Business Development Managers are a critical link in the travel eco-system, promoting the products of their cruise line, airline, hotel chain or tour operator employer, while supporting the efforts of travel advisors who bring those products to the consumer. An effective BDM helps facilitate growth opportunities for both their companies and their strategic partners.
In this new series of articles, TravelPulse Canada profiles some of Canada’s leading travel industry BDMs in their own words, including advice on how you can make the most of this important relationship.
Juan Carlos Ruiz says he was lucky that he got into travel. Born in Central America, the lack of resources in a third world country can be difficult to advance into a career. Living in Nicaragua at the time, Ruiz was volunteering in a non-for-profit unrelated to travel, where he won a prize to Europe for his work. It was 1989 and he was instantly smitten by the travel industry. After attending college in the US where he also met his wife, he moved to the Dominican Republic for his first job in travel with ALG in 2003. In 2006 he moved to Canada where he worked with a multi-line company representing 11 hotels, until COVID hit. He joined Sandos after the pandemic.
TravelPulse Canada: You have worked in many sales capacities both in and out of the industry. How does this background help you do your job better?
After COVID, we saw a real importance of having someone who you can talk with on the phone and help you with whatever you need. Not just when you have issues, but also by giving you the right advice, helping an agent find the right fit for their clients. My background prepared me for a high level of customer service; I’ve worked in sales, in tours; I understand things from both a traveller and a sales perspective.
The idea for us at Sandos is to be available by a quick local phone, 24/7 365 days a year.
We’re available to meet for coffee, for brunch or just to provide training in-person or via webinar in their agencies when needed. We are always available to provide support so both our agents and Sandos can thrive.
TravelPulse Canada: What are the most impactful changes you have seen in the travel advisor community over the past few years, especially with the importance of using a travel advisor?
I believe that even the younger generations are getting to understand more and more the importance of the travel agents now. For us at Sandos, it’s extremely important. And that’s the reasons why we not only have one BDM in Canada, but three; Emily Spadafora, in the West, Judy Makara in the East and Quebec, and me in Central Canada.
We make sure we are visiting agents in their local communities, like our Sandos Tacos meet ups, we are doing something different to educate and engage our agents.
Because our BDMs live in Canada, we face the same struggles they face, we look at the same issues they see, etc. We know what the competitors are, we know everything that’s happening in the industry, because we are here. It’s easier for us to understand and to get a better relationship with our traveling advisors. It’s super important.
TravelPulse Canada: How important is educating advisors on what makes Sandos Hotels and Resorts unique?
I always tell our agents, if you don’t understand something come to us, because that’s our job. Our job is to train them to let them know what each product is for because Sandos is very different sorry than many other companies. We’re not cookie cutters, we don’t have the same product at each resort, which is rare. Each one of our properties has its own little things that agents need to understand really well so they know what’s best for their clients. We do 6 FAMs a year, and agents should engage with us on our Facebook group where I post a lot of information regarding our rewards program, FAMs and extra perks. For example, if an agent happens to be in Cancun and wants to see Sandos Cancun, we can make that happen. We will work with agents hand in hand so that we can create that opportunity that works for both guests and ourselves as well.
TravelPulse Canada: What are the most common requests/questions you get from travel agents?
There aren’t really questions, more comments that we get which center on our approachability. Agents know they can reach out to us with questions on our social media, by text or phone call and emails. We even have a “911 system” in place internally in case something unfortunate happens with our products or services in destination. We have that in place so we can provide whatever assistance is needed right away. We are able to support our agents, because that’s what’s most important.
We’re just a phone call away.
