Home » News » Midweek interview with Blake Muir, Sales Manager Western Vic & SA Topdeck Travel

3 October, 2014

Midweek interview with Blake Muir, Sales Manager Western Vic & SA Topdeck Travel

The challenge for the industry is… To have a good balance of listening to what your clients wants but also being innovative in sourcing new experiences for them that they may not be aware of. With Topdeck we’re constantly improving accommodation and itineraries, in fact we’ve introduced new trips for 2015 Europe – my favorite destination that we are going to now is Romania.

The things I like about my job… Selling a product that I love and have complete confidence in. Watching consultants getting excited when they’ve sold a Topdeck and their fantastic feedback from clients who have travelled with us.

And the frustrations are… The assumption that technology is something to fear or a terrible thing for the travel industry. Most of the technology-based tools that people use these days to find out about how and where to travel are really useful and they are things that we can use to our advantage if we embrace it.

If I didn’t work in travel I would be… Well, I have a degree in film and video as well as journalism, so I’d love to be a travel writer or maybe film travel programs! If I was to totally get out of the industry, maybe a teacher. I like the sense of empowering people with knowledge and helping guide them to greatness.

Virgin or Qantas? Both are quality airlines, however my bronze Qantas club card compared to my silver (so close to gold) Virgin card probably speaks volumes.

My proudest moment was… Winning the NTIA (National Travel Industry Award) for sales executive of the year in 2011. It was a humbling award and it made me so proud that I was doing something well in my chosen career path. I have also just received the award for global sales manager for Topdeck at our recent conference, which was a fantastic surprise when you compare the caliber of our sales managers around the world.

The naughtiest thing I ever did was… [no comment]

I try to relax by… Spending time with loved ones. I love to go out and explore Melbourne. It’s such a great city and so many fantastic bars and restaurants. Reading is also something that I cherish, plus I’m learning to play the guitar for something fun at 32!

The last time I feared for my life was… Was in Vietnam, my partner and I had a tailor make suits for us and as a gesture of good will, the tailor organised her ‘niece’ to give us a massage at her shop. We both hopped on the back of a moped and began to zoom around Hoi-An. It was at night and the two mopeds separated, it was at that point where I was on the back of a moped in the dark speeding around the narrow streets that I had the thought “This probably isn’t the safest idea I’ve ever had.”

If I can, I always try to avoid… Heavy traffic. After 5 years of ‘repping’, it’s my pet peeve to be trapped in traffic. I would love to be a town planner – there would be freeways everywhere and fantastic public transportation to get the cars off the roads!

I really wish I had… A dog. I’ve never had a dog and I’m really keen on getting one, just have to find a place with a decent backyard.

The best advice I’ve ever received was… Be kind to the people on the way up, they will be the ones to catch you on your way down.

I don’t understand why people… Don’t merge properly and give a thank you wave! It’s a simple courtesy people!

My greatest weakness is… Never proof reading things I rite.

And my greatest strength is… I like to see the best in people. I like to give everyone a fair go.

If I was prime minister I would… Change a lot of things! Ensure marriage equality was legal and recognized, and most importantly put funding back into education. It baffles me why we would cut funding to education when it is key to future success. It’s only going steer us into a downward spiral – less funding begets less funding. I’m a bit of a greenie at heart, so environmental issues would be high on my list as well!

If I won $1 million on the lottery I would… Celebrate! The potentials are endless, but I would love to do some travelling with my partner. Just exploring the world at our own pace. Of course you’d have to put some away just to be sensible – but not too much!!

If I could be someone else for one day I would be an… Astronaut – I’ve always had a fascination with space and listening to Canadian Astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield, I’d love to see the Earth from above. Orbiting the Earth you would get to see 16 sun rises and sets a day!

I’ve always wanted to travel to… South America – It’s a massive continent with such rich diversity. I would love to take 3-6 months off work to do it properly. If I win that $1 Million, watch out Topdeck!

My favourite holiday was… To Vietnam with my partner Dan. It was only a short 2 week break but it was our first time to SE Asia and it was fantastic. The people are friendly, the food is delicious and the history is fascinating.

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