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One of the most satisfying and heart-warming experiences of my life has played out over the last 32 years and continues today. It goes back to my Marriott days and [...]

At one time, many hotel operators assumed their restaurants were mainly a convenience for guests registered at their hotels. The majority of people who lived and worked in a local [...]

At a hotel staff meeting recently, someone asked me about my policy on attrition. Several people tried to describe the policy and it was obvious that no one was clear [...]

Because it's something we face every day, price resistance is one of my favorite subjects. This month, I'll explain an approach that has proven successful in many sales situations. How [...]

The objection that comes up most often in selling situations is price. It's almost as if the customer believes price should be questioned even in cases when the price is [...]

What percentage of hotel sales people, when told by a prospect that the rate is too high, lower it immediately or say they will check with their directors of sales [...]

My message this month is short and simple: If you're a hospitality sales and/or marketing specialist of any kind, or a general manager who is ultimately responsible for revenue, you [...]

During seminars I conduct for salespeople and directors of sales, I often hear the comment, 'I wish our GM could be here to hear this.' Here's a checklist of questions [...]

Hotel sales people seem to be intimidated when group prospects want rates quoted before they can inquire about preferred dates, number of rooms, who the people are, purpose of the [...]

Years ago, I worked in a hotel sales department where the only report on our effectiveness came at staff meetings when the general manager would occasionally say, 'We're a little [...]

I've made many recommendations to that hotel's manager and owner hotel to improve business, but they seldom do anything I suggest. It's very frustrating.' Over the years I have heard [...]

A few months ago I was honored to help induct a great sales person, mentor and friend into the HSMAI Hall of Fame. It is the highest honor bestowed by [...]

On my first day in sales at the Waldorf=Astoria, I was shocked when the director of sales told me that within six months I could book the same number of [...]

There are some tasks that a general manager can accomplish to move the sales and marketing effort forward in the most productive manner. Here are 12 key tasks GMs can [...]

The addition of third-party endorsements to your written and verbal presentations can make them more powerful than ever before. Add them to your repertoire and you'll notice an immediate improvement [...]

I want to give hotel salespeople a little pat on the back, because I think they need it. Why? Quite often, my observation is that sales managers don't feel their [...]

As part of the training our firm offers, we do mystery shopping to help our clients' employees improve their skills in handling incoming inquiry calls. Here are six of the [...]

Many sales people who are normally confident when selling are uncomfortable when closing the sale. Actually, closing is one of the easiest steps of the call if you approach it [...]

There's a direct correlation between your hotel's reputation in the community and your overall financial success. Just as it does with individuals, the public wants to do business with those [...]

'Sorry to interrupt, but ...' 'Could I talk to you for a second?' 'I know you're busy, but ...' 'Could you spare a couple of minutes?' These are typical signals [...]

Effective questioning is among the more critical aspects of selling. But I often find that sales managers have little or no training in this area. While hundreds of points could [...]

Everyone would like to get the meaningful, positive, free exposure of publicity. The problem is, many hotels do not know how to get started. First, be aware of the fact [...]

'It's another call for you from the office,' my wife, Mary, announced for the fifth time that day, a typical vacation day for me. After observing this happen over and [...]

When we think about the various 'publics' included under the public relations umbrella, we seldom forget guest/customer relations, community relations, press relations and employee relations. But we often forget another [...]

There are two selling techniques relating to the comparison of your product versus the competition that you should use in virtually every sales presentation: * Emphasize your strengths where you [...]

When teaching the so-called questioning step of the sales call, I ask seminar attendees if they've ever worked on files turned over to them by previous sales people. I then [...]

Every time I get a chance, I talk about the greatest problem in hotel sales: the sad fact that salespeople aren't selling proactively as much as they should if hotels [...]

A column I wrote in 1991 about hotel salespeople received many comments. In reading over the article today, I think some things have changed and some haven't over the years. [...]

Stevens Institute of Technology tested water saving toilets and showers for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Standards for water-conserving toilets were developed.

My first day in sales at the Waldorf-Astoria, the director of sales told me I could book the same number of room nights as the hotel's number one sales person [...]

Why go to the expense and bother of hiring outsiders to cure your salespeople when you already have a doctor in the house? Too many sales directors leave salespeople to [...]

Despite its importance in any marketing program, public relations seldom gets the attention it deserves. This may stem from confusion about what it is. The dictionary defines public relations as [...]

People like to do business with local companies that contribute in a positive way to their community. Conversely, they don't like to deal with companies that have built a negative [...]

When people find out how long I have been selling, they ask how selling differs from when I entered the field. One frequent question is how often you should call [...]

In a world full of copycats, customers appreciate features that set your hotel apart from your competition. A few years ago, a bowl of beautiful apples at the front desk [...]

People often ask me how to get started in marketing a hotel. Usually this pops up during Q&A after a program or in the midst of a loud cocktail party [...]

When I follow up with students of my Selling Techniques seminars, I often find that those who did well in applying basics they learned there in face-to-face situations with customers [...]

I hate to say it, but compared to many other businesses the hotel industry does a lousy job of marketing its products. There are some notable exceptions, but the great [...]

As I write this, I hope our business remains strong. However, the weakening of the real estate market, the rising price of oil, falling retail sales and other economic indicators [...]

If I were a hotel general manager or director of sales, one of my key questions would be how prepared my sales people are for the future. Many management people [...]

For various reasons, most off us don't write down the things we should remember. No matter the business situation, and even in this world of computers, it makes good sense [...]

When someone says, 'I want to talk to you about the budget ,' most people prepare mentally for a nightmare of a discussion. Here are some suggestions to make the [...]

I want to encourage you to develop a program that can stretch your marketing dollars. Back in my Marriott years, my staff and I developed a very profitable venture, our [...]

Over the years, I have observed that large hotel franchise chains don't do a very good job of encouraging their property-level people to sell small groups. Here's a four-step program [...]

Every year at this time, I get the impression that at least half the hotels in the U.S. won't be completing a real marketing plan for the new year. Many [...]

Managers should create an atmosphere that encourages their people to take some degree of risk to break new ground and move ahead of the competition. Of course, since most managers [...]

Many years ago I noticed something that has continued to interest me ever since: Those who clearly need help don't ask for it, while successful people who don't seem to [...]

Hiring a salesperson is a very costly investment, particularly if you don't do some things to help that person become productive as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the majority of new [...]