*Star In The Margin

links for 2009-10-13

• Hotel Property Management Software, Hotel Property Management System | RoomKey
  (tags: pms hotel property_management_system)

links for 2009-08-30

• Knowledge Genie™ - Knowledge Genie - Web Publishing Tool for Professionals, Educators and Organizations - Knowledge is Power
  this could be interesting...another way to spread the word about your expertise
  (tags: publishing marketing)

"I Like People"

is the response I most often receive when interviewing people for hospitality work. My guess...you hear it a lot as well. Interestingly, it's not how much you like people that counts most. It's how much people like you.

The most successful people are those which others naturally gravitate toward. The ability to demonstrate care and to deliver it in a meaningful way are extremely powerful. Some of it comes naturally...a friendly smile and positive approach to things. The rest you pick up along the way through experience and mentors...handling unexpected challenges, calm under pressure, etc.

Technical competence is necessary. You don't get far being dumb. But, the highest levels of success are achieved with more than smarts. They're attained by developing relationships, no matter if you're a waiter or a CEO. Hopefully, you have proof how much people have valued your hospitality. Perhaps you have a drawer full of thank you letters, a list of promotions or you can point to comments of appreciation on your Facebook page. Sometimes, it's more subtle...people want to work the same shift as you, or ride on the same bus. 

Liking people isn't enough to get by on, especially if no one likes you.

Star In the Margin is Moving

I'm moving this blog to a new platform (squarespace) where it will be incorporated into my new website. While I will leave it up on this feed for a month or two, I'll stop posting to both blogs probably by the end of April. So, please subscribe to the new feed over at starinthemargin.com (there's an option for both RSS and email). And, while you're at it, feel free to explore the rest of the site and let me know what you think.

And, thanks for reading...some of you since 2004.

Less

Three takeaways from a presentation I attended today...

1. Standing behind a podium takes a lot away from the presentation...makes you look less confident.
2. There's no need for slides if you have great content and a compelling delivery.
3. Less is better- less words, shorter sentences...make your point quickly...no one has the time for more.

Enough said...

Desperation

Sometimes it's obvious that companies are desperate. At least I hope that's the excuse for something like this...

Hospitality Marketing

All marketing/branding should begin with some hospitality framework...no matter what you're selling.

Hospitality..."Give people what they want, deliver it in a meaningful way and act like you care."

Why wouldn't you start with that?

It's a Remarkable Time

Fooling people used to work. Creating something average and telling people it was better than it actually was...worked. The majority of your time, cost and resources were spent on the message, finding enough customers, and the sale. Unless you were building a new plane or telescope, something requiring intense engineering, the big cost of delivery was in the lie.

Now, fibbing is easy and cheap. Websites are better and cost way less, finding and connecting with audiences is a click away and keeping in touch with customers is virtually free. So, what's the hold up?

There's still a hard part. In fact, it's gotten harder. With so many new ideas flooding the market, creating a remarkable experience, a story that's authentic and rises above the clutter, is now much more challenging. Not because it costs more or requires additional skill to create. The hard part is commitment...commitment to getting started and to doing it right. You can't win unless you do both. Get started with something that's significantly flawed or perceived as a gimmick and you fail. Wait until it's perfect and you lose out to someone else. The new skill requirement is knowing when...when to fire, when to release the next version...and when not to.

Develop a reasonably creative idea...one that solves a problem and is worth talking about. Make it better than average...something that has meaning and a soul. Show people you care by improving (or abandoning) it. And, don't waste people's time...sell it to someone who wants it. No embellishment, no bait and switch, no forcing the issue. If it's a remarkable story, it works. The only question is whether there's a big enough audience to support it. That's hard to figure out...called risk.

Fear is probably the only thing holding you back. Better move past that...someone else has.

Cost Cutting Is Not The Only Answer

Here's proof...

Sell Care

Selling "at" people is at an all time high...and is likely to get worse. That's what happens when things get desperate. More cold calls, new mailers to chamber lists, a resurgence in billboards...get ready, it's all on its way. What's increasingly rare, yet more important then ever, is the art of getting personal...the art of showing someone you care.

Too often direct sales is about doing something, making a call, clicking on send and checking the name off the list. Too bad all that activity is the easy part. Actually connecting and engaging with someone is so much harder...and of course what really matters. Your chances of making the sale are much, much better if someone feels like you actually care about them...because not many people do.