Welcome To The Zam Zuu Convention 2011

This weekend, I received an email from a few skeptical YTB/Zam Zuu people about the convention. I just wanted to share some of their concerns.

Chae Organics not a vendor on the convention schedule, but what appears to be a competitor of Chae, Sukkla, is featured prominently. Interesting enough, the presenter for Sukkla is none other than YTB CEO Bob Van Patten's wife! The incest continues!

 

Crystal Memories and Ghiada Girdles vendors aren't even on on the schedule. These two were very big vendors in year's past and Crystal Memories was the product that Kim Sorensen's side company started producing which resulted in yet another lawsuit from Diamond Ice--the original supplier.

 

ZamZuu's big Nutraceutics products vendor was all the rave at the 2010 convention and this year is not on the schedule. This was a huge component of the $300 Z-Kits that were sold to the gullible independent business owners which guaranteed would jump start the road to riches.

 

Vendors are not the focus of the convention. Very few travel suppliers are in attendance, and the big push seems to be enrollment in Coach's Way for $100 a month. 

 

It seems that YTB Zam Zuu is more concerned with recruiting (again) than with any products it may or may not sell. As long as money is collected for an intangible, YTB Zam Zuu will do well. It is even easier when the intangible (Coach's Way) offers tips with full knowledge that the masses will not/can not follow them. That way, the easy out is "oh you diod not follow the message like I told you."

 

What ever happened to being the largest distributor of product by 2020. YTB Zam Zuu was going to be larger than Walmart and Amazon combined. But now they are backing away from products? Doesn;t make sense.  Or maybe it does for those who will reap the rewards.

If you want to replicate Coach's success, do not buy into his program. Learn to talk a good talk. Ingratiate yourself into several groups (ethnic groups and church groups are particularly vulnerable) and tell a good story. Then ask a lot of people to send you a little (relatively speaking) money every month. Make the sum large enough to make them think it has value, but small enough that most legal authorities will not consider bringing charges.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

I know one YTB Zam Zuu rep who has been there for 5 years, has spent $8900 for the travel website, $1400 on the various guarantee your success programs, $6000 on attending the conventions, $3800 on attending other various meetings, $3500 on a "FAM" trip, and $1600 on various "products" that would guarantee his success.  If you are with me, this is $24,200 in addition to the initial $449.95 to sign up.  And he has yet to earn $100 in the program.

But you know what, Coach, Scott and Kim have earned plenty.

A Serious Question

For most organizations, when they have an annual meeting or a convention or conference, the majority of the people involved are excited to attend.

Why is it with YTB / ZamZuu that they practically need to beg people to attend. I have received no less than 4 notices this week from various people encouraging me to attend and telling me what a great deal Zam Zuu and YTB is and how it will be even better if I pay Coach $50 a month.

Why can't YTB / ZamZuu attract their own people to their own conference without a last minute price reduction in the fee and the Directors all begging people to attend.

CLIA 360 sold out the week after the last one ended. The Travel Weekly and ASTA shows are always very well attended.  Just not making sense!

YTB Still At The Bottom Of The Class

Just a few weeks ago, the TravelPro was crowing about YTB being upgraded by the Better Business Bureau to a C+ rating.

Now, he has never accepted that the BBB might be a valued barometer of a company. That is probably because they always ranked YTB as an F.  But now that it is a C+, he thinks they may have some redeeming qualities.

But not so fast.  Now I am not sure if YTB was ever ranked at the C+ level or not, but as of now (June 23, 2011) they are ranked a solid F!  So, what happened, did the TravelPro mislead his readers by saying that YTB was upgraded? Did the BBB make a mistake and erroneously give them a C+ and then made a correction? Or did YTB have a C+ and in the last month do something to have the BBB cut them back to the bottom?

If you read the complaints, they all follow a similar path. Product not as advertised. Misleading advertising. Refusing to refund after cancellation. Failure to pay commissions owed.

I guess it is a good thing they are getting out of the travel business--finally!

Only 4 Travel Vendors To Attend YTB Annual Convention

According to a schedule published by YTB/ZamZuu, it appears that only four vendors will attending the annual YTB Conference next week in St. Louis.

Carnival Cruise Lines, Travel Guard, Holland America, and Epic Tours will be making presentations to the declining number of travel agents associated with YTB.

But on the plus side, there will be plenty of seminars on purses, coffee, air fresheners and the personalized products offered by Kim Sorensen's printing company.