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Breakout Sessions Kick Start Day 2 of 2011 CP Con

Bienvenido!  It is day two of 2011 CP Con and theYucatansun is shining brightly overRivieraMaya,Mexico.  The morning began with a full breakfast buffet sponsored by Norwegian Cruise Line before the day’s first series of breakout sessions. Home Office team and cruse line industry professionals led the workshops with the goal to provide CP travel advisors with business advice that will ultimately help them build the confidence they need to tackle the upcoming cruising season.

From learning the benefits of video marketing, battling those stage fright jitters or simply learning about the value of Cruise Planners’ premier cruise line partners from Uniworld Cruises to Royal Caribbean International, there was a slew of information that kept advisors learning, growing and embracing the change that’s on the horizon.  

Cruise Planners own Cathy Kusuma shared her tips with advisors to ultimately help them gain the confidence to speak in front of an audience.  Kusuma said that selling and marketing themselves is part of being a successful CP advisor, and the best way to get rid of those butterflies in the stomach is to plan, prepare, pace, practice and bring a positive presence before the group.  “Mistakes are bound to happen, but one piece of advice I want to share, is that the audience has no idea what you’re going to say next, so if you mess up, who is going to know? Just stay calm, and find that smiling face in the crowd to keep you going,” said Kusuma.

With the goal of pointing our CP family in the right direction, advisors got a crash course in the importance of video marketing. By illustrating the importance of alternative marketing strategies, Adam Lapsevich, CEO of SpoonDrawer Media and CP Rock Star Paul Belletiere, walked advisors through the visual world of YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn even their own websites. From creating personal YouTube pages to adding video content on all social media channels, we’re confident that our advisors have all the preliminary tools to launch their businesses into the world of video marketing!

Cruise Planners’ preferred cruise line partners also hosted breakout sessions to talk to agents about their product, new ships and destinations on the horizon as well as how to sell the value of that product to Cruise Planners’ clients.  From Uniworld to Viking River cruises, Royal Caribbean International and Norwegian Cruise Line, the message was the same: not every cruise experience is similar, but as long as advisors know their clients and know what they want, the relationship between the cruise lines and CP will be a successful one.    

The highlight of the day was Michelle Fee’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire panel presentation.  Cruise Planners’ Millionaire’s Club members – Paul Parker, Julie Irovando, Connie Saunders, Bob Zweig, Michael Consoli and Nancy Bogert – shared their tips and secrets of success with hundreds of their colleagues to help them excel in this competitive market.  It’s all about attitude, booking group cruises, perseverance, networking, using CP’s marketing tools to their full potential and sailing to top destinations such as the Caribbean, Alaska and Europe. Words of wisdom from Millionaire Club member, Connie Saunders: “You won’t work this hard forever, but if you do work hard now just know that you will be able to do things in the future that no one else will be able to do.”  

What’s in store for the rest of the day? Actually, not much!  Cruise Planners have the afternoon off to explore El Dorado Royale, soak up some rays or schedule in a spa treatment before dressing up for the evening 80’s themed party!  More news to come as tomorrow will be the final day of convention with more breakout sessions, a time to talk tech with VP of Information Technology Brian Shultz and much, much more!  Michelle Fee and Vicky Garcia may even disclose the location for next year’s convention! Stay tuned!