Hotel Marketing News by Steinerwirt 1493

(Nov 2, 2011) Today’s callers have evolved faster than most hotel sales training programs. Hotel reservation agents are fielding a much broader spectrum of sales scenarios than ever before, from callers ranging from ultra-informed to misinformed, having taken virtual tours, read conflicting online guest reviews and social media postings. By Doug Kennedy With all of the other priorities facing hoteliers today when it comes to managing voice reservations channels, it’s more than a fair question: “Why do we need a new reservations sales process?” Yet when you listen to recordings of actual inquiries being fielded from real customers, it’s easy to identify that today’s callers have evolved faster than most training programs. With the proliferation of technology for recording inbound reservations calls circa 2012, an increasing number of hotels and call centers of all sizes now have access to some type of call monitoring technology. Here’s what they are finding when they take the time to listen-in to real calls: - Agents are fielding a much broader spectrum of sales scenarios than ever before, from callers ranging from ultra-informed to misinformed, having taken virtual tours, read conflicting online guest reviews and social media postings. - Callers are surfing through too many choices. It wasn’t long ago that callers were looking through directors such as the AAA Auto Tour book, Fodor’s Guides, and the Hotel & Travel Index. They then had to invest time to check rates by phone different hotels, thus limiting the number of options they would consider. Now in just minutes, prospects are but a few clicks away from literally dozens of options. Many find this confusing if not overwhelming. - Callers are multi-tasking while on the phone. Whether driving, calling from work, feeding the dog, or washing the dishes, background noise is indicative of today’s over-scheduled lifestyle. As a veteran hotel industry reservations sales trainer I couldn’t be more excited from an instructional design standpoint. Now that it’s possible to hear how real callers react to reservations sales techniques, one thing is clear: scripted and robotic processes are out. Today’s callers want personalized sales experiences that more conversational and less transactional. So it’s the perfect time to not only find a new way to spell SAILS but also a new way to approach how we train, measure, and incentivize reservations SAILS success. So welcome aboard! Situational Sensitivity. Alluring Descriptions. Investigative Sales Approach. Listen Interactively. Secure the Reservation. S in SAILS is for Situational Sensitivity. After opening the call with a cheerful and professional greeting, agents must quickly turn their attention towards understanding the circumstance, situation, or quandary which the caller is explaining during their opening remarks. Once understanding the situation, they can then personalize the sales process and customize the caller’s experience for the duration of the conversation. Whether it’s working through a caller’s special lodging requirements, reassuring them the lowest rate has been quoted, or providing a needs-based recommendation, a focus on Situational Sensitivity helps chart the SAILS course. A is for Alluring descriptions. When I started training hotel reservations agents more than 20 years ago, we encouraged them to be more informative and to educate the caller on the overall “product.” The key transitional question was always “Have you stayed with us before?” For first time callers, agents were then asked to use a scripted “positioning statement” to provide an overview of the hotel experience. Since the vast majority of today’s callers have been online prior to calling, we need to move beyond informing and notifying them about the same list of features they already read about. Instead we need to provide descriptions that allure and entice callers and that make an emotional connection, which is the new focus of marketing across any product, service, or industry. In the hotel industry, we need to train our team to use visually and emotionally stimulating language that ties-in the descriptions back to the caller’s situation or story. Here is an example: “We have a 550 square foot Junior Suite that has a sitting area, pillow top mattresses, a flat panel TV and a balcony” versus “Since you’re bringing the baby, the Junior Suite would be a good choice, as it has lots of extra space for your pack-n-play. The beds are amazing and our guests always rave about how comfy they are… And while the baby is napping you can catch some great views from the balcony.” Another easy way allure callers is to use needs-based recommendations and endorsements that once again tie back into their situation such as: - “Since you mentioned it was a special occasion, our luxury rooms would be a great choice because...” - “If you’re traveling on business and flying out early, we really are the perfect location for you then.” - “Based on what you’ve told me I think you’ve made a very good choice.” I is for an Investigative Selling Approach. If you compare most hotel reservations sales training to date, agents are taught to take callers through “steps” or “processes” which are linear in design, with a pre-determined path for giving and receiving information. In this model callers are viewed as being static and predictable. Yet when you listen to calls its easy to see that callers don’t react well to being asked pre-set list of “probing” questions, especially when they’ve given the information already in their opening remarks. Instead, SAILS training today should be caller-focused, and should allow agents some degree of flexibility in seeking out the best and most direct pathway to getting the caller’s booking before any they make any more clicks or calls. The key for successful investigative selling is to use ad-hoc probing questions, which are best developed “mid-stream” while the call is in progress. While it is still necessary to ask traditional question such as “Have you stayed with us before?” and “May I ask what brings you to the area?” agents need go on to use situation-specific questions during the conversation such as: - “As I’m waiting for the rates to pull up, are there any questions I can answer for you about our location or the hotel itself?” - “Is this a special occasion?” - “Is there something special you’re looking for that I’ve not mentioned yet?” L is for Listening Interactively. In keeping with the philosophy of investigative sales approach, listening interactively means to use the information gained by asking investigative questions to change-up what is said next. Also, by paraphrasing and re-stating the caller’s remarks, agents show that they are tuning in to the customer’s individual needs, versus treating them like “caller 29” of the day. S is for Securing the Reservation. In the end the goal of all sales training is the same; to secure the sale right here and now while we have our best chance to do so. While it is helpful to train your agents on various closing techniques, the most important part is to help them understand that everyone benefits when we close the sale, including the caller. Anyone who’s ever fielded a call-back from someone who finds the inventory sold out or that the rates have gone up, knows that it’s in the caller’s best interest to book it now. After convincing your team that closing the sale benefits everyone, and covering various polite ways of asking for the sale, it is also important to train them what to do when their efforts to close are initially declined. Tactics include creating urgency by mentioning “That special rate could sell out” or “We are already showing limited availability for your dates.” Other tactics include removing barriers to booking now. Methods for removing barriers vary according to your hotel’s guarantee, deposit, and cancellation policies but could include: “We can secure that for you now to lock-in the rate; if plans change you can always cancel up until…” or “We can place it on a courtesy hold while you check with your husband, so we can grab this suite while it is still available.” If you are looking to move your staff to the next level of reservations sales effectiveness, along the way increasing call conversions and increasing average rates by upselling, the time is right for your organization to not only find a new way to spell SAILS but also to find a new approach for encouraging your team to engage callers in real conversations by using techniques such as these. Doug Kennedy, president of the Kennedy Training Network, has been a fixture on the hospitality and tourism industry conference circuit since 1989, having presented over 1,000 conference keynote sessions, educational seminars, and on-premise training workshops for diverse audiences representing every segment of the lodging industry.

Dienstag, 15. November 2011

21 Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read

21 Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read:

Written by businessinsider

"The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand

Charlie O’Donnell: "I don’t know any book that sums up the entrepreneurial passion and spirit better than The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand: ‘The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.’"

Charlie is a principal at First Round Capital.

"Out of the Crisis" by W. Edwards Deming

Roger Ehrenberg: "Big or small, this book focuses the entrepreneur/manager on respecting employees, focusing on process, and insisting on the collection and analysis of data. The development of metrics to manage the business is critical for the start-up founder."

Roger is managing partner of IA Ventures.

"Extreme Programming Explained" by Kent Beck

Babak Nivi: "Revelatory. Develop your product like this book tells you to, unless you know better (e.g. you have experience building operating systems, space shuttles, Googles.) Buy the first edition."

Nivi is a founder of Venture Hacks.

"The Four Steps to the Epiphany" by Steven Gary Blank

Babak Nivi: "The closest thing to a manual for building a startup. Marc Andreessen calls it ‘a roadmap for how to get to Product/Market Fit.’"

"Reality Check" by Guy Kawasaki

Penelope Trunk: "I love flipping through the chapters. Each one is like a blog post, so you learn something on every page. And each chapter reminds me to be a little bit better at something I’m doing already."

Penelope is a founder of Brazen Careerist.

"Peak" by Chip Conley

Fred Destin: "Maslow’s hierarchy of needs adapted to the business world. Not that well written (sorry Chip) but sound advice on achieving ‘sustainable outperformance’ and leveraging crises for the better."

Fred is a Partner in the technology group at Atlas Venture.

"The Happiness Hypothesis" by Jonathan Haidt

Fred Destin: "Not a business book, but if you assume self-awareness and knowing what you are really good at are key to success in business (and life in general), this is the best attempt I have read at deriving ‘meaning’ from the joyous mess of life."

"Against The Odds" by James Dyson

Jason Fried: "One of the best books about design, business, invention, and entrepreneurship I’ve ever read. Highly recommended. It’s really inspirational. His persistence is otherworldly. You won’t believe what he went through to get this product to market."

Jason is co-founder and President of 37signals.

"How To Get Rich" by Felix Dennis

Greg Galant: "The self-made billionaire founder of Maxim Magazine and The Week titles this book as though it’s a snake oil self-help book. It’s really a great entrepreneurial memoir with British wit at its finest."

Greg is a founder of Sawhorse Media, as well as the creator and host of Venture Voice, a podcast for and about entrepreneurs.

"Transparency: How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor" by Warren Bennis, Daniel Goleman, and James O’Toole

"Transparency: How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor" by Warren Bennis, Daniel Goleman, and James O'Toole

Nilofer Merchant: "The future is invented not in the easy conversations but in the hard ones. We’ve got to know how to have and manage those conversations that lend light and transparency to WHY we are doing what we are doing. This book emphasizes how leaders create a culture of candor that can allow them to grow beyond the first idea."

Nilofer founded Rubicon Consulting.

"The Future Arrived Yesterday" by Michael S. Malone

Nilofer Merchant: "The next type of company is going to have to grow in a very different way than companies in even in the last 10 years. Mike Malone who wrote about virtual corporations 25 years ago has now written about “the protean corporation” which is a way to say organizations will organize to be more fluid, nimble, and shape shifters. He’s onto the new model and entrepreneurs should know about it so they are not surprised by the growth stages needed. "

"Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard" by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Sean Ellis: "[The book's] key message is to double down on things that are working."

Sean is founder and CEO of CatchFree. He also founded 12in6.

"The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Business Law" by Constance Bagley and Craig Dauchy

"The Entrepreneur's Guide to Business Law" by Constance Bagley and Craig Dauchy

Chris Dixon: "[This one might be a] bit painful if you aren’t into legal details (I’m not), but perhaps the most useful business book you can ever read."

Chris Dixon is co-founder of Hunch.

"Crossing the Chasm" by Geoffrey A. Moore

Chris Dixon: "Although a bit too enterprise- (vs. consumer-) focused for my taste, this is an extremely intelligent and useful book.You’ve probably heard about the central thesis (lots of startups get stuck in the "chasm", in between early adopter and mainstream customers) but there are tons of other interesting anecdotes and ideas in the book. I’ve reread this one a couple of times."

"Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War" by Robert Coram

Steve Blank: "Observe, Orient, Decide and Act – The cornerstone of Customer Development and the Lean Startup was first invented by a fighter pilot. Read his story."

Steve is a former serial entrepreneur who now teaches at U.C. Berkeley, Stanford University and the Columbia University/Berkeley Joint Executive MBA program. He is the author of Four Steps to the Epiphany.

"The Innovator’s Dilemma" and "The Innovator’s Solution" by Clayton Christensen

"The Innovator's Dilemma" and "The Innovator's Solution" by Clayton Christensen

Steve Blank: "Why do large companies seem and act like dinosaurs? Christensen finally was able to diagnose why and propose solutions. Entrepreneurs should read these books as ‘how to books’ to beat large companies in their own markets."

Also recommended by Chris Dixon: "The Innovator’s Dilemma popularized the (often misused) phrase ‘disruptive technology’; But there’s a lot more than that one big idea. Great insights into the ‘dynamics’ (changes over time) of markets."

"Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion" by Robert B. Cialdini

David Heinemeier Hansson: "Influence teaches you how to sell and deal with customers by treating them as humans. Great stuff."

David is a partner in 37signals.

"Maverick!: The Success Story Behind the World’s Most Unusual Workplace" by Ricardo Semler

"Maverick!: The Success Story Behind the World's Most Unusual Workplace" by Ricardo Semler

David Heinemeier Hansson: "Maverick tells the story about how you can make radical change [even at] a very old-world company of 8,000 people producing industrial pumps."

"Lucky or Smart? Secrets to an Entrepreneurial Life", by Bo Peabody

Mark Peter Davis: "Insight into some of the unique trials entrepreneurs face."

Mark is a co-founder and CEO of Kohort, who previously worked as a VC at DFJ Gotham Ventures.

"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert Pirsig

Brad Feld: "Anyone who is creating anything should read this book, slowly, and savor it."

Brad Feld has been an early stage investor and entrepreneur for over 20 years and is the co-founder of Foundry Group.

Also recommended by Fred Wilson: "There is way more insight to be gained from stories than from business books. And these are some amazing stories."

“Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell

Paul Jozefak: "Some great advice on how decisions are made."

Paul is a Managing Partner at Neuhaus Partners.

Bonus:Me in my bubbly fortress of manliness

Third of Under 30s Only Ever Been on Beach Holiday

Third of Under 30s Only Ever Been on Beach Holiday: New research from the UK's fastest growing online independent travel agent has revealed that a third of under 30s in the UK have only ever been on a beach holiday; as opposed to going on a city break, to a ski resort, or a slightly more adventurous trip.

Twelve Ski Resort Vacations For Every Budget

Twelve Ski Resort Vacations For Every Budget: Last winter was one of the best ski seasons in history, with excellent snow and conditions almost everywhere in the United States. Now, with extremely early snow already falling from coast to coast this year - New York City just broke its all-time snow record for October - conditions are shaping up for another epic season. By Larry Olmsted

Montag, 7. November 2011

A guide to finding your hotel’s voice online

A guide to finding your hotel’s voice online: Why is finding your hotel’s voice so critical today? The voice of your written communications with customers helps to build your property's persona, that is, its character or brand.