I have a brother who is a salesman, and one of his favorite lines is, “sell the sizzle, not the steak.” He means play on the customers’ emotions and make whatever you have for sale a must-have item.

Another gentleman I like to quote is Michael Whiteman, a legendary New York City restaurateur-turned-consultant who just e-mailed his latest trend report entitled, “Your Customers Have Become Ultra-Sensitive To Menu Prices: What Should I Do... And What Does This Have To Do With Meatballs?” Whiteman opines that instead of playing with pricing and portions, restaurateurs should change the subject and tug at customers’ heartstrings—talk about their feelings. In a restaurant setting, for example, look at menu vocabulary.

He says that while we go to great lengths to tell guests what type of meat is used in a hamburger, be it wagyu or grass-fed or free-range, why not change strategies and play on customers’ feelings and simply call it “a generous hamburger” or “a voluptuous burger,” as is done by one Chicago restaurant institution? Whiteman also refers to an old-fashioned dish that hardly anyone serves anymore and suggests using the tantalizing and knowing language one of your servers might use to describe it. How about: “Spaghetti marinara with very good meatballs.” Yes, in the current economic environment I really like the idea of using your vocabulary as much as possible to sell that sizzle.

In a hotel environment, the concept translates quite well. It can be as simple as describing your little slice of heaven as the place to escape from the real world; as sexy as being the spot to fantasize and be romantic; or as powerful as being the location for a road warriors’ next business conquest. Based on current world affairs, changing the subject away from finances to personal well-being is certainly outstanding advice for any hotelier.

As has been previously discussed in this space, cutting prices is a defensive maneuver that, in the long run, will cost you because it will take months, if not years, to make up that lost revenue when the market rebounds. So instead of discounting, try some psychology and creativity to sell your great experience.

Creativity, sizzle and sex appeal are appropriate topics this month as we focus on luxury hotelkeeping with our “Great Hotel Restaurants” feature and a design story looking at gorgeous baths.

Senior Editor Derek Gale did his research and called on a global team of judges to award excellence on 10 self-operated hotel restaurants. Of course, the dining room is the perfect space to sell emotions, and going forward I would not at all be surprised to see an even greater emphasis on table-side preparation and guest interaction with chefs to make dining a complete sensory experience.

Jeff Weinstein Editor in Chief

So by all means, take the advice of my brother and Michael Whiteman and use language to sell the sizzle. These days, we all welcome the change.