Made it through another day.  STILL the office renovations are annoying and distracting and not yet completed.  I watched another almost fatal crash as the metal from the ceiling swiped past the Administrators desk just missing her.  Believe me, it would of hurt.  She steered clear after that…but she had nowhere to go, nothing to do.  What a waste of precious time.

The glue smell towards the end of the day was pretty bad.  If I gave out rates that were too low I’m going to blame it on the glue!  And if anyone complains about my sales over the last 3 weeks, I’m going to punch them and it’s going to get ugly.

Still unresolved issues with the advanced checks for the military convention.  I provided all of the information to Accounting ….. everything…… but still they have not been credited for their overcharge and still they keep calling me every day for help.  There is nothing I can do.

Yesterday I found out one of my clients was killed in a freak car accident.  Today they pulled a body out of a guestroom of a person who had chosen our hotel to commit suicide.  A couple of months ago another client overdosed in their room and died.  All of us in Sales knew her pretty well.

I’m trying to stay focused.  I’m trying to be patient with the renovations, I’m trying to stay alive …and I’m trying to be the best damn SMERFE Sales Person in the market.  So many challenges.  It just shouldn’t be this hard. 

I pretty excited that I am getting a lot of rate requests from a third party that I have recently partnered with.  No, I have not captured any of the leads and I have lost all of them to the City.  I’m not going to think failure and give up.  I’m going to work them harder and find my niche that will make my property stand out.  To keep them out of the city, I will have to add value.  I must find that niche.

All of the convention leads are truly awesome.  So much potential revenue that I drool when I review them.  So many hotels to choose from.  Here is another thought that I have recognized…..once again, I need to find my niche and add value. 

Besides the basics…..less taxes, less traffic, less hassle, free parking…ok, that is a lot but nothing makes me go “WOW – really – that’s included?”  To compete against the city, I will need to keep on my game, network, be the first and find my niche…without loosing, of course, rate integrity.  I need to know what is the ADR in the city to make sure that my quotes are in line.  Pricing to high, I won’t win the RFP. Prices too low, they can’t trust us. 

I need more knowledge of the city and their operations.  Do they work with attrition…on the rooms, on the food…what are they doing?  How much is their meeting space?  How about breakfast prices, internet, parking…..I have a golden opportunity here. 

I’m playing with the big boys…..the 3 & 4 star franchises….Marriott.  Here we are.  Newly renovated but still not a perfect product.  New Management yet still constant service issues.  New opera system and yet no return.  Is this a vicious cycle here?  WHEN IS IT GOING TO CHANGE!

Finally Friday and a three day weekend.  Time to relax, enjoy the family and surf the web for leads!  For all those who are off…..YE HA!  For those who are not, good luck.  I’ll be praying for a easy shift for you.

Pure Energy

A client of mine was killed in a car accident a couple weeks ago.  I didn’t find out until today.  I was devastated.  I had to fight with myself to get back on track and complete my goals of the day.  It was hard to focus since we also lost an employee this past Friday.  Even though I had ordered a yummy lunch, it sat on my desk until it got mushy as every ounce of my energy left had to go to sales.  I couldn’t let this get me down.

The office is nearly completed.  Now will be the fun of moving the rest of the junk back in that we had stored in a meeting room.  Finding a spot for it all….we are going to have to be creative.  Still so loud and noisy but I managed to get some good contacts and possibilities for future sales. 

I found out that they are interviewing for another Catering Sales Person.  Thank goodness and finally.  With so much flexible meeting space, you need two.  And as far as the Transient Sales Person, I haven’t heard anything but I hope they fill that position too.  I don’t know how the hotel’s revenues are going to afford more in salaries, but my Catering buddy made a good point…don’t worry about it.

The front desk still struggling, I hope they hire a new Front Office – Rooms Division Manager soon.  I’m frankly embarrassed with the desk operations right now. 

We are preparing for a busy weekend over this Labor Day.  Mostly with sporting teams and that means, kids out of control.  Do you have that?  When the parents go into the bar and the kids run all over the building?  Certainly we make them all sign “the waiver” at check in….yea and that works.  Oh how nice they are on the phone when you spend time going out of your way to assist them in every beckoned wish.  You think they would appreciate and respect your property?  But NOT.  So anyone out there with some ideas, let me know.  (other then not booking them or locking them in their rooms)

I can only imagine how the old front desk staff and the new front desk staff are going to handle these groups.  These guest’s are going to eat them up alive if they don’t get it right.   It’s going to be interesting.  I wonder if any of the new staff will quit.

It took about 2 hours to finalize the details for the additional groups that I booked for this weekend.  They all came through….but….it was like pulling teeth to get a couple to understand that yes, I need your credit card!

Well, another busy day ahead and lots of new clients to solicit.  Good luck to all of us crazy Sales People!

Pure Energy

The Sales Office renovations are almost done – I think.  Still no phone but I managed to bounce around at other people’s desk to pull off my messages.  When I couldn’t get on a phone, I plugged mine back in… that is… after I climbed past the ladders and equipement and crunched underneath the scaffolding. 

Some Sales People fail because they simply don’t call the client back.  I’m not going to be one of them.  Although I was laughed at, I booked $3 grand of rooms revenue for this weekend and boy do we need it.  All because I called them back.  I don’t want to say how I responded to the “ones” who laughed at me but I can say that it involved my middle finger!

The Sales Opera training has been rescheduled for the week of September 8th.  If it’s anything like our reservation system, I’m afraid.

With all of my phone issues I gathered leads and spent a lot of time emailing a hello and that I’m here if they need anything.  I managed to send out 36 messages to new clients……my return was 12 replies and 2 additional actual leads.  One lead worth more than $40 grand in rooms and banquet revenue.  I couldn’t believe it.  Either the stars were lined just right for me today or I just got plain lucky.  Either way, it was working and when it works I don’t want to stop.  So as my smoking buddies bugged me to smoke, I held my hand up and said I was hot and for them to go without me.

We will be moving all of the stuff back into the Sales Office later this week.  Our new boss wants the files audited and yes, it’s a good idea.  But, ha, I knew she would want this so I have already called all of my files (took about a month) and they are being working and traced.  I will certainly help with the Catering files if they need me to.

The Book of Business has been worth it so far.  I have generated interested but no site inspections or commitments as of yet.  The ones that I called are traced as well so they won’t slip away.  I won’t stop until I exhaust the resources from this book.

Direct Billing project is going well too but I am finding that most of the ones that I have chosen are transient accounts and they are not in my segment.  So I’ll ask for them to complete updated information if needed, since I’m spending my time calling anyway.  I won’t “work” them but I will have their information ready for when we hire a Transient Sales Manager.  Hopefully soon.

My reader board leads are awesome.  What a simple way to capture new business.  These potential clients are already booking in my market.  On most occasions all I need to do is ask for the business. 

To me I am the shark and they are the fish………I will prey on them until they come for a tour.  That’s all I’m asking…a simple tour and a free lunch or dinner.  99% of the time I capture every one of them that come out because I am nice, experienced and can adjust my attitude and personality to match with there’s.  If my hotel does not please them or meet their needs, then I will trace them out and leave them alone for a couple months….but they will never be not traced.  Some hotel will annoy them, not communicate, mess up or god knows what….and guess who they will call?  No not the ghostbusters,  ME!

Today is over and the windows of opportunity are coming to an end as I get ready to plop down on the couch and call it a night.  I’m planning, thinking and getting ready for tomorrow.  I want tomorrow to be as hot as it was today.  Only I can make that happen.

Good luck!

Pure Energy