Tidewater Traveler - June 2011

 

A Nose for Travel
by
George W. Sellers

 

He insisted that we please call him “Twitchy.”  To do so seemed rude at first.  It even felt disrespectful referring to a victim of Tourette’s Syndrome by such a name.  But as the group in the room got to know him, two things became very evident – he was not a victim of anything; and he was very effective in leading us past a barrier of potential discomfort. 
For Twitchy, the uncontrolled jerking of his head and shoulders accompanied by sudden distortions of speech were neither a disability nor a distraction; they were simply a source of pure empowerment.  He offered no apology.  He issued no disclaimer.  Stuart Ellis-Myers simply went about his assigned task of motivating and inspiring a room filled with travel agents to lead their field of endeavor and enjoy the art of assisting people to purchase once-in-a-lifetime vacations.  He is, without a doubt, the very best motivational speaker I have ever encountered.
When I attend travel conferences, I usually choose ‘nuts and bolts’ sessions where I can learn specific information about destinations and travel services; I rarely choose what I consider to be fluffy, feel-good, go-away-and-conquer-the-world seminars.  I do not remember why I chose Twitchy’s session; perhaps my first choice was closed out.  Regardless of how it came to be, I am glad I wandered into the small meeting room at Caesar’s Palace Conference Center in Las Vegas. 
Even before the established start time, Twitchy set about converting a group of about fifty strangers into friends. He directed the distribution of information packets to each participant. To this day I would be unable to describe the contents of the packet. I cannot tell you any of the elements of the syllabus. Certainly, I cannot explain the cogent points of the seminar overview. With the print materials packet was a most unusual item. Packaged in a cheap plastic bag was a red,foam sphere about two inches in diameter – larger than a golf ball – smaller than a tennis ball. No written explanation accompanied the spongy orb.
I shifted the knot of my tie, brushed the lapels of my blazer and exchanged highly professional questioning glances with some of my nearby colleagues. At the designated time I joined everyone else in the room when they ripped open the cheap bags and carefully removed the red balls. A few balls got away and needed to be retrieved from the floor. My fingers detected a single slit cut about halfway through the little globe. Oh no, I thought, he is not expecting all of us to . . . yes, he is! When the time came, “No” was not an acceptable response. I stretched the tiny slit and pushed it onto my nose. By the time my red nose was fully in place, the conference room had erupted into chaotic laughter and general joviality. Twitchy had broken the ice! Like a farmer preparing his soil to receive new seed, Twitchy had prepared his seminar participants to listen and learn.
Gimmicky? Of course! Effective? Absolutely!
Twitchy’s colloquium proceeded for about ninety minutes – it seemed like ten. Before I left that session, I promised myself I would adopt at least part of what I had experienced; in doing so I would seek to motivate my travel clients to approach their once-in-a-lifetime trips with a positive vacation attitude, prepared to loosen up and enjoy themselves. Soon after Twitchy’s seminar, I bought twenty-four dozen red clown noses. I recently reordered for the fourth time.
In addition to the necessary travel documents, every client is presented with a red nose for each member of their travel party. Accompanying each nose is a small slip of paper that says:
“A Nose for Travel - Our clients have a nose for travel, and we help them sniff out the best destinations. Just for fun, you are invited to join our elite group of travelers who have already had their photos taken at landmarks around the world wearing red clown noses. We look forward to receiving your Nose Pix to post with others on our Facebook page.”
For document delivery, I like to show up at a client’s house wearing a red nose. It is an immediate conservation starter and it draws the entire family together. Even macho dads get into the act, not to be outdone by their kids.
Red noses have been very functional for groups. Truly diverse groups of individuals meld very effectively with the introduction of the little red balls. Group participants often carry their noses in a purse or pocket to be ready for the perfect Nose Pix (This is short for Nose Pictures; not to be confused with nose picks). Tense or frustrating situations like flight delays are softened when the red noses come out. Crying toddlers on airplanes or in terminals are distracted from their woes when the red noses go on across the aisle from them.
International language barriers are vaulted in the presence of red noses. A group at the Great Wall of China donned their spongy appendages for a Nose Pix with the ancient wall in the background. Before the camera was clicked, a large group of Chinese tourists gathered round to photograph the Americans with the red noses. For a few minutes there were more photos being taken of the noses than of the Wall. As the group broke up there was an exchange of handshakes, smiles and nods between the two cultures.
Travel service providers have enjoyed sharing the nose experience. Ship staff aboard Viking River Cruises put on noses for their guests one evening after dinner. Even the cruise director of the Disney Magic and an Irish National Guide got caught up in the red nose phenomenon. 
The Red Noses make great travel giveaways. Children everywhere smile when they see them, and they grin widely when they are given one to keep. I now travel with extras just to be able to give them away. Since starting the fad, travel clients have provided Nose Pix from every continent (except Antarctica). I suspect that many people have worn the noses without being photographed. Still others have been photographed but are not quite bold enough to post it on Facebook.
In preparation for this article I decided to contact Twitchy, to thank him and make sure he had no objection to being featured. Readers will find it interesting to note the name of his website - www.itwitch.com (I twitch). After a few e-mail exchanges, Stuart called me from a “600-person gig in Whistler.” He told me he has gone through about 15,000 noses over the past year of seminars and travel, and that he is thrilled to know that someone remembers the experience.
Thank you, Twitchy, and . . .
May all of your travels be happy and safe!

George Sellers is a Certified Travel Counselor and Accredited Cruise Counselor who operates the popular travel website and travel planning service www.SellersTravel.com. His Facebook and e-mail addresses are George@SellersTravel.com.