Check Your Ego At The Door
Sales and marketing incorporates service and respect with creativity and an ability to "check your ego" at the door. Bart Berkey tells us how our business is only difficult when we don't do it well. When performed correctly, unique experiences are delivered for customers and clients alike.
Before You Turn Down Business, Read This...
If you have ever tried to book at meeting in Washington, D.C., for a September date with a rooms pattern for Monday or Tuesday arrival, you may have heard the words “no” uttered from your sales contact. Historically, this has been one of the busiest time periods in the nation’s Capital. A good sales person will ask if you are flexible with your dates. A GREAT sales person w ...... Read More
Comments (1)How Creativity Will Earn You More Business
Last week, a colleague told me of a client visit that he did years ago in which the hotel borrowed a bulldog from an employee for a University of Georgia site inspection. The meeting planner was so impressed with the extra effort that was made to show their hotel’s willingness to earn the business that they received the signed contract.If you were a planner and had to visit 12 hotels in a c ...... Read More
Comments (0)Qualify, Then Qualify Again
Today I met with a colleague to review an opportunity that he recently lost. When he initially uncovered the lead, he asked the customer all the pertinent questions with regard to their needs, the needs of the attendees, the buying concerns, competition and even the decision process. Weeks went by and the end user hired an intermediary to help with the arrangements. We made the mistake of assumi ...... Read More
Comments (0)I Want The Contract NOW! Ways To Speed Up Slow Decision Makers
Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory impatiently stated, “Daddy, I want an Oompa Loompa now!” Veruca just happened to have a willing to please, wealthy father that pacified her every wish and told her that he would get her one.In our world, simply announcing that you want something isn’t always enough to produce the desired item. Could you imagine, standing ...... Read More
Comments (0)Strategies For Sales Activities, Shoveling Snow
A little over a month ago, the Washington, D.C. area was hit with one of the most substantial snow storms in years. Near our home by Dulles International Airport we received a little more than two feet of snow. One of our vehicles was parked comfortably inside one bay of the garage, while the other side, unfortunately, was protecting bikes, toys and athletic equipment (and not our second c ...... Read More
Comments (3)Selling The Destination (And Your Hotel)
Earlier this week our team was fortunate enough to hear a presentation by Global Events Partners’ Baltimore office. They stressed their ability to partner with hotels to help close on business. Our representative, Cynthia Lavery, was focused on delivering her message on how destination management companies (DMC) can help hotels. Partnering with the appropriate DMC will: 1. Allow another ...... Read More
Comments (4)Making People Like You In 90 Seconds
I am reading a book by Nicholas Boothman with the title: “How To Make People Like You in 90 Seconds.” It is a terrific read and states that the attention span for the average person is about 30 seconds. “Attention craves novelty — it needs to be entertained and loves to leap from branch to branch, making new connections. At our morning meeting, I thought our team woul ...... Read More
Comments (2)5 Quick Tips To Working With Meeting Management Companies
Our team is always looking for ways to improve business processes and acquire more revenue. We have been careful not to fall into assumptions that we as hoteliers make, but rather to continue to ask for feedback and suggestions from our clients.Before the holidays, I asked my good friend, Doug Baarman (doug.baarman@conferencedirect.com) about his thoughts on how to work best with meeting managemen ...... Read More
Comments (0)Being Wrong About Tiger Woods
If I could have only predicted the future back on August 26, 2008, when I wrote the posting below: Tiger Woods Your Personal Brand. I stated, “There are no scandals or hidden secrets with Tiger. He even can sell clothes simply because his logo is etched upon them.” It is honorable to admit when you are wrong, and I was horrifically in error in my estimation of Tiger Woods. My apolog ...... Read More
Comments (3)Making It Easier To Book Hotel Business
The other morning it was 25 degrees and I had to fill up on gas at my local service station. I forgot my gloves, so my hands were especially cold. As soon as I pulled up to the pump, I began to hear about the local weather forecast as though I needed a reminder to how chilly it was.The credit card went into the pump without flaw, took a few moments for approval and then asked if it was a credit ...... Read More
Comments (0)How To Get Business From Washington, DC (Tomorrow)
For the third year in a row, I have been asked to present at The Potomac Chapter of Meeting Professionals International’s Mid-Atlantic Conference and Exposition. They have organized a very creative way to increase the chances of obtaining business by "flipping" the tradeshow. "For the first time, the entire traditional tradeshow will be FLIPPED conducting business in a living room style se ...... Read More
Comments (0)The Incredible Shrinking Hotel
Growing up in Pittsburgh, I was used to very cold winters. My grandmother at one point even decided to move into only one portion of her four-bedroom house in order to save on heating bills. She did not want to heat up the whole house if she didn’t need to use the whole house. Essentially, she "shrunk" her home. Recently, a hotel was considering hosting a group of consultants (35 rooms) th ...... Read More
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