplace, everyone you meet will be eager to hear all about what you have to offer. To make a great first impression, be prepared and be knowledgeable about your product. After Marketplace, follow up with answers to buyers’ questions. If you really want to be a hero to buyers, refer them to other products that may add value to their itineraries. Remember, buyers are at Marketplace to learn about destinations and products that will enhance existing itineraries or may be ideas for new ones. This is a relationship market and the buyer/seller relationship begins with a sincere greeting and evolves with knowledge, service, and trust. Marketplace should be considered the beginning of the relationship; the future of it lies in your follow-up and service after Marketplace!

Limitless Networking: Networking and Selling

Marketplace is more than a series of 7-minute, computer scheduled appointments! Operators and suppliers will tell you that some of their most successful contacts have been made while Volunteering, and at seminars, and social functions.

From the moment you step from you plane in Nashville – and maybe before – your network and selling opportunities begin. Upon arrival, ABA representatives will meet and direct you to shuttles to our host hotel. The airport, shuttles, the check in line at the hotel, the convention center, and during the entire week, you will have MANY opportunities to meet people from all aspects of the travel industry, and to make valuable contacts. Industry veterans have made long-standing friendships and business contacts at Marketplace, many that have lasted decades. Those contacts and relationships have enriched their personal and professional lives. Marketplace is your chance to follow in their footsteps.

Marketplace is your opportunity to represent your company, and to sell yourself and your product. Use your time wisely; use every opportunity to meet with fellow travel professionals, both buyers and sellers. Based on registrations to date, the 2006 ABA Marketplace will be the largest in the history of our association. Make every appointment, seminar, meal function, social event, and volunteer opportunity work for you. You won’t be disappointed!

Your Passport to STARdom Begins at ABA’s Marketplace Orientation Center

Immediately after registering at the ABA Registration Desk at the Gaylord Opryland Convention Center, come to the Orientation Center. Our volunteers in the Orientation Center can be of tremendous help to you! Our “behind the scenes” Marketplace tours, one-on-one mentoring, valuable preparation tips, videos and much more are all available to you. ABA Marketplace veterans will be ready to answer all your questions, and get you started on a productive week!

Many STAR delegates are apprehensive about what to do, who to see, and how to begin. Don’t worry! The Orientation Center staff will have everything to put your mind at ease; we’re committed to making your first ABA Marketplace successful and productive.

In a survey of Marketplace 2005 STAR Delegates, 98% of delegates utlizing the Orientation Center felt better prepared for Marketplace after their Center experience.

Quality Profile Sheet = Quality Appointment

A profile sheet is a one page summary (front and back may be used) of your product and area. This short summary may be your first introduction to a potential buyer. Check out sample profile sheets on the Resources link.

Your profile sheet should be distinctive and make a good first impression. Include what is most attractive about your product and destination; what is distinctive; and direct your profile sheet to your target markets. It is pretty safe to assume that if you are an upscale casino resort property, your profile sheet will not include items about how student friendly you may be! Know your product AND know the buyers that are your potential clients! Do not include fine print; exclusions, and rate information that can best be discussed in further detail in follow up meetings.

Remember: your profile sheet is a marketing tool. It is there to attract the buyers’ interest, and to make it easier for you to sell. It should be attractive and easy to read, but does not have to be printed in the latest full color technology with maximum resolution. Sometimes a low-key approach works best, especially if you do not swamp a potential buyer with information.

The Appointment Process

ABA has already sent you information on researching and requesting appointments, and space doesn’t allow repeating all of it here. Check out our Quality Appointment Guide for specifis information about researching and requesting appointments. The most important thing now is for you to continue the research process;

Identify buyers or sellers that you know will be coming to Marketplace, are coming to your area, but with whom you may not currently be doing business
Identify buyers that may come into your general area, but do not currently have itineraries that include your destination and/or product.
Identify buyers with whom you do business with to refresh your business relationship.

Once you have identified, made a list, and prioritized these tour companies, you can access your Marketplace Passport and start requesting appointments.

A note of caution and advice worth repeating; do your homework! Be mindful and respectful of the buyer’s or seller’s time as well as your own. If a buyer does not come to your area, do NOT request an appointment with them; it is not an economical use of time. Everyone will be better off if you dedicate your time and resources to those operators who DO come to your area. If there is an operator that is not coming to your area, but you still want to talk with them, invite them to sit with you at a meal function or request a moment of their time outside of Marketplace.

Don’t forget that the deadline for appointments is January 9th. You should review and modify your appointments on-line often prior to this date. Use your time wisely to make your appointments that will enable you to have a productive, successful first Marketplace.

Additional Resources: Just Ask

Being a STAR entitles you to ask any question on your mind, so, just ask; we’re here for you and committed to your successful Marketplace. Attending Marketplace is truly a unique and rewarding experience. Every day and every activity is an opportunity to network, sell and learn. It might seem challenging at first, but be assured that the Orientation Center industry veterans are committed to making sure you get started on the right foot! Stop in as soon as you register (or as often as you like); it will be time and effort invested in a rewarding and memorable Marketplace.

We believe our STAR delegates success is so important that we have created a part of our website just for you, visit the First Time Attendee section. There you will find the STAR Packet, Frequently Asked Questions and Appointment Session Information. If you can’t find the answer to your questions, don’t hesitate to call ABA at 800-283-2877. Orientation Subcommittee members will also be giving you a call in December or January so use all of the resources we have available to make your business at Marketplace easier!

See you in Nashville – where our STARS will shine on Center Stage!