The Sandals Team, Grant Lawlor,
Lorna Richards, Grace Larmond,
Omar Josephs and Robert Smith
Janetravel & Cruise's Joseph Feres and Sandals' Eastern Ontario Business Development Manager, Robert Smith
Lorna Richards,
Sandals' National Training Manager
Jenny Scourboutakos and Lindsay Kerr of Flight Centre Groups, Pickering
Robert Smith, Sandals' Eastern Ontario Business Development Manager
With 60 agent training events scheduled across Canada this year, Sandals Resorts is on a determined mission to certify and re-certify their agent partners. Last week, at YTO’s Delta Chelsea Hotel, 26 agents gathered for an intense 4 hr. Sandals training workshop to receive their Certified Sandals Specialist (CSS) Certificate. “This intense program is for new agents and for those who want to maintain their certification,” said Robert Smith, Eastern Ontario’s Business Development Manager for Sandals. “It’s an annual training program and agents must fulfill this educational requirement each year.”
Lorna Richards, Sandals’ National Training Manager led the session that covered all details including the resorts’ infamous luxury inclusions, butler service, the new online wedding planning tool called Wedding Designer and each individual property and its unique amenities. “It’s not only a refresher,” said Jenny Scourboutakos of Flight Centre Groups, Pickering. “It gets us motivated to sell Sandals again.” This was Scourboutakos’ 4th time renewing her certification.
According to Robert Smith, Sandals is an ever-changing product, which is why the annual workshops are necessary. However, the sessions are much more than your average product training and promotional event. Agents walked away with marketing tools and strategies to increase their commissions and ultimately grow their business. “Don’t sit back and expect the business to come to you,” said Smith. “You have to go out and seek the business.”
For instance, one strategy is to up-sell and pre-sell as much as possible prior to the trip. With Sandals Resorts, everything is commissionable. “The higher the category, the happier the clients, the higher the commission,” said Smith.
Sandals also urges agents to call on their local BDMs for knowledge support and to assist with marketing plans. “Your BDM is the best tool you can use to expand your business,” said Smith. “Utilize all the avenues available to you and cast a wide net.”
Sandals Resorts has always invested heavily in travel agents and the relationship between the 2 has often been referred to as a love affair. “We believe in agents,” said Smith. “They allow us to be where we are today.”
