The following is reproduction of a letter sent to all of the hotel teams I worked with at the time.
October 4, 1994. Do you remember where you were?
It is significant to me since that was the day I started my first hotel job as a Reservation Agent at one of the largest hotels in Denver, Colorado. Thirteen years later, the dreams of a medical career happily abandoned, I find myself in a serendipitous place that incidentally I both love and enjoy.
Humor me for a moment please, because I wanted to share something with you. Here are 13 things I’ve learned over the past 13 years. I try to keep these in mind everyday, and while I’m not perfect, I strive to become a better friend, manager, and person. Maybe you’ll find something you can use….. or at the very least enjoy your three-point shot when you toss it in the trash bin!
1. I don’t know anything.
Not really. And neither do you. This is because neither of us can see into the future and we don’t know what’s going to happen. We can, however, guess. And estimate and project and predict what will impact your sales and revenues. Uh-oh. What if our best guess was wrong?! That’s okay. I love it when I’m wrong because it means someone else was right. If you were right, then you are a shining star and your light will shine on everyone, including me. And if I was wrong, I’m sorry. But look what we learned!
2. Grow.
Just because this how you’ve always done something doesn’t mean you should. Change is good. If it wasn’t, then every flower would still be a seed.
3. Never underestimate the impact of a 4 o’clock Friday sales call.
If you can’t get a call back from a client and are running out of ideas, here’s a tip…. Postpone your date night, bake some cookies, and pop into your client’s office late on Friday afternoon. They are likely stuck there until the bell rings, their bosses are already gone, and the idea of talking to you instead of actually doing work is a much more pleasant way to pass the time. You would be surprised who you will find there, and how much information they will share with you.
4. Attitude is everything.
I ask everyone I interview what motto they live by. One sales candidate summed it up better than anyone: “Positive things happen to positive people.” She now works for us. Enough said.
5. Do the hard thing.
The “hard thing” is usually the right thing to do. And if you do the right thing, the rest will fall into place.
6. Pick up the phone.
We are losing something when we communicate over e-mail or text messages. I think it’s the death of the English language, but it is also how we do business. If everyone used proper e-mail etiquette and spell check and remembered that if we wanted to read a book, we’d go to Barnes & Noble, think about how much we’d get accomplished! Most importantly remember what you say in an email can be wildly misinterpreted or misunderstood, so pick up the phone when in doubt. Also, don’t take e-mail too personally. People are busy, and sometimes they forget to say “thank you,” or “please,” or add an exclamation point and smiley face… But they meant to!!!! LOL!
7. Without fail your business mix and sales strategy will change this year.
You are no longer the newest hotel. Your #1 account just left to the competitor. There are 17 new hotels in your market. Whatever the case was last year, it won’t be the same this year. So be prepared, be observant, and be creative with your sales strategy. Then get to work!
8. Leave your comfort zone.
In fact, just leave your office. No one would do outside sales or cold calls if it wasn’t required. It’s required because it works. Get in front of your client and guests often and you will have an immediate impact, both on your sanity and your revenues.
9. People matter.
Everyone you work with or work for may annoy you to no end, but at the end of the day, you all have the same goal… to be happy and make others happy. So ask people how their weekend was when you get in on Monday. If they are having a hard time, offer a caring word. Or don’t say anything and just listen. It makes a difference. And if you’ve been entrusted with something private and personal, lock it in the vault and don’t repeat it. Gossip, whether real or imagined, is hurtful. Look what it’s done to Britney Spears. The business cards we carry don’t say “Editor of People Magazine” so it’s really nunayas beeswax.
10. Sales is like Skiing.
We all start out in a snowplow on the bunny hill with the goal of not breaking anything the whole day. Then move onto the hopes of learning to parallel ski and turn next time. Maybe we even fantasize about hitting the “freshies” on a black double-diamond wearing telemark skis. The point: You learn Skiing and Sales in levels. So if you know the basics of a sales call, what are you learning now? Comfortable with “qualifying needs?” Then start working on “overcoming objections.” Comfortable with that? Then start working on your closing. And if you are not comfortable with any of it, take a class NOW. Once I taught ski school. Now I teach sales. Either way, I will tell you taking lessons (for sales or skiing!) is the best way to avoid a ride down the hill in an orange toboggan courtesy of Ski Patrol, folks.
11. Guest Service is different than Customer Service.
When someone is your “customer,” they are only buying something from you. When someone is your “guest,” they have accepted an offer to stay at your place. You have guests at your house, so why would you treat them differently at your hotel? From remembering their names, to outrageous pleasant surprises, to just smiling. What are you personally doing to impact your guests today? Attention sales folks: Do you know your guest service scores? Are you selling it?
12. You can’t listen when you’re talking…. so eat a mint.
Everyone wants to be understood, but nobody wants to stop talking. If you listen to people, you will gain respect and understanding. Still having trouble hushin’ up? Pop a mint, a HOT one. You can’t talk with your mouth full, however you can listen. Oh, and if you catch yourself interrupting people, and I mean anyone, STOP DOING THAT NOW. It will kill your sale.
13. If you’re not doing what you love now, when are you going to start?
Circumstance and someone else’s needs shouldn’t hinder you from doing what you love. You are on this “bus,” so do you like where it’s headed? Yeah? What about your “seat?” You only have this one life and if you’re not doing what you love every minute, you are wasting your time.
Long story short, I am unabashedly convinced I would have made an excellent ER doctor. But I consider myself lucky, lucky, lucky in this unlucky thirteenth year to be doing what I love and working with people who I respect and admire, and that includes you.
I can’t wait to see what the next thirteen years hold.
