Sales Team Brief — 180d

1. The Bottom Line

We are not closing as well as we should be — and the problem is systemic, not personality-driven. Across the team, on calls the analysis flags as closable, someone actually asks for the order only about 30% of the time, and the close rate lands in the low-to-mid 30s. That gap tells us the primary failure mode is not asking, not fumbling the language once asked. The team's genuine strength is warm inbound handling and relationship depth — inbound sentiment (0.53–0.63 for most planners) and conversion consistently run 10–20 points above outbound — but that strength masks weak proactive selling: repeatedly, customers hand over explicit buying signals ("I'm ready to commit," "I really wanted to pay the deposit today," "I can pay right now") and planners defer to email, hand off, or end the call. Outbound is also polluted with dead calls (voicemails, IVRs, misdials) that drag down every outbound metric and should be treated as a data-hygiene/dialer problem, not a coaching problem.

2. Performance by Planner

Rose Morrissey — 3631 calls

• Stats line: Sentiment 0.42, conversion proxy 0.50, 22% improving, avg 495s.
• Inbound vs outbound: Inbound: 1247 calls, 56% conv, sent 0.52 | Outbound: 2384 calls, 48% conv, sent 0.36. Heavily outbound-weighted (66%); the outbound sentiment drop is large and worth watching, but conversion holds up better than most.
• Closing technique: ask_for_order_rate 0.30, close_rate 0.31, no_attempt_on_closable 56 (highest raw count on the team). When she asks directly she closes cleanly — "I will make sure that we charge $12,049 on the credit card that you gave me" → closed. But the missed-signal file shows the core leak: customer said "we're very excited about the Japan 2028 Oceania trip and that they booked it with Pavlus — agent did not pivot to ask about that booking status or explore upsell/cross-sell." She services warmth without monetizing it.
• What's working: (1) She sustains high-emotion booking calls — John's Alaska booking (sentiment 0.92): "I don't care we're going to be grandparents... I just hope the airline start to straight." She layered platinum insurance, transfers, and future-cruise deposits in one call. (2) Recovery on high-objection rebookings — Sydney's world-cruise call (sentiment 0.60, trajectory improved) started "mildly irritated that Rose didn't listen to her voicemail" and ended "joking and complimenting Rose." (3) She earns loyalty: "You really made a lot so much easier for us."
• Where they're losing deals: (1) Doesn't commit to next steps on anxious customers: "customer expressed 'I don't want to be left hanging'... agent did not commit to a specific timeline." (2) Lets deferrals float: "customer said 'I'll let you know whether it's a go or not'... Rose did not explicitly offer to schedule a follow-up call." (3) A hard service failure — Lauren's document consolidation call (sentiment -0.85): "Well, if it's such a problem getting the documents. How am I gonna book air? This is like unbelievable" — Rose did not acknowledge scope or commit to same-day resolution, escalating to a reassignment threat.
• Coaching priority: Convert her strong rapport into deposit asks and dated follow-ups — she has the room, she just doesn't ask to close it.

Donna Fontenot — 3054 calls

• Stats line: Sentiment 0.44, conversion proxy 0.47, 20% improving, avg 363s.
• Inbound vs outbound: Inbound: 978 calls, 50% conv, sent 0.57 | Outbound: 2076 calls, 45% conv, sent 0.39. Two-thirds outbound; the outbound sentiment gap is steep.
• Closing technique: ask_for_order_rate 0.31, close_rate 0.36. Her direct asks are textbook: "Okay, so which credit card do you want me to use for your deposit?" → closed. But the misses cluster on soft researcher signals: "customer said 'let me go over this and see what the boss can work out'... agent did not ask for permission to place a courtesy hold on either cabin."
• What's working: (1) Deep, patient complex-itinerary problem-solving — Ginger's 75-minute air call (sentiment 0.65): "I appreciate you working on this," starting "cautiously defensive" and ending "genuine gratitude." (2) Trust-building on price-sensitive research — Rochelle's $11k river cruise call: she moved a scattered "I'm kind of like all over the place" customer to a same-cabin-hold, next-day-callback plan. (3) Efficient payment close: Jack — "the fact that you've been there for 26 years speaks a lot about you and the company."
• Where they're losing deals: (1) Doesn't lock decision dates: "customer said 'let me look at this and speak to my wife and I'll get back to you' but agent did not ask when that conversation might happen." (2) Leaves money on live bookings: "Customer said 'that's still fine' regarding the $100 price increase, but agent did not pivot to confirming the final rate or taking a deposit." (3) Doesn't reframe price friction: "customer expressed frustration about insurance pricing ('that's crazy') multiple times but agent did not pivot to exploring cost-saving alternatives."
• Coaching priority: On every "let me talk to [spouse/boss]," attach a specific callback date and a courtesy hold — she surfaces the signal, then abandons it.

Fia Bauer — 3044 calls

• Stats line: Sentiment 0.53 (well above team), conversion proxy 0.50, 28% improving, avg 616s (longest on team).
• Inbound vs outbound: Inbound: 1806 calls, 51% conv, sent 0.59 | Outbound: 1238 calls, 47% conv, sent 0.43. Inbound-weighted — a warm-lead specialist.
• Closing technique: ask_for_order_rate 0.33, close_rate 0.38 (one of the better close rates), no_attempt_on_closable only 35. Strongest buying-signal capture on the team (2.91/call). Her close language is confident: "let me go ahead and run this through and I will send you the confirmation of purchase" → closed.
• What's working: (1) Moves euphoric high-value bookings — Maya's three-leg Oceania itinerary (sentiment 0.95): "I really don't wanna lose this trip because it's a dream," ending with all three deposits taken. (2) Discovery depth — Gary's Rocky Mountaineer rebook: "we think we would like to keep with talk," with travel protection secured mid-call. (3) De-escalates angry service calls — Mary's airfare nightmare (sentiment -0.65 → improved): "I have spent hours and hours... I just kinda went directly with Viking," warmed by Fia "engaging her actively in problem-solving rather than defending policies."
• Where they're losing deals: (1) Defers payment when the customer is begging to pay: "Customer said 'I really wanted to pay the deposit today' and agent did not attempt to take payment immediately." This appears twice — a genuine pattern. (2) Hands off instead of quoting: "Customer said 'let me know what deposit you need'... but agent deferred by saying 'let me get on the phone with crystal' instead of providing a preliminary deposit amount." (3) Skips discovery hooks: "Customer volunteered she is 'looking for help' and wants to 'make that dream vacation'—agent could have asked what ship, dates, or cabin type."
• Coaching priority: Take the payment when the customer offers it. Her only real leak is deferring an in-hand deposit — the single most correctable, highest-value fix on the team.

Lee Alvarez — 2950 calls

• Stats line: Sentiment 0.46, conversion proxy 0.45, 15% improving (low), avg 285s (short).
• Inbound vs outbound: Inbound: 769 calls, 55% conv, sent 0.53 | Outbound: 2181 calls, 42% conv, sent 0.43. Strongly outbound-weighted with a 13-point conversion gap — inbound is where he wins.
• Closing technique: ask_for_order_rate 0.33, close_rate 0.37. Clean transactional close: "I can take your payment information if you're ready" → closed. Misses on relationship-personalization and follow-up dates: "customer named fiancée as travel companion... agent never asked wedding/engagement date which could be a strong personalization/upsell angle."
• What's working: (1) Warm account handoffs — Emily transition call: "we love going, the food is great... it's always nice to just unpack once." (2) Advocacy wins — Joe's Uniworld reinstatement: "That is amazing. We're in a great place. Thank you so much." (3) Patient multi-line comparison — Libby's Scandinavia group call held five people engaged through luxury-cruise sticker shock.
• Where they're losing deals: (1) Deflects instead of advising: "customer asked 'if you were taking this trip, would you cancel it?' and agent deflected rather than answering directly." (2) No follow-up cadence: "customer stated he has 3 days to decide and Lee could have scheduled a specific follow-up call on Sept 27th." (3) Process/empathy failure — Bella (sentiment -0.85): "I've never ever had anybody posted without first calling me," and Lee "responded with procedure and policy rather than empathy," causing her to "withdraw her loyalty."
• Coaching priority: Lead with empathy and a direct point of view on service/complaint calls, and set a dated callback on every deferred decision.

Tracey Radler — 2792 calls

• Stats line: Sentiment 0.46, conversion proxy 0.48, 28% improving, avg 581s.
• Inbound vs outbound: Inbound: 538 calls, 58% conv, sent 0.58 | Outbound: 2254 calls, 46% conv, sent 0.43. Very outbound-heavy (81%); inbound converts 12 points higher.
• Closing technique: ask_for_order_rate 0.35 (above team), close_rate 0.34, no_attempt only 25. Note several strong-close quotes ended in deferred rather than closed — e.g., "Do you want to use the visa that we have on file?" → deferred_commitment — suggesting she asks but doesn't always drive the ask home. Miss: "customer said 'I want to do a river cruise in Europe' and agent never asked about preferred dates, budget, or cabin preferences to move toward a preliminary hold or quote."
• What's working: (1) Complex last-minute discount stacking — Kent (sentiment 0.90): "This is why we use a travel agency. You came through." (2) Retention through personal loyalty — Jerry transferred a booking he'd made elsewhere: "you always gotten back to me in a timely manner, always." (3) Rebooking clarity under pressure — Nancy: "Let's just move forward with it. You're saving a lot of money."
• Where they're losing deals: (1) Troubleshoots dead-ends instead of pivoting: "customer said 'You have the number on file means you've used it before' — agent could have offered alternative payment method rather than only troubleshooting the same card." (2) Leaves callback timing vague: "Agent did not explicitly confirm the callback time or give customer an ETA." (3) Capacity/process drag showed on her calls — "agent had 175 unread emails and could not locate the guest relations email... customer had to retrieve options from his own device."
• Coaching priority: Push soft "do you want to use the card on file?" asks all the way to processed payment rather than accepting a defer.

Victoria Hill — 2765 calls

• Stats line: Sentiment 0.50, conversion proxy 0.48, 19% improving, avg 479s.
• Inbound vs outbound: Inbound: 1382 calls, 55% conv, sent 0.61 | Outbound: 1383 calls, 41% conv, sent 0.40. Near-perfect 50/50 split with a stark 14-point conversion gap and 21-point sentiment gap — a strong inbound closer who struggles cold.
• Closing technique: ask_for_order_rate 0.37 (2nd highest on the team), close_rate 0.40 (best among high-volume planners), no_attempt only 24. Her language is direct and structured: "So we want to move forward with the Vista balcony. Which credit card you want me to use?" → closed.
• What's working: (1) Frictionless payment closes — David (sentiment 0.95): "this was very easy. Thanks for your help," with Pavlus's $200 credit clearly framed as value-add. (2) Referral generation — Robin: "You have a pleasure to do business with. I'm, we're so thrilled with you." (3) Marathon complaint recovery — Betsy (82-min call): "I just would love to feel like I'm special or different," moving from "hurt and accusatory" to "ready to make a booking decision together."
• Where they're losing deals: (1) Doesn't harvest future-trip signals: "customer mentioned 'another one may come up during the year... I'll just pay money towards the 2027 cruise ahead of time' but agent did not explore rebooking or future cruise deposit opportunities." (2) Leaves "pretty sure" un-converted: "Customer said 'we're both pretty sure we want to do this' and agent did not ask when they were planning to travel or lock in a tentative date." (3) Outbound responsiveness cost a client — Allen (sentiment -0.80): "we gave you another chance... it's taking more than 48 hours to get a call back," already booked elsewhere.
• Coaching priority: She's the closing model to emulate inbound; the leverage is outbound — tighten callback speed and convert "pretty sure" into a held date.

Taylor Bazzoni — 2732 calls

• Stats line: Sentiment 0.48, conversion proxy 0.48, 19% improving, avg 353s.
• Inbound vs outbound: Inbound: 438 calls, 53% conv, sent 0.56 | Outbound: 2294 calls, 46% conv, sent 0.47. Extremely outbound-heavy (84%) — smallest inbound share among high-volume planners.
• Closing technique: ask_for_order_rate 0.27 (below team), close_rate 0.30. The "strong close" examples are notably weak — "do you want to use? Let me look." and "I will do that. I'll GrabIt for you." are vague, not confident asks. Miss: "customer mentioned he had $250 per person already deposited on Silversea and was actively considering canceling it for Viking; agent did not ask when decision needs to be made or lock in a timeline."
• What's working: (1) Fast value framing on transfers — Elizabeth (sentiment 0.90): "That's like a no-brainer. Oh my gosh. Thank you so, so much for calling me," on a $900 onboard-credit stack. (2) Long-term intent capture — Patrick: "God willing is gonna be many, many more cruise we're going to book with you." (3) Handles complex expedition rebooks — Jackie's Antarctic comparison: "I love working with Taylor and working with Pavlus."
• Where they're losing deals: (1) Weak, tentative close language even on wins. (2) Absorbed multiple ugly handoff failures not entirely his fault — Alissa (sentiment -0.80): "it's a lot of shuffling around and it's a pretty straightforward trip," after Tracy "went black" and one of three reservations was never transferred. (3) Doesn't safeguard competing-deposit customers, letting live Viking-vs-Silversea decisions drift.
• Coaching priority: Rebuild the actual close phrasing — his ask_for_order_rate is low and his asks are mushy; script and drill firm deposit language.

Mandy Mac Mullin — 2646 calls

• Stats line: Sentiment 0.44, conversion proxy 0.46, 24% improving, avg 466s.
• Inbound vs outbound: Inbound: 897 calls, 54% conv, sent 0.58 | Outbound: 1749 calls, 42% conv, sent 0.37. Outbound-weighted; 12-point conversion gap.
• Closing technique: ask_for_order_rate 0.31, close_rate 0.36. Direct asks work: "I would just need the credit card that you would like to use for the deposit." → closed. Miss on urgency signals: "customer said 'I have to pick it up today'... agent did not explicitly confirm same-day payment/booking deadline or ask for card info to lock it in."
• What's working: (1) Introduces new products that unlock dream trips — Charleen (sentiment 0.95): "I would have never look into unit world if it wasn't for you... it was our dream that we could afford to go there and we got it." (2) Long-loyalty conversion — 20-year customer: "I know you're gonna save me hundreds at Pavlus." (3) Detailed group-cruise comparison — Pat's eight-person Rhône planning.
• Where they're losing deals: (1) Doesn't lock same-day urgency: repeated "I have to pick it up today" misses ending in

Roster filters applied to this brief

Excluded as non-sales (per agent_roster.json): Guest Relations (5844), All Pavlus Recording (3093), Victoria Mendoza (3013), Reception (2360), Lydia Lagos (2332), Kelly Panagiotou (1939), Ryan Taylor (1851), Emonee Pourier (1745), Chey Cherry (1646), Grant Dallas (1636), Krista Decker (1628), Briana Armstrong (1551), Mike Duran (1520), Anastasia Thomas (1452), Tyler Snow (1364), Julianne Cricchio (1362), Air Department (1296), Leann Wright (1216), Kenzy Escobar (1026), Sam Moya (701), Ashley Major (656), Jennifer Leslie (506), Dawn Claflin (451), Kay Kostecki (371), Taahira Shabazz (362), Michelle Yinger (362), Sarah Schwab (321), Joanne Lambrecht (313), Coaches (for recording purposes) (197), Christopher Armendariz (178), Dyenna McConnell (165), Michael Steudle (90), Heidi Burton (20), Jocelyn Burgess (19), Shelby Steudle (11), Renee Wallace (1)

Excluded for low volume (<10 calls in window): Ashley Pryde (4), Z-Lauren R TF (3), Z-Pam TF (3), Megan Stewart (2), Z-Annette TF (1), Z-Lee TF (1), Z-Nick TF (1), Z-Fia TF (1)