Sales Team Brief — 90d

1. The Bottom Line

We are not closing as well as we should be, and the data points to one dominant cause: planners are not asking for the order. Team-wide, only about 29% of closable calls get a direct or soft ask, meaning roughly 7 in 10 closable conversations end without anyone attempting to close. When planners do ask, close language is generally sound — the problem is attempt rate, not technique. The team is strongest inbound (warm callers convert well across nearly every planner) and weakest outbound (voicemails, misdials, and unstructured follow-ups drag down both sentiment and conversion). The second cross-cutting leak is follow-through: planners repeatedly let customers say "let me talk to my spouse" or "I'll get back to you" without pinning a callback date, a courtesy hold, or a deposit.

2. Performance by Planner

Donna Fontenot — 2249 calls

• Stats line: sentiment 0.42, conversion 0.44, 17% improving trajectory, avg 330s.
• Inbound vs outbound: Inbound: 729 calls, 51% conv, sent 0.56 | Outbound: 1520 calls, 41% conv, sent 0.36. Heavily outbound-weighted (68%); the outbound motion is where her sentiment and conversion both sag.
• Closing technique: ask_for_order_rate 0.31, close_rate 0.36, no_attempt_on_closable 50. When she asks, her language is crisp and transactional — "Okay, so which credit card do you want me to use for your deposit?" (closed_in_call). But she leaves signals on the table: a customer said "let me look at this and speak to my wife and I'll get back to you" and Donna "did not ask when that conversation might happen or offer to call the wife directly."
• What's working:
• Deep relationship-building converts warm leads: Jack said "the fact that you've been there for 26 years speaks a lot about you and the company, so I think that's fantastic" and provided card details without hesitation.
• She handles marathon, multi-thread calls well — the 3890s Tom call improved trajectory across airfare, insurance, and a sister's cabin, ending "I think you got the winner here."
• Sustains high sentiment on service calls ("Oh, perfect. I'm so happy. Thank you so much.").
• Where they're losing deals:
• Missed courtesy-hold moment: customer said "let me go over this and see what the boss can work out" (readiness signal) and "agent did not ask for permission to place a courtesy hold on either cabin."
• Didn't reframe a repeated price objection: customer said insurance pricing was "crazy" multiple times and "agent did not pivot to exploring cost-saving alternatives like waiving insurance or payment plan options."
• Outbound discipline: worst calls are misdials and dead voicemails ("one more time to reach... she would try texting instead"), indicating wasted outbound volume.
• Coaching priority: Convert readiness signals into a next-step lock — every "I'll talk to my spouse" should end with a scheduled callback or courtesy hold.

Rose Morrissey — 2132 calls

• Stats line: sentiment 0.40, conversion 0.45, 20% improving, avg 489s.
• Inbound vs outbound: Inbound: 702 calls, 56% conv, sent 0.54 | Outbound: 1430 calls, 40% conv, sent 0.32. Strongly outbound-weighted; the 16-point inbound/outbound conversion gap is a training target.
• Closing technique: ask_for_order_rate 0.30, close_rate 0.31, no_attempt_on_closable 56. Close language works when deployed — "I will make sure that we charge $12,049 on the credit card that you gave me." But repeated support-call misses: customer said "I don't want to be left hanging" and "agent did not commit to a specific timeline."
• What's working:
• Turns skeptical rebooking calls around with hard pricing proof: Cornelia went from frustrated to "yeah, we're ready to go" after Rose showed the 9% rebate — "Wow, that additional savings on that flex spare is a lot."
• Strong repeat-client rapport: Rick and Jackie — "If you want a great travel agent, this is your person to call. Here's the card."
• Recovers emotional arcs (the Sydney world-cruise call started irritated and ended "with genuine warmth").
• Where they're losing deals:
• Doesn't schedule the callback on stated decision dates: customer said "we know whether we're going or not by June 15th" and "Rose did not explicitly offer to schedule a follow-up call on or immediately after that date."
• Missed cross-sell: customer volunteered excitement about a Japan 2028 Oceania trip and "agent did not pivot to ask about that booking status or explore upsell."
• Outbound waste — worst calls are IVR dead-ends and a 29-second "I." non-conversation.
• Coaching priority: Attach a dated follow-up to every deferred decision; her close language is fine, her follow-through cadence isn't.

Fia Bauer — 1942 calls

• Stats line: sentiment 0.50, conversion 0.46, 24% improving, avg 608s.
• Inbound vs outbound: Inbound: 1017 calls, 48% conv, sent 0.60 | Outbound: 925 calls, 44% conv, sent 0.40. The most balanced inbound/outbound split on the team — and both directions perform respectably.
• Closing technique: ask_for_order_rate 0.33, close_rate 0.38, no_attempt_on_closable 35. Highest buying-signal capture on the team (2.67/call). Strong close: "let me go ahead and run this through and I will send you the confirmation of purchase." But a costly recurring miss: customer said "I really wanted to pay the deposit today" and "agent did not attempt to take payment immediately."
• What's working:
• Excellent discovery and emotional escalation — Maya's 3-leg booking: "I really don't wanna lose this trip because it's a dream... I am ready."
• Wins back skeptics through problem-solving not defensiveness: Mary (who'd gone direct to Viking) warmed as "Fia engaged her actively in problem-solving rather than defending policies."
• Highest objection volume handled (2.13/call) with 24% improving trajectory — she absorbs friction.
• Where they're losing deals:
• Fails to strike when the customer is hot: "Customer said 'I really wanted to pay the deposit today' and agent did not ask for the payment immediately or confirm the exact amount/deadline."
• Defers instead of quoting: customer said "let me know what deposit you need so I can get that arranged" and "agent deferred by saying 'let me get on the phone with crystal' instead of providing a preliminary deposit amount."
• Outbound misdials (cardiology office, 30-second Nigel disconnect).
• Coaching priority: When the customer says "I want to pay today," take the card in the call — she's leaving warm deposits on the table.

Lee Alvarez — 1869 calls

• Stats line: sentiment 0.44, conversion 0.42, 14% improving, avg 274s.
• Inbound vs outbound: Inbound: 486 calls, 52% conv, sent 0.53 | Outbound: 1383 calls, 39% conv, sent 0.40. Very outbound-heavy (74%) with a soft outbound conversion.
• Closing technique: ask_for_order_rate 0.33, close_rate 0.37, no_attempt_on_closable 37. Efficient closer on warm deposit calls — "did you want me to use one of the cards on file?" (closed). But misses on high-value research: customer asked "if you were taking this trip, would you cancel it?" and "agent deflected rather than answering directly."
• What's working:
• Fast, frictionless deposit collection — Mary Jane call closed in 70s, "Thank you so much lee for everything."
• Systematic multi-line comparison across operators (the Libby Green Scandinavia call worked Viking, Seabourn, Oceania, Silversea, Regent, Tauck live).
• Honest advising builds trust — Dana: "I would love to book through Pavlus because you've always done well for us."
• Where they're losing deals:
• Doesn't lock decision windows: customer "has 3 days to decide and Lee could have scheduled a specific follow-up call on Sept 27th."
• No deposit ask on ready cabins: "customer said 'I'll get them out to you this afternoon' but never confirmed a specific time or asked for credit card to secure the three cabins."
• The Barbara airfare call (declined, sent -0.7) shows a process failure — flights not booked after "let's book the flights" led to a $1,000+ price jump and a manager transfer.
• Coaching priority: Turn his strong research calls into commitments — deposit asks and dated callbacks on every 3-day-decision situation.

Taylor Bazzoni — 1818 calls

• Stats line: sentiment 0.46, conversion 0.45, 17% improving, avg 320s.
• Inbound vs outbound: Inbound: 274 calls, 54% conv, sent 0.58 | Outbound: 1544 calls, 44% conv, sent 0.44. Extremely outbound-skewed (85%) — the lopsided split is worth flagging; her strong inbound conversion is barely used.
• Closing technique: ask_for_order_rate 0.27, close_rate 0.30, no_attempt_on_closable 27 — one of the lowest ask rates on the team. Weak close-language sample ("do you want to use? Let me look."). Missed signal: 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:
• Loyalty-driven closes on warm calls — Patrick: "God willing is gonna be many, many more cruise we're going to book with you."
• Patient with overwhelmed researchers — Wendee: "at some point I just have to put my faith in you and trust you," ending with a $200 hold and a decision path.
• Handles complaint calls with composure (the Uniworld ship-substitution complaint).
• Where they're losing deals:
• Lowest ask rate among high-volume planners — 73% of closable calls get no direct ask.
• Doesn't safeguard fragile commitments: customer worried "I hope they don't take it back" about a $600 credit and "agent did not explore whether Pavlus could help safeguard or clarify the credit terms in writing."
• The Carla call (sent -0.75) shows unresolved escalations threatening the relationship: "cancel that Opos cruise and I will go to another agent."
• Coaching priority: Raise the ask rate — she's converting on warmth alone; a direct deposit ask on outbound would lift her weakest motion.

Victoria Hill — 1815 calls

• Stats line: sentiment 0.49, conversion 0.46, 18% improving, avg 476s.
• Inbound vs outbound: Inbound: 848 calls, 54% conv, sent 0.62 | Outbound: 967 calls, 40% conv, sent 0.38. Balanced volume; a wide 14-point directional conversion gap.
• Closing technique: ask_for_order_rate 0.37, close_rate 0.40, no_attempt_on_closable 24 — among the best on the team. Direct, clean asks: "So we want to move forward with the Vista balcony. Which credit card you want me to use?" Her misses are upsell-adjacent, not close-adjacent: customer said "we're both pretty sure we want to do this" and "agent did not ask... what needs to happen for Tony to move from 'pretty sure' to confirmed."
• What's working:
• Efficient, trust-based closes — David: "this was very easy. Thanks, thanks for your help," booking with auto-charge setup.
• Repairs neglected relationships — Betsy (82-min call) started "hurt and accusatory" ("I just would love to feel like I'm special") and ended "ready to make a booking decision together."
• High buying-signal capture (2.61) and strong sentiment (0.49).
• Where they're losing deals:
• Leaves "pretty sure" hanging: didn't ask "when they were planning to travel or lock in a tentative date."
• Doesn't mine post-close upsell: customer said "if the offer is really good, I'll just pay money towards the 2027 cruise ahead of time" and "agent did not explore rebooking or future cruise deposit opportunities."
• The Allen call (booked elsewhere after a 48-hour callback lag) shows responsiveness cost a deal — not her fault at close, but a process loss.
• Coaching priority: She closes well; teach the "pretty sure → confirmed" bridge (ask what's blocking, lock a date) to capture the near-yes segment.

Tracey Radler — 1807 calls

• Stats line: sentiment 0.42, conversion 0.44, 24% improving, avg 569s.
• Inbound vs outbound: Inbound: 330 calls, 57% conv, sent 0.57 | Outbound: 1477 calls, 41% conv, sent 0.38. Outbound-heavy (82%); big directional gap.
• Closing technique: ask_for_order_rate 0.35, close_rate 0.34, no_attempt_on_closable 25. Note: her direct asks sometimes land as deferred, not closed — "Do you want to use the visa that we have on file?" → deferred_commitment; "What credit card did you want to use for the deposit?" → deferred. She's asking but not always sealing.
• What's working:
• Complex problem-solving generates testimonials — Kent: "This is why we use a travel agency. You came through, thank you so much."
• Strong rebooking savings pitch — Nancy: "Let's just move forward with it. You're saving a lot of money."
• Advocacy reputation — Leonard: "give me someone really experienced who can solve problems who cares."
• Where they're losing deals:
• Asks but doesn't confirm timing: "Agent did not explicitly confirm the callback time or give customer an ETA, leaving uncertainty about when payment would be finalized."
• Drops research-to-book bridges: 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."
• Outbound waste — several calls are voicemails to cruise-line vendors (Windstar), not customers.
• Coaching priority: Close the gap between ask and payment — when she asks for the card, process it in-call rather than deferring to invoice review.

Karen Vleeshouwer — 1709 calls

• Stats line: sentiment 0.44, conversion 0.50, 26% improving, avg 469s.
• Inbound vs outbound: Inbound: 520 calls, 57% conv, sent 0.56 | Outbound: 1189 calls, 47% conv, sent 0.38. Strong conversion in both directions — her 47% outbound conversion is one of the best on the team.
• Closing technique: ask_for_order_rate 0.31, close_rate 0.32, no_attempt_on_closable 41. Decent close language — "Do you want to pay that now? ...I'm gonna have to get a credit card number." But high no-attempt count and research misses: customer "asked 'what is your opinion' between cruise lines, signaling readiness to listen and decide, but call ended before agent could guide toward dates."
• What's working:
• Highest conversion proxy among high-volume planners (0.50) — she converts.
• Wins on concrete savings — Angela: "That's more than we ever could have been expecting."
• Methodical objection handling — Pamela's long western-tour call worked through a dozen concerns and ended "collaborative and appreciative."
• Where they're losing deals:
• Lets discovery fizzle: engineer customer "explicitly stated he likes everything detailed, but agent did not pivot to asking about trip dates, destination, or budget to begin qualifying."
• The Joseph calls (both sent -0.9) show a preparation gap: "You were supposed to send me a fair and you did nothing" — unprepared outbound follow-up killed a warm inquiry.
• Coaching priority: Pre-call prep for outbound follow-ups (have the quote ready) and convert "what's your opinion?" openings into a guided recommendation with a hold.

Mandy Mac Mullin — 1687 calls

• Stats line: sentiment 0.40, conversion 0.42, 21% improving, avg 454s.
• Inbound vs outbound: Inbound: 558 calls, 52% conv, sent 0.59 | Outbound: 1129 calls, 37% conv, sent 0.31. Outbound-heavy with the widest inbound/outbound sentiment gap on the team (0.59 vs 0.31) — outbound is genuinely painful here.
• Closing technique: ask_for_order_rate 0.31, close_rate 0.36, no_attempt_on_closable 34. Reasonable close language, but repeated ready-to-book misses: customer said "I have to pick it up today" and "let me send it to you right now"

Roster filters applied to this brief

Excluded as non-sales (per agent_roster.json): Victoria Mendoza (2287), Guest Relations (1869), Emonee Pourier (1745), Lydia Lagos (1491), Ryan Taylor (1343), Grant Dallas (1245), Kelly Panagiotou (1186), Chey Cherry (1173), All Pavlus Recording (1142), Briana Armstrong (1104), Anastasia Thomas (1095), Krista Decker (1082), Julianne Cricchio (1048), Mike Duran (980), Tyler Snow (928), Leann Wright (808), Reception (790), Kenzy Escobar (645), Ashley Major (413), Jennifer Leslie (404), Air Department (386), Sam Moya (383), Kay Kostecki (371), Michelle Yinger (362), Taahira Shabazz (279), Dawn Claflin (218), Joanne Lambrecht (212), Sarah Schwab (211), Dyenna McConnell (103), Michael Steudle (71), Christopher Armendariz (59), Coaches (for recording purposes) (54), Shelby Steudle (9), Heidi Burton (8), Jocelyn Burgess (5)

Excluded for low volume (<10 calls in window): Z-Donna TF (8), Ashley Pryde (2), Z-Fia TF (1)