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	Scott Koepf Vice President of Sales Avoya Travel/American Express www.JoinAvoya.com

Are You Singing In the Rain? Do, do, do, do, Do-do, do, do, do, do, Do-do… Can you listen to or sing this song without smiling and just feeling good? Even though I resemble the dancing elephant from that GE commercial I still get instantly happy and want to grab a street light and spin. Now I know I am a musical theatre aficionado, but I think even my sport fanatic buddies would agree that this song moves them (next time we are sitting watching a game, holding hands and emoting, I will ask). While the song itself is magical, I think it is the premise that we can learn from. In other words, when circumstances are bad, what do you do? I hate to be the one to break this to you, but as much as this is a thrilling and wonderful business, selling travel is hard. I know the callous among you just said "No, really, this guy is a genius" but as I ignore such insults I will tell you that you deal with challenges every day. Yep, it is going to rain! No escape, you will, at some point in your career, be caught in a downpour. The choice you have is how you deal with it. What better example than Gene Kelley (or if you dance like me, the elephant)? When the sky opens up, singing and dancing erupts! You may not have a choice as to the external conditions, but you sure do have a choice in what you do in the midst of them. If I stopped here, you might think that was a nice little message about keeping your chin up in hard times. Yes, it was a nice message but what we can also learn from this is the ability to turn an obstacle into a positive experience. Take puddles, for example. When we were kids, we all loved puddles to jump in, to splash through, to kick and just play in. Unfortunately somewhere along the line, we got too serious, we thought our shoes were more valuable than fun or we forgot the feeling puddles used to bring. So now we walk around them and miss the joy these "bad things" can bring. When you watch Mr. Kelley singing, you will notice he does not just ignore the puddles, he seeks them out and uses them. As travel agents, you will deal with puddles every day. Seek them out and jump right in! It might be that one client who drives you nuts that has been on your "need to call" list for two weeks. Don't dance around the puddle, just call him. (Be careful not to say "Hi, is this Mr. Puddles?") So when the rain comes — Sing and Dance! While I am using this wonderful musical as my analogy of the month, I want to share two other songs from this gem that we can learn from. The first I can still picture my bride of many years singing as she played the lead in a regional production of Singing in the Rain many years ago. "Good mornin', Good Mo –or - or –nin'!" is another song that just gets you in a great mood — but the key is not what is said (sung) but how! Good morning is said a bazillion time everyday, and you say it (or hello) to your clients every day. So the words are not memorable, but the way they are expressed are. No, you do not have to sing every greeting you say, but just make it memorable and compelling and sincere. And the third song provides such a clear message that the title says it all. "Make 'em Laugh!" Simple, but so important in our world today. Not only do people need and want a giggle now and then, but when you are in the leisure travel business, the interactions should be fun. I am not suggesting that you need to be a standup comedian, but let your natural humor shine. Just like not avoiding puddles, don't avoid the appropriate use of humor. A good laugh will make a relationship grow more than almost any well-crafted sentence. Remember, attitudes are contagious, so try to infect your clients with one that will brighten their day. Or at least have them… Singing in the Rain!
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This website is dedicated to the memory of Joel M. Abels
"HE CREATED A VOICE, NOT JUST AN ECHO"