Open Jaw :: Up Front ::

with David Jacob of Main Street Travel & Cruises in Markham
22JUL09

How long have you been in the business? Since 1980 - and always in the same location, which I think is a reason for our success.

How has the business changed? Laughs. Massively. I can remember when we used to sell a million dollars of Air Canada, and now airline sales are secondary.

Do you have a specialty? Cruising and Europe.

If you could have any job in the business what would it be? Probably a destination rep for an inbound operator in Europe – in say, Switzerland.

Your best ever fam? A seven day Windstar cruise in the Adriatic.

What drives you crazy? Airlines that don’t pay commission!

If you could have a secret weapon what would be it be? Having first hand information and experience of every destination.

What was your biggest individual sale? A family on a Windstar Caribbean cruise – probably over $100,000.

Do you have a magic sentence to close the sale? All my clientele are my regular clientele – about 250 or 300 of them - so I never have to trip people coming in the door. I use a really honest approach and if I think a hotel is dump I’ll tell them.

How do you cope with jet lag? Two things: You’re allowed an afternoon nap but get a wake-up call and then go to bed at your normal bedtime local time.

What do you do to keep your clients loyal? I do a lot of counseling in their homes and spend time in the evening at their kitchen table going over the options. I’m not pushy, which I think is a plus.

If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing? I’ve never been disappointed in this industry. I have a ball doing my job and love every day of it!

06/25/09 Sheila Gallant-Halloran of Travel Counsellors in Ottawa

05/22/09 Ray Surette of New Wave Travel in Toronto

04/15/09 Paula Ellis-Hunt of Renaissance Travel in Winnipeg

04/07/09 Mel Stewart, Manager, Maritime Travel Burnside, Halifax

01/15/09 Jackie Moir – recently promoted to Regional Manager, Eastern Ontario for Merit Travel

12/16/08 Lara Noack, Tripcentral.ca, Hamilton

11/19/08 Bonnie Shewfelt, Advantage Hanover Travel, Hanover ON

10/21/08 Ginette Kelly, Leisure Counsellor at Carlson Wagonlit Travel in Waterloo, ON

09/03/08 Terry Larke of Truro N.S., Travel Counsellors’ newest travel counsellor

08/15/08 Lenora Perry, travel consultant Sears Travel in Victoria

07/15/08 Rick Taman of Paragon Travel in Toronto

06/15/08 Meghan Boyd, Team Leader at Toronto’s Pacesetter Travel

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