The KHM Travel Group team welcomed 39 agents to our corporate office in Ohio this past week, August 10th-12th, for our third Boot Camp of 2016.

Every Boot Camp is designed to provide a solid foundation for new travel agents to kickstart their businesses. It’s also valuable for those who have been travel agents for awhile, but are ready to invest more seriously in their business now.

Every Boot Camp is also an opportunity for the KHM Travel staff to learn about the challenges and needs of our agents, so we can improve future events and educational programs.

During our latest Boot Camp, for instance, we added more small group sessions and discussions to give our agents more one-on-one time with staff.

“I LOVE the small groups with KHM staff,” said Kelly, an agent from Ohio. “I love the availability of staff from Mr. Rick Zimmerman and right on down the line. They are REAL people.”

Agents also learned about the latest offerings and products from two of our Preferred Suppliers, Funjet Vacations and Carnival Cruise Line. After the Carnival presentation, our BDM Chris Schutz had a special message about our 2017 Crystal Awards Cruise, which current agents can check out in our Agents-Only group!

Aside from product knowledge, they also gained practical skills like choosing the right supplier, working in various booking systems, and navigating our myTravelCRM system.

For the first time during Boot Camp, we also had an experienced, award-winning agent share her insights with our Boot Campers. Our National Training Director, Marie, interviewed Susan Fithian, KHM Travel’s 2015 Rookie Agent of the Year.

They discussed everything from working in the Travel Agent Portal, to how she balances her travel business with other facets of her life, to handling her first destination wedding.

One Boot Camp agent asked how Susan got over those feelings of self-doubt that often plague new agents. To which Susan replied, “don’t tell anyone you are new.”

She also encouraged agents to not be driven by fear, but by passion.

“Be out there, and be relentless,” Susan added. “My clientele of 30 years didn’t happen overnight.”

Thanks so much to Susan for sharing her real-life success story with the agents – it was an inspirational addition to Boot Camp!

One of the biggest goals for Boot Camp attendees is that they leave with confidence, knowing that they have the knowledge and tools to head in the right direction.

“KHM gives us so much information and tools to be successful,” said Amy, a Michigan agent. “Boot Camp connected all those pieces for me and gave me the confidence I needed.”

Thank you to last week’s Boot Camp attendees for being so energized and engaged. We applaud you for making this investment in yourselves and your travel agencies, and hope to see all of you at an upcoming event…maybe even the Crystal Awards Cruise! For more photos from this past Boot Camp, check out our Flickr album.

We invest our time into developing the best travel agent education opportunities so that our agents have everything they need to build successful businesses. To find out more about upcoming KHM Travel Group events, see recaps and photos from past events, and register for any of our live events, visit TravelAgentMeeting.com.

If you’d like to attend Boot Camp this year, November is the last chance! Get all the details and register here on TravelAgentMeeting.com.

For more details on how to start your own home-based travel agency, fill out the form on the right side of the screen or call 1-888-611-1220 to receive our free information packet.