This was one of those days that you can’t wait to end. The Opera Configuration went so well that we are ahead a day. I didn’t know until today but the trainer will be coming back in late September for Phaze II Training. My stomach dropped. My God, all I want to do is sell here.

I have never experienced all of these distractions, issues and constant challenges. All of this effects my efforts and I have not run at 100% in over 2 months now. When is everything going to settle down? First the changes in the Management Team. Well at least I made it through that one so far since I was one of the few that was not fired.

Then the Sales Office renovations and by the way, they are still not done. My office desk is broken now and half of it is sitting on the floor behind me. I can’t use it. But I’m a mature women and experienced so I have found ways around some of this. If I was green, I’d be lost and I probably wouldn’t of continued my career in the Hospitality Industry.

In the meantime, there are over 800 qualified leads sitting on my desk that are burning at my soul to make contact. Although I sit quietly in the Opera Configuration Class, the rage that I hold in because I can’t do my job drives me insane. Sure, I can spend half of my night emailing clients from home. Sure I could work longer hours and believe me, I work enough hours. There are many things that I could probably do.

But, I find it rather satisfying to sit here, drink my coffee, smoke when I want, and simply rant in this blog. After this I will post my rant on digg.com, google, facebook and furl. So it’s a busy night.

I focus most of my efforts on selling rooms. If it comes with a banquet or I can sell them a breakfast buffet, then that’s great too. Catering Sales People are different. They are not rooms people. Rooms people are also different. They are not catering people. So I have seen the clash and distance between them over the years. Is worth displacing a regular meeting room client to replace it with a deal that also includes rooms? To the room person yes but to the catering person, a big fat NO. And not to mention any commission involved.

Rooms and Catering Sales Manager’s should work together. It is more fun and simply more rewarding in the end. And how many of us are doing 5 other jobs at the same time? We need to use each other’s gifts to our advantage. The Catering Sales Manager and I work together and it’s a plus that I enjoy her company. Not to mention that I admire how hard she works and how good she is. I am lucky that we do have a lot of flexible meeting space so that we haven’t really lost anything due to a meeting room booking to rooms.

And let’s talk about the Food & Beverage Director and CHEF. I write that big because they think they are “BIG”….lol…. A rooms Sales Person should partner with these two positions. Simply because, they are the ultimate decision makers on any special food discounts that your student tour group is requesting or any other type of F & B discount. You must play “nice nice” with these people. You will need them.

It’s all better to try and get along. I see a lot of great potential from most of the Operation Manager’s and Supervisors at my hotel. But I see more often great people getting burnt out because they can’t seem to get their team together. Although we are down in revenue, it just seems like we do not have enough help or staffing on. But I know with the payroll overhead, we are already looking at “red” for September. We beat September last year by $46,000. We rocked! The Market shifted, new Management with new ideas and the economy overall is affecting our property’s revenues. Probably in the same way as yours.

Although I thought I was not in training tomorrow, with the schedule changes I’m in training all morning. I have a promising appointment in the afternoon that will most likely take most of my day. I’m not sure how I will conquer all of my responsibilities tomorrow. I’m thinking I’m going to bed early, getting rest and I’m not going to dwell on it. Got to stay positive.

My advise…go in kickin’ tomorrow! Good Luck!

Pure Energy

Well, the Opera Sales Training….was not Sales Training!  It was half a day of inputting data for configuration.  What!!!???  Why was it half a day instead of the full day scheduled….because nothing was ready, nothing was set up and we finally crammed all of the training materials in my DOS’s office.  Maybe, just maybe there could of been a better way to do this where we didn’t loose sales time.  We all looked like chickens with our heads cut off running around trying to come up with a solution.

The economy is bad, there is not enough revenue on the books for 2009…but yet I sit in class inputting information that I don’t feel that I should be inputting?  Maybe this stuff should be handled by the company that we purchased the program from?  Gosh, I won’t even mention what the hotel spent for this Opera System.  With that price, someone should of been dedicated, someone should of had it done…at least the skeleton of it so Sales efforts would not have to suffer.  Good thing I’m not an Owner!

In the midst of the day, I found the time to call back messages and even solicit some potential new business via telephone.  And I got some good response.  I booked one small sports group and received one signed contract.  It was a late night but I didn’t leave until I knew that everyone was called back, emails were answered and follow up was completed.  This is why my clients love me. 

So if I rated myself for Time Management Skills today, I would give myself a B-.  Tomorrow I will shoot for an B+.  I never give myself an A, why?  Because my job is never done and if for some reason I am acutally caught up, I would wonder what I am not doing?  Sales is fast paced, hectic, sometimes last minute and crazy!  Everybody has questions, everybody wants something and they want it NOW, everybody trusts you to make the difference.  And I forgot to mention….mentally draining. 

I have left the hotel after working many hours during the week and by the time I got home I couldn’ t even form a proper sentence.  This is signs of burnout but thank goodness I am hiper and energenic and a good night’s sleep usually puts me right back on track.  P.S. And the coffee helps too!

I almost forgot…..recall the Restaurant Sales Blitz from last week?  Well, they did do a great job changing the Restaurant around.  And the decorations they added looked…I must say, pretty sweet.  We had 6 people come in from off the street with the $3 off coupon that we published in the local paper.  And, not to take away their thunder, we had a meeting in that uses the Restaurant and they were also pleased.  I heard that we did over 50 covers….THAT IS AMAZING!  Good for them!  We will see what tomorrow brings without the meeting in-house to inflate and add to the numbers.

Well, no time to play on screaminsalesmanager.com.  I have still plenty to do before I call it a night! 

Sales People….shine tomorrow!

Pure Energy