Your Foundation for Success
Relationship Selling is the core of all modern selling strategies. Your ability to develop and maintain long-term customer relationships is the foundation for your success as a salesperson and your success in business. Relationship selling requires a clear understanding of the dynamics of the selling process as they are experienced by your customer.
Propose a Business Marriage
For your customer, a buying decision usually means a decision to enter into a long-term relationship with you and your company. It is very much like a "business marriage." Before the customer decides to buy, he can take you or leave you. He doesn't need you or your company. He has a variety of options and choices open to him, including not buying anything at all. But when your customer makes a decision to buy from you and gives you money for the product or service you are selling, he becomes dependent on you. And since he has probably had bad buying experiences in the past, he is very uneasy and uncertain about getting into this kind of dependency relationship.
Fulfill Your Promises
What if you let the customer down? What if your product does not work as you promised? What if you don't service it and support it as you promised? What if it breaks down and he can't get it replaced? What if the product or service is completely inappropriate for his needs? These are real dilemmas that go through the mind of every customer when it comes time to make the critical buying decision.
Focus on the Relationship
Because of the complexity of most products and services today, especially high-tech products, the relationship is actually more important than the product. The customer doesn't know the ingredients or components of your product, or how your company functions, or how he will be treated after he has given you his money, but he can make an assessment about you and about the relationship that has developed between the two of you over the course of the selling process. So in reality, the customer's decision is based on the fact that he has come to trust you and believe in what you say.
Build a Solid Trust Bond
In many cases, the quality of your relationship with the customer is the competitive advantage that enables you to edge out others who may have similar products and services. The quality of the trust bond that exists between you and your customers can be so strong that no other competitor can get between you.
Keep Your Customers for Life
The single biggest mistake that causes salespeople to lose customers is taking those customers for granted. This is a form of "customer entropy." It is when the salesperson relaxes his efforts and begins to ignore the customer. Almost 70 percent of customers who walked away from their existing suppliers later replied that they made the change primarily because of a lack of attention from the company.
Once you have invested the time and made the efforts necessary to build a high-quality, trust-based relationship with your customer, you must maintain that relationship for the life of your business. You must never take it for granted. Action Exercises
First, focus on building a high quality relationship with each customer by treating your customer so well that he comes back, buys again and refers you to his friends.
Second, pay attention to your existing customers. Tell them you appreciate them. Look for ways to thank them and encourage them to come back and do business with you again.
If you would like any further advice check out my Facebook Page
Alternativly if you would like any information about Business Coaching click here.
Until next time
Adrian
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Spend Less Time on E-Mail -- and Accomplish More
Chances are you are struggling with too much email everyday either from internal sources or from other people. However much you may want to be informed about everything that's going on, you can't possibly keep up on it all without increasing unnecessary stress and damaging your productivity.
My largest client issues a flood of e-mails every day. Some come from the Head of the company. Some come from its divisional leaders. Some come from its operational heads. And some -- not too many, but some -- come from me. If I thought it were important to read and respond to every one of those e-mails that come to me, I'd be spending at least eight hours a day doing that. By the time I would get done, I'd have zero energy left to make useful improvements or suggest productive new directions for my client.
One recommendation for handling a deluge of e-mails comes from Bill Jensen, author of "The Simplicity Survival Handbook". Don't read every word, he says. Instead, scan them with the purpose of discovering what action is being called for. "If the communication does not contain an action and a short-term date [to complete that action], ignore it."
This applies to all communications -- even from top brass. If hitting "delete" makes you worry that you're missing something, do it anyway, he says. There is a 69% chance you'll get this exact communication again, a 48% chance you'll get it a third time, and a 36% chance you'll have to show up at a meeting or event to review it.
I have no idea where Jensen got these numbers. Their exactness makes them suspect. But I do think he's right about freeing yourself from the feeling that you need to read and possibly respond to every message that's sent to you.
I am in favor of scanning incoming messages. And I like the idea of paying attention to need-by dates. But it makes no sense to let a memo's urgency determine whether you are going to respond to it. That will turn you into a slave to the latest crisis. You'll spend all your hours fighting fires that aren't dangerous or can be fought by others.
Here's the three-step method I recommend:
Step 1. Scan the message to find out who's in charge of the issue/problem that it's about. If it's not you, make sure that person has been copied on it. If he has, either delete the message or send a short reply saying you trust that person to handle it. If he needs anything from you, he should let you know.
Step 2. Ask yourself: "If I ignore this message, will the issue/problem resolve itself?" If the answer is "yes," either delete the message or send a short reply suggesting that you are going to give the issue/problem some time to work itself out.
Step 3. If the memo is about something for which you are responsible -- and it's not likely to be fixed without some adjudication (see "Word to the Wise," below) -- ask yourself: "How important is this in terms of the business's most important goals?" If it's not important or if you are otherwise preoccupied, delegate it to someone else.
IMPORTANT - Try this......TURN IT OFF !!!!
Check your emails first thing in the morning....and then close down or turn your email system off ! Then turn it on again once every hour ....and then turn it off again. You very well know what happens when you receive an email............. you just have to read it........ Well....don't ! It will take your focus off the important tasks you are currently doing.
If you currently have your email system configured to flag you with a 'pop-up' or 'little enevelope' every time you receive a new email....turn this function off. Focus on completing what you are doing!
I started checking my emails once an hour many months ago and I have literally doubled my daily productivity.
Your Action Plan
My rule, as you know, is to limit all correspondence to a single page. It is very rare when any written discussion I'm involved in can't be dealt with (advanced to the next level, not necessarily resolved) in 200 words or less.
Take a look at the memos and e-mails you've been issuing. If they run more than one page, you're wasting your time -- and the time of the people you're sending them to. Make a conscious effort, starting today, to express yourself in fewer words. When you do, I think you'll find that your written communications will not only be more direct . . . but also easier to understand.
If you would like any further advice check out my Facebook Page
Alternativly if you would like any information about Business Coaching click here.
Until next time
Adrian
My largest client issues a flood of e-mails every day. Some come from the Head of the company. Some come from its divisional leaders. Some come from its operational heads. And some -- not too many, but some -- come from me. If I thought it were important to read and respond to every one of those e-mails that come to me, I'd be spending at least eight hours a day doing that. By the time I would get done, I'd have zero energy left to make useful improvements or suggest productive new directions for my client.
One recommendation for handling a deluge of e-mails comes from Bill Jensen, author of "The Simplicity Survival Handbook". Don't read every word, he says. Instead, scan them with the purpose of discovering what action is being called for. "If the communication does not contain an action and a short-term date [to complete that action], ignore it."
This applies to all communications -- even from top brass. If hitting "delete" makes you worry that you're missing something, do it anyway, he says. There is a 69% chance you'll get this exact communication again, a 48% chance you'll get it a third time, and a 36% chance you'll have to show up at a meeting or event to review it.
I have no idea where Jensen got these numbers. Their exactness makes them suspect. But I do think he's right about freeing yourself from the feeling that you need to read and possibly respond to every message that's sent to you.
I am in favor of scanning incoming messages. And I like the idea of paying attention to need-by dates. But it makes no sense to let a memo's urgency determine whether you are going to respond to it. That will turn you into a slave to the latest crisis. You'll spend all your hours fighting fires that aren't dangerous or can be fought by others.
Here's the three-step method I recommend:
Step 1. Scan the message to find out who's in charge of the issue/problem that it's about. If it's not you, make sure that person has been copied on it. If he has, either delete the message or send a short reply saying you trust that person to handle it. If he needs anything from you, he should let you know.
Step 2. Ask yourself: "If I ignore this message, will the issue/problem resolve itself?" If the answer is "yes," either delete the message or send a short reply suggesting that you are going to give the issue/problem some time to work itself out.
Step 3. If the memo is about something for which you are responsible -- and it's not likely to be fixed without some adjudication (see "Word to the Wise," below) -- ask yourself: "How important is this in terms of the business's most important goals?" If it's not important or if you are otherwise preoccupied, delegate it to someone else.
IMPORTANT - Try this......TURN IT OFF !!!!
Check your emails first thing in the morning....and then close down or turn your email system off ! Then turn it on again once every hour ....and then turn it off again. You very well know what happens when you receive an email............. you just have to read it........ Well....don't ! It will take your focus off the important tasks you are currently doing.
If you currently have your email system configured to flag you with a 'pop-up' or 'little enevelope' every time you receive a new email....turn this function off. Focus on completing what you are doing!
I started checking my emails once an hour many months ago and I have literally doubled my daily productivity.
Your Action Plan
My rule, as you know, is to limit all correspondence to a single page. It is very rare when any written discussion I'm involved in can't be dealt with (advanced to the next level, not necessarily resolved) in 200 words or less.
Take a look at the memos and e-mails you've been issuing. If they run more than one page, you're wasting your time -- and the time of the people you're sending them to. Make a conscious effort, starting today, to express yourself in fewer words. When you do, I think you'll find that your written communications will not only be more direct . . . but also easier to understand.
If you would like any further advice check out my Facebook Page
Alternativly if you would like any information about Business Coaching click here.
Until next time
Adrian
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Why the Design of Your Hotel Web Site Matters
It’s more than just Personal Taste - with so many hotels relying on the Internet to help fill their rooms- it amazes me that there are still so many hotel web sites that are not designed to produce room reservations. After-all isn’t that the primary reason why hotel sites are published to the Internet to begin with? It’s also shocking that so many web site designers don’t have a clue about search engines, how they work, nor how and why people select a hotel in which to stay.
So much of the planning and designing of a productive hotel web site starts with the intent of the designer, when the site is being designed. Does the designer understand the purpose of a hotel site? Stephen Covey, in his best seller “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”, teaches us to “Begin with the end in mind”.
With hotel web sites, the “end” to keep in mind is that a hotel web site must be designed to “sell” reservations; not simply to be an online brochure. Many people have asked me why I feel so strongly that it takes knowledge of hotel marketing to design a productive hotel web site. It’s because an effective hotel web site must incorporate the basic hotel marketing principles of location, facilities, and attractions (both business and leisure); and, most importantly, the site must include dominant well-written sales text.
While a hotel brochure is designed to describe facilities and services, it is not relied upon to “close” sales. The purpose of a web site is far more complex. It must be designed to create search engine popularity, so the site can be found using many different search terms; it must create interest in the hotel’s location, facilities, and services; and, most importantly, its text must be written to convert “lookers into bookers”.
It’s Location, Location, and Location…
With few exceptions, people visit an area but stay at a hotel because of its location, nearby attractions and facilities. Knowing this, it makes pure common-sense to highlight your hotel’s location. It is always amazing to me to see so many hotel web sites which give no clue where the hotel is located; some even without a posted address.
Your location is a very special place. Your location has its own special attributes which attract visitors from all over the World. Your web site should prominently highlight your location’s special attributes and provide a reason to visit that location. Simply listing your hotel’s address is not enough; generating new visitors to your hotel’s location is most important; sell destination first, your hotel second.
Having a Web Presence
In the beginning of the Internet’s popularity, only ten or so years ago, many hotels had the foresight to take advantage of the opportunity to have a presence on this radically new marketing medium. But the Internet has changed a lot since then; we learned that merely having a presence on the Internet does not necessarily generate reservations.
Many of these early sites were designed by pure technicians, or in some cases the owner’s nephew, with a flair for design and some techno-knowledge of how to publish a web site on the Internet. Some sites were good; many were terrible, but in those days, few hoteliers knew how much the Internet would impact our industry and they knew even less about how to design a hotel web site to sell reservations.
During its maturation process, the number of web sites on the Internet has grown exponentially and search engines (the heart of the Internet) have been refined and improved; and are constantly being improved today. If a site cannot be found easily, it’s useless.
The Internet’s explosive growth has been unprecedented in our lifetime. Google, one of the Internet’s most popular search engines indexes more than 6.8 billion web sites. World population is 6.6 billion people; that’s more than one site for each and every one of us! Without search engines, navigating the net would be nearly impossible.
At this point you may be wondering what web site design has to do with search engines; the answer is everything. Search engine requirements must be built into the site’s design. Keep in mind that search engines, at the present time, read text; images and graphics are, for the most part, invisible to them. Search engines seek-out sites which contain the words contained in the search term.
Many web site designers do an excellent job of making web sites look attractive, but fail miserably to comply with search engine and hotel sales and marketing needs. It’s what your site “says” and “how it says it” that creates popularity with search engines and converts visitors into reservations.
Some Web Site Common-Sense
Hotel site designers, even those with hotel marketing experience, tend to be very right-brained creative types. Don’t assume that they always know all those key factors which make your hotel’s location unique and popular. When you select a designer for your site, either new or replacement site, make a list of sales features and keep them in priority order.
A good designer knows the prime web site real estate to occupy those most important details of your location and hotel. Remember, it’s not just what you say; it’s how you say it. Begin with the end in mind; the “end” is to generate reservations not just increase the number of visitors to your site.
I know it’s tempting to let your designer create a work of art; after-all you have all those beautiful images of your hotel, but it’s often their lack of hotel sales knowledge which will doom your site to obscurity and mediocre performance.
Good simple navigation of your site is also essential. Basic rule; don’t make users learn how to navigate your web site. Understanding how and why people choose a hotel is the first ingredient in designing a hotel web site. It is not a matter of simply describing all your hotel’s attributes; it is how they are presented that really counts.
Take an Objective Look at Your Site
If your site is not producing a good volume of reservations, it’s probably time to have a marketing analysis done of your site. A site analysis can reveal why your site is performing poorly; often some minor adjustments can make a substantial difference in your sales results. It can also reveal a need to scrap your current site in favor of a new, properly designed, one.
Are you measuring your site’s conversion rate? If not, why not? Don’t be fooled by simply measuring the number of visitors to your site. Most hotel web sites only convert less than four percent of visitors into reservations; increasing that ratio is the ultimate goal. Properly written and placed sales text can make a huge difference.
A web site is a living breathing sales tool which needs to be adjusted constantly to keep up with changes in your market, your hotel, and the ever-changing search engine parameters. Your web site is generating data and statistics, which you can use to improve your web site and its performance. Ask your web master to produce and evaluate this data. Sometimes there may be a small additional fee, but it is very worthwhile.
Your web site is capable of producing 30% to 70% of your total reservations; get it to work for you.
If you would like any further information on our budget and premium hotel website design click here to contact us or call us on 07 3040 3588.
So much of the planning and designing of a productive hotel web site starts with the intent of the designer, when the site is being designed. Does the designer understand the purpose of a hotel site? Stephen Covey, in his best seller “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”, teaches us to “Begin with the end in mind”.
With hotel web sites, the “end” to keep in mind is that a hotel web site must be designed to “sell” reservations; not simply to be an online brochure. Many people have asked me why I feel so strongly that it takes knowledge of hotel marketing to design a productive hotel web site. It’s because an effective hotel web site must incorporate the basic hotel marketing principles of location, facilities, and attractions (both business and leisure); and, most importantly, the site must include dominant well-written sales text.
While a hotel brochure is designed to describe facilities and services, it is not relied upon to “close” sales. The purpose of a web site is far more complex. It must be designed to create search engine popularity, so the site can be found using many different search terms; it must create interest in the hotel’s location, facilities, and services; and, most importantly, its text must be written to convert “lookers into bookers”.
It’s Location, Location, and Location…
With few exceptions, people visit an area but stay at a hotel because of its location, nearby attractions and facilities. Knowing this, it makes pure common-sense to highlight your hotel’s location. It is always amazing to me to see so many hotel web sites which give no clue where the hotel is located; some even without a posted address.
Your location is a very special place. Your location has its own special attributes which attract visitors from all over the World. Your web site should prominently highlight your location’s special attributes and provide a reason to visit that location. Simply listing your hotel’s address is not enough; generating new visitors to your hotel’s location is most important; sell destination first, your hotel second.
Having a Web Presence
In the beginning of the Internet’s popularity, only ten or so years ago, many hotels had the foresight to take advantage of the opportunity to have a presence on this radically new marketing medium. But the Internet has changed a lot since then; we learned that merely having a presence on the Internet does not necessarily generate reservations.
Many of these early sites were designed by pure technicians, or in some cases the owner’s nephew, with a flair for design and some techno-knowledge of how to publish a web site on the Internet. Some sites were good; many were terrible, but in those days, few hoteliers knew how much the Internet would impact our industry and they knew even less about how to design a hotel web site to sell reservations.
During its maturation process, the number of web sites on the Internet has grown exponentially and search engines (the heart of the Internet) have been refined and improved; and are constantly being improved today. If a site cannot be found easily, it’s useless.
The Internet’s explosive growth has been unprecedented in our lifetime. Google, one of the Internet’s most popular search engines indexes more than 6.8 billion web sites. World population is 6.6 billion people; that’s more than one site for each and every one of us! Without search engines, navigating the net would be nearly impossible.
At this point you may be wondering what web site design has to do with search engines; the answer is everything. Search engine requirements must be built into the site’s design. Keep in mind that search engines, at the present time, read text; images and graphics are, for the most part, invisible to them. Search engines seek-out sites which contain the words contained in the search term.
Many web site designers do an excellent job of making web sites look attractive, but fail miserably to comply with search engine and hotel sales and marketing needs. It’s what your site “says” and “how it says it” that creates popularity with search engines and converts visitors into reservations.
Some Web Site Common-Sense
Hotel site designers, even those with hotel marketing experience, tend to be very right-brained creative types. Don’t assume that they always know all those key factors which make your hotel’s location unique and popular. When you select a designer for your site, either new or replacement site, make a list of sales features and keep them in priority order.
A good designer knows the prime web site real estate to occupy those most important details of your location and hotel. Remember, it’s not just what you say; it’s how you say it. Begin with the end in mind; the “end” is to generate reservations not just increase the number of visitors to your site.
I know it’s tempting to let your designer create a work of art; after-all you have all those beautiful images of your hotel, but it’s often their lack of hotel sales knowledge which will doom your site to obscurity and mediocre performance.
Good simple navigation of your site is also essential. Basic rule; don’t make users learn how to navigate your web site. Understanding how and why people choose a hotel is the first ingredient in designing a hotel web site. It is not a matter of simply describing all your hotel’s attributes; it is how they are presented that really counts.
Take an Objective Look at Your Site
If your site is not producing a good volume of reservations, it’s probably time to have a marketing analysis done of your site. A site analysis can reveal why your site is performing poorly; often some minor adjustments can make a substantial difference in your sales results. It can also reveal a need to scrap your current site in favor of a new, properly designed, one.
Are you measuring your site’s conversion rate? If not, why not? Don’t be fooled by simply measuring the number of visitors to your site. Most hotel web sites only convert less than four percent of visitors into reservations; increasing that ratio is the ultimate goal. Properly written and placed sales text can make a huge difference.
A web site is a living breathing sales tool which needs to be adjusted constantly to keep up with changes in your market, your hotel, and the ever-changing search engine parameters. Your web site is generating data and statistics, which you can use to improve your web site and its performance. Ask your web master to produce and evaluate this data. Sometimes there may be a small additional fee, but it is very worthwhile.
Your web site is capable of producing 30% to 70% of your total reservations; get it to work for you.
If you would like any further information on our budget and premium hotel website design click here to contact us or call us on 07 3040 3588.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Aussies spending more time on social networks
According to a new report from comScore, social networking now accounts for 21.9% of the total time that Australians spend on the internet - up 5.3% in 2010.
‘The State of the Internet in Australia’ report reveals that social media is playing an increasing role in consumers' daily routine online.
Visits to portals accounted for 19.7%, down nearly 10% from the previous year, while Instant Messengers accounted for 11.6% of time, down 7.7%, as both categories lost share to social networks. However, entertainment, which accounted for 9.1% of total time spent in 2009, increased 2% to 11.1%. Group-buying sites also continued to gain traction over the past year with Cudo garnering 418,000 unique visitors in
December 2010.
Will Hodgman, executive vice president at comScore, said: “2010 was dynamic year for the digital media industry in Australia. Consumers are turning to the internet with increasing frequency for a vast array of activities including entertainment, commerce, news and information and communication, as digital media
becomes embedded in the daily lives of Australians.”
The the large growth in time spent on social networking platforms also shows a huge shift in how consumers are communicating within their own networks.
This has huge implications for how businesses are trying to reach people. If they're not on sociel networks, like Facebook or Twitter, they will most likely fall behind and further out of contact with their customers.
This year, comScore expects to see continued innovation and more competition as an increasing number of brands turn to social networks in order to capture consumers’ attention.
Other results from the report showed that Microsoft Sites - such as ninemsn - led as the most-visited internet property in Australia, followed by Google Sites and Facebook.com.
In terms of top sites by total minutes spent, Facebook took the number one spot, followed by Microsoft Sites and Google Sites. The report also found that more Australians visited retail sites online compared to last year. Amazon and Apple were the the most-visited retail sites online.
To avoid getting left behind, make sure you have a facebook page set up. Email to speak to TA Fastrack on 07 3040 3590 about setting up a professionally designed and customised facebook welcome page for your business. We can assist with designing a facebook welcome page or managing social media for your business.
‘The State of the Internet in Australia’ report reveals that social media is playing an increasing role in consumers' daily routine online.
Visits to portals accounted for 19.7%, down nearly 10% from the previous year, while Instant Messengers accounted for 11.6% of time, down 7.7%, as both categories lost share to social networks. However, entertainment, which accounted for 9.1% of total time spent in 2009, increased 2% to 11.1%. Group-buying sites also continued to gain traction over the past year with Cudo garnering 418,000 unique visitors in
December 2010.
Will Hodgman, executive vice president at comScore, said: “2010 was dynamic year for the digital media industry in Australia. Consumers are turning to the internet with increasing frequency for a vast array of activities including entertainment, commerce, news and information and communication, as digital media
becomes embedded in the daily lives of Australians.”
The the large growth in time spent on social networking platforms also shows a huge shift in how consumers are communicating within their own networks.
This has huge implications for how businesses are trying to reach people. If they're not on sociel networks, like Facebook or Twitter, they will most likely fall behind and further out of contact with their customers.
This year, comScore expects to see continued innovation and more competition as an increasing number of brands turn to social networks in order to capture consumers’ attention.
Other results from the report showed that Microsoft Sites - such as ninemsn - led as the most-visited internet property in Australia, followed by Google Sites and Facebook.com.
In terms of top sites by total minutes spent, Facebook took the number one spot, followed by Microsoft Sites and Google Sites. The report also found that more Australians visited retail sites online compared to last year. Amazon and Apple were the the most-visited retail sites online.
To avoid getting left behind, make sure you have a facebook page set up. Email to speak to TA Fastrack on 07 3040 3590 about setting up a professionally designed and customised facebook welcome page for your business. We can assist with designing a facebook welcome page or managing social media for your business.
Upselling: There’s Money to be Made at the Front Desk
The importance of upselling at the front desk has increased over recent years due in large part to the changing methods of booking rooms.
The popularity of reserving rooms online from a third-party travel site, the property’s website or packaged with a flight and/or rental car means that the front desk agent’s reception is often the first person-to-person interaction that guests experience. This trend gives the front desk agent the opportunity to become a member of the sales department by selling upgrades (upselling) to guests upon arrival.
Upselling allows a property to maximise revenue from its occupancy and increase the average daily rate.
The act of selling upgrades can benefit the property, the front desk agent and the guest if there is a quality system in place. The benefits for the property include higher guest satisfaction and higher revenue/ADR.
Proactively upselling can make a big impression on the bottom line, no matter the size of the property. For example, not too long ago, a smaller, high-end, boutique property with less than 150 rooms implemented a new upselling program in 2007 and its upsell revenue jumped from $20,000 in 2006 to $120,000 in 2007. The following years’ upselling revenue increased significantly as well: to $145,000 in 2008, $190,000 in 2009, and more than $200,000 in 2010.
The hotel paid for training and provided agents with upselling incentives; and even with such expenditures accounted for, the property increased profits by $168,000 over the previous year.
The front desk agent has the opportunity to profit from an upselling program through a commission-based incentive program. For example, an effective incentive program that has been implemented at a number of properties (ranging from full-service luxury resorts to boutique and urban corporate properties) offers 5% of the upgrade amount; and thus the difference between the rate booked and the new (upsold) amount is added as a bonus to the agent’s paycheck after the guest has checked out. For example, if a guest makes a three-night reservation at $115/night and the front desk agent sells an upgrade to the guest increasing the rate to $145/night, the front desk agent’s commission would be $4.50 (5% of $90) and the hotel would gain $85.50 from the increase in rate.
Team and individual selling goals are also opportunities for a property to motivate front desk agents to upsell proactively. If the team, for example, achieves its monthly goal for upsells, the incentive percentage can be increased to 10% and paid retroactively. In 2010, at the small hotel referenced above, an agent had an annual upsell total just short of $45,000 because her team made the monthly goals each quarter and so achieved the 10% bonus bracket, the agent earned an additional $4500 for the year. This kind of financial reward can be extremely motivating for staff. In this instance, the hotel realised an additional $40,000. It should also be noted that guest satisfaction surveys were higher that year than in previous years – an all-around win!
Recognition-based rewards are also great tools to incorporate into an upselling program.
Honouring staff for the most upsells, highest dollar average of upsells and highest monetary amount of upsells can be recognised with cash bonuses, plaques, prime parking spaces, gift cards or even lunch with the general manager.
An incentive for converting a “walk-in” reservation is also an opportunity to consider. This type of selling may warrant a slightly larger commission percentage because there is a different level of skill and effort needed from the front desk agent. In these situations, an 8% to 10% “commission” may very well be appropriate.
As you can see, upselling is a win/win/win scenario for the property, front desk agent, and guest - if done correctly.
How can your hotel upsell properly?
One of the most common mistakes the front office staff can make when implementing an upsell program is to establish “higher revenues” as the ultimate goal. That’s when a guest’s experience is almost always diminished. Instead, the focus must be placed on the guest and his/her comfort. When the agent is trained and incentivised to enhance the guest’s experience, the upsell progresses naturally.
Again, as the front desk staff is quite often the guest’s first contact with the hotel, it’s critical that the front desk agent “consult” the guest about the hotel – topics such as comfortable accommodations, appropriate packages, or guest room types, etc. Most frequent travelers report that front desk agents rarely make an effort to recommend any accommodation other than the one booked. On the rare occasion that an agent does make a recommendation, quite often the effort is a transparent attempt to “get more money” from the guest.
There is no connection to the recommendation and the guest’s needs. This approach can be very off-putting. The first step to successful upselling is a shift in focus and presentation; a keen awareness of the guest and sincerity regarding what that guest may require for comfort and satisfaction need to be the primary concern.
Agents must learn to recognise and anticipate the needs of the guests as well as have the proper product knowledge to make an educated suggestion of a more comfortable room option. For example, if someone is travelling with children and has booked a standard room, the agent could point out that the guest may be more comfortable being in a room type with a separate area, so that the parents aren’t required to have an 8:30 bed time. Or perhaps someone staying for an extended amount of time would find value in a room that has more space. Oftentimes, guests don’t fully understand the full range of room-type options that are available, and the situation should be approached in an informative and helpful manner, and never with a disparaging tone or remark about the currently reserved room. Again, the goal is to maximize the guest’s experience.
Once an upselling program is implemented, it is critical to also commit to a tracking system that measures the results and impact and provides an accurate incentive payout. The tracking systems will vary among properties due to the different PMS in place but there are aspects that should be universal. The system should be smooth and easy to process by the front desk agent. Incentives should be paid out after the guest has checked out and his/her payment has been received. The number of upsells, the average amount of upsells and the total amount of upsells should be tracked on an individual and team basis.
A full-service resort on the west coast of Florida tracks its upsells in this manner:
A well-managed upselling program can benefit all parties involved if done correctly. To stay competitive, it is necessary that a property be able to adapt to the changes in the hospitality industry. There is a delicate balance between good customer service and quality sales that, if done properly, could amount to great success for an upselling program.
Proper training and an energised front desk team will create the right atmosphere for a productive upselling program with a great return on investment.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
3 ways to tap into the power of social media
Here are three things you can do to get in the game.
Start a blog
Blogs are easy to create and maintain. You can use blogspot or wordpress to set up a blog and you won't even need to consult a web developer for help!
The key is to create high quality content that is relevant to your target audience. Keep it consistent and keep it real. Other than that, just have fun with it! Some suggestions for blog posts include:
- Industry-specific tips and insights
- Special offers or give-aways
- Analysis of recent news items
- Product tutorials
- Humorous anecdotes
- Interviews with employees, customers or partners
Start a Facebook page
Facebook is one of the most popular sites in the world (along with Google). To get started, simply create a Facebook page where you can post updates, link to your blog articles, and receive feedback from your customers. As you post relevant content and interact with customers on your Facebook page, your fan base and your revenue will grow.
Post videos on YouTube
If a picture is worth a 1,000 words, a video must be worth 1,000 pictures (and 1,000,000 words)! Plus videos get priority in search engine results and allow you to show a little personality. Start with a video on your company, resort, staff members and build your video library from there.
If you implement these social media elements in your marketing, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the raving fans waiting for you.
For help on marketing or social media, speak to a marketing consultant from TA Fastrack today on email@tafastrack.com.au or call 07 3040 3588.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
10 Ways to Improve your Hotel's Social Media Visibility
By Adrian Caruso - TA Fastrack's CEO
Many hotels and destinations have recently approached TA Fastrack and asked about improving their social media visibility. While there is no firm method of optimizing your Web 2.0 content, there are best practices that can improve your performance. Below, you’ll find ten of our favorite best practices that can easily be implemented to increase your followers as well as your web traffic.
1. Keep the CONVERSATION going
Like its name suggests, social media is, by nature, well – social. Think of websites like Facebook and Twitter as extensions of your network of friends. Unlike, say, strangers at the grocery store, it’s perfectly okay to reach out to someone you’re connected with on a social networking and say “hey, how are you doing?” – so long as you do it effectively. Instead of just talking, try to ask questions of your fans and followers. Encourage them to post content on your Facebook page. Check your @ replies on Twitter and your Direct Messages (DMs) often – if someone has a question, be proactive in your response. Even if the comments and feedback on these sites are negative, you can turn the experience into a positive one with a fast and timely response.
2. Create engaging CONTENT
Unlike your Brand.com website or standalone page, your social media presence is a great way to push the content envelope. Use a conversational copy tone – you may even want to solicit a younger member of your staff to manage your Facebook or Twitter accounts full time. Find someone to manage your pages who is passionate about the brand – their enthusiasm will reflect that in the copy. Use images, video and links wherever possible. A huge part of SEO is the power of the inbound link – and social media is a great way to generate that buzz!
3. Drive your readers to ACTION
Don’t be content to just tell your readers about a renovation – encourage them to talk about it, send in a photo, book a reservation, or secure a special promotion. Offer a special coupon to your 1,000th fan or follower. Give away a free drink in your hotel lounge or at a local restaurant to someone who mentions Twitter when they order a cocktail. Ask for opinions about a new renovation or local attraction. Online readers aren’t passive – they’re constantly scanning – so make sure your content is encouraging them to stop and participate!
4. Images are your FRIEND
Is your hotel beautiful? Did you have a great recent event, wedding, or photo shoot of your new menu? Did your destination just host a major event? Upload those gems to Facebook, twitpic or Flickr! Send a snapshot of the beautiful sunrise over your hotel, or of visitors enjoying the local culture, to your Twitter followers, and encourage them to snap photos of their own time at your hotel, resort or destination. Create a Facebook album of a recent event within the hotel or destination and tag people who attended – chances are a little vanity will go a long way, compelling them to return to your page again and again to see their photo, while encouraging their friends to do the same.
5. Create BUZZ – Aim to get your material to “GO VIRAL”
Have you ever seen the trending topics on Twitter? Utilize these hashtags or aim to create your own! Some of our favorites for the travel industry are #TravelTuesday (relevant travel related industry info) and #FollowFriday –which enables you to thank your new followers each week. Don’t forget the power of the retweet or RT, either. Retweet (or re-publish) people who are talking about your hotel or great things people are saying about your market. This can also apply to YouTube. Have you created a great or funny video? Upload it and share it across social media platforms. Create a great contest on Facebook and post it all over! The options are only as limited as your imagination.
6. Practice effective LINKING and NAMING
While you can’t directly optimize your content, you can practice effective linking strategies. Instead of saying “click here,” choose appropriate anchor text. If you’re really talking about your new menu, say “Enjoy the Trellis Restaurant Dinner Menu” – search engines recognize these types of links as more valid. This also applies to page naming – be sure to name your Facebook Fan page (use your full property name, unless it’s very long) and your Twitter page to make them as easily searchable as possible. Avoid funny characters like underscores when you can help it. People often forget to type these in!
7. Stay on top of the latest TRENDS
Social Media is a continually evolving industry – new applications are launched every day! Some of our new favorites include Foursquare and Gowalla – applications that let users on other social networking sites know where you are located by “checking in” to certain businesses and locations. You can even offer special promotions to people who participate in these programs by checking in at your hotel or visiting local businesses a given number of times.
8. Know your NEIGHBOURS
Encourage cross promotion with local businesses, important bloggers and local media outlets. They can be your biggest fans! Host an in-person networking event, and issue your invitations via Facebook or Twitter. Encourage local social networking groups to host “Tweetups,” or in-person meetings of Twitter friends, at your hotel or local hotspots within your destination. Offer a special discount as an incentive!
9. Keep sites SEPERATE
People who follow you on Twitter are often your fans on Facebook and vice versa, so don’t update the exact same thing in both places! It’s fine to cross promote, sparingly – a post on Twitter saying you created a great new Facebook album with a link, or a note on Facebook talking about an exclusive Twitter promo (great ways to get followers on both sites!). But if you continually update both pages with the same information, they begin to lose relevance. So despite seeing the option to stream your Twitter updates to Facebook and vice versa – it’s generally a ‘no-no.’
10. Don’t get DISCOURAGED
Your growth won’t be overnight, and follow/fan/friend rates will vary from day to day. You may see explosive growth or bookings as a result of a particular contest that won’t work again the next week. Don’t get discouraged – your continued efforts will pay off over time. Social media is a continually evolving discussion and new techniques are emerging daily!
If you need help improving your hotel's social media visibility, please call TA Fastrack on +61 7 3040 3588. TA Fastrack's social media's team has the tracking tools to monitor your brand across the digital landscape. We can tell you what people are saying. We can then manage your brand online and influence the influencers to spread the word and ultimately book with you. We understand the travel, tourism and hospitality industry so we know how to create a presence for your brand in niche markets.
Many hotels and destinations have recently approached TA Fastrack and asked about improving their social media visibility. While there is no firm method of optimizing your Web 2.0 content, there are best practices that can improve your performance. Below, you’ll find ten of our favorite best practices that can easily be implemented to increase your followers as well as your web traffic.
1. Keep the CONVERSATION going
Like its name suggests, social media is, by nature, well – social. Think of websites like Facebook and Twitter as extensions of your network of friends. Unlike, say, strangers at the grocery store, it’s perfectly okay to reach out to someone you’re connected with on a social networking and say “hey, how are you doing?” – so long as you do it effectively. Instead of just talking, try to ask questions of your fans and followers. Encourage them to post content on your Facebook page. Check your @ replies on Twitter and your Direct Messages (DMs) often – if someone has a question, be proactive in your response. Even if the comments and feedback on these sites are negative, you can turn the experience into a positive one with a fast and timely response.
2. Create engaging CONTENT
Unlike your Brand.com website or standalone page, your social media presence is a great way to push the content envelope. Use a conversational copy tone – you may even want to solicit a younger member of your staff to manage your Facebook or Twitter accounts full time. Find someone to manage your pages who is passionate about the brand – their enthusiasm will reflect that in the copy. Use images, video and links wherever possible. A huge part of SEO is the power of the inbound link – and social media is a great way to generate that buzz!
3. Drive your readers to ACTION
Don’t be content to just tell your readers about a renovation – encourage them to talk about it, send in a photo, book a reservation, or secure a special promotion. Offer a special coupon to your 1,000th fan or follower. Give away a free drink in your hotel lounge or at a local restaurant to someone who mentions Twitter when they order a cocktail. Ask for opinions about a new renovation or local attraction. Online readers aren’t passive – they’re constantly scanning – so make sure your content is encouraging them to stop and participate!
4. Images are your FRIEND
Is your hotel beautiful? Did you have a great recent event, wedding, or photo shoot of your new menu? Did your destination just host a major event? Upload those gems to Facebook, twitpic or Flickr! Send a snapshot of the beautiful sunrise over your hotel, or of visitors enjoying the local culture, to your Twitter followers, and encourage them to snap photos of their own time at your hotel, resort or destination. Create a Facebook album of a recent event within the hotel or destination and tag people who attended – chances are a little vanity will go a long way, compelling them to return to your page again and again to see their photo, while encouraging their friends to do the same.
5. Create BUZZ – Aim to get your material to “GO VIRAL”
Have you ever seen the trending topics on Twitter? Utilize these hashtags or aim to create your own! Some of our favorites for the travel industry are #TravelTuesday (relevant travel related industry info) and #FollowFriday –which enables you to thank your new followers each week. Don’t forget the power of the retweet or RT, either. Retweet (or re-publish) people who are talking about your hotel or great things people are saying about your market. This can also apply to YouTube. Have you created a great or funny video? Upload it and share it across social media platforms. Create a great contest on Facebook and post it all over! The options are only as limited as your imagination.
6. Practice effective LINKING and NAMING
While you can’t directly optimize your content, you can practice effective linking strategies. Instead of saying “click here,” choose appropriate anchor text. If you’re really talking about your new menu, say “Enjoy the Trellis Restaurant Dinner Menu” – search engines recognize these types of links as more valid. This also applies to page naming – be sure to name your Facebook Fan page (use your full property name, unless it’s very long) and your Twitter page to make them as easily searchable as possible. Avoid funny characters like underscores when you can help it. People often forget to type these in!
7. Stay on top of the latest TRENDS
Social Media is a continually evolving industry – new applications are launched every day! Some of our new favorites include Foursquare and Gowalla – applications that let users on other social networking sites know where you are located by “checking in” to certain businesses and locations. You can even offer special promotions to people who participate in these programs by checking in at your hotel or visiting local businesses a given number of times.
8. Know your NEIGHBOURS
Encourage cross promotion with local businesses, important bloggers and local media outlets. They can be your biggest fans! Host an in-person networking event, and issue your invitations via Facebook or Twitter. Encourage local social networking groups to host “Tweetups,” or in-person meetings of Twitter friends, at your hotel or local hotspots within your destination. Offer a special discount as an incentive!
9. Keep sites SEPERATE
People who follow you on Twitter are often your fans on Facebook and vice versa, so don’t update the exact same thing in both places! It’s fine to cross promote, sparingly – a post on Twitter saying you created a great new Facebook album with a link, or a note on Facebook talking about an exclusive Twitter promo (great ways to get followers on both sites!). But if you continually update both pages with the same information, they begin to lose relevance. So despite seeing the option to stream your Twitter updates to Facebook and vice versa – it’s generally a ‘no-no.’
10. Don’t get DISCOURAGED
Your growth won’t be overnight, and follow/fan/friend rates will vary from day to day. You may see explosive growth or bookings as a result of a particular contest that won’t work again the next week. Don’t get discouraged – your continued efforts will pay off over time. Social media is a continually evolving discussion and new techniques are emerging daily!
If you need help improving your hotel's social media visibility, please call TA Fastrack on +61 7 3040 3588. TA Fastrack's social media's team has the tracking tools to monitor your brand across the digital landscape. We can tell you what people are saying. We can then manage your brand online and influence the influencers to spread the word and ultimately book with you. We understand the travel, tourism and hospitality industry so we know how to create a presence for your brand in niche markets.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Stop Selling, and Start Adding Value
Do you consistently look for creative ways to stay in touch with your prospective clients, or do you only contact them when you are trying to close business?
Great sales people form relationships, and establish themselves as:
1) someone who cares
2) someone who helps their prospects and clients stay abreast of important information, strategies, and solutions that will improve their situation
3) someone who's different than the other "sales guys and gals"
So ask yourself this question, "Do I add value and make my prospective clients' lives better when they're in my sales process? How do they view me? As a salesperson, or as a consultant who's bringing them solutions, right now, even if they're not a client."
For example, someone in the business services industry might consider clipping an article from Inc. Magazine or Forbes Small Business, predigesting the content for their prospects, and then sending it with a handwritten note that spells out why it's important to read. Just sending someone an article with an FYI takes no effort, and most business owners are too busy to read stuff. Nine times out of ten, it'll get skimmed or put in a stack. But a simple touch can make all the difference. If you predigest the article and tell your prospect something like, "Bob, I saw this article and thought about our conversation the other day about salesperson compensation, grumblings from your salespeople, and not knowing how to deal with it...Well, Bob, this article explains how a similar company used a blend of individual and team compensation strategies to improve morale and sales results! Take a look and let's talk about it next week."
This of course, is a simple example. But, do you realize how adding the messaging that draws on a prior conversation, and predigesting the article for the person, is the one step that most people in a sales role DO NOT take. Just leaving that one step out reduces the effectiveness by tenfold.
Why does it work? It's simple, effective, and it lets your prospects know you are really listening to them, that you care, and that you are looking for ways for them solve their problems, right now. Of course you may need to change the article or source for your industry, and change it for your prospects and their unique needs, but the point is, you want to always be positioning yourself in your prospective customers' minds, and with your existing customers, as someone who is always looking out for their interests and concerns!
What does this have to do with sales? Well, it's a truism that people buy solutions, not services. They want the hole, not the drill bit. And people will buy from you more often, the more solutions you provide them while they're in your sales cycle. If you think of your sales process as a Value-Add endeavor, you will undoubtedly increase your sales results.
So where are you adding value? Or, are you just pitching the sale?
Great sales people form relationships, and establish themselves as:
1) someone who cares
2) someone who helps their prospects and clients stay abreast of important information, strategies, and solutions that will improve their situation
3) someone who's different than the other "sales guys and gals"
So ask yourself this question, "Do I add value and make my prospective clients' lives better when they're in my sales process? How do they view me? As a salesperson, or as a consultant who's bringing them solutions, right now, even if they're not a client."
For example, someone in the business services industry might consider clipping an article from Inc. Magazine or Forbes Small Business, predigesting the content for their prospects, and then sending it with a handwritten note that spells out why it's important to read. Just sending someone an article with an FYI takes no effort, and most business owners are too busy to read stuff. Nine times out of ten, it'll get skimmed or put in a stack. But a simple touch can make all the difference. If you predigest the article and tell your prospect something like, "Bob, I saw this article and thought about our conversation the other day about salesperson compensation, grumblings from your salespeople, and not knowing how to deal with it...Well, Bob, this article explains how a similar company used a blend of individual and team compensation strategies to improve morale and sales results! Take a look and let's talk about it next week."
This of course, is a simple example. But, do you realize how adding the messaging that draws on a prior conversation, and predigesting the article for the person, is the one step that most people in a sales role DO NOT take. Just leaving that one step out reduces the effectiveness by tenfold.
Why does it work? It's simple, effective, and it lets your prospects know you are really listening to them, that you care, and that you are looking for ways for them solve their problems, right now. Of course you may need to change the article or source for your industry, and change it for your prospects and their unique needs, but the point is, you want to always be positioning yourself in your prospective customers' minds, and with your existing customers, as someone who is always looking out for their interests and concerns!
What does this have to do with sales? Well, it's a truism that people buy solutions, not services. They want the hole, not the drill bit. And people will buy from you more often, the more solutions you provide them while they're in your sales cycle. If you think of your sales process as a Value-Add endeavor, you will undoubtedly increase your sales results.
So where are you adding value? Or, are you just pitching the sale?
Thursday, February 3, 2011
The Law of Positioning
The customer's perception of you and your company is his reality and determines his buying behavior with you. The way your customer thinks about you, talks about you, and describes you to others determines everything he does or does not do in relation to you and what you sell.
Customer Perception
Every product or service must be perceived positively by the customer before the customer can make any kind of buying decision. The most successful products and services are those that the customer perceives are from the most desirable and trustworthy suppliers of these products or services.
Proper Positioning
With proper positioning, your product or service will be seen by the customers as the product or choice, against which others are compared. Some examples of excellent positioning are Coca-Cola, Kleenex, and Xerox. In each case, these products are the standard. When you refer to a drink, you say, "I feel like a Coke." If you have a runny nose, you ask someone to "get a Kleenex" for you. If you need a copy of a document, you ask someone to "make a Xerox of this." This dominant positioning gives these products an edge in the market, which translates into more and easier sales at higher prices with better profit margins.
Appearance
Every visual element of dress, product, packaging, printing, and promotion creates a perception of some kind. Nothing is neutral. Everything that you do or neglect to do, everything that the customer sees or fails to see, hears or does not hear, contributes to the customer's perception of you and your company. Everything counts.
Position Yourself at the Top
Top salespeople position themselves as the preferred suppliers of their products and services. Everything you do adds to the customer's perception of you as the ideal person to do business with when it comes to buying your particular product or service. The customer will often pay more for a similar product or service for no other reason than that it is you who is selling it and backing it up. Your position in the customer's mind can be so strong that no other competitor can get between you and the customer and replace you. The most successful companies and the more successful salespeople are those who have developed such strong positioning in their marketplaces that they are considered to be the standard against which competitors are compared.
Action Exercise
Determine the words that your customers use to describe you to others. How do they think about you, your products, your services, and your company overall? Do you know? Find out your exact positioning in your marketplace, and then decide what you could do to take maximum advantage of it.
Customer Perception
Every product or service must be perceived positively by the customer before the customer can make any kind of buying decision. The most successful products and services are those that the customer perceives are from the most desirable and trustworthy suppliers of these products or services.
Proper Positioning
With proper positioning, your product or service will be seen by the customers as the product or choice, against which others are compared. Some examples of excellent positioning are Coca-Cola, Kleenex, and Xerox. In each case, these products are the standard. When you refer to a drink, you say, "I feel like a Coke." If you have a runny nose, you ask someone to "get a Kleenex" for you. If you need a copy of a document, you ask someone to "make a Xerox of this." This dominant positioning gives these products an edge in the market, which translates into more and easier sales at higher prices with better profit margins.
Appearance
Every visual element of dress, product, packaging, printing, and promotion creates a perception of some kind. Nothing is neutral. Everything that you do or neglect to do, everything that the customer sees or fails to see, hears or does not hear, contributes to the customer's perception of you and your company. Everything counts.
Position Yourself at the Top
Top salespeople position themselves as the preferred suppliers of their products and services. Everything you do adds to the customer's perception of you as the ideal person to do business with when it comes to buying your particular product or service. The customer will often pay more for a similar product or service for no other reason than that it is you who is selling it and backing it up. Your position in the customer's mind can be so strong that no other competitor can get between you and the customer and replace you. The most successful companies and the more successful salespeople are those who have developed such strong positioning in their marketplaces that they are considered to be the standard against which competitors are compared.
Action Exercise
Determine the words that your customers use to describe you to others. How do they think about you, your products, your services, and your company overall? Do you know? Find out your exact positioning in your marketplace, and then decide what you could do to take maximum advantage of it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)