IC TRAVEL AGENT November 2013 | Página 6

Thinking INSIDE the Box means to know and to use as is, change to suit, blend, update, turn to a new use the tools you currently own, the tools of your host agency, association, your suppliers, and your own talents. Your box is jam packed with “stuff” and we haven’t even tapped the combined knowledge as yet of everyone on your “team”. Your team includes you of course, plus each and every colleague in your group, franchise, consortium, host, friends and social connections. So far not a new dollar invested. That is a huge library of knowledge that’s available whenever you need it. Your “cost” would be an email or a phone call. yours to use, IF you intend to sell the brand that owns the tools. How are we doing? Do you see in your own mind how large this box is? Are you aware of all the tools in this box? Do you know the skills and talents of your colleagues, of the HQ team, of your supplier BDMs, of your host’s BDMs? The bells are ringing I know. They always do. You’re thinking to yourself, “Holy bookings, how can I ever get to know about and use all of these tools?” What a nice challenge to have. So many money making tools at your disposal and no time to use them all. What you do is first make a list. List each and every tool in the box and make sure you know where to find them and how to use them. Once that list is completed, you can analyze how you will use them, or not. To help you analyze the changes you might invoke, let me introduce this decision making grid. Next we check out the tools that your host agency provides and generally we’re talking about marketing know-how, plans and activities that are happening whether you partake or not. Your preferred suppliers also have dozens of tools in their box, and you are always invited to play with them. They are THE SMP THINKING INSIDE THE BOX MODEL WHO WHAT WHEN WHERE WHY SUBSTITUTE COMBINE ADAPT MODIFY Type in your challenge here and apply the W5-SCAMPER model to your thinking, planning and revamping. PURPOSE ELIMINATE REARRANGE Page 6 HOW