CUSTOMER RETENTION?

DIRECT FROM THE CUSTOMER’S MOUTH:

If you want to know how to be a successful salesperson, there is one person who can give you the answer better than anyone. That person is your customer.

Who better to judge your performance, to give you ideas and suggestions, to let you know what you’re doing right and wrong than your customers themselves?

Give them the opportunity to discuss what impresses them about salespeople and where improvements can be made, and they will literally, and eagerly, tell you how to sell.

What all the customers are really saying is this: Find out what my business is. Then tell me how your product or service can help me run my business better.

Successful salespeople have a different mind-set. They don’t sell products. They sell stepping-stones to other people’s success. Their only purpose in selling that product is to help someone else achieve their goals. If, in helping they achieve their goals, these salespeople also make money, so much the better.

“Those who enter to buy, support me. Those who come to flatter, please me. Those who complain, teach me how I may please others so that more will come. Those only hurt me who are displeased but do not complain. They refuse me permission to correct my errors and thus improve my service.”

Humor side of Hospitality

The Humorous side of Hospitality:

We always read about the latest technology and the recovery that the industry is going through; however there exist a liter side of this great industry. When things go sideways and we run to try and fix them so no one is aware that things went wrong. Guest sometimes provide the perfect scenario at times, case in point the property checked in a recurrent guest that had to give a presentation at a local association that evening and the airline had misplaced his luggage. Try and find a clothing store on a Sunday that can provide a suit for a guest in a couple of hours. It was a bell person to the rescue he had a friend that worked at a major department store who had mannequins dressed in suits for a display. He was kind enough to provide our guest with a readymade (size) for his presentation that evening and the mannequin never missed his clothes. At a 5 star property a guest approached the night guest service receptionist and inquired about her reservation, to her dismay there was not a reservation in her name. The hotel was in a sold out status, and the clerk was very apologetic, and tried to explain to the guest that she had checked all avenues available to her, and found no reservation in her name. The guest proceeded to verbally assault the clerk, which did not get offended and listened politely to the guest. The cue de grace came from the guest waiting behind her to check in. He said” Lady the clerk can’t belt you in the mouth, but I can” now move over I am checking in. Sometimes it is the customer who comes to the rescue of a bad situation and makes things run smoothly again. There are a lot of humorous incidents that occur in the hotel industry that we never hear about, it seems that only the bad ones make the news and sometimes for the wrong reasons. Hotel safety being a major issue in most case, In a major property 600 rooms or so there are a lot of entrances to the hotel. With today’s technology most of these issues can be resolved. Today’s headlines “Housekeepers being attacked” and to make matters worse allegedly by prominent people. Of course there is nothing humorous about these cases; it just put the hotel industry in the spotlight. Some common scene by all could stop most of this type of aggression by guest. Just sometimes in an effort to please that guest we sometimes let common sense go on vacation.

10 GOLDEN RULES OF LISTENING?

10 GOLDEN RULES OF LISTENING:

1-Recognize that listening is an active process not a passive one.
2-Be mentally alert.
3-Don’t compete for the ‘airtime’.
4-Don’t talk too much yourself.
5-Don’t interrupt while your customer is talking. Be patient and wait.

“There is a reason why God gave us two ears and one mouth. We should listen more than we talk.”

6-Concentrate. Don’t let your mind wonder.
7-Don’t jump to conclusions.
8-Listen for ideas, not just words.
9-React to ideas, not to person.
10-Let your customer know you are listening.

“Listen with your eyes as well as your ears.”

No money, no honey—You’ll be working all the way to your 60s -study

Where do you see yourself at 60 years old? If you have visions of staying at home to care for the grandkids or tee-ing up on the 18th hole or even travelling around the world, then you should feel so lucky that you’re not part of the 51.3 percent in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) who expect only to retire well after their 60^th birthday.
And according to the Bayt.com MENA Saving and Spending Trends, when blue-collar workers finally do retire, 27.7 percent of them are relying on a combination of career savings and investments as a means of post-employment support while 21.6 percent will merely rely on career savings and about 10.1 percent are only looking forward to social security payouts.
Now you may think this is too far into the future to worry about now. But here’s the reality: we are going to be working through our silver years because of our financial situation right now.
After all, how can you expect to cash in during retirement if you don’t even have savings right now? With an astonishing 40.9 percent in the MENA region admitting that they are currently unable to save anything from their household income, according to the study.
BILLS, DEBTS AND KIDS
So where does the money? Well, about 40 percent goes to paying rent and mortgages, another 40 percent goes to food. The rest is spent on the kids’ school fees, clothing, transport and travel. Maybe it’s just us, but we think it’s worrying that almost half of your salary goes to just paying for debts and keeping a roof over your head.
While these appalling numbers are in line that Bayt’s earlier released Consumer Confidence Index which saw professionals say their salary increase was not keeping up with the cost of living, it’s hard not to think about the last ten years in the Middle East fostering a lifestyle filled with shopping festivals, luxury properties sold off-plan, zero-downpayment loans on offer and countries being marketed as retail destinations.
And now that you’ve lived the rockstar-like lifestyle, you have to face the consequences of living beyond your means.
FACE YOUR FEAR. LEARN THE UNKNOWN.
So how can you move on from this? Well according to the study, most of us (43.6 percent) don’t mind being schooled on investment. So that’s where you need to head.

CUSTOMER PSYCHE? (CUSTOMER RETENTION)

CUSTOMER PSYCHE:

MAKE IT EASY TO COMPLAIN
Invite complaints. Provide mechanisms to make it easy (comment cards, forms, toll-free hot lines, customer service desks). On your Internet Web site, have a button for the surfer to click that generates an e-male to you.
WHAT DOES THE CUSTOMER WANT?
Recognition, Attention etc.
CUSTOMER MOTIVATION NEED HIERARCHY:
Self-Realization Needs
Reaching Your Potential
Independence
Creativity
Self-Expression
Esteem Needs
Responsibility
Self-Respect
Recognition
Sense of Accomplishment
Social Needs
Companionship
Acceptance
Love and Affection
Safety Needs
Security for Self and Possessions
3 A's
Avoidance of Risks
Avoidance of Harm
Avoidance of Pain
Physical Needs:
Food
Clothing
Shelter
Comfort
Self-Preservation

How to encourage referrals

Give people a reason to talk about you
I was asked yesterday what type of incentives hoteliers can provide to encourage loyal customers to become ambassadors for their business. As I’ve stated before, they won’t say good things about you unless you meet and exceed their expectations. So first, do something exceptional. Identify things that are of high value to your guests but low cost to you so you can give added value. Give people that reason to talk about you.

If you don’t ask you don’t get
But referrals won’t always happen unless you ask for them. Don’t be afraid to ask people directly who else they know who might be interested in specific packages or services you offer.

The obvious people to ask for referrals are your existing guests. Focus on those guests or customers who are your “perfect guests,” because the people they refer will be a better match to your preferred type of guest.

Think about other people who know you well enough to recommend you. This might include colleagues, suppliers, local businesses, joint venture partners, your own team and others in your network.

This will be easier the better they know you and when they fully understand the extent of everything you offer. So let them experience this first hand. A prime example is your local tourist office: They won’t want to recommend you unless they’ve experience your hospitality first hand. The same goes for local businesses of joint venture partners who might have customers needing a place to say. Invite them to a showcase event or to a more personalised invitation for dinner, overnight or event.

The same goes for your staff too, they need to experience what your guest experiences. When was the last time any of your team members ate in your restaurant, slept in one of your beds or were pampered in your spa?

Make the referral process easy
The sooner you do this after they have stayed or visited, the better. This is the time they are likely to be most positive about what you delivered.

The way you ask for referrals is key. If you ask: “Do you know anyone who might be interested in receiving details of our promotions?” you are likely to get “No” or at best “I’ll think about it”.

But if you ask a specific question, for example:
“Who else do you know who is celebrating [their birthday, wedding anniversary, retirement …] in the next few months and may be interested in our [all-inclusive weekend breaks, wine promotion…]”?

Creating a simple referral form that you include with the bill can encourage existing guests to make referrals. Make this prominent and offer incentives for them to give you names.

Maintain relationships with your guests, even if the likelihood of more business with them is limited. They are more likely to refer you to friends, colleagues or others if they have had recent communication from you. Even if a guest only stays with you once they have a network of friends and colleagues who might also be your ideal guests. The lifetime value of one guest can be their connections to other guests, too.

Reward referrals
As an absolute minimum, ensure that you thank anyone who makes referrals to encourage them to continue to do so in future. Don’t wait to see if this actually leads to business, as what you are looking to reward is the referral process. The more referrals you have, the greater the likelihood of gaining new guests.

Consider what other tangible incentives you might give that are of high value to the person making the referral but don’t cost you the earth. Naturally, you’ll want to ensure that the cost of the incentive does not outweigh the lifetime value of the referral. But bear in mind what you give as a thank you might also be a way of adding to the lifetime value of the person making the referral, too.

The nature of this incentive will obviously depend on where the referral came from. For guests they might include such things as a gift, discount off their next meal, a room upgrade, an invitation to an exclusive event. Perhaps team up with one of your joint venture partners; this could be services or maybe branded products—a win–win–win for you, your joint venture partner and the customer.

For corporate users, make the incentive something your guest can benefit from personally. It’s little incentive for them if it is something they’d normally put through business expenses. So can you offer something as a thank you that will encourage them to come back on a personal visit and maybe bring their family and friends too?

For suppliers, joint venture partners or other local businesses, you might want to look at alternate ways to say thank you. This might be an opportunity to get in front of some of your other customers or guests through promotional activities or hosting joint special events. Talk to them directly to see how you can return the favour. Just by asking the question will in itself show you appreciate the referral.

Encourage your staff to make referrals, too. Let them show they are proud of where they work. The reward obviously needs to reflect the value of the business; recommending your restaurant to a friend doesn’t warrant the same level of recognition as inviting a friend or relative for a wedding show round and subsequent wedding booking.

What might appeal to them might be dependent on the profile of your team. A cash bonus might work for some but is soon forgotten whereas a couple of tickets for a show or concert, or a night in a sister hotel or meal with a JV partner will be far more memorable—and visible to other team members to encourage the same from them.

Once you have a referral system in place, keep track of where and how you’re getting successful referrals. This will enable you to find out what works and what doesn’t, so you can continue to refine the process.

Stock Rotation

Stock Rotation protects your investment and the reputation of your establishment by ensuring your product is fresh. Here’s some of the ways to promote stock rotation that I have found useful:

1. FIFO (First In, First Out). This is a foundation rule of stock rotation: Use oldest items first.

2. Put newly received goods to the back of the store to promote FIFO.

3. Record the receipt-date and use-by date on goods as they are received.

4. Record use-by date on non-perishables when they are opened.

5. Record production-date and use-by dates on food prepared, that will not be served immediately.

I would be interested in hearing any other ideas to promote stock rotation?

Will The Next Mr. Mcdermott Please Stand Up

Where Are Today’s Peter McDermott’s?

It was at the St. Gregory Hotel in San Francisco where I first met Peter McDermott, the hotel’s general manager. Peter, Mr. McDermott, was the quintessential hotel manager: diplomatic, suave, intuitive, personable, easy-going, honest to a fault, direct, and smart; he was a troubleshooter and problem-solver par excellence; he exuded leadership, yet led by example—he wasn’t averse to rolling up his sleeves and getting his hands dirty, or his shirt, for that matter. He knew every nook and cranny and everybody that worked at the hotel by name, and mingled freely with the hotel guests, learning their names, and talking and listening to them, no matter their social standing. He became my teacher and mentor, and I credit his character, his friendship, love of his profession and passion for his job, and his humanity and humility for many of my own successes. He took me under his wing and showed me what I needed to have in order to run a hotel, any hotel, successfully, and he demonstrated through his actions every day I was with him, the meaning of hospitality.

The St. Gregory Hotel, despite its deceptive aged brick exterior, exuded the best of “old world charm” and all that that entails in its interior, without skimping on modern essentials. It had a quiet, dignified elegance about it that gave guests a feeling of both security and familiarity. There was a palpable soul to the St. Gregory, and Peter McDermott knew how to keep its fire burning brightly.

Peter McDermott and the St. Gregory Hotel (Washington, DC excepted) no longer exist, except in the minds of those that read and remember Arthur Hailey’s novel, Hotel, or the movie by the same name, or the television series, also by the same name (both the novel and the movie’s setting were in New Orleans and San Francisco for the TV series). But, like all fiction, no matter the setting, the characters, with all their good and bad characteristics, are based on individual or composites of real people, even Peter McDermott.

Where are today’s Peter McDermott’s?

Sitting behind a desk, no doubt, preparing, writing, and poring over reports, charts, budgets, and a myriad of other manager duties. Is this what being a hotel/hospitality host has come down to? Tied to a desk? Slave to paperwork? It pains me to say it, but too many of the general managers I have come across during my career prefer the desk to the guest. Guests ask questions, are emotional at times, interrupt routine, and want things. Desks, on the other hand, are solid, smooth, shiny, reliable, and commanding. Desks hear everything, but never talk back.

I spent four days recently at a five-star property doing business with the hotel’s director of operations. None of the meetings I had with him were overly long, so I had plenty of time to relax and look over the hotel and see how it operated. I suppose I was looking, perhaps expecting, a Peter McDermott encounter/experience, and maybe that was unfair to expect, even from a five-star hotel.

Or was it?

Towards evening time, I ended up in the hotel’s main lobby, which was very large and had a relaxing living room atmosphere to it, as a lobby in any five-star hotel should. In the lobby were many guests in formal and informal dress sitting and talking, others were groups of young and old standing about discussing the evenings events or waiting for someone, whilst others just seemed to be. In all this active and static milieu of humanity there was not a single hotel or hospitality presence. The following morning, the same lobby I was in the evening before, greeted me with the same lack of hotel or hospitality presence. And the more I toured the hotel, the more I came to realize that the hotel lacked a soul; there was coldness to it, and even when I did come across hotel/hospitality personnel, their smiles, if they smiled, were pasted on, and their greetings were by rote. Everything you would expect of a luxury five-star hotel was present, except what was most important to many, if not all guests, the kind of warmth that only people who really care about their profession are able to give, day in and day out, a warm smile, a sincere greeting, an heartfelt interest in your wellbeing. However, in the case at hand, the host, or one of his or her representatives was nowhere to be seen or felt; too busy to bother with guests, I imagine.

I would like to see and experience the return of many of the lost hospitality souls to the Grand Hotels of the world—to all hotels that have lost them. I do believe that we as managers, especially the ones that have lost their way or strayed from the reason why they wanted to be an hotelier or be in the hospitality profession to start off with, can reeducate ourselves to do what we set out to do—to provide guests with an experience that consists, in part, of the best and most personal service possible consistent with the wishes of the guest, and then some.

I suspect strongly that all employees, from the owner on down, of most hotels throughout the world train their service personnel minimally. It shows. You might as well buy a fleet of robots to do all the salutations and other routine guest interactions.

In 1989 I attended the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH&LA) convention in Nashville, Tennessee at the Opryland Hotel and Convention Center. As I was walking down the hallway in the direction I assumed the center was, I stopped and asked a housekeeper for directions to make sure. To my surprise she told me, "just one moment," and picked up the wall phone close by and spoke to someone quickly, hung up the phone, and then came over and rather than telling me how to get to my destination, which is what I expected, she escorted me to the convention center. During the walk over to the center, she told me the history of the hotel and the Grand Old Opry. I found out later that all hotel personnel escort guests personally to hotel and convention center locations guests ask about; the phone call was to let her supervisor know she would be off station with a guest.

That is a McDermott moment.

These moments are too far and few between and they should be the norm, they should be, as the French would say, de règle and de rigueur. They are not; Sad.

So, again I ask, where are today’s Peter McDermott’s?

Is it Getting Better?

The world's stock market exchanges are on the roller coaster ride of their lives while the U.S. government keeps spending money in unimaginable quantities that result in unimaginable debts so astronomically high that our great-great-grandchildren's children will have a hard time paying it off. And yet the Feds tell us we are no longer in a recession and, I can almost guarantee, they'll keep on telling us that as we head on into double digit unemployment figures, but that's only if you use THEIR current (political) figure (9.1%), and not the actual figure, which, as of July 2011, is 22.7%!

Depression, anyone? Do I hear Depression? Which reminds me of what Julius Kline, Assistant Secretary of Commerce under President Hoover, said in June 9, 1931: "The Depression has ended."

So, with all the economic goings-on—government, state, commercial, private, individual—where does that leave the hospitality industry? If you are an hotelier, an owner, or a CEO, low single digit RevPar growth and occupancy just under 60% probably was not what you had in mind when you signed up in the hospitality industry. However, if you have a passion for your profession, then you will come up with many innovative ways that will benefit your venue and the people that work for you.

On a side note: It has been my experience, and history will back me up, that during all long-term economic set-backs in any given industry or industries passionate, there are people who believe truly in what they are doing and produce innovative ideas and actions that benefit not only themselves and their venue but benefit the industry/industries as a whole—the industrial robot comes to mind, as an example of this. Plato's adage: "Necessity is the mother of invention", or its modern modification, "Desperation is the mother of invention", is very apropos to the times at hand. Don't despair! Roll up your shirt sleeves, if you haven't already, and start earning your paycheck, rather than just collecting it!

In the meantime, though, we must deal with reality—the here and now. And that reality tells me that Darwin's survival of the fittest will apply to the hospitality, and other industries, that are not "fit." And I don't mean necessarily economically fit, but fit in vision, passion, ideas, enthusiasm, love, service, ethics, and ethos, for if you do not have a measurable quantity of these attributes, failure is guaranteed. On the other hand, if you have a measurable quantity of these attributes, then, to quote Eugene Francis "Gene" Krantz, Flight Director of the troubled Apollo 13 space mission, "Failure is not an option!"

The hotel industry, as a whole, is just now coming out of one of the worst two year-slumps it has seen in the memory of most hoteliers. Yes, the industry is slowly, ever-so-slowly, recovering, but for how long? Except for many of the very large hotel chains and smaller luxury hotels that are ready capital heavy, those that are not may be or are having a hard time getting banks to finance or refinance needed plant expenditures. And it may not have anything to do with whether the bank or banks don't have the money or don't trust YOU, it's the fact that banks, like all businesses, are in the business of making money, and the banking industry is under a lead blanket of, seemingly indecipherable, restrictive government regulations that come with heavy penalties for violators; many banks, in other words, seemingly, are confused to a standstill.

To compound hospitality industry troubles, the past several years has seen countless conventions and other large and not so large bread-and-butter gatherings that hotels have come to depend on year-after-year, being canceled. Many hotels—perhaps too many of them—rely heavily on these gatherings to make up for cash short-falls in other hotel areas. That's not unusual, but nonetheless, without that "dependable" revenue, lower management and front line service staff personnel, more than likely, will take the hit and have to find employment somewhere else, while marketing will feel the lash to get them to work double-, triple-time to drum up business.

And if that's not bad enough, the national economic uncertainty—government policies, volatile employment markets, company downsizings, high gas prices, union demands, etc.—has undoubtedly influenced millions of normally vacationing people to forgo any vacation at all for the foreseeable future. Times are tough for all.

The hotel business, at its simplest and most basic, remains, and is, not much more than a street corner business, where your survival depends on how well you can convince people and organizations that what your establishment offers is considerably better and less expensive than your closest competitor; that what you have to offer in accommodations and service is second to none. You not only have to say it, you have to show it.

In other words, put up or shut up!

Dear Sir,

I must say that, it is an excellent write up...very interesting and practical.

In this context, I would like to put few words...

a) Besides, business travellers, any country should pay more attention towards a sustained

tourism...not just fly by night ...

b) The tourism department must play a vital role for hospitality sector, rather than, publishing a statistic on inbound tourist and %of occupancy of a listed hotel.

c) The tourism department must invite the expertise from the hotels and must not be a politically motivated body.

d)The policy must be well laid and must aplicable to all players in the hospitality trade.

e) The overnight growth and overnight operators must not be encouraged to operate business which ultimately affects the long time players.

f) The idea of turning a domestic place to a guest house and exercising all cheap things to attract guests must be stopped.

g) The tariff must be designed in such a way that should not affect others business policy.

h) To remain in the business all should have a healthy compettition rather than cutting each other.

i) Train and develop more skilled man power for the hospitality trade. Whisch is tremendously lacking all over the world.

j) Most business fails because of the top level policy marely for the mid level and low level.

k) The employer must take care and distribute the proper share to their employees and must be transparent and fair to them in terms of welfare. But, must not compromise with the quality of the out put of the employees.

l) The top management-the operator must be honest.

m) The ultimate thumb rule is..."VALUE FOR MONEY"...luxury must be charged to the rock high price who can afford to pay...but with the minimum and basic facilities(clean room,clean bathroom, clean beds and linens and with a continental breakfast) with a reasonable tariff is the ultimate formula to remain in this business...

Thanks n regards

Listening Skills !!

Are You Hearing What I'm Saying?

10 Tips That Will Help You Improve Your Listening Skills

"When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen." How true that is. How many times has someone asked you how you were, but doesn't take the time to listen to your response? They may cut you off, start talking about themselves, or walk away. If you're like most people, this behavior probably leaves a sour taste in your mouth. People want to be heard and listened to; they want to feel like someone cares.

Be honest with yourself. Do you exhibit the same behaviors that you dislike, or do you make every attempt to hear and listen to those around you? If you find that your listening skills are poor or need tweaking, this article provides tips on how to be a better listener.

1. Make a commitment to improve your listening skills. It is important to note that listening is not a skill with which we are born. We have to learn how to develop good listening skills, and continuously practice what we learn.

2. Talk less and listen more. Most people like to talk, especially about themselves. As such, work on talking less and listening more. When listening to someone, you might want to jump in and offer an opinion or suggestion; however, make every effort not to do so. Give him the opportunity to be fully heard. In your mind, repeat every word he says, immediately after he has said it. This will help you keep your own thoughts at bay, as you will be listening only to the speaker's words.

3. Whether you are listening to a friend, co-worker, employee,or guest give them your undivided attention. Make sure there are no distractions (e.g., phones, computers, TVs) that would interfere with your giving full attention to the speaker. If the distractions are unavoidable, try to separate yourself from them to the best of your ability.

4. Display objectivity when listening to others. Set aside your own thoughts, judgments, and experiences. Act as if you don't have any attachment to what is being said.

5. When listening to people with different viewpoints, put yourself in their shoes. Although you may not agree with them, it might help you to better understand their perspective. Try to find a common ground; areas in which you both agree.

6. Wait until a person has finished speaking before you respond. If you are formulating a response while the person is speaking, you are not truly listening to him.

7. In order to communicate that the individual has been heard, summarize or paraphrase what he just said to confirm that you heard him correctly.

8. When listening to someone, takes notes, if needed, to remember important points.

9. As you listen to people, pay attention to how they are conveying their message. Are they loud? Are they speaking quickly? Which words do they use to express what they are feeling? What is the tone of their voice? Their tone generally reflects their emotions; how they are feeling about the issue. When people are angry, upset, or passionate about an issue, the volume of their voice increases, and the tone changes. When they are excited, they may talk faster. When they are depressed, they may talk slow, and the tone of their voice may be sad or devoid of any emotion.

10. When listening to others, also observe their nonverbal behaviors, as sometimes the individual's words and non-verbal behaviors will be contradictory. Are their arms and/or legs crossed? Are they looking directly at you or avoiding eye contact? Is their body turned away from you? Typically, these are signs that the person is "closed" from having a conversation; he may be embarrassed, or trying to avoid a confrontation, or simply doesn't want to talk. Conversely, if the individual is smiling, looking directly at you, and has a relaxed stance, he is open to dialogue.

Listening is one of the greatest gifts you can give to another person. By improving your listening skills, you will be a better friend, colleague, or supervisor. People will naturally gravitate towards you, and appreciate you. The above tips will help, but it your responsibility to continuously work on improving your listening skills. It may take time and effort, but the rewards will be worth it.

Reputation

In my last post, “Wake Up Call” (09/04/2011), I alluded to the fact that it is “an hotel’s REPUTATION that makes it successful, and as long as you can maintain or improve that reputation, no amount of competitors will be able to empty your rooms.” The moment I wrote that, I got it into my mind that my next article would be on reputation.

After taking a break from writing and cogitating on this and that, I looked up the word, reputation, in several dictionaries, both actual and on-line. All references, in essence, gave the same definition: a place in public esteem or regard; Good name, etc.—all the other definitions concerned people and not establishments. But no matter whether the definition referred to an establishment or a person, the definitions left me cold, empty, and dissatisfied. The definition is so . . . bland!

True, many well-known and established hotels have earned a place in the public esteem and have earned a good name. However, I don’t think the agency that does advertisement for the Carlton-Ritz, the Four Seasons, the Waldorf Astoria, or The Plaza would just use these phrases to describe what these fine hotels are all about and what they offer guests, even though each one of them have earned a place in the public esteem and have earned a good name.

Obviously, what I am getting to is that all hotels that have a good REPUTATION, that reputation are based on a lot more than the phrases mentioned. And it is that “lot more” that I want to get at and attempt to define.

All great hoteliers, whether they built, acquired, or managed a hotel, infused their personality into every nook and cranny, into every service, into every being that was a part of that hotel. The hotel and hotelier, in essence, became one and the same; inseparable. You could not call up one without thinking immediately of the other. César Ritz, Howard Johnson, Conrad Hilton, J. W. Marriott, and many others exemplify this in each and every hotel they built and managed. If you knew the man, you knew the hotel, and if you knew the hotel, you knew the man. You could almost feel the ethos of each one of these hoteliers the moment you approached the hotel entrance. It’s that infused ethos that made these early hotels great in their day, and great still today. “But Hotel Guy”, you may ask, “You are talking about the past!” That is true, all the hoteliers I listed are dead, but they were the vanguard of the hoteliers of today.

With the exception of César Ritz, all the mentioned hoteliers were businessmen, not hoteliers in the modern sense of the word—at the time there was no such thing as hospitality/hotel management training except on-the-job-training (Ritz); they all became hoteliers because they had a unique vision of what an hotel should be like and the services it should render to guests. Without exception, they all set the bar high and staffed their respective hotels, and later motels, with quality service-oriented personnel. They all succeeded. Their hotels still exist as I write, albeit after several modernization makeovers, and still intact in their reputation of providing quality service.

Let’s face it; your hotel needs to have something unique and refreshing about it if you want it to stand out from the plethora of copycat hotels and motels. Your hotel needs to provide its guests with an almost story-book quality to it that guests can experience almost from the moment they book a room or approach the front entrance, a story-book experience, if you will, that guests will not only enjoy, but enjoy it enough to think it worthwhile to share with their friends and others.

And it is from such things as ethos, quality service, storybook experience, and all the other sensory and visual experiences guest are subjected to once they enter your hotel that not only tells, but more importantly, shows the guest, that this hotel truly is worthy of its Good Name and worthy of Public Esteem and Regard.

Communication skills – the difference between men and women

Tips on improving communication for women when talking to men in the workplace:

§ As men cannot take hints and they cannot read your minds or even ‘read between the lines’ so if you want or need something then you have to spell it out for them. Men will appreciate not having to play the guessing game.

§ Be direct and do not undermine yourself by using qualifiers in speech such as “I think”, “this may be wrong but…”

§ Ask a man what he thinks not what he feels about something especially when discussing an emotional topic unless you know he is a kinaesthetic (a feelings based person – see more on visual, auditory, kinaesthetic in chapter 1).

Tips on improving communication for men when talking to women in the workplace:

§ Build on your relationship by asking how the female’s weekend went, how are things in general – just 5 minutes of small talk will work wonders

§ Show appreciation/recognition for a job well done. Women appreciate recognition especially in front of others.

§ When a woman is trying to tell you something or needs to get things off her chest, do not interrupt and try and give her a solution – she will automatically feel better just by talking about it. If she asks for your advice then give it and try and offer more than one solution for her to mull over – don’t forget she can multi-task too!

§ To compound the differences of how men and women think differently biologically to each other and how they interpret what is said to them differently; we also have internal filters. These filters affect the way we think because of the way we were brought up, geographic background, education, skill set, personality, temperament, values and belief systems affect our way of thinking.

Tips on improving communication between the sexes:

§ Understand your own filters

§ Try and understand other’s filters – spot them and accept them and learn how to deal with them. (Knowing they have got filters is half the battle)

§ Constantly communicate – don’t make assumptions and don’t expect others to read your mind and let them know you can’t read their mind either!

§ Make sure you are reading their body language correctly and always take a cluster of body language signals and not in isolation.

§ Make sure that your body language is congruent with your words.

§ Try not to take things personally – give them the benefit of the doubt

§ Say “Is this what you said…. and is this what you meant ……” to make sure you have understand correctly

§ Men tend not to notice body language as much as women and therefore don’t pick up on as much when listening to someone and can often feel threatened by a woman’s ‘intuition’

§ Women usually pay more attention to the body language and therefore pick up more and are able to read between the lines

§ Email communication – which I sometimes find it appropriate to call email rage is because it’s purely words and there is no tone of voice, body language, attitude connected with the words so massive communication problems can happen with emails. Dr Albert Mehrabian, a UCLA professor discovered that when we communicate with someone we only take notice and remember 7% of the words used, 55% is body language and 38% is the tone of voice and attitude. This explains why many emails can be taken the ‘wrong way!”

5 steps for interviewing a hotel GM

We’ve all made “that” hire. Great résumé, great interview, great job stability, great appearance, great references and great personality. Hired!

The GM hired offers a solid year’s performance. Then, something happens. A couple of guests complain about the GM’s attitude. Financial auditors find a few “missed” invoices. Guest satisfaction scores take a slight dip. Several “issues” from the corporate payroll department about timeliness arise. There’s a misstep on the recent brand quality assurance exam.

Maybe the GM is bored or maybe he is having a bad couple months. Whatever the truth is, the GM’s boss should be focused on the point when the GM was hired and placed at that property. It’s possible the right person wasn’t hired for the right property. If it is determined he is not right, then swift action should be taken. But for this article, we’ll focus on how NOT to let it get to that point.

The best hotel leaders see things others don’t
Here are five unique steps the boss could have taken during the final phase of the interviewing process to crack through the surface and discover the good, bad or ugly truths underneath the GM’s great résumé and interviewing performance.

1. Hire a scientist.
Put some science behind this traditionally “subjective” decision. There are some excellent companies out there that specialize in making sure of three things: right person, right job, right time. This could be an ego hit to many hiring managers who suggest they can do it on their own. That’s a whole other article. In this case, a personality and talent assessment test would have helped greatly.

2. Schedule to “invest” at least four hours
This GM will be running a multi-million dollar asset for you and the company. Spend a day with him. I use the word “invest” above because it is exactly that—an investment in time with your most crucial asset to the company’s profitability and stability. If you need more incentive, consider this: The wrong hire could mean your own job stability is in question and could knock your whole world out of balance.

3. Immerse yourself in the candidate’s leadership and hotel skills
Start the day at the hotel. This is a great way to see what kind of “eyes” the candidate has. Stand in the lobby and ask him to tell you what he sees. If he goes on for 25 minutes, you’ve got yourself a GM with a great attention to detail, and you’ve also got yourself a dirty lobby!

Another good task is to identify the hotel’s best housekeeper and have the candidate inspect one of those recently cleaned rooms. It’s not just the attention to detail you’re looking for; it’s the process of how he goes about it. Does he ask for an inspection sheet? Does he remove his jacket, roll up his sleeves? How does he present the findings? Timid? Judgmental? Positive? Confident?

4. See what others don’t
See past the savvy interviewing skills, the impressive appearance and seemingly great, positive attitude.

What’s the first thing great GMs do when the hotel is caught in a downpour of rain? They get wet. They walk outside and look at the roof, retaining walls, parking lot and gutters. At this time, the building and property is under stress, and that is when the real blemishes show up (leaks, cracks, etc.).

In the morning conversation, casually mention you like cheeseburgers. When it comes to lunchtime, have the candidate choose the restaurant. When you arrive, have him pick the table and then have him order for you. Is he uncomfortable? Probably, but look past that and see how he deals with being uncomfortable. He will act that way as a GM when in uncomfortable situations (i.e. presenting next year’s budgets to executives). Was he listening to you when you said you like cheeseburgers or did he take you out for seafood? Does he respect the server and look him in the eye? Ask him why he chose that restaurant. Is it because it is usually quiet and you would be able to talk? Then, give him your credit card and ask him to pay while you go make a phone call. If he does it without issue or mention, that’s how he will act as a GM when you give him tasks. If he bombards you with questions about how much to tip and what about your signature, that’s how he will act as a GM.

5. Case study review and response session
As a hiring manager there are countless “case studies” you can use to offer a challenge to the GM candidate.

You can use the same case study for every interview. For example, pick two hotels in your company, print out the most recent full-month STR report, trailing 12-month profit-and-loss report, recent guest satisfaction report and brand quality assurance exam. Tell him he’s got to make a recommendation to an owner to buy one of these hotels. Tell him these hotels are in the same city and the market is healthy. Give him two hours, a pen and a notebook and do not offer any other rules.

See what he comes up with and make your own conclusions. The actual recommendation is not important. The process he used to get to the answer is everything. Good writing skills? Creative? Does he remember major aspects of the project such as seasonality or market segments? Are his findings clear and concise or fragmented and unfocused?

Finally, how the applicant acts in the interview process is how he will act when he is a GM, and his actions will be accentuated after about six months when he gets comfortable. Look for the signs of potential conflict, and also look for signs of greatness. Each will grow exponentially.

Don’t leave interviewing to good luck. Prepare, invest and see what other don’t.

Make yourself visible at workplace

Make yourself visible at workplace

Mr. ?, 30, is a manager in an IT services company. He strongly believes in doing his work, and prefers that his work should speak for itself and bring him the recognition it deserves.

For him, even working on developing a personal brand is in a way 'untrue' and not in the right spirit. He recently approached a human resource (HR) consultant asking had he created a personal brand, would his career have moved forward considerably.

This happens quite often to the unsung employees of the corporate world, who prefer to remain silent and work quietly in the background. Is there a reason or need for them to create their personal brand?

"In the corporate world, without visibility to the work you are doing, or allowing the right stakeholders to see the value you bring to the role or the organisation, it may curtail your chances of getting the opportunities you are capable of and deserve.

HR experts say it's a good thing to have the organisation understand your strengths and how you can contribute effectively in the long run. This has to be complimented with actual capability and caliber.

There could be two aspects of building a personal brand, internally within the organisation and externally in the public domain. At the initial stages, the first aspect kicks in, but somewhere later in one's career, one can balance it with building one's personal brand externally in the public domain too. Social media comes into play in influencing the creation of the personal brand.

"Times have changed from the days when CEOs would employ brand builders to mange their profile. Today social networks are building profiles of young professionals.

A wide network of people who matter and who follow you on Twitter or Facebook or the number of acceptances that you receive in your Linked In is making a difference to the way in which you are building your brand.

Thanks to social media, young managers are now finding a fundamental reason to be identified as someone who is different and for this they are willing to go to any lengths at a professional or personal level.

But the dynamics of building the personal brand within the organisation are different,recalls a manager in the service industry, who was in a customer-interfacing role, where the need to build effective relationships was very strong.

He was always looking to highlight his work to one and all, drummed most of his achievements as he saw them, but they were not necessarily seen in the similar way by the organisation.

Some of his strengths included understanding the corridors of power, building relationships with them, taking on responsibilities that were on the fringe but were visible areas that the seniors in the organisation could see.

Among his weaknesses included wanting to be in the limelight at the cost of others. He started to eclipse the work of others, was not ready to share credit and tried his best to keep positioning himself in every forum.

Every time his own limitations caught up with him, he would change jobs, and thanks to the 'reputation' that he had managed to build up for himself, he actually would secure good openings. Then came a point where he was finally in a job, that far exceeded his capability, and he could not succeed anymore.

"As one builds a personal brand, it needs to also get supported by what you actually are capable of, and can bring to the organisation."

Build relationships across the organisation that go beyond your immediate stakeholders. This allows you to have an overall understanding of the organisation rather than being caught in a silo mindset. Do not hesitate to make lateral moves across functions, as this shows genuineness in developing an overall understanding of the business.

Poster boys and girls who are good in everything are hard to find. It is usually people who have great networking skills, articulate communicators, who do not hesitate to voice their opinions are the ones who are 'visible' in organisations, and thus are able to build their personal brand.

When you are building the personal brand

Be the change agent or part of the team that spearheads new initiatives. This will require ability to take on challenging assignments. Push the boundaries and challenge the status quo. A lot can be achieved by questioning 'it-happens-like this-only' syndrome.

Do not hesitate to express the most rationale viewpoint, as opposed to not being seen to have an opinion. Build relationships across the organisation that go beyond your immediate stakeholders. Have informal conversations with seniors to gain their insights on work-related matters. Work on developing communication skills and a positive mindset.

Motivating Your People

You can make their day

§ Start the day right. Smile. Walk tall and confidently

§ Walk around your workplace and greet people

§ Share the goals and expectations for the day

§ Let the staff know that today is going to be a great day

§ It starts with you. You can make their day

Use Simple, Powerful Words

§ Say "please" and "thank you" and "you're doing a good job."

§ How often do you take the time to use these simple, powerful words, and others like 3. them, in your interaction with staff?

Make Sure People Know What You Expect

§ Supervisors think they have clearly stated work objectives, numbers needed, report deadlines and requirements, but the employee received a different message.

§ When requirements change in the middle of the job, or project the context for the change is rarely discussed.

§ Make sure you get feedback from the employee so you know he understands what you need. Share the goals and reasons for doing the task or project.

Provide Regular Feedback

§ First is knowing how they are doing at work and sharing it with them.

§ Set up a daily or weekly schedule and make sure feedback happens.

People Need Positive and Not So Positive Consequences

§ Hand-in-hand with regular feedback, employees need rewards and recognition for positive contributions.

§ Employees need a fair, consistently administered progressive disciplinary system for when they fail to perform effectively.

§ Nothing hurts positive motivation and morale more quickly than un addressed problems, or problems addressed inconsistently.

§ People need to know what they can expect from you.

It is a Discipline, be consistent

§ Consistently, in a disciplined manner, adhere to what you know about employee motivation.

§ The key to supervisory success in creating positive employee motivation and morale.

§ The challenge is to incorporate them into your skill set and do them consistently - every day.

Continue Learning and Trying Out New Ideas

§ Use whatever access you have to education and training.

§ You may have an internal trainer or you can seek classes from an outside consultant.

§ The ability to continuously learn is what will keep you moving in your career.

Learn the Roles & Responsibilities of A Leader

§ Learn the roles and responsibilities of supervisors and managers and how to:

1. provide feedback, praise and recognition

2. give instruction, delegate tasks and projects

3. listen actively and deeply

4. manage time and meetings

5. problem solve and follow up for continuous improvement

6. make decisions

7. build empowered teams and individuals in a teamwork environment

Fine tune these Competencies

§ The more comfortable and confident you are about these work competencies, the more time, energy, and ability you have to devote to spending time with staff and creating a motivating work environment.

Make Time for People

§ Spend time daily with each person you supervise.

§ Key employee work motivation factor is spending positive interaction time with the supervisor.

§ Schedule one-to-one on a public calendar so people can see when they can expect some quality time and attention from you.

Schedule Quarterly Performance Development Meetings

§ These are not the performance appraisal sessions for your people.

§ Exclusive one-to-one sessions devoted to employee performance development.

§ Most people want to learn and grow their skills at work

§ Make a performance development plan with each person and make sure you help them carry out the plan.

§ You can make their year

Focus on the Development of People

§ Encourage experimentation and taking reasonable risk to develop employee skills.

§ Get to know them personally.

§ Ask what motivates them.

§ Ask what career objectives they have and are aiming to achieve.

§ The quarterly performance development meeting is your opportunity to formalize plans for people. You can make their career.

Share the Goals and the Context

§ Prepare staff in advance if visitors or customers will come to your workplace.

§ Hold regular meetings to share information, gain ideas for improvement, and train new policies.

§ Hold focus groups to gather input before implementing policies that affect employees.

§ Promote problem solving and process improvement teams.

Take Responsibility

§ Take responsibility for your actions

§ The actions of the people you lead

§ The accomplishment of the goals that are yours.

Be Accountable

§ If you are unhappy with the calibre of the people you are hiring, whose is accountable for that?

§ If you are unhappy about the training people in your work group are receiving, whose is accountable for it?

§ If you are tired of sales and accounting changing your goals, schedule, and direction, whose accountability is it.?

You can make their experience

§ You are creating a work environment in which people will choose motivation. It does start with you. You can make their whole experience with your company.

The ability to motivate others comes through discovering how to connect with others and challenging them to be more of what God has created them to be.

CREDIT CARD HANDLING PROCEDURES

PURPOSE

1. To identify the credit card that are approved for the settlement of guest ledger charges at hotel operational or Bill outlet transaction, The approved credit cards are :
a. American Express.
b. VisaCard/MasterCard/JCB.
c. BCA Card.

2. To identify whether the guest credit card number has been canceled as Lost, Stolen, False credit card or Delinquent.

POLICY

1. A valid credit card is to be accepted and imprinted for pre-authorization by the front office receptionist or cashier upon guest check-in as an approved “Method of Settlement” of a guest ledger when the guest check out.

2. Guest should be presented the credit card prior to the expiration date or will not expire before expected check-out date, also where the signature on the credit card with the registration card are the same and the credit card number should be same between credit card number on EDC Machine Monitor with credit card number on the Card.

PROCEDURES

1. Check the expiration date on the card. Do not accept a card that has expired or will expire before the expected check-out date. In either of these cases, request another credit card or alternate settlement method.

2. Compare the signature on the back of the credit card with the guest signature on the registration card.
Do Not accept the card if the signatures do not match, Only the valid holder of the card is authorized to use the card.

3. Swipe the credit card for pre-authorization at EDC Machine and make sure to check the credit card number on EDC Machine Monitor with the credit card number on the Card, The credit card number should be same. But if the credit card number did not same, it is means that credit card is a False Credit Card !

4. If the guest credit card is valid, front office receptionist should be write the credit card number & expiration date on the guest registration and give receptionist staff in charge signature on registration to indicate that it has been checked.

5. When guest credit card is a False Credit Card, The front office receptionist or cashier F & B outlet will proceed as follows:
• Step 1 : hold the guest for waiting a couples minutes.
• Step 2 : inform the credit card status immediately to AFOM/FOM or/and Duty Manager in charged in that time.
• Step 3 : AFOM/FOM or Duty Manager will be forward the information to EAM or/and GM.
• Step 4 : EAM or/and GM with Security back up will be investigate directly to the Guest.

Customer Relation and Skills

CUSTOMER RELATION AND SKILLS

§ WHAT IS A CUSTOMER

§ CUSTOMER’S EXPECTATION

§ CUSTOMER’S NEED

§ HANDLING COMPLAINTS

§ TEAMWORK

YOU AND YOUR CUSTOMER

What does a customer looks for in the restaurant? Customer usually looks for quality of food and beverages, fast and efficient service, pleasant atmosphere and reasonable prices. With certain customers, however, price is not a very important aspect.

YOUR CUSTOMER

You can refer your customer as guests, clients or simply as customers but no matter what terminology you use to refer them, they are indeed VIP, for without them, the restaurant business can not function.

In fact, few realises the value of this VIP. A lot of profit goes down the drain all the times because of poor service. In pertinence, rudeness, disrespect, lack of courtesy and poor work attitude from people who have direct contact with the public.

The sooner these people understand the term “customer”, the better it will be for everybody from the point of view of the Management ( in term of business ), serice personnel ( in term of job security ), as well as from the Public relations point of view.

WHAT IS A CUSTOMER?

1. A customer is the most important person

2. A customer is not an interruption of the work

3. A customer is doing the business a favour by giving its personnel the opportunity to serve

4. A customer is a person who brings to the business he wants

5. A customer is not dependable uppon business but it is dependent upon upon customers

6. A customer is not an outsider to the usiness. A customer is part and parcel of it

7. A customer is not a cold figure or statistic in the recording file. A customer is a human being and naturally have feelings and emotions, blesses and prejudices.

8. A customer is not someone to argue or debate with

9. A customer is always right or right most of the time because he foots the bill! So why lose him? You may sometimes feel like winning the arguement but is it worth it? Certainlynot, because when you met an arguement, you lose customer. Customers are the very life-blood of the business, it is a duty of all service personnel to handle them both profitability to themselves and to the business.

The motto should be: “ Cutomers are business, Value the customers”. O

IDENTIFICATION OF GUEST NEEDS

PHYSICAL NEEDS

1. I am hungry, I need to eat.

2. I am tired, I need a comfortable bed to sleep.

3. I am thirsty, I need a drink.

4. I feel scruffy after hours of travel, I need a good, cool shower.

PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS

1. I am paying a lot, I want to be pampered.

2. I am paying a lot, I expect efficient service.

3. I am paying a lot, I expect good product.

4. I am paying a lot, I expect things to be organised.

SOCIAL NEEDS

1. This is a resort, I expect the staff here to be friendly.

2. There is a disco , I expect them to provide an atmosphere where I can enjoy myself with my friends.

3. I expect the Lounge Bar to provide me with a quite atmosphere to talk bisiness with my partner.

PRACTICAL NEEDS

1. I expect the staff to provide me with accurate information about the resort, the facilities it provides, and the product s it sells.

2. I would expect facilities to be there and made readily available to me. After all I am here to relax.

HANDLING COMPLAINS

Despite our best efforts, we do occasionally have our guests complain or advise us of their dissatisfaction. Usually service, portion size, cold food being served, or food item too long to be served, etc. Formed the basis for most complaints and most of the time they are justified.

When a guest takes the time to make a complaint or a positive criticism, he is doing us a favour because it gives us the opportunity to take corrective action to prevent the mistake from reoccuring. If a dissatisfied guest does not complain, normally he will not return to our outlets and will tell his friends of his dissatisfaction. With this thought in mind, the following actions should be taken when a guest complaints:-

1. Immediately apologize and take corrective action if you can, reports it to the Restaurant Manager

2. If the Restaurant Manager is not available, politely inform the guest that the restaurant Manager will contact him soon. Ask him to have a seat in Restaurant or return to his room.

3. Immediately look for the Restaurant Manager, and inform him of the urgent situation.

4. If the complain is about food, immediately call the Executive Chef to meet the guest. The Executive Chef is more than willing to meet up with the guest to find out the actual problem.

The seven Steps of Problem Solving are:-

§ Remain calm, be a good listener by showing concern, sincerity and be helpful.

§ Find out exactly what the problem is, take notes.

§ Try to understand how the guest is feeling.

§ Find out what has been done alredy.

§ Find out what still needs to be done.

§ Decide if you can solve the problem yourself. If not call your Restaurant Manager/Supervisor.

§ Tell the guest what is being done (be tactful)

NOTE : Do not make any promise on what you can’t deliver.

Being calm and helpful at all times means that you recognise his importance to the hotel, and that you want to be helpful to him. It also means NEVER acting insulting or hurt when a guest is acting in an angry or demanding fashion. This is a good time to us the guest’s name when speaking to him. REMAINING CALM AND HELPFUL IS THE ONLY ATTITUDE THAT IS USEFUL FOR SOLVING THE GUEST’S PROBLEMS. DO NOT END UP ARGUING WITH THE GUEST. YOU SHOULD NEVER TRY TO PROVE THAT THE GUEST IS WRONG. YOU MAY WIN THE ARGUMENT BUT WILL LOOSE THE GUEST.

To solve a problem, you must know exactly what the problem is. This means asking the guest as many question as you need in order to help him. Even if the guest is impatient and nasty to you, remain calm and tell him that you want to help him but need certain information. It is important to understand how the guest is feeling so you know that he is NOT angry WITH YOU but with the situation. Try to imagine yourself in his position. YOU may be nasty too!

SUGGESTIVE SELLING

The key to selling of any items is – DO THE THINKING FOR THE CUSTEMER!

The key to selling is to think positive! Let the customer know that he can go first class and you want to help him.

You have heard many times, “ Would you like a drink?” or “ Can I get you a cocktail?” it’s a little better than nothing, but not much. Do the thinking for the customer. “Would you like a martini or manhattan befor dinner?” or “ we have a special drink for the ladies. It’s called a pinang and it is served in a special souvenir glass that you can take hom.” (Pause for a reply) or “Would you care for a daiquiri or a whisky sour?” if they don’t want a drink after two tries, they will let you know. (Know the ingredients for all mixed drinks. They are simple to learn).

When he say Scotch soda, just ask, “Black label, sir” and the big percentage of the time they will take your suggestion. Repeat the order verbally as you write it down. This is basic, even when taking a food order, because it reduces chance of error. There is a definite trend to drink “on the rock”. If, for example, he order a whisky sour, first ask “with V.O?” and then, (if they haven’t already mentioned it), “on the rock?”

Let people enjoy their drinks. Don’t attempt to take their food order at this time unless they ask you to do so. Build up your check and your tip and your incentive when they are half finished, go back to the table and refill their cocktail from the server. Many times you will hear, “Let’s have another”. This required nothing but the gesture and upgrades the service.

If you don’t get an order then suggest, “Would you like your cocktail refreshed?” Direct your question at the host or the man who seems like he will order that second round. They will tell your their wishes.

Remember, “the willingness to serve is just as important as the service it self”. Coddle them with kindness – they love it. Be alert to sell them another drink or take their food order. Let them make the decision by asking, “Would you like to relax a while befor I take your dinner order?” They will then make the decision. Remember, we make more money on that cocktail that we do on the dinner, so sell them in a sociable manner.

KEY POINTS TO SELLING OF ANY ITEMS

§ Do the thinking for the customer.

§ Key to selling is to think positive.

§ Use phrase that will suggest items to customers.

§ Repeat orders as you write it down.

§ Let the Customers enjoy their drinks.

WHAT IS SERVICE ?

Service is a word that we hear a lot, and yet everyone still has his on her own idea of what it is about. This short description may help you.

S - Is for sincerity. This is being genuine and straight forward in what we do. To be sincere in our work is to be honest to not only the guests but also ourselves and your fellow colleaques.

E - Is for respect. Respect towards ourselves, the guests and each other is a positive step to giving good service to our guests. To look on other members of our society with high opinion and esteem is to compliment them. A guest should always enjoy and must have our respect.

R - Is for respect. Respect towards ourselves, the guests and each other is a positive step to giving good service to our guests. To look on other members of our society with high opinion and esteem is to compliment them. A guest should always enjoy and must have our respect.

V - Is for visual. While in front of our guests we must act with decency and at a standard which will compliment our hotel. For all front of the house staff this is most important. For back of the house staff it is equally important how we look is respresentative of how we feel.

I - Is for Information. The A-Z topics help us to cover all the points in our training programmes. We must have or know where to obtain the answer to all our guest’s questions.

C - Is for Courtesy. An essential quality which we all must have.

SIX KEY CONTEXTS OF INNOVATION!!

What are the six key contexts of innovation?
Organizational leaders can benefit by viewing the dynamics and demands of innovation through the lens of the six contexts that are key to any innovation effort. These six contexts also provide a useful way to think about the wide variety of innovation opportunities on which any organization can capitalize.
1. Strategic context—The organization’s comprehensive understanding of the forces driving its operating environment, as well as an appreciation of emerging trends and issues. (Opportunities include strategy and business model innovation.)
2. Technological context—The organization’s use of technology to engage contributors in the work of innovation, as well as the impact of current and new technologies on the organization, its customers and other stakeholders. (Opportunities include innovation in current and new products, tools and other “tangibles.”)
3. Cultural context—The organization’s internal climate and intrinsic support for collaboration, including encouraging risk-taking, supporting experimentation and the importance of genuinely learning from failure. (Opportunities include innovation in the structure and substance of the relationships between and among staff, customers and other stakeholders.)
4. Intellectual context—The organization’s mindset and approach to identifying and leveraging ideas and knowledge both internally and externally. (Opportunities include service and experience innovation, as well as innovation around other “intangibles.”)
5. Financial context—The organization’s underlying structures for managing both the uncertainty and financial exposure of innovation in order to minimize risk. (Opportunities include process, practice and delivery methods innovation across different organizational functions.)
6. Leadership context—The capacity of leaders to fulfill their responsibility for making innovation consistently possible without exerting undue influence or control over it. (Opportunities include innovation in models for organizational stewardship.)
Leaders can achieve a deeper understanding of how to make innovation happen in their organizations by looking carefully at how the balance of freedom and discipline influences the underlying relationships between and among these contexts. For example, when the organization needs to ensure greater discipline within its financial context, how can it increase the degree of cultural freedom to ensure that innovation doesn’t grind to halt?
Leaders can achieve a deeper understanding of how to make innovation happen in their organizations by looking carefully at...the balance of freedom and discipline.

20 Rules of Writing Effective Business E-Mails

Developing effective business-to-business (B2B) e-mail marketing messages is significantly different than developing business-to-consumer (B2C) e-mails. That is why, after writing extensively about consumer-oriented e-mails in past columns, I'll now address B2B communications.
As I'm sure you know from your own personal experience, business people who receive e-mail want to know the point as quickly as possible. They don't have time to read through a lot of copy unless something immediately captures their interest. They don't appreciate fluff and spin, just benefits and facts. Keeping this in mind, here are my 20 rules for writing effective business e-mail messages:

Be accurate. Whatever claims you make, benefits you offer, or statistics you quote, make sure they are true and not inflated. Nothing is worse than starting off a relationship with exaggerated or even false information.

Be brief. Your job with B2B e-mail is to capture interest, then provide more information if it's wanted. You need to identify the most important benefit to the recipient and sum it up in a short paragraph. Think of it as the 30-second "elevator pitch" in e-mail form.

Be clear. Most business people are turned off by e-mail messages with bad grammar, misspellings, and/or unintelligible content. If you personally struggle with writing, hiring a professional writer to prepare your messages is a worthwhile investment.

Be genuine. Forget the hype that works with consumers. The B2B relationship is built on trust. Make sure everything you say conveys you are a genuine, upstanding, honest person running a reputable business.

Speak their language. Whatever you're going to say, write in words they understand and are comfortable with. Don't write down to them or above their comprehension level. People tend to understand and react better to words they use in everyday conversations.

Put yourself in their shoes. Try to picture the daily routine of the people you're contacting and reflect that in your writing: "I know you're busy, so I'll get right to the point."

Watch out for a "knowledge gap." Don't assume recipients have the same knowledge about your product or service you do. After you've captured their interest and have reached the "additional information" stage, try offering a step-by-step walkthrough of whatever you're marketing to help them understand what you're trying to say.

Write business e-mails as letters, not as ads. In the B2B world, a forthright communication in letter format is much more effective than an e-mail that looks and smells like an ad.

Take your time. As you would with B2C (and any other communication, for that matter), let your B2B e-mail message sit for a day or two after you complete it. Show it to colleagues and other business people, and get their opinions. In almost every case, the passage of time and other people's input will help you improve your messaging and writing.

10. Remember your e-mail is likely to be passed around. Because it's so easy for e-mail to be forwarded, assume your message will be sent to others if the initial recipient has any interest. You may want to include links to information that is relevant to others, including technical details, operations info, and financial data.
11. Mimic your verbal presentation. Although a lot of what you say in person may not be necessary or appropriate for an initial e-mail, you should still consider how you verbally present your product or service, whether by phone or in person. Think about what points you stress (those could be underlined or bolded in your e-mail) and the words you use (stick with verbal explanations that people understand).
12. Check your signature block. Make sure it's complete: your full name, title, company, address, phones, pager, fax, e-mail, and Web site links. Give the recipient a choice of how to contact you for more information.
13. Carefully choose when you actually send the mail. Most business people spend Monday mornings catching up on the e-mail, postal mail, and phone calls that have piled up since the previous Friday. You don't want your e-mail mixed in with dozens or even hundreds of communications that are being reviewed by recipients.
14. Prepare your subject line carefully. After the sender address, the subject line is the first thing B2B e-mail recipients will look at. It's akin to what you might say on the phone in the first 5 to 10 seconds. The subject line should directly relate to the primary benefit your product or service offers.
15. Use graphics wisely. Business people are interested in benefits, details, other customers, and so forth. Unless graphics enhance your message in a meaningful way, don't use them.
16. Make sure links within your e-mail display and work properly. When you list "for more information" links, make sure they are clickable so the recipient does not have to cut and paste. Also make sure they go to the exact page you want and this landing page is up to date and provides the information you want them to have. Sending people to your home page and leaving to them to figure out where to go is not a good idea.
17. Be wary about sending attachments. Most of the time, you don't know what software the recipient has or what filter settings are enabled. Sending PDFs, Word documents, or Excel spreadsheets may not be a good idea, since you don't know if the recipient can read -- or even receive -- what you send. A better idea: links to Web pages where the information contained in the attachments is displayed.
18. Test. Just as you do with any consumer e-mail campaign, test subject lines and message copy. Testing is no less critical with B2B e-mails.
19. Be complete. Most B2B e-mail recipients will form some sort of preliminary conclusion about your product or service before they respond to your e-mail. They'll determine for themselves whether your e-mail helps meet their needs. That's why providing details and complete information is important -- to give recipients the details they need to make the decision to call you or act on your offer.

Don't look like everyone else. Spend some time reviewing B2B e-mails you get to see what others are doing. Get on the e-mail lists of your competitors so you can see how they communicate. Analyse them all and find ways to differentiate yourself from the pack.

56 ideas for your hotel blog and newsletters

Recognise and reward loyalty
Start to build the relationship with your customers or guests as soon as they have booked by thanking them and giving them additional information. You can use any of the topics below to whet their appetite and get them looking forward to their visit.
•    As their arrival date approaches, send further timely information about specific events, travel updates and opportunities for upgrades or complementary services (e.g., making a dinner reservation).
•    Once someone has stayed or dined with you or attended an event, a simple thank you note is a great way to build rapport and an opportunity for some feedback, too.

Theme your articles and blogs
Establish different themes for your newsletters. If you segment your list (which I recommend) you can then target different topics to different segments to keep things relevant. Some examples:
•    Breaking news: Set up Google Alerts for topics relevant to your target audience (e.g., what's going on in your town or whatever topic is relevant to your unique selling point or of interest to your target audience).
•    Answer your most frequently asked questions.
•    An A-Z series of your “expert” topic or special interest (providing your prospects and customers share the same interest).

Show your personality
One thing that will always make you unique is you and your team.
•    Describe a day in the life of: your chef, housekeeper, sommelier, receptionist, events organizer.
•    Ask staff for their top tips to share with customers.
•    What's happening in your world both on site and out and about?
•    Get your staff to tell their own story—their background, experience and how they came to be working in your hotel/restaurant/resort.
•    Describe something that makes you different than everyone else.

From the kitchen
If you want to encourage guests to dine with you:
•    Introduce your new menu and how it's been created.
•    Select some seasonal dishes to try at home.
•    Talk about your sustainably sourced foods and other supplier stories.
•    Describe a trip to the market or market garden, and interview some of the growers about their produce.
•    Ask your chefs and other staff for their views on food on holiday and new recipes/flavours to try out.
•    Write some food-specific reviews, based on local ingredients.
•    Laugh at your own mishaps or recipes failures with a funny story.
•    Talk about a new product you’ve just discovered and how you are using it in your recipes, and explain why you love it.

Act like a travel agent
What are all the things that could help to sway a visit to your area?
•    Give average temperature for the area if you have overseas visitors.
•    Suggest some potential holiday itineraries with maps.
•    Explain what's happening at other attractions in the area (and ask for a reciprocal arrangement with your neighbouring venues) and why it’s special.
•    Tell them about specific things to do if they are coming with an elderly relative, young child or the family dog, for example.
•    Write about specific festivals and events happening in the region, their origin, what they consists of, how guests can find more information, and what impact these may have on guests’ stay.

Become their personal local guide
Give visitors an incentive to visit and something to look forward to.
•    Suggest some potential day trip itineraries highlighting local places of interest.
•    Give the weather forecast for the coming week so guests know what to wear and what to bring.
•    Tell readers about local events of interest.
•    Describe local walks, with pictures of the views.
•    Tell readers about unusual sightings of wildlife with pictures if possible.
•    Give guest or staff reviews on things to do (e.g. walks, days out and local attractions).
•    Tell the stories behind your local history and some of the famous local celebrities.
•    Be controversial and talk about what’s happening in your area.

From the garden
If you are proud of your garden or outside space:
•    Describe your seasonal activities (e.g. planting, pruning, harvesting from the vegetable garden).
•    Give gardener's tips on pruning, pest control and garden maintenance.
•    Tell readers what fruits and vegetables are in season, and how you are reflecting these in your menus (combine with kitchen blog for recipes).
•    Show your garden in all its glory with photos.
•    Show pictures of children having fun and enjoying the outdoors.

From the wine cellar
•    Review of a wine from your list.
•    Seasonal activities (e.g., the harvest, planting, pruning).
•    Talk about this year's grape harvest—what's good, what impact the weather and other elements will have on the harvest and the wine.
•    Expert's corner—tasting tips, buying tips, storing wines, what makes your wines different.

Testimonials
There’s nothing like a bit of social proof to demonstrate your abilities to please your customers.
•    Ask customers for their feedback, and ask if you can use their quotes. Better still: video them.
•    Write mini case studies of events and activities to help demonstrate the breadth of what you can offer in the way of activities or facilities.
•    Tell the story of where one of your team have gone the extra mile for a customer.
•    Show pictures of happy guests (with their permission, of course).

Joint ventures
Team up with others who share your customer list.
•    Ask them to write a guest feature article or blog (e.g., a wedding photographer on top photo tips; your fishmonger tips for buying fresh fish and fish recipes; your florist for tips on getting cut flowers to last longer, on flower arranging, etc.).
•    Ask your local suppliers for their stories, too; this helps to give providence to your ingredients.
•    News and awards from other local businesses including complementary businesses such as restaurants.

Doing your bit for CSR
Share your contribution to corporate and social responsibility
•    What fund raising or charitable events have you been involved in, and what’s been your contribution?
•    What changes have you made towards energy conservation?
•    What steps have you made with suppliers to source only sustainable produce?

Your news
And of course, don’t forget to blog or email about what you are up to, what you have planned, what's to look forward to.
•    What specials or offers you are running, and what’s in it for your customers to take up the offer?
•    Has your hotel or restaurant been featured in the news?
•    What awards have you entered and/or won?
•    Describe changes and improvements you are making or you've now completed and what these mean to your guests.
•    Tease your readers with tasters of future and current promotions, offers and packages.
•    Report back on a recent success story (e.g. review or feedback from a recent event).

Out of sight is out of mind, so use your newsletter (and blogs) to keep your hotel visible and to communicate to your customers and prospects regularly. The more you communicate with what your audience wants to hear (opposed to spam) the more you build up an emotional bond and establish trust and loyalty.

Sales Service (first Impressions)

Often, when we think about making a first impression, we think of those that work in the sales office of the organization they represent. We expect sales people to look good, dress well, be well versed, be friendly and always have a great disposition. We tend to "pigeon hole" a person or company by the way things look to us when we first meet them. The impression that we put forward to the client, guest starts with the first time they make contact with us. Ever wonder how much business we loose due to a poor impression from a sales, reservation, bell staff or other employee that have contact with our guest. To what extent is real, profitable business lost when we provide less that great service. What is it that we negatively do that can impact sales? If we were able to quantify the times it would most likely result in thousand of dollars of loss to a property over a 12 month study. We could use for example a client calling the property for a room, catering event, company meeting, convention, or any reason that could create a profit for the property. Some of the ways that can negatively affect the profit of the property.
1. The amount of times the phone rings and does not get answered promptly. The caller hangs up and goes on to the next cal. How many times does this happen, perhaps we will never know.
2. My pet peeve when the phone call goes directly to voice mail and you have to play the numbers game to get the right department.
3. The "Please hold" and before you can say anything, click you are on hold.
4. Phones that are answered promptly, but have a long winded message that is hard to understand.
5. The person answering the phone come across as not interested in you and wants to get back to her, or his work
6 The call gets transferred to some one else and you wait forever, or get music in your ear for unusual length of time. I got news for you out there client will hang up and call another property.
7. The caller gets transferred to the wrong department.
8. Callers that leave voice mail do not get call backs in a timely manner
I could go on. The point is that at any time, any person on the hotel staff can be a position to lose business for a property by not making a great first impression.

HOW EFFECTIVELY WE SELL ON TELEPHONE?

I am starting a discussion, how can we sell on Telephone, i look forward to receive comments or any suggestions if any?
SUBJECT: TELEPHONE SELLING
Definition/Description
This is not face-to-face, but it is still personal and some points are worth noting. The listener judges the personality by the voice, and linguistic style may affect the way others react. Therefore, how, we say something is as important as what we say. One should always be prepared and active before involving ourselves in telephone selling.
While preparing for telephone selling one should have prior information of the guests / client / organization and vice versa of his own product / hotel.
Policy and Description
Telephone sales are not only a useful support to normal sales promotions, but also a valuable independent means of obtaining extra business. Preparation is the keynote of telephone selling.
Pencil or ball point in hand.
Price list,
Fact sheets, a list of fully booked dates, customer records, records of previous contacts, copy of invoices, calendar and other material, as this information will help you to complete the telephone conversation without having to leave the phone to search in files, records, etc.
The telephone should also be positioned in a convenient location.
Sit comfortably seated to conduct the telephone conversation, no cigarettes, cup of coffee, no chewing on pencils etc.
At the start of the call, always check to see the customer has a few minutes for you.
Better preparation helps to overcome the restrictions imposed by the telephone on communication.
There is a limited amount of TIME - unlike normal face-to-face Conversation; we have just a few minutes in which to be effective.
The limitation of DESCRIPTION - the other person's senses cannot be involved. The whole appeal must be made to the ear. Make your sales pitch interesting to listen to by raising and lowering the tone of your voice.
There is visual impression of your listener's REACTION - observation of reaction must be by "intelligent listening". Again "we listen to your wishes".
To be successful, one must know and appreciate the effects of these limitations and prepare to overcome them when using the telephone.
Most people appreciate that they must have an objective and seek it when initiating a call. However, opportunities to sell are often offered when receiving an INCOMING call OBSERVATION
The straight enquiry, which can be converted into a sale. Too often we do not progress the conversation any further than agreeing to send the information required by the client.
One can often develop the apparently routine conversation into a real selling opportunity.
Standard Operating Procedures
There are four major factors to be considered in pre-call PREPARATION.
Knowledge of the "offer".
The objective of the Call. - Knowledge of the Customer.
Knowledge of the Customers’ needs.
There is no place for the word "Hello" in a telephone discussion. This does not progress the conversation at all. Instead a clear identification of yourself (Name, department, Company).
At the end of the conversation, caller should hang up first he may have an afterthought. As quickly as you can (and certainly before the end of the conversation) ask the caller for his name and job title. Reconfirm the company name and telephone number - the right extension too can be helpful.
Check to make sure that he understands and accepts what you are saying.
Express yourself clearly and always SELL BENEFITS. Make frequent use of the words "you" and "Your". Never undervalue the telephone as a means of swift action, effective communication and good selling.
Remember, business which comes via the telephone is just as valuable as the business which you generate in face-to face calls. Indeed it is sometimes more valuable in that it is so much less expensive than a personal call.
Ask specific questions. If the customer does not ask for any additional service offer it to him - he might have forgotten.
Take notes; repeat the name, address and telephone number of your customer.
Close the conversation with a positive remark. If you. Could not sell this time; let your customer know of your intended follow up.
After every sales call, be it a visit or a telephone call, make sure that the essential items are mentioned on the customer's filing card.

Ease Public Speaking Anxiety Through Preparation...

Prepare, prepare, prepare!!!
You can never be too prepared to present. Knowing your presentation through and through can help boost your confidence while easing your fear and anxiety. Preparation does not just include knowing what you are going to say, it also includes how and why you are going to present the information. Here are some tips to help you create an effective speech or presentation.

1.Open with Confidence
Your opening gives your audience a first impression. Know the audience and the purpose of the presentation. Find out what they might expect from your remarks and what they may already know about the topic. Consider how you will grab the audience's attention. If you need to deliver bad news, consider ways to connect with the audience from the beginning of the presentation. Be well prepared for the opening because it sets the tone for your entire presentation--leave nothing to chance.

2.Focus on a Few Key Points
Know the major points you want to make. This will help ease your worry and increase your confidence. Outline the key concepts in your electronic visuals, on a note card, or better still use a memory technique such as stacking so you remember your key points. Avoid trying to memorize your presentation because it will sound canned and stiff and you want it to sound comfortable and real.

3.Support Ideas with Evidence
It is always important to provide evidence to support your main points. Supporting evidence will reinforce your points to the audience and give you a chance to explain your points more fully.

4.Close with a Call to Action
This will be the last impression your audience has of you and your presentation. It is important to look at the purpose of the presentation and then determine a proper close. Emphasize the key action or actions that you want the audience to take after hearing your presentation. This serves as a nice summary of your content and assures they leave with a clear direction.

5.Remember, Anxiety is Normal
Most people have some presentation anxiety. Remember that people who don't feel some stress may appear to be taking their audience for granted. Replace negative thoughts that creep into your subconscious mind with positive affirmations from yourself and others.

6.Be Human
Allow yourself to make mistakes. Do not try to be a perfect presenter. A brief pause to collect your thoughts may feel like eternity, but it's not. Tell stories from your personal experiences. Conduct your presentations as if you are having a conversation with people rather than talking at them.

7.Ask for Feedback
You will be surprised how much will be positive. Accept and internalize compliments you receive without minimizing them. Remind yourself about what went well rather than what didn't. Focus on one or two key improvement areas for the next time. Not ten or twenty.

8.Prepare for Future Success
View each presentation you give as a development opportunity. Enjoy the experience. Use each presentation as an opportunity to enhance your confidence and skills for the next presentation.

The Three Gaps
Character is higher than intellect.
Organizations don’t become great because they set great goals. They become great because great leadership is in place to inspire and motivate people to get great things done. Every year, companies spend millions on a variety of training efforts and performance management initiatives aimed at trying to close the execution gap between goals and greatness. Unfortunately, these programs find little or no success because they are focusing on the wrong set of challenges. The real challenge is to truly understand the nature of the business execution gap and to recognize that it is not one
Monolithic performance gap. The execution gap between goals and greatness is actually comprised of three people-related gaps:
1-Behavior
The first gap is a lack of focus on organizational behavior. Most organizations focus far too much time and resources on performance goals and outcomes, while simultaneously allowing behavior to evolve in a Darwinian (Theory of Evolution) political free-market environment where those who survive are usually the wiliest politicians. Indeed, performance goals can be tangibly measured and monitored, but they are influenced greatly by the softer side of business—human behavior, which is much harder to measure, manage, and monitor. The organization that is able to focus on leadership and employee behavior by assessing, monitoring, and nurturing it will see exponentially improved Performance results.
2: Habits
The second gap occurs when organizations don’t create opportunities for their people to turn desired behavioral skills into habits. It is not enough to know what to do. You have to actually do what you know, do it well, and do it repeatedly until it becomes second nature. For example, most people are aware of (and agree with) the principles Stephen Covey laid out in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. But how many people have actually made the time to practice those seven identified behaviors until they become habits? Yet any great athlete, artist, or musical performer will tell you that they rely faithfully on the old adage: practice makes perfect.
The organization that is committed to carving out some time to help its leaders grow positive behavioral and leadership habits will see a solid increase in employee performance.
3: Community
The third gap occurs when organizations do not form safe communities of practice where their people can practice positive behavioral habits together. Leadership development results can be significantly improved when individual practice is augmented with the active participation and feedback of others. Human beings are social by nature and are thus able to achieve much more with the trust, positive conflict, feedback, recognition, mentorship, and accountability that are inherent to communities of practice.
A community built around the collective goal of improving leadership behavior can help to increase one’s chances of new skill development.
How to Close the Three Gaps
The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.
The three gaps between goals and greatness manifest in organizations as a pervasive leadership gap. Without great leadership, organizations will be mired in team dysfunction, lack of productivity, and overall inefficiency. For the best clues on how to close these “execution” gaps, one must examine the following opportunities and threats in today’s leadership landscape:
Only Great Leadership can close the Execution Gap.
There Is a Growing Shortage of Great Leaders.
Most Leaders Don’t Focus on the Goose.
There Can Be No Lasting Change Without Practice.
Only Great Leadership Can Close the Execution Gap:
Nothing affects the success of an organization more than the quality of its leadership.
Not strategy, not technology, not systems, not innovation, and not processes. The single most important factor for bridging the business execution gap is people, and the only way to reliably and predictably improve the effectiveness and productivity of people is through great leadership at all levels of an organization.
There Is a Growing Shortage of Great Leaders:
The demographic reality of our time suggests that there is a shortage of great leaders in most organizations. Additionally, those baby-boom leaders are fast approaching retirement, but there aren’t new leaders ready and prepared to fill their spots in the leadership pipeline. In order to become truly great, organizations must implement cultures and systems that continuously develop new leaders to replace the retiring generation.
Most Leaders Don’t Focus on the Goose:
Whilst most leaders work hard to create high-performance in their firms (the golden egg), they don’t usually assign the same level of importance and attention to employee behavior (the goose).
The Goose and the Golden Eggs, an intense desire to acquire more golden eggs led a greedy owner to kill the goose. By focusing so intensely on the golden eggs at the expense of the goose, he ended up losing both and having none. This parable makes a simple, self-evident point: You must take care of not only that which you seek, but also, that which produces what you seek. In order to increase organizational success, companies must focus on improving the behavior of their leaders and employees, because that is what will in turn improve company-wide performance.
There Can Be No Lasting Change Without Practice:
Here’s a little-known fact: many efforts to develop leaders do not succeed. Another little-known fact: a 10:20:70 rule states that traditional classroom training, which is at the core of most of these efforts, is only 10% as effective as two other elements in the learning mix: mentoring (20%) and practice (70%). By focusing so much on traditional training and the occasional mentoring efforts, organizations are missing out on the most powerful method available for actually implementing lasting behavioral change—practice! Great athletes, musicians, or public speakers know the value of consistent practice, and any neuroscientist will tell you that the mind learns best through experience and repetition.
By focusing so much on traditional training and the occasional mentoring efforts, organizations are missing out on the most powerful method available for actually implementing lasting behavioral change—practice!
The Solution Is Practice!
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act,
But a habit.
Leader Practice is a leadership development process and software solution that helps organizations bridge the gap between goals and greatness. With Leader Practice, desired organizational behaviors are practiced in the safety of a community environment until they become habits.

Hotel protection strategy in a post-bin Laden world

Protection strategies
In formulating a protection strategy for our business centers, hotels, resorts and executives, we should evaluate the nature of terrorist groups. They adapt to changing defensive strategies. They conduct surveillance of potential targets. They identify weaknesses. They thrive on targets that suffer terminal routine. They move against businesses that are administratively and logistically unprepared to detect, deter and prevent an attack.

The peculiar difficulties posed in detection and deterrence also are compounded by the risk that an attack may be launched from within the ranks of your employed staff or by the very guests you are trying to protect, as well as a visitor or seemingly random intruder.

Protection against these risks follows several fundamental principles which form a layered defense that considers: all administrative policies, procedures and protocols; the integration of risk management and security departments; and the prolific use of IT and security technology.

Some special areas of consideration are:

employee and guest due diligence;
risk management and security training;
risk management and security protocols;
IT department security compliance;
software management of critical data flow—quantitative and qualitative;
current generation security software and cameras with analytics; and
special attention areas and items—outdoor perimeter; lobby; non-public access and obscure locals; boiler and machinery; storage area for flammables; and anywhere large groups congregate.

The preceding is not meant to replace an all-inclusive assessment. It touches on a number of limited but primary principles and areas that require attention in order to promote further evaluation of your facilities, to promote consideration of new protocols and to provoke thought and management discussion. The risk of maintaining the status quo is, by the nature of the threat, unthinkable.
HANDLING GUEST PROBLEMS
One of the greatest challenges in a hotel is to change and upset angry guests with a problem into a satisfied, happy guest who will enjoy his or her stay and return to the hotel again. Often this is not easy. It requires a professional employee to use the skills of:
1-Communication
2-Listening
3-Recognition
4-Channeling Emotions
5-Gaining Trust
6-Empathy
7-Job Skills and Knowledge
8-Problem Solving
SEPARATE YOURSELF FROM THE PROBLEM
One of the most difficult parts of dealing with an upset guest is not taking his or her anger personally. If you become angry or upset yourself, this starts a vicious cycle which creates more bad feelings on both sides.
Think for a moment about a professional doctor who is a very nervous patient. As the patient becomes more nervous, the doctor understands what is happening and seems to become more calm. The doctor has learned to understand what the patient is going through and not to react with the same emotions himself.
Remember that an angry, upset person needs your help, no matter how much he is raising his voice or blaming you for this problem.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Giving recognition, showing empathy and controlling your own emotions are all necessary ingredients to successful problem-solving. When you use these skills and the following steps, you will find the process rewarding.
Steps to Solving a Problem:
Determine the problem. Listen to the complaint. Ask questions to clarify the problem. Listening is a skill which most people do poorly. They are thinking about what they are going to say. Or, they are thinking about something else. Or, they are worried about the time.
If you concentrate on what the person is saying, the conversation will take less time. People who do not think you are listening are going to repeat themselves and become even more upset and demanding.
Show empathy for the person.
Mr. Khan, what seems to be the problem? The faucet in the sink leaks. That can be an annoying sound. I am sorry that this has happened to you. Is it the bar sink or the bathroom sink? I apologize that it was not properly fixed yesterday when you reported the problem."
Outline solution(s). Tell the person what you will do to solve his or her problem. If the problem is beyond your ability to solve, contact the proper person (your supervisor or a member of another department) and explain the problem to him or her.
Let me call the Maintenance Manager right away. I am sure that we can have the faucet fixed immediately. However, if there is any difficulty, I will be happy to change your room for you."
Agree on the solution. Have the person state that the solution will be satisfactory and will solve his or her problem. If he or she does not agree, proceed back to Step 2.
Will you allow me an hour to have the Maintenance Manager look at the problem?
Give a commitment. Restate the action you will take and when you will take it.
All right Mr. Khan. I will call the Maintenance Manager immediately and if the faucet cannot be fixed, I will contact you within one hour. Again, I’m so sorry for the inconvenience.
Follow through. Be sure to do what was promised. If other people are involved in the solution. Follow-up to make sure that they live up to the commitment. Check back with the guest to ensure that they are satisfied. (This gives some additional recognition.)
Mr.Khan, were you able to stop the leaking faucet in room? Mr.Khan room?”
Mr. Khan, I understand the faucet has been fixed. Is everything satisfactory?
While all the steps are important, the most critical is follow-through. If the promised action is not taken, the guest will end up with three problems:
His or her original problem
His or her second complaint on the original problem and
His or her disappointment in the hotel employees’ inefficiency and broken promise.
That means that someone must now deal with two additional problems and three times the original anger or frustration. Thus, it is easier and time saving to FOLLOW THROUGH!
Here are 7 steps for resolving customer complaints which have proven to work well. Do not let time lapse and make things worse with your avoidance. Approach the customer as soon as you learn they are unhappy, and;
1. Listen Intently: Listen to the customer, and do not interrupt them. They need to tell their story and feel that they have been heard.
2. Thank Them: Thank the customer for bringing the problem to your attention. You can’t resolve something you aren’t completely aware of, or may be making faulty assumptions about.
3. Apologize: Sincerely convey to the customer your apology for the way the situation has made them feel. This is not the time for preachy reasons, justifications or excuses; you must apologize.
4. Seek the Best Solution: Determine what the customer is seeking as a solution. Ask them; often they’ll surprise you for asking for less than you initially thought you’d have to give—especially when they perceive your apology and intention is genuinely sincere.
5. Reach Agreement: Seek to agree on the solution that will resolve the situation to their satisfaction. Your best intentions can miss the mark completely if you still fail to deliver what the customer wants.
6. Take Quick Action: Act on the solution with a sense of urgency. Customers will often respond more positively to your focus on helping them immediately versus than on the solution itself.
7. Follow-up: Follow-up to ensure the customer is completely satisfied, especially when you have had to enlist the help of others for the solution delivery. Everything up to this point will be for naught if the customer feels that “out of sight is out of mind.”
Problems happen. It’s how you honestly acknowledge and handle them which counts with people. Customers will remember you, and happily give you another chance to delight them when you choose to correct problems with the very best you can offer, proving you value them and their business.

PATIENCE my FRIEND...!!!

I was just wondering why some people who are working in a Hozpitality Industry doesn't know the word "POLITENESS" and "PATIENCE" which for me who worked as well in one of the Hotel in Dubai is quite important.
Base on my experienced in room reservation department there are times that the work is really stressfull especially on a peak season,very busy that sometimes we n forgot to have our meal, but i cann't remember a time were we shouted nor scream to our caller like guest or agent. We've always try to be on our best friendly and helpful tone and extend our help in any possible way to assist their request.
It's quite frustrating that a five star group of hotels has a terrible, bad-manners, unprofesional reservation staff....It happened 2 days back were i send 01 room booking request in one of the well known 5 star hotel, i send the booking around 1400hrs, @ 1600hrs i called up the hotel to follow up my booking since i havent receive a confirmation , i spoke to 1 lady named Vanessa and she had told me that they will send the confirmation i just have to wait for 24hrs..24hrs?!!! I understand that, but I explained to her that my booking is for the next day arrival and my agent was keep on bugging me as well for the conf as we need to get the voucher before 1900hrs the same day, her voice was irritated and asked me to just wait, okay..then i hung up.
At 1800hrs i resend my booking request by mail, 1830hrs still no confirmation from them, so i called again and the same lady picked up the phone, when i asked her about my booking request, she almost yell at me and have the guts to tell that she already informed me to wait....i told her that im leaving the office at 1900hrs and i need the conf before that time as i have to send it to my agent too to have the voucher..she just repeatedly told me using her best high tone and irttated voice that she will send me the confirmation without telling me if she will send it now or she already put the booking, she just told me to wait...wait...wait...and wait, again i asked if she can send it tonight since that is for tomorrow's arrival, gosh..she said " i told you that we will send it..you just wait!!!" no please....hah..
That night, i wans't able to send an XO because until i left the ofc, she didnt send the conf..,the next mornig when i came to the officce i got an email from her..confirmation no sent by 2030hrs... :((
We are sending a bussiness/sales to them, we never ask them to be friendly if they cant do that but they should know how to be polite,and be patient atleast...hmmmm....losing words :(( anyway, i pitty her..maybe shes always having a hard time on work, or maybe she is not capable to have loads of work...

Hospitality Industry Challenges for the coming decade? Key in Success71

1. Work - Life Balance

Its not just an HR concern anymore. The younger generation is definitely more attuned to the needs of 'having a life' and the ones who have spent some years in the industry are beginning to question openly the so called unwritten rules : working 12 hours a day, odd shifts, etc. Most employees will begin to give up better salaries for a better life.
The answers also do not lie in creating a gym or game room for your staff. The annual picnic or staff day is passe. interests are varied and organizations that cater to those specific interests will win the loyalty war. People want to work with humans and bosses will have to behave as such.

Challenge 2 | Customer Sensitivity photo by jetalone

2. Customer Sensitivity

Customers just don't have the patience anymore. We are not patient people as customers and as hoteliers we will not be able to demand that. Companies, hotels, service firms who can accept and embrace customer sensitivity and work towards it will emerge winners. the challenge will not be to ensure all check ins happen under 2 mins, the challenge will be to ensure all check Ins happen in the time the customer thinks she deserves. finding that out is what will make your operations stand out.
Training will be play a key role here in ways not imagined hitherto. training will have to move from process centric approach to individual centric approach. you will have to increase the discretionary powers of your team and give them the lee-way to perform as per individual customer sensitivity.

Challenge 3 | Experience Leaders photo by Ernst Moeksis

3. Experience Leaders

The next wave of hoteliers will be experience leaders. most of us are willing to give up a little of the familiar for a little of the new. 'do the new' within the broad contours of the old and familiar will win. managers will need to look at each process, each interaction, each moment-of-truth as a 'moment-of-ecstasy'. If something does not make me twitter about it, it did not happen, its as simple as that.

Challenge 4 | Austerity photo by Orin Zebest

4. Austerity

Its the buzz word. the bling will be in creating luxury that does not scream, but is rather created in the knowledge that only those who truly know will get it. More and more you will see people wanting to get luxury rather than being bombed by it.
Products, services will have to be toned down but upgraded in every small detail.

Challenge 5 | Specialists Professionals photo by Victor Bezrukov

5. Specialists Professionals

More people will work for themselves than ever before. The desire to fulfill the work-life balance (see pt 1) will see experts currently in the employ of companies becoming freelance agents. The hospitality industry will see a plethora of professionals come forward to work on niche and even super niche areas, secure outstanding results all the while retaining individuality and freedom. Managers will need to accept the change from people being company-loyal to task-loyal.
Specialists will add value where they think they can and not participate in areas that neither interest them nor excites them.
Experience leaders (see pt 3) will have learn to manage these individuals.

Challenge 6 | Changing Demographics photo by Made Underground

6. Changing Demographics

Everything changes when your customer changes. The customers are getting younger, better informed, independent (in thought and in finance). This will warrant a re-think and a re-draw of processes. There is no single decision maker in an average household anymore and the hospitality industry like any other industry will have to appeal, talk and create goodies for each of those decision makers.
That is where the experience leaders along with the specialist professionals will win!
Prabhjot Bedi is a hospitality consultant, recruiter and trainer.
He works at creating superlative experiences and processes so that your business thrives.
He works with individuals in creating individual paths to glory!
More at www.prabhjotbedi.com

The Essential Resume Skills

An effective resume is one that will get you shortlisted for an Interview. That's it.

That is the job of a resume.

Start with these 10 Sure Shot Tips:

1. 'What Are You Applying For'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2009/07/podcast-resume-skills-what-are-...

2. 'Objective Of Your Resume'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/11/resume-skills-obejective-onof-y...

3. 'How to Talk about your work experience! Really Talk'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/11/resume-skills-talk-about-your-w...

4 'How to Write Accomplishments'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2008/01/resume-skills-accomplishments.html

5. 'Hobbies & Interests - Make them make you stand out!'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/11/resume-skills-hobbies-interests...

6. 'Rules for References on Your Resume'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/12/resume-skills-references-on-you...

7.'THE DO NOTS'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/12/resume-skills-do-nots.html

8. 'How To Create an Awesome Cover Letter'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/12/resume-skills-create-awesome-e-...

9. ''Do you have a Good Looking Resume?'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/12/resume-skills-do-you-have-good-...

10. 'Flaunt Your Profile'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2009/03/flaunt-your-profileresume.html

10 Simple Ways to Get to Know Yourself Better

I thought I would try and add some value to it.

1. Look at your achievements in school or at work
the phrase 'past success may not guarantee future results' is true for most of the financial markets and services, but for us - individuals - this is as good a yardstick as any.
dont look at the marksheets here, think of the times when some activity, some victory, some cause made you restless with excitement and you could barely wait to get to school/work again.

I remember an accountant becoming feverish for the volleyball tournament at work. he was vocal, creative and cheered with such passion you would think him a marketing man.

2. Identify your favorite hobbies and activities
I love good movies. I love great TV shows better. I love super books even more. But I really really love path-breaking ideas and innovations.
My hobby (tracking innovation) and the resulting activity it generates in me is irreplaceable.
What's yours?

3. Talk with friends and family members
two things I read somewhere come to mind:
a. you are the average of the 5 people you keep the most company of.
b. if you want to be something, find people who are already that and be with them.

Your current freinds and family members maynot really know the desires that you have or the potential that you possess. For me take this feedback more for negative traits than positive ones.

4. Consult with a professional counselor
its a question of trust.
if you see someone who has achieved what you dream of or has helped others do the same, you may want to consult with a professional. however most counselors in schools and colleges are as limited in their outlook as the parents.
here are some leads (I have not worked with them and neither do I endorse them) http://www.parivarthan.org/, http://ushagoyal.com/

5. Keep a journal
I do and I can attest to the power of a journal.
I have a small pocket size one for when I travel, a larger version for longer thoughts, an online onethat records 5 things/thoughts for everyday & I use the my mac/phone to record a video log for the day.
Its fun, insightful (I know my memory is weakening -) ) and helps me keep ideas in one place.

if you have concerns on How Long to Form a Habit? And What You Can Do Towards It... go to h...

buy some Butterflies Journal (Notebook, Diary) & Moleskine Ruled Notebook Large

6. Write a personal mission statement

what is a personal mission statement?
A personal mission statement is a written affirmation of what you want to be or aspire to be.
It is a personal guiding light for you to ensure you are always on your right path.

A personal mission statement is powerful. It not only helps you decide what to do, it ensures you do not do things that do not fit in with who you are or wanting to be. A personal mission statement motivates, challenges and helps you look at the bigger picture.

I have one.
I have had one since I was introduced to Steven Covey The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People & the 8th habit The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness: Miniature Edition

This is also a starting point for my effort 7 Days To A Remarkable You. You should start here

7. Set short-term and long-term goals

Goals are very powerful.
They take a life of their own once you spell them out.
Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely (see here)

I am also a huge fan of daydreaming (see here) & manifestation (see here | 10 steps for manifestation)

Sharing your goals can get you so much more. Support, Ideas, like minded people & above all wishes. click here to know more about sharing your goals

I would also suggest reading Set Compelling Outcomes For Yourself - http://www.myeclatcoach.com/...

8. Job shadow and talk to people in a variety of positions

My career decision can largely be attributed to a successful individual already pursuing the cause ( see I am not me any more )
My subsequent success and learning is from people I could shadow, observe, emulate and sometimes learn from their errors and omissions.

Most people would be happy to help you. Just Ask.

9. Sign up for a crash course in an area of interest

Of course this assumes you have finally figured out an area of interest and there are crash courses in that area. sometimes this is daunting. some cultures, families do not look kindly at wasting time so to speak. I would suggest this only after the knowledge and support of the ones you feel responsible to.

10. Take career and personality quizzes

I took some tests myself. to see my results, click here
some sites you can try are
http://www.personalitytype.com
http://www.humanmetrics.com/
http://colorwize.com/

Self Development| Accelerate Your Ability to Learn

I read the phrase 'Accelerate your ability to learn' and fell in love with it.

Simple? Yes. How do we do it.

Let's deconstruct the phrase.

The main aim is to Learn.
How you learn & what you do to learn is the Ability

But the essential idea that captured my imagination was 'Accelerate'

so not only are you supposed to learn, but improve and increase your ability to learn! think of it as computing power. Not only are the processors becoming faster, the rate at which they are becoming faster is growing too!

So I went digging.

This post aims to look/search for some more information on the
tools/thoughts/links that you could use to 'Accelerate your ability to learn'

1. Music
The founder of the Accelerated Learning movement, Dr. Georgi Lozanov, the renowned Bulgarian psychologist, developed a methodology for teaching foreign languages that used baroque music with
a beat pattern of about 60 beats per minute. Students learned in a
fraction of the normal time.

In a single day, one half of the normal vocabulary and phrases for the term (up to 1000 words or phrases) were learned. In addition, an added benefit was that the students had an average of 92% retention of what they had learned!

He found that Baroque music affects the emotional centers of the brain as well as the heart and breathing

here is an example to get you started

I use music all the time. To write I have some specific numbers, to work thru mundane emails
another set and some good ole favs for when I feel down and out.

2. Getting Ready To Learn
This is such a revelation!

anyone who has ever worked out, will tell you the importance of warming up. you could seriously injure yourself if you don't and yet when it comes to the mind we don't really stretch , do we?

I suggest you develop a quick routine to Get Ready to Learn. This could include music, looking at a photograph/art/point on a wall, chanting, breathing exercises or even self affirmations.

3. Managing Fear
this is such a big drag.

My suggestion is to admit it.

Admit that you are scared of the new thing/trick/skill/knowledge and that you need to learn it bad otherwise bad things will happen to you.

Fear is scared of being called fear.

the other thing fear is scared of? ACTION!
Start now. wanted to learn how to drive a car? ensure you are on the wheel of one today.

4 suggestopedia

Suggestopedia is a theory in which positive suggestion is applied in teaching. But there is something there that I want to focus your attention on.

The students must value the professional skill of the teacher.

Now, since we are talking about learning by yourself here, you must trust the source of your learning.
I do not take all information from the net seriously. I have a select set of authors who I respect and listen to. Not everyone is allowed to offer me suggestions or try and mentor me.

5. Mind Maps

I love these things.

The mind map is such an awesome tool, I keep wondering by people don't use it. It is simple, intuitive and versatile. Essentially a mind map is a hard copy of how your mind works. when I say the word 'blue', some of you might think of the colour, some the mood, some the music and others clothes etc. To capture this non-linear approach that our brain uses, mind map was created.
get the free software from imindmap

6. Create What's In It For Me (W.I.I.F.M)
Whenever you sit down to learn anything, create this first.

Your mind will now ensure that while you are reading, listening, watching, your mind will consciously & unconsciously looks for WITFM.

This is like an objective or intended goal.

7. Mirror neuron
A mirror neuron is a neuron which fires both when an animal acts and when the animal observes the same action performed by another.

Want to learn something. Watch someone else do it. It works for humans too!

My mum tells me that the younger sibling starts everything in life earlier than the first born. skills like talking, walking, running etc. this is coz, he/she has another being to look at and ape!

8. Mnemonic

A mnemonic device (pronounced /nəˈmɒnɪk/) is a memory aid.

Like the KISS principle - Keep It Simple Stupid

Create your own!

I am certain there are many more. Let me know if there are techniques that you use & that work for you. oh one more thing, I don't call this Accelerate Your Ability to Learn, I call it AYAL!

Cheers!
Prabhjot Bedi
www.prabhjotbedi.com

See more on www.myeclatcoach.com

Why you should go prepared for an interview

As a personal success coach, I tell people they should prepare. prepare for the presentation, the meeting, the speech, and of course the job interview.

As a sceptic and someone who never did what was asked just because it was asked of me, I asked myself, why? Why should one prepare?

Look at it this way. The whole idea of an interview is that the people taking the interview (the company) think you are the best for the position. Now although you can prepare for some questions, how can you prepare for everything that will happen while you work there. Your success will be based on your ability to manage and manage effectively the unscripted parts. If that is the case, then the more you seem to have prepared your answers, the chances of your selection should be lower. it rarely goes like that.

Let me give you some examples:

1. when you as a bank customer withdraw money from your account, the back does not know how much you will withdraw, when you will do it and in what denomination you would want your money. So, should they just sit there and wait for you to come in. make your request, and then go about procuring the amount you need in the currency you need it?

Nope. They sit there prepared. They keep all currencies as far as possible and then, when you want your money, they can give it to you in the break up you need it in. They are prepared.

2. the hospital. do they run out to get machines after you show up for a diagnosis? do they manufacture medication after they find out what the pain is all about? no. they are prepared. because they are prepared, they know what to do when you are in pain.

This is why you should prepare. Think of yourself as a doctor, a healer if you will.

The company is in pain and hence it has advertised for a position.

They need someone who can come in, take charge of things and take care of them.

This is the senior leadership and they need someone to reduce that pain.

you are the doctor they are seeking out.

do you have your tools?

do you have your check lists?

do you have ideas?

do you have solutions?

simply put, are you prepared?

the doctor who seems to be prepared, can tell the patient that it will be ok, as long as the patient is willing to do certain things that the doctor suggests, the doctor will be hired.

I looked around for some definitions of preparation on the Web:

• the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose; "preparations for the ceremony had begun"

• formulation: a substance prepared according to a formula; "the physician prescribed a commercial preparation of the medicine"

• planning: the cognitive process of thinking about what you will do in the event of something happening; "his planning for retirement was hindered by several uncertainties"

• readiness: the state of having been made ready or prepared for use or action (especially military action); "putting them in readiness"; "their preparation was more than adequate"

• (music) a note that produces a dissonant chord is first heard in a consonant chord; "the resolution of one dissonance is often the preparation for another dissonance"

• training: activity leading to skilled behavior

I like these.

But, as another voice inside my head asks, 'If I prepare my answers for the interviews, wont I sound rehearsed?'

Every song, every important speech, every piece of music, film, theatre you see has been rehearsed before. Many, many times before.

Does it look stale to you as a viewer?

the rehearsals ensure you remove all that this holding the performance back.

the little little improvements every time you rehearse, create a masterpiece.

I was listening to some jazz yesterday, and the composer was saying on radio that it takes over 2 months of practice for each musician to even begin rehearsals on the stage. Wow!

Its just the same.

the performance that is the interview is your live show.

It is in front of a very accomplished and knowledgeable audience.

If it isn't rehearsed properly, they will notice the lack of effort and preparation.

Having said that, nothing keeps you from improvising.

You can take your prepared material and mould it, twist it, and create something unique for the very special audience in front of you.

A lot of performers will change the lyrics a little to include the name of the city or the organization they are performing for. The basic structure remains the same, the ability to do improv comes from the rock solid foundation of practice, of knowing your stuff.

unfortunately, you need a lot more preparation for improv.

You would need to know what your audience likes, doesn't like.

you would need to know what they believe in, what they dont put too much stock into.

you would need to know what they value.

you would need to know the history and more importantly, where they are headed.

Can a chef prepare something for you which is non-spicy and the same dish for me as a spicy one?

Yes. If she is a good chef.

How?

The recipe remains the same, the ability of the chef to create something different for a customer comes from the fact that she knows her basic dish very very well. The change in a couple of ingredients does not deter her. why? coz she is prepared.

To sum it up, research shows you need to get at least 10000 hours of practice into anything to become world class at it.

Once you are world class at something, you can start creating stuff that is uniquely you.

And that is the goal of an interview, isn't it?

To show the world that you are uniquely qualified for the job.

that what you can do, what no one else can!

Happy Successing!

How To Write A Resume - 10 essential resume writing tips!

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Over 20 articles on resume skills.
Over 100 resume tips.
No sample resumes, but I did create a list of some creative resume templates

But here is the kicker, I never did write anything about 'How To Write A Resume'

So, here goes.

Resume writing is geared towards one thing and one thing only 'getting you an interview'

That is it. A good, well written resume, will create that path for you
and then your selection will depend upon more things than just your resume.

First things first.

1. Its about the audience.

Some questions to answer when you sit down to write your resume:
Imagine yourself a product or service, now this is what your resume has to provide answers to:
- What are you selling? YOU
- What are its benefits? Your specials. Your strengths. What will you bring to the company, the job role.
- Why should people be interested in it? If there are another 1000
people applying for the same job, why should someone call you for theinterview. It has to show up on your resume
- What is better about your product or service than others in the
marketplace? Do you have a USP? A USP is unique selling proposition.
Lets call it UNIQUE SELECTION PROPOSITION for your resume template.

2. Most resume templates - have an objective. This is often misused, wasted and in some cases - simply ridiculous.
The top paragraph of your resume is very very important.
see more 'Get Immediate response using the Objective Of Your Resume'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/11/resume-skills-obejective-onof-y...

3. Use Simple Words
for the word 'simple' these are the synonyms
child's play, cinch*, clean, easy as pie, effortless, elementary, facile,
incomplex, intelligible, light, lucid, manageable, mild, no problem, no
sweat, not difficult, picnic, piece of cake, plain, quiet,
self-explanatory, simple as ABC, smooth, snap*, straightforward,
transparent, uncomplicated, uninvolved, unmistakable, untroublesome,
walkover

for resume?
CV, abstract, bio, biography, curriculum vitae, digest, epitome,
précis, recapitulation, review, rundown, sum, summary, summation,
summing-up, synopsis, vita, work history

The point I am trying to make is, you can make something indurate
(hard) and exasperate(irritate) recruiters by using words that don't
belong.

use simple words.
pssst.. also use action words.
see Resume POWER words. Use these words in your resume to increase effectiveness
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2009/12/resume-keywords.html

4. People buy benefits not features
In the product world you don't buy a CRDi engine, you buy the mileage or the ease of maintenance of that engine.
Its the benefit not the feature.
So just mentioning your designations & place of work as your feature, means nothing. what is the benefit from it?
are you someone who can create new revenue streams, manage projects, launch new services, what?
There could have been over 10 general managers of a particular
property, unit etc, but each may have been instrumental in different
things during their tenure.
one may be good with renovation, one with costs, one with revenues, and one with employee relations.
what is the benefit your features bring?

want an easy way to do this?
Think about the recruiter asking the question 'so what?'

e.g. your resume states '7 years experience with XYZ brand'
recruiter 'so what?'

5. Specifics sell, generalities do not
just writing on a resume, that you increased sales means nothing.
Increased sales by 20% y-o-y means something.
specifics.
always. 100% of the time!

6. Make sure your resume is believable.
I know.
I am sorry.
I did not mean to say you are lying on your resume or that your resume writing feels bogus.
I just mean, when you read some of the new age resume writing services produced- template created- resumes, you do wonder about the candidate.
Keep the jargon for the presentations.
Keep the jargon off the resume.

7. Make your resume look good.
Make no mistake, the content is the most important thing. I would hire
a creative genius if he just sent in a note, but for all professional
resumes, one must ensure it is good looking.
use resume templates, look at sample resumes, to determine the resume you want.
see ''Good Looking Resumes get Shortlisted. How to make yours Good looking!' http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/12/resume-skills-do-you-have-good-...

8. Resume Layout.
Research shows that we spend more time on the top, the center and the bottom of any print/letter/ad etc.
use this effectively.
* the top has your 'resume objective'
* the middle has 'your experience' listed effectively.
see 'How to Talk about your work experience! Really Talk'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/11/resume-skills-talk-about-your-w...
* the bottom should be more than just your address or your personal details. Use it creatively.
Think of it as a little reminder note to tell the reader, why you are special.
I may even be inclined to ask you to replace your personal details with your achievements as the last section on your resume template.

9. Write multiple resume copies.
start with atleast 3 different resume templates.
send out these templates.
see the response.
learn to improve the one that sticks.

10. Find a resume that you like, then write your resume using that as a template.
study resumes of friends, on sites etc.
If you like one (not the one that impresses you most, but the one you think you will call for an interview) use that to develop your personal resume template.

you don't have to use all the resume tips here.
As long as you use some, but whole-heartedly, you will be able to write a resume that could become a resume template for others!

happy resume writing!

p.s. Remember, it is a resume. it is only supposed to get you an interview. and please, please keep it less than 2 pages.

40 Steps to a Greener Hotel

40 ways that your hotel can go green

1. Programmable and digital control of your HVAC systems: Use electronic thermostats in guestrooms with pre-set settings to minimize energy consumption.
2. Key Card Energy Management System turn off lights when guests are not in room.
3. A linen and towel reuse program is a must.
4. Consider either Organic Cotton Linens or Linens made with Tencel Plus.
5. Ozone laundry systems reduce the detergent and chemicals used by the wash.
6. Advance Laundry Solutions also has new drying technology that reduces energy consumption by up to 90%, yet requires no vent and extends textile life.
7. In-room recycling.
8. Recycling containers in all public areas.
9. Use compact florescent light (CFL) bulbs and energy-saving lighting fixtures
10. Install motion sensor-activated lights in areas that are infrequently used.
11. Use natural light as much as possible in common areas, restaurants and meeting rooms. Consider changing window coverings or installing skylights to improve to reduce artificial lighting.
12. "Green roofs" create energy savings by acting as super insulators, keeping buildings warm in the winter and cool in the summer. They also serve as a storm water management systems, catching pollutants as they drain off the roofs.
13. If not plants, how about installing solar panels on your roof?
14. Improve window and door seals. You will save on heating and cooling costs, reduce noise levels and decrease dust circulation.

15. Improve air quality by circulating outside air into guestrooms.
16. Identify something that is being discarded and find re-use for that item - such as reusing old tablecloths to make napkins.
17. Turn off all lighting/equipment/computers when not in use.
18. Make guest registration paperless.
19. Scan and email instead of fax.
20. When you do need to print, use recycled paper, soy-based inks and print double-sided.
21. Biodegradable 100% recycled room keys.
22. Use biodegradable and all-natural bathroom amenities, such as soaps, lotions, shampoos and conditioners.
23. Use bathroom amenity dispensers rather than individually packaged amenities.
24. Buy amenities, food and cleaning products in bulk to reduce waste and transportation costs.
25. 1.6 gallon per flush toilets installed in all rooms and guest areas.
26. Low-flow faucet aerators installed throughout the building and in all guestrooms.
27. Use of environmentally friendly (low VOC) paints.
28. Check with your pest management company to ensure use of integrated pest management (IPM) products and policies that are environmentally friendly and reduce the use of chemicals.
29. Use groundcover and drought-resistant plants to reduce amount of mow-able grass on your properties.
30. Go Smoke-Free!
31. Serve meals buffet style to reduce packaging and waste.
32. Use electric buffet warmers rather than canned fuels.
33. Serve water by each guest's request rather than pre-pouring.
34. Stop using plastic water bottles.
35. Offer guests bicycles for short trips instead of driving.
36. Consider hybrid or electric vehicles for your fleet.
37. Used recycled rubber for the cardio room floor, or recycled tiles for pool floors.
38. Upcycle or recycle items you no longer need or use for their original purpose - such as in-room furnishings.
39. Give leftover food and/or amenities to charities.
40. Plant a garden and harvest organically-grown vegetables for your restaurant.

5 quick ideas to fire up your imagination

Imagination is everything.

That could be the most powerful statement of all time. only, its
useless, because most of us do not consider ourselves imaginative.

we believe, that artistes, writers and such people who dream new and wonderful things are imaginative. we, we on the other hand are more base. the ones who see an orange sun and blue sky. I mean who sees pink elephants, purple cows and flying pigs?

the imaginative ones. and most often than not, they make it come true.

here are 5 quick ideas to get imaginative:

1. Spend time with a child and go along with whatever she makes up
don't think, don't correct her. she is not the one who is supposed to
learn, you are. you are going to get a lesson ( and a very quick one at
that) on imagination.
its fabulous. there is just no reason that can change her vivid and very real imagination.
go along for the ride, you will come back spell bound.

2. Think of opposites
how would the world be if all of us worked at night and slept in the day (ok, that is not a figment of my imagination anymore, a lot of people already do that!)
or, what if we all walked on our hands? (ok that is scary)
but you get the general idea.

3. Juxtapose your fav characters
take the character from one book/movie/play/tv series and replace with
them with another from a different book/movie/play/tv series. now
imagine the dialogues, the interplay etc. fun!

4. Think about the absence of things
like what if there were no elevators, or no fruits or worse, no internet? (wait there was a time when that was true..) anyway, think about stuff and then think if it wasn't there!

5. Paint
I love this. just take some color (any will do, pencil, crayon, water, enamel etc) and paint.
forget what it will be, forget what it is and who it is for. just paint. once you are done, write a 3 line explanation for it. now, you will need to be imaginative! enjoy!
p.s. Leave ideas that work for you in the comments.

Editorial | 5 Skills For Career Success In Budget Hotels

Why? Budget is where the future is.

That's right, it is the fastest growing segment in the hospitality trade and will continue to expand for time to come.

Most of the brands are self-help, good looking motels.
If you walk in with skills you learnt in Hotel Management Schools, you would not only fail magnificently, you may want to go back and strangle some of the faculty.

Here are my 5 skills for career success in Budget Hotels:

1. MULTI-TASKING
more than anyother space, this segment, requires and rewards individuals who have the capacity to take on a myriad of roles without the slightest reluctance and hesitation.

2. Think Efficiency
In everything that you do here, effeciency is the key word. Customer happiness/satisfaction will follow, once they are educated enough on what is on offer and what isn't.

3. ABILITY to say NO
I know, you were trained to the 'customer is always right' but this is not where it is to be practiced. This is a mass market and any deviation (customization) costs money. you have to be able to say NO to things that are not available/provided

4. Technology Savvy
If you dont know how it all works together, you will be at sea and without a life jacket. As these brands grow, technology will play a big part in facilitating multi-location issues and guest services

5. Process Management
Everything is laid down in a manual and your job is to learn it, implement it and train it further. dont question, dont try and change these things, just follow them. if it says, one swipe of the rag, then thats it.

Its a space that will give you a chance to take on mega responsibilities at a very early stage/age and you better learn to forget that 14 course meal they were teaching you in fnb classes!!

What the Hell is going on at EIH? oh wait Reliance just became the largest, again!

First they sell to Reliance, then we at hospemag.com wish them Goodbye, and now this?
read ITC & EIH to combine hotel biz, become largest hospitality chain

What the hell?

Why would Mukesh Ambani pay so much more than required to keep ITC at bay and then invite them to the dining table?

or was it done to bring ITC on board as a partner and not an acquisition?

According to reports, ITC hotels will be demerged from ITC and merged into a new entity.

WOW! now, Reliance becomes the LARGEST, yes largest hotel chain in

India

. It does not need to wrestle with ITC, or buy it, the hotels are free from the ITC board and presto, they are market leaders. Does Reliance like to be the largest? yes it does. What does it do best? crowd out everybody else.

Should the Taj be worried?

You bet! Reliance creates a decent amount of business within the group itself, that of course will now go no way near the Taj, but also, this means a larger balance sheet for the new entity, more punch in sales & marketing and more reach - read cities, and depth. With ITC they add budget/economy to the upmarket, upscale Oberois and Trident.

What about Leela? they need funds, so will Taj oblige? will they go the Reliance way too?

Suddenly Nita Ambani coming on the board of EIH doesnt sound that much looney, does it?

RIL buys 14.12 pc in EIH for Rs 1,021 crore

Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries today said it has acquired 14.12 per cent stake in EIH, that runs the Oberoi brand of hotels and resorts, for Rs 1,021 crore.

The purchase is through RIL's wholly-owned subsidiary Reliance Industries Investment and Holding Private Limited, from Oberoi Hotels Private Limited and certain other promoters of EIH Limited, RIL said in a statement.

"RIL's investment in EIH Limited has been made as the Oberoi family had developed the 'Oberoi Hotels' brand into a premier international brand in the luxury hospitality sector and as a result EIH Limited has excellent future prospects," the statement said.

RIL has full faith in and would support the management of EIH Limited and there is no change of management, operation or control of EIH Limited, it added.

Commenting on the stake sell, Oberoi Group Chairman PRS Oberoi said: "RIL desired to make a long term financial investment in the luxury hospitality industry. We are happy to encourage their investment in EIH Ltd. There is no change to control, management or operation of EIH."

The development comes less than two months after Oberoi ruled out selling promoter stake in EIH Ltd, although he said he could not stop rival ITC from buying shares in the open market.

Earlier this year, ITC Ltd had increased its stake to 14.98 per cent in EIH Ltd triggering speculation that the FMCG-to-hospitality conglomerate could go for an open offer once it crosses the 15 per cent mark.

"We have 46.4 per cent (in EIH Ltd) and there is no plan to sell any stake," Oberoi had said in July.

Asked about ITC increasing stake in EIH through open market purchases, he said: "If somebody wants, we can't stop people buying from the stock market."

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/services/hotels-/-restaurants/RIL-buys-1412-pc-in-EIH-for-Rs-1021-crore/articleshow/6461765.cms

Say Goodbye To Oberois

to see the original story visit
http://www.hospemag.com/2010/08/ril-buys-1412-pc-in-eih-for-rs-1021...

I have been saying this for a long time now : Oberoi's run awesome hotels, but unfortunately a lot of them dont make money.

most of the vilas properties are run in the red and the sheer project cost of these hotels makes them very very difficult to digest. you need someone with deep deep pockets.

Mukesh Ambani is just the man.

here is what i think will happen:

1. expect management changes within 6 months - 1 yr (especially the project & finance areas)
2. expect an open offer within 1 - 2 yrs
3. expect rapid expansion
4. expect brand change within 3 yrs

I dont think this is purely an investment from Reliance. I would like
to think that it would be similar to Four Seasons or Aman (in both cases
the original owners retained 3-4% ownership in the company and no brand
changes were made), but I dont think so.

Mr. Oberoi will be around. The family (along with Mr. Analjit Singh)
might own 10% or so eventually, but sooner than later you will see the
Reliance stamp all over the company.

to see the original story visit
http://www.hospemag.com/2010/08/ril-buys-1412-pc-in-eih-for-rs-1021...

3 Immediate things to do for your hotel's Social Marketing

I quite liked Top 10 Strategies to Promote Hotels on Social Media Channels
I think it is a well put together article.

However for the ones venturing into this for the first time, it could be overwhelming.

here are the 3 things you can do for your hotel's social marketing, starting today!

1. Start a fan page on facebook

this is probably the simplest way to start.

Dont worry too much about design etc, just start a fan page, and link it from your website.
if you can add the 'like' button or 'fans' applet on your site.

< this is ours
visit http://bit.ly/cnFP8I >

2. Get a Blog
Ideally make it something like this www.blog.yourhotelname.com, but if
that is not possible then www.yourhotels.com/blog will also do.
post something atleast once a week
integrate a feed/email opt-in option

3. Create photos & videos and upload to flickr & youtube
these are very viral mediums and engage the net user in India very actively.
ensure that all updates are posted to your blog and facebook fan page.

You probably think twitter should be here too.
yes, it should, but I wouldn't worry too much about it.
you can very easily set up an automated posting account to twitter using tweetfeed etc.
if you can manage a blogpost everyday and ensure that is further 'ping'ed out, you are good.

How to Blog for Career Success

According to a report in economic times, blogging can now be good for your career.
Here are my 10 tips on ‘How to Blog for Career Success’

Below is the excerpt.

Blog is a shorthand term for weblog. It is an online journal where you can post your thoughts, observations and comments about a particular topic. Blogs can enable an organisation to quickly share information among employees, partners or customers. But blogging has its advantages as well as disadvantages as far as an employee or an organisation is concerned.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/quickiearticleshow/6460103.cms

Here are my points for ‘How to How to Blog for Career Success’

1. Take permission or at the very least inform the people concerned

I am talking about your boss, your PR department and any corporate communications in your organization.
If you are a position where you can blog/share your views freely, please do so.
I personally think the blog by Bill Marriott is so much better than any PR mailers.

2. Share your views not the news
You can also blog the latest announcements, but I am of the opinion you would have an official company website/blog/fan page on facebook/twitter account etc. let the news be there, let the views be on your blog.

3. Link everything to your blog
Linkedin, twitter, facebook, your email footer, your visiting card, everything.
Link and promote your blog on all your online and in all your offline presence.
Giving a speech? Visiting a college/university, sharing a talk at the industry association/meet, link it up to your blog.

4. Have a point of view
Take a stand. Don’t be someone who says ‘maybe/ they could have/ maybe not/ they couldn’t have’
Decide.
Take a point of view, then blog it.
Defend it, argue it, and scream it.

5. Invite people to comment
Ask your colleagues to comment, invite your readers.
Engage them.
Answer the queries.
Let even the negative comments go online.

6. Seek feedback
On your company services, your products and also your own blog.
Ask the readers and let them be frank.
Own all the feedback you get even if it does not pertain to your department/product/service etc.

7. Keep it simple
Please don’t make it too flashy or jazzy. Stick to the simple blog look. It is more personal that way. Let the content talk.

8. List your contact details
It is quite irritating to reach a blog and not find any contact details on it.
If you are concerned about privacy, do not blog.
If you choose to blog, then be open and available.
And please respond.

9. Do not put up any confidential information
Nothing that is not in the public domain should go up.
Not only is this unethical, you could invite legal trouble and financial liabilities.

10. Don’t wait for the perfect time, start NOW!
Learn as you go along. Start. Don’t worry too much about how many readers you garner at the very start. Concentrate on writing good stuff, people (read google) will find you!

What the Hell is going on at EIH? oh wait Reliance just became the largest, again!

India

Attrition rate in the hospitality industry in India set to touch 50 per cent by 2010 - What does the future hold for you?

According to an Economic Times report, the same reasons are back. Better pays at BPOs, international offers, work-life balance etc.

I have a better answer.

I think finally the people in the ivory towers, the rich owners are coughing up more. Salaries are improving almost as fast as 'servant attitude' is dropping.

more hospitality professionals want to be paid as professionals and treated as one too, and guess what, because of competition, the owners have to.

Let me try and see if I can predict a little into the future. lets say five years from now.

here is what I see:

- brands everywhere. standalone hotels will only exist in the far ends of the bell-curve. either these will be too small to matter, or too big (read upmarket or higher service levels) to ignore. everything in between will be branded.

that will mean more parity in salaries, more management training and therefore enrichment of the workforce and of course, more bargaining for the employees.

- hotel management institutes with tie-ups with hotels/brands. not the in-house management training programs that are such a waste of time (some of these are called MT programs only because no one was joining), but the more integrated approach to academics with a practical view.

- I beleive and I am willing to bet, more industry accreditation. you will need to be certified for everything and the ones with the certification will make more money.

- last but not the least, I think the designations will change. we will see more Deputy/ Assistant General Managers, we will probably even see AVPs - Associate Vice Presidents. why? because a lot of these branded hotels will be owned by companies where the GM will be President too. These will also make the hoteliers feel a little better about what they do. It works, ask the bankers!

there you have it.

oh, I almost forgot. if you are not getting a 20%+ increase this year, you are way below average. Consider yourself to be a high flier? aim at 50%!

cheers!

p.s. buy me a drink if you do make that raise!

Everything you wanted to know about LEED stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design

What is LEED?

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design.

LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

LEED is flexible enough to apply to all building types – commercial as well as residential. It works throughout the building lifecycle – design and construction, operations and maintenance, tenant fitout, and significant retrofit. And LEED for Neighborhood Development extends the benefits of LEED beyond the building footprint into the neighborhood it serves.

See More

LEED - Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design

10 Greenies @ ITC Royal Gardenia

How To Develop Your Menu

"It seems beyond the imagination of the menu-maker
that there are people in the world who breakfast on a single egg."
Melvin Maddocks

Melvin Maddocks' quote sums up my own feeling upon opening most hotel or resort beverage menus. While contemporary restaurants promote specific concepts through the selection of ingredients and style of cooking, enticing guests with imaginative dishes and neatly worded menus, the same ideology towards concept development has not been widely embraced in the bar and the lack of imagination to which Maddocks alludes is still common.
Take a moment to consider the outlets in your property. Does the cocktail selection in your signature restaurant dovetail with the food offering? Do any of your bars have a specific beverage concept or do your menus consist of mainly classic cocktails?
The classics are all very well - they endure for very good reason - but for your bar to stand out in an increasingly competitive market, consideration must also be given to signature concepts and cocktails. Aspiring operators are beginning to catch on and, at Fling International, we have seen an rise in requests for menu development in properties ranging from 4-star business hotels to exclusive boutique resorts.
We firmly believe that bar concepts are only limited by your imagination and that a little investment in intelligent menu development can really set your bar apart. Here is my 8-point guide to developing your own unique beverage offering.
1) Keep it Different
One of the keys to a bar's success is having a concept that stands out from the crowd. Have a look at the surrounding area and see what kind of bars are already established.
If there are a lot of Latin bars in your area, for example, then don't open another one, even if you think your head bartender's Mojito is the best in the world.
That doesn't mean you should eschew popular drinks for the sake of being different but why not put your own conceptual twist on them? What about an Italian concept that lists a sun-dried tomato Bloody Mary, a fresh basil Daiquiri or a Mojito topped with prosecco?
2) Make Sure it is On-Trend
Strong concepts take a current trend like the use of homemade bitters and syrups or the incorporation of local, seasonal ingredients and run with them.
Research what is current and popular through the internet and the industry press and be careful that you leverage the popularity of a growing trend rather than jump on to the back of a fad that will not deliver in the long term.
3) Make sure it fits
While you need to be different, don't be so different that your concept confuses your clientele. Developing a molecular mixology concept in the centre of a cosmopolitan city will endorse your bar as cutting edge, however, in a remote game reserve it would be out of place.
When developing a menu I always try to keep in mind a sense of place, especially if there is a number of tourists among the clientele. I believe the concept should not only promote the outlet but also the property and destination.
4) Don't price yourself out of the market
Gold dust and lobster-infused vodka may catch the eye on the menu but make sure your guests can bear the sales price or you risk implementing a vanity project rather than a profitable product.
One-off luxury drinks that require expensive ingredients or time-consuming methods can add value to an outlet but they should be kept to a minimum and highlighted on the menu for maximum effect.
5) Control the cost
Don't load your menu with too many ingredients that are only used in one drink. Smart concept design concentrates on ingredients you already purchase and integrates them into multiple drinks.
Look at how you can fit one ingredient into a non-alcoholic cocktail, a long cocktail and a martini cocktail. Place them in different sections of the menu so the repetition isn't obvious.
6) Spell it out
Make sure your guests understand the concept of your bar through the menu. This is achieved through the ingredients you use as well as the cocktail names and descriptions.
Your beverage menu should be a reflection of the bar and, worded correctly, it will celebrate the concept, generate positive interest and become a selling tool for the outlet in itself.

7) Make it deliverable

Don't burden your bar with a concept that is difficult to implement or sustain. A Mexican concept isn't going to work if your suppliers only have two different brands of tequila.
Also, don't overload the menu with concept cocktails. Develop six to eight signature drinks and highlight them at the front of the menu then use the remaining pages for popular contemporary cocktails and high-selling classics.
8) Train your staff
Perhaps most importantly, make sure your staff understand the concept and cocktails and are able to explain them to your guests.
While the menu can become a selling tool for the concept, it is essential that your staff have the knowledge to actively promote the concept, answer guest questions and make recommendations.
Andrew Mullins is a founder and director of Fling International
Fling International
Fling International is a group of professional bar developers and hospitality operators dedicated to the improvement of bartending, bar operation, hospitality training & guest experience worldwide.
They provide comprehensive consultancy and training courses including menu development, professional bartender and bar waiter courses, salesmanship and opening support. They count One&Only, Starwood, Shangri La and Conrad among a prestigious list of satisfied clients.

Recruitment Secret 'Recruiters Pay Human Resources'

The What & The Why

This is a dirty one.
Its not something that would happen at the best of companies, or then again you would think it does not happen.
Its all about demand and supply.
Industries where the demand for manpower is more than the supply, the recruiter is vital for existence and business, the instance of this happening is low. But, the other way around and you have possible "grease" money exchanging hands.
Some companies would not change their recruiter for the world and some HR professionals seem to carry the recruitment agency from one company to the other. I want to believe that this is all about merit, but then again, I know better.
Where it does not happen, you are good, where it does, you should know what to do.
Some years back, I asked a very promising young candidate to approach hotels in New Delhi directly. I told her to forget recruitment agencies and recruiters coz she was very very good. I did not see a hotel not wanting her. The position of a GR/ Front Office is one that is always in demand for a suitable profiles and she was perfect for it.
My logic then was, if a company was getting someone without having to pay the recruiter, it would grab that opportunity.
Saving HR costs would go down well on the KRA of any HR manager. I was wrong.

Out of the 9 leading hotels she went in to drop her resume, only 3 met her.
The rest asked her to just leave the resume.
Out of the 6 that asked her to deposit the resume, 3 called back to tell her they would get in touch in the next recruitment cycle and 3 never reverted.
But what is fascinating is, 2 recruiters called her.
They asked her to come across to their offices and assured her, they would get her the job she desired.
Now, how did the recruiters get her contact details? you don't have to be a genius to figure this out, from the HR.
One could look at this in a nice fashion too. I have some clients who will send everyone who approaches them for a job to me, so that I can do all the screening that we have come to offer them and they have come to trust. For an employer, this is worth the money he/she pays the recruiter. Having a special relationship of this sort, leaves the HR free for all the other tasks that a company HR needs to perform.
or you could look at it as what it could also be. reward-sharing. kickbacks. bribes.
I have repeated this process to figure out the HR folks (its not the company, its the people) who indulge in this and stay away from them. But what do you do as a candidate?
Here's another angle to the same story.
Recruiters for some leading hotels/companies are related to the decision makers. I know of General Manager's wives who run people search operations for the hotels where their spouse is the General Manager. You cannot tell me all of them are objective in their hiring decisions. It may not be just the HR, and it may not be just money.
but, how can you figure it out?

What You Can Do

If you are a candidate, here are a few tips:
1. listen to the language used by the recruiter
words like 'I look after their entire recruitment', 'you can meet us here or at the hotel', or the more brazen 'even if you go to them directly, they will send you to me' - are dead giveaways.
2. If you know the company needs someone for a position and is still lethargic in its response to your application or worse you apply to the company email and a recruiter calls you.
3. you go to an interview and people are not really sent in based on what time they came.
so what can you do?
1. If you've figured it out, then woo the recruiter and not the company.
for you, the recruiter is now the person to look after. Take care of him, he will take care of the company.
2. Refer two more 'good' candidates. Not for your position but for another position that the recruiter is currently recruiting for. He will love you for the extra business.
3. Assure the recruiter you plan to stick around. you can either find out from them what is the time period for them in the contract to get paid or simply leave hints. The recruiter hates to search for free if you quit too soon.
4. Speak well of the recruiter. In front of them and the company.
5. Do not approach the company directly. The company will tell the recruiter and the recruiter will not be happy.
6. If the company does call, keep the recruiter informed. Don't assume the company will tell him. Keep communication lines open.
7. Once an offer is made, discuss the same with the recruiter. Remember higher your pay, higher his pay. Maybe he could ask for more, for you. Win-Win for you and him.
8. Last but not the least, remember the names of the key decision makers. If this is what they are doing at this company, most often than not they will carry this behavior to the next.
All the best!
Get Selected!

How Much Time Does A Recruiter Spend On Your Resume?

Not very much.

I know that sucks. You spend a lot of time & effort in making sure your resume is well prepared, accurate and attractive. You make sure its professional and yet not common, makes you stand out and yet not sound boastful. Some even hire specialists to help them make a resume that does all the above.

And yet, the recruiter only spends maybe 20-30 seconds the first time they encounter your resume.

Let me talk about the reasons first, and then we will talk about what to do.

Here are the reasons:

1. With the online method of application, one can apply to jobs in a simple click. This maybe good when you are applying, but it is disastrous at the other end. The sheer number of resumes that flow in for any position is large and sometimes it is a deluge.

2. Everybody applies. There seems to be no think and apply strategy here. Since it is so easy to apply (monster, for e.g. lets you apply to a number of jobs together!) some don’t even read what the requirements are.

3. The new recruiter is very excited with the number of responses, until she starts sifting through them. Junk Junk & more junk. Pretty soon, she is bored!

What do you need to do?

1. Apply only to jobs you really are interested in. Don’t send your resume to every thing that comes up on your job search.

2. Tailor your resume for the job you are applying for. I have received the same resume from candidates for the positions of Restaurant Manager, Food & Beverage Manager and General Manager.

3. Know what the recruiter is looking for. You will see this in the candidate specifications.
a. If the recruiter has specified an area of expertise, highlight that.
b. If the emphasis is on experience, bold that.
c. If the thrust is on a particular company or location, lead with that.

4. Forget attachments. Put your resume in the mail. It is cumbersome to open attachments.

5. See how your summary looks. Most sites (naukri, monster, timesjobs) have a summary of your resume sent to the recruiter. She may not go further than that if the summary does not talk about what she is looking for.

6. Make your resume jump/stand out. Do something unconventional with your resume. Some caution here, do not make it a presentation, do not make it in rainbow colors.

All in all, you have to ensure you pass the screening stage. Post that, most recruiters will spend a considerable amount of time on it.

5 Ways to Practice For Your Interview

As with any performance, such as acting or public speaking, the more you practice the better you will get at it.

It's not enough to know the answers. You must be able to deliver them in the best possible way.

More importantly, practice should be such that you can eliminate what are seemingly obstructions in your communication. so must be learn and improve with each practice session. merely doing the same thing over & over again, may just prove harmful rather than helpful.

here are our 5 suggestions for practicing:

1. Write all your answers & have them approved by a language expert

At a campus recruitment session once, I noticed all the students making the same grammatical error, until I realized that the mistake was a result for blind cut-copy-paste method for resume building.

2. Record your answers on a tape/CD/Computer/Phone/recording device & listen to them

You will notice your pitch, volume, speech slurs, use of fillers like hmmm, etc. Keep correcting this and keep re-recording till you get it right.

3. Use a Speech Expert

Once you think it is perfect, get it approved by a speech expert/ or someone you think has a good ear. correct what they tell you to and re-record.

4. Stand in front of a mirror & practice
Notice your body language.
Stand erect, or sit erect, notice your hands, look at the person interviewing you and make eye contact.

5. Use a Video Recorder
Confident? good. Now record the same on a video recorder/camera phone and again show it to friends/family/mentor etc.

remember, Perfect practice makes perfect performance.

A MUST DO | get a .hotel domain name for your hotel

.hotel is a new top-level domain extension (such as .com or .us) which is exclusively dedicated to hotels, their organizations and the hotel business worldwide.

.hotel will enable members of the hotel community to register valuable domain names such as www.adlon.hotel, www.nyc.hotel or www.beach.hotel from next year onwards. The .hotel top-level domain will help to solve existing challenges in a strongly growing online hotel business.

The introduction of the .hotel name space (also called top-level domain or domain extension) is supported by a multiplicity of international and national hotel associations and hotel chains as well as by leading suppliers of the hotel business worldwide.

Akazienstrasse 2 | 10823 Berlin |

Germany

Tel: +49 30 4980 2724 | Fax: +49 30 4980 2725
www.dothotel.info

To know more click here

Who may register .hotel domain names?
Hotel industry community members like individual hotels, hotel chains and marketing organizations, hotel associations and organizations as well as organizations and stakeholders principally involved in the hotel industry will be eligible to register a .hotel domain name.

Which evidence is needed to register a .hotel domain name?
With a .hotel domain name registration the registrant will commit itself to be in compliance with the hotel industry community eligibility criteria. After registration we will validate this self-commitment on each single domain name registered. For verification we may use companies register, hotel association membership lists, registered trademarks or other positive evidence.

Where can .hotel domain name be registered?
.hotel domain names will be available at most common Internet providers, where hotels and other hotel community members already have their domain portfolios.

Is there a safeguard for trademark holders?
Yes, registered trademark holders from the hotel industry community will be able to register domain names based on their intellectual property rights before the open registration starts. Trademarks like HOTEL VALLEY may be eligible for www.valley.hotel, WORLD HOTELS may be eligible for www.world.hotel.

What are the costs for a .hotel domain name?
Depending on the Internet provider where the customer registers, the .hotel domains are estimated to cost around € 60 per year per domain name.

How To Write The Objective Of A Resume

The job of a resume is to get you an interview. period.
When does that happen? When your resume answers the questions that the recruiter / company/ boss is seeking answers to.
Here is how to ensure the objective of your resume, does exactly that.

what does your signature say about you? 79 -

The Why?

The art of reading handwriting is called graphology.
The logic is pretty simple.
Handwriting is nothing but an output of the electrical impulses of the brain.
Since it is an output, one can gauge the person/individual from the handwriting.
Now, why stress on the signature?
In an ever increasing electronic world, you just don't write that often. you email, you text, you surf. all that leaves you using the standard fonts and hence everything seems similar.
however, you still sign documents, contracts, applications and more. That is where your personality, your personality traits can and are visible.
think about your childhood. your early childhood, in the early years of school. you were taught repeatedly how to write. your teachers, parents spent a considerable time trying to get you to write in that cursive handwriting that everyone desires. but here is the kicker. all of us landed up with our own style of handwriting, didn't we?
That's coz, we are individuals, with our own personality, our own desires, abilities and learning. Your handwriting is nothing but you expressed on paper.
Your signature, is a snapshot of that personality.

The Basics

I wrote about the some basic rules of handwriting analysis and how you could find out a little bit more about yourself. The hub 'What does my handwriting say about me?' is at http://hubpages.com/hub/what-does-my-handwriting-tell-about-me
Now back to your signature.
some of the same rules as handwriting apply here (please read here) to.
But some are only for signatures:

size of the signature
size of the first letter of the signature
slant of the signature
the use of first name, last name or alphabets
underlining the signature
dotting the signature
any backward loops in the signature

size of the signature

The rule of thumb is this ' the bigger the signature, the more gregarious, outgoing the person is'
the smaller the signature, the person could be:
- a miser with money, emotions or self
- an introvert
- unassuming

Size of the first letter of the signature

The size of the first letter gives you an idea of what the person thinks or feels about themselves in relation to or in comparison to the rest of the world.
the difference in the highest point of the letter and the lowest point is the percieved difference they feel is between them and the common people.
this is sometimes also used to gauge ego.
some variations are used.
- if the letter is in capital, (S) the more pronounced self-eesteem
- is the letter is in lettercase (s) then the person is more grounded

slant of the signature

an upward slant shows ambition and a forward thinking individual
an straight signature, someone who is balanced in approach to life and work
and downward slant, i.e. the signature starts on the line and moves below may show someone who is not confident of themselves or had self-esteem issues

the use of first name, last name or alphabets

most people use both, the first name & the last name (family name) in their signatures.
but here are some variations and what they mean:
- only first name is used - the person believes in him/herself and does not take recourse to family. is independent in thought and will most likely move out to work by him/herself. very conscious of the money they make
- only last name used - the person is a family person. loves them, but may have issues surviving outside the protection offered.
- first name letters + last name full - balanced.
- last name signed before first name - puts family before self

underlining the signature

no underline - unassuming person. not too fussy and does not need to impress self-worth or accomplishments on anyone.
one line below the signature - likes people to know he/she exists. is bound to talk about self but not too much or not in excess. likes to ensure presence is felt.
two lines below the signature - loves to take credit. ensures people know the favors he/she has done for them.
the line cuts through the signature - tends to go back on his/her word and generally has a tendency to contradict him/herself

dotting the signature

some people will dot the signature.
most will do so after scratching a line under the signature.
the line is to ensure that they underline their presence, but a dot is worse.
one dot - you should know who I am, and what I do and what I did, but here is another reminder
two dots - dont forget who did this.

any backward loops in the signature

it could mean any of the following:
- someone who thinks a lot, about everything
- someone who will take everything upon themselves and be miserable till everyone around is happy
- someone who will take go about explanations in a round about way
- someone who may fib if he/she feel it is required.

What you can do!

handwriting analysis or signature analysis is not an exact science and really, you should develop your own little notations on the material mentioned.
I started many years back and over the years started creating a mental model. How I use it is like this:
- the handwriting or signature will not be the only criteria to work with, for or hire someone.
- I will form a general opinion (like all us do, first impressions) and then take away or add to that mental picture.
But here is the fantastic part!
you can change yourself, your personality, a little at a time, slowly, but you can, but changing your signature.
leave your comments and I will tell you what you can do.

what does your handwriting tell about you and what you can do about it 75

More / Related Topics / Articles

what does your signature say about you?
You don't write that often. you email, you text using the standard fonts and everything seems similar. however, you still sign documents, contracts, applications & more. That is where your personality, your personality traits are visible.

A Lot! for starters there are 8 parameters to look at:

Size of the letters
Slant of the writing
Space/alignment to the straight line
Pressure on paper while writing
Dotting the i
Crossing the t
The y,g loop
Sharp ‘n’s and ‘m’s

each one is detailed below

1. Size of the letters

the thumb rule is, 'the bigger the letters, the more generous the person'
with love, adulation, money, charity, etc.
bigger letters are also a sign of an outgoing personality or gregarious nature.

2. Slant of the writing

If you draw a straight vertical line and take that as a reference for the handwriting in question you could say the following:
- left-slant - self centered. the left leaning the slant of the handwriting is, the more the person is attuned to him/herself and puts her/his own needs before those of the ones around or the family.
- straight up -balanced. the person is balanced in their approach to life, and does not choose self or family. the person has the capacity to think things through and decide what to do.
- right-slant - family/friends come first. emotional levels are higher with the slant. such people are likely to put others before themselves. they are also prone to cry at romantic movies and feel empathy

3. space/alignment to the straight line

the closer to the straight horizontal line the more grounded the individual.
the letters floating in the air may reflect the amount of time that the person spends on creating plans or thinking. these may also be castles in the air.
if the letters go into the baseline, this may be demonstrative of people who are likely to question everything about themselves and at times be too critical of their own actions or thoughts

4. pressure on paper while writing

we call this the passion quotient.
if you take the paper someone has written on and turn it over, you should be able to see the indentation of the writing.
the more pronounced the indentation, the more passion the person has or demonstrates in the activity.
a light pen may suggest the person is either not interested in the task at hand or generally likes to work on the bigger picture than on nitty gritty

5. dotting the i

dotting the i is considered the sign of someone who is meticulous and detail oriented.
if the dot is too close to the body of the i, it may show a need to re-check and re-confirm everything or the propensity to work on something beyond the hours required.
the dot flying off the i shows someone who couldn't be bothered with the small stuff. it shows someone who is careless and is prone to make errors.
a dot missing completed is just someone who is irresponsible.

6. crossing the t

the balanced is the one who crosses the t completely. this shows someone who can and will do the necessary required.
if the cross on the t is towards the left side, the person maybe prone to self-criticism.
if the cross on the t is towards the right side, the person is someone who finds fault with others.
an upward slant is a sign of forward looking, positive and ambitious person
a cross not connecting with the body of the t is symbolic of someone who thinks faster than they can write. these people are more interested in creating than managing.
a dagger shaped cross on the t, could be sign of bad temper

7. the y,g loop

the larger the loop, the greater the love of life.
the loop may also signify the sex drive and the larger the loop the more active the individual.
the want, desires in the materialistic world maybe gauged using this feature.
a straight line, of the y or g would be someone who likes their own company, is individualistic in approach to life and can spend hours by themselves.

Sharp ‘n’s and ‘m’s

'n' & 'm' need you to curve and complete the letter.
the curve is what is used to determine intelligence, insight or quick thinking.
the sharper the shape of the curve (think needle-like) shows a sharper intellect.

Conclusion

graphology is a very detailed science and this is just a quick introduction to get your interested.
take your own handwriting, or the ones around you and try it. the more you do it, the better you will get at it.
there are also some who suggest you can change your persona by deliberately changing your handwriting. you can. I suggest you do!

I also invite you to leave your specific requirement (what you would want to change about yourself or improve) and I will reply with what you can do with your signature

Exclusive Interviews | Rajat Bhatia, Head-Operations & Business Development at OMA

Rajat is Head-Operations & Business Development at OMA and previously he was with Dusit Hotels & Resorts.
www.hospemag.com caught up with him for an exclusive interview

Editor : Tell us about your journey. how did it all start?
Rajat : I studied Hospitality Management, both at a graduate & specialization levels. At that time, it made good sense for me to initiate my career in hotel operations. I have enjoyed every moment working in operations for close to 8 years. What has continued to strike me is the lack of follow thru that occurs, even in the largest hotel brands, between customer needs & facility planning. More often than not we in operations deal with the customer problems more to placate them rather than to pass on the lessons to higher management for future decisions
In view I had decided to switch towards project development & brandguideline implementation. I do not regret this decision one bit. I am now starting to specialize in pre opening projects.

Editor : What do you think it takes to succeed in this industry?
Rajat : Hospitality is all about understanding and anticipating customer needs. This requires patience, perseverance, organizing and delegating tasks. You have to be open to learn new things. Taking advantage of this to constantly strive to be better will help you to attain greater achievements as well and help you to truly develop into a successful hotel professional.

Editor : What are the attributes you look for while selecting or hiring?
Rajat : Technical Know How for the job, positive attitude, ability to learn, hands on and should definitely be open to accept and bring new ideas on table.

Editor: Tell us a little about your average day.
Rajat : The thing I enjoy most working in this business is your days are never the same. My first half is generally packed with meetings and emails. Second half is more of site visit. Review project status and plan for the days coming ahead.

Editor: How do keep abreast of all that is happening in hospitality?
Rajat : I have subscriptions to various hospitality publishing availablefreely online. Apart from this, social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook keep me updated on all happenings around the hospitality world.

Editor : Finally, tell us about this fascinating new concept, OMA cafe!
Rajat: Oma Cafe is all about new dimensions in hospitality. The first cafe is soon to be open at DLF Emporio, New Delhi. It is a luxury lifestyle cafe and is being developed by Hero Motors (www.heromotors.com). We have already successfully established chain of luxury lifestyle stores under the brand name of Oma (www.omaliving.com). The project is due to open in Early June 2011. More of these cafe's will follow thereafter across major metropolitancities of

India

.
We have with us on board the Chef Kuntal Kumar. Chef Kuntal has just returned from an overseas assignment. He has worked with various international hospitality brands that include Ananda at Himalayas, Shillim Hilton & Gibbs Farm,

Tanzania

. We are confident that he will add tremendous value to the F&B offering of the cafe.

TECH | Robot Butlers Are Finally a Reality

Prabhjot | You thought touch screens were taking away jobs, wait till you see this!

REEM as a "humanoid robot, equipped with an autonomous navigation system, a touch screen" and notes that he is "capable of roaming through any kind of surroundings" thanks to the simple wheeled-base assembly.
to see the robot in motion, see the video.
go to http://www.hospemag.com/2011/03/tech-robot-butlers-are-finally-real...

10 psychology studies every hotelier must know

and what each one means for your business Before we start, here is a small to do. Please, just do it, if only as a favour to me. choose a number between 2 & 9

Multiply by 9

Add the two digits

subtract 5

find the letter equal, e.g. A=1, B=2, C=3

Think of Country's name with that letter.

Think of an animal from the second letter of the country's name

Ok, that was fun!

What is this about? What should you expect in the next few pages?

I enjoy psychological research and over the years I have collected some favorites of mine. This is just the 10 that I think you as hotelier would enjoy to read about and the ones that I think can make a difference, a huge difference to your business / operations.

Read on then.

Things GenXI of hoteliers would love to see in 2011

· Guests apologizing to the them for making them wait

· Guests offering to pay more because they can see the hotel is over-booked

· Guests switching off lights to help the environment

· Guests learning the SOPs of the hotel

· Guests offering to complete all formalities, fill up all paper-work, bring all identification in triplicate duly signed and authenticated before check In.

· Guests just happy to be served. Not asking for anything more fancy like personalization or VIP treatment.

· Robots handling customers complaints. Maybe rajni!!

· Bosses offering to stand at the counter because my feet hurt

· A no make up day! lets all accept humanity with all its flaws. If guests can come to the hotel without any make up, why cant the staff?

· Guests eating in the staff cafeteria. This will make hotel managers/owners give us some decent food.

· 4 work-day week – 6 hours a day. that it, cant stand this place!

· Bonus payments everytime the hotel does more than 60% occupancy

· Free soap for all staff- actually add chocolate and tequila too!

· Coffee and doughnuts at the front desk – for the front desk

· Guests complaining on facebook…maybe poke.. but not too hard

· Group check ins on twitter..actually make that ‘your food is ready’ tweet for f&b guests.

· Guests clean up after themselves. How old are you? four?? Come on!

· Guns. Training in firing guns. Who knows..with the way the world is, I should be allowed to protect myself.

· Only cash transactions. Come on!! No one leaves tips anymore.

· Tip calculator, everywhere.

· Revenue management for salaries! Yeah, that’s right… I want you to pay higher when you need me the most!!

· Working from home. Just put up a giant screen on the front desk, I will log in from home and work through web-camera!!

· New hotels in my home town. I am tired of living in big ugly cities. Why cant you open large, fvie star deluxe hotels in my home town? Then I can work and have a life!

· Automatic increment and promotions. So many people higher up the hierarchy never die sorry retire or leave. We like the govt model. If we are still around, promote us every 3 years.

· Cooler uniforms. Seriously! who the hell wears what you make us wear anymore? We look like morons, or worse bollywood exrtras in a dance sequence! We want to wear regular clothes that common people wear – levis jeans and tommy tees!

· Jimmy choos. If you don’t know why we need better shoes, you are not from this industry

· No more entertaining – no more coffee or lunch or dinner by the guest relations. We don’t like that much. If we did like you (the guest), this hotel is not where we could come for a dinner!

· No more war stories from managers. You may have done a 48 hours shift, managed a 1000 cover party all by yourself and cleaned 10000 rooms in one shift, but that was because nobody loved you and you had nowhere to go. we – the currentgeneration thank you very much – have a life.

· Pay us royalty for recording us in you CCTV – yeah that’s right! We know the managers use it as in-house entertainment.

· One me- one boss. I cannot try and show like I listen to theassistant manager, the deputy assistant manager, the manager, the executive assistant manager, the director of managers, the resident manager, the deputy general manager, the general manager etc etc. Choose one, that is the person I will ignore.

· Use my name. I hate the name tag, feel like cattle being tagged, but if you are going to tag me, then use the bloody name. don’t sweety me, don’t honey me. There is a name on the tag. P.s. it takes just a glance to read it. don’t try and seek the meaning of life while you stare at it.

· There will be days when I don’t feel like smiling. I just don’t. I am sure you do too. So, you don’t smile when you don’t want, I wont when I don’t want to. Ok.

· If fire fighters, cops, teachers and all govt employees can sleep when there is no one around, I too want to! If there is no customer in the restaurant, or if no one needs front office assistance, I will take a nap.

there is more but considering all management is from the last century, we will print it and send it.

How to motivate your team - 10 Ideas For Hotel General Managers

As the General Manager of a hotel, your team looks to you, for answers, encouragement, guidance, ides and more. More often than not, I notice that the GMs mood dictates the team’s.
Here are 10 ideas to motivate your team!

1. Ensure the morning meeting starts on a positive note. Share a guest compliment, or an incident or even a team member mention. I know of one GM who starts the day clapping for the engineering department if the unit consumption is below budget for the previous day!

2. Visit one of your HODs in their office. Every day, pick one and go see him/her in his/her office. Sit on the opposite side of the table, and chat. Ask questions, listen and offer solutions only if they ask for it. Ensure you cover everyone in a fortnight.

3. Take an HOD on the property round with you. Share what you look for on an everyday basis. Ask them to tell you what they see, what more could be possible. You will be amazed how different the floors look to the Purchase Manager than they do to you.

4. Take up a team challenge every week. For e.g. Let’s make the process of issuing uniforms faster this week. Get everyone behind a common goal. It doesn’t matter who gets the credit, because no one gets it. In assure you, your HODs will soon be asking you to take up one of their departments tasks/pain point as project for the week.

5. Serve food in the cafeteria. Stand behind the counter, smile, serve. Remember you are a hotelier too!

6. Go to the room of a guest who just complained to the Guest Relations. Knock on the door, introduce yourself, and solve the problem. See how it brings vigor to the team.

7. Visit a client. Go to the clients office and praise your team. Don’t ask the client for how bad they are or what you can do, tell the client how good your team is and what they have been doing for the client. Be the Sales’ sales team.

8. Write a handwritten note to your team member’s spouse if one of your team stays back or is held up in the hotel for long. Let the family know, you value him/her.

9. Create a visual collage and let the entire team paste something on it. Don’t worry about a theme or anything. Let it have a place of pride in your office and let it be known that people can post a new thing to it anytime they want.

10. Appreciate. Learn to appreciate everyone and every little thing they do for you.

How to motivate your team - 10 Ideas For Hotel General Managers

HOSPITALITY?

Hospitality,
Dear All,
I am starting a discussion today as appended, Lets start what is Hospitality all about? what are the basic requirements, such as Skills, Service or any?
INTRODUCTION:
Hotel work is tough demanding and sometimes frustrating. Think for a moment about why is it so difficult. If we worked in a factory we would hardly ever see our customer. We would probably produce the same product all day long. Someone else would sell the product to the customer. We would work for one boss?
However the product of a hotel is Hospitality. In a hotel we produce the product sells it to the customer and delivers it to the customer. At least half of the employees for the hotel or resort must deal directly with the customer. Each customer likes to feel that we work directly for him or her.
To make matters more complicated, we cannot produce the entire product ourselves; we are totally dependent on other people and other departments to contribute their share.
We have to handle great pressures from all sides. We have to be kind to unkind people. We have to smile when all we want to do is finish our shift and go home. Everyone always needs everything at once. When one thing goes wrong everything seems to go wrong.
Thus our job requires JOB SKILLS, such as operating the computer terminal, charting reservations, giving directions, checking guests in and out, presenting them food & beverage and cleaning their rooms.
However, our job also requires PEOPLE SKILLS – how to handle several people at once, how to stay calm unhappy guests.
This training program is about these PEOPLE SKILLS in the hotel and resort business. It was designed for the hotel industry and has been given to thousands of people in the business.
This training program shows you how to work with other people in such a way that you control events and minimize the times that events control you. This is the difference between Service and Servitude. This is what can make Hotel or Resort’s work more exciting and rewarding
It is our pleasure to serve you.

Hotel Sales Action Step for Success

We have all heard the expressions about the need to try something different if we expect different results, as well as the message about working smarter rather than simply longer or harder.

In my career as in yours, we have all seen people unexpectedly succeed and others that we believed would be the likely winners falter.

In hotel sales, that can be especially true and I believe at least a portion of those outcomes are based on the “high touch” side of our industry. While we have the benefits today of technology that can track and measure statistics with incredible speed, the human interaction remains the fundamental core of success in hotel operations and sales.

In a recent column, I mentioned 10 mistakes to avoid. Here are ten action steps that should help increase the likelihood of success:

1. Take regular time to THINK and PLAN. To be effective, a sales manager needs to plan each week and day, allocating prime hours for selling, following up as needed, and measuring their activities against the marketing and sales plans. The truly great sales professionals, regardless of their title, regularly examine what they are doing, why they are doing it and how they are measuring their success. Sales is challenging and requires persistence, but it also requires quiet time to assess and re-address. The economy plays a role, but there are always people looking for the services of a hotel like yours. Taking the time for THINKING makes the difference.

2. Listen Actively. Do not mentally prepare your response before the other person has actually delivered their message. While it is critical to be able to handle objections, respond to what your client actually is interested in or says. In this highly competitive marketplace in an uncertain economy, not listening to a potential customer is the surest way to drive them to a competitor. Whether you are a hotel sales manager or a general manager, we must remember the new multi -generational buyers and culturally diverse professionals in the market. While it targets the manager more than sales, it does provide an easy to follow structure for evaluating listening effectiveness.

3. Return phone calls within 24 hours. This one is not hard to remember, but a challenge to do. If one is taking the time to create action steps to meet the needs of the marketing plan and regularly THINKING about optimum ways to improve sales conversions, then being responsive to inquiries on the phone is a very basic way to build the likelihood of better sales. That means reviewing how messages are left in your hotel and establishing a protocol that is constantly met.

4. Position yourself as a problem solver for your clients. Between emails, high speed internet access on our I-Phones and blackberries, webcasts and blogs, we are evolving to a point of information overload today. Technology is meant to help, and we can use it to solve problems of our clients, but this is still a people interaction business. When meeting with the potential client regardless if they are a corporate executive or a social group planning their 25th high school reunion, accurately noting the clients’ needs and offering them options is crucial. Writing down what they are saying shows them you are listening, that you care and that you want to assist them. It encourages them to keep talking, which means you have an increased opportunity to match your hotel’s services and features to their needs. The notes you take also can become part of the sales file and are helpful the next time you meet and are looking to book the next meeting or event.

5. Follow up punctually. Think of how many calls, emails and meetings we all face daily. A professional and courteous follow-up note keeps you in the prospect’s mind and lets them know you are detail oriented The simple follow-up that arrives a few days after your meeting can make the difference in how you are judged. It is a sign of personalized attention in an era of growing impersonal contact.

6. Keep in contact with current clients and customers. Create a system to get everyone that guest interaction to become part of this commitment. The front desk agents, the night auditor, the restaurant or breakfast servers all interact with guests regularly and can be excellent conduit points to building relationships. Sometimes incentives are the key to get staff to think about recommending your hotel and other times it is simply asking them to help themselves by offering the information about your hotel Repeat customers are ideal, in that they do not need to be wooed each time IF they were satisfied. These people will not become repeat customers or guests unless they feel appreciated and acknowledged.

7. Know when to ask for help. The role of hotel sales professionals is to try to serve the interests of the client and the hotel. This can be the classic win-win, if management and sales works together. The sales manager of today needs to pursue the guidelines of revenue management, space allocation, maximization of resources and attempt to meet or exceed the budgeted financial targets. If you as the person charged with sales activities and results are uncertain about one of those guidelines, it is much wiser to seek assistance. Continuous learning will provide the answers eventually, but the results will come much quicker when pride and ego are not obstacles to success.

8. Recognize the value of time – to everyone. We all feel pressed for time today, yet we in sales must still recognize there are stages in sales, include prospecting or qualifying, meeting, presenting and closing. At any given point during these stages, your objective is to complete the current stage and move on to the next at the right pace. This means active listening by following the lead of the person you are conversing with. Practice transitioning smoothly from one stage to another so that appreciation of time is recognized by all involved.

9. Maintain Professional Pride in your hotel and in your personal appearance and demeanor. Business casual may dictate that it is appropriate to forego the business attire on certain occasions, but there should never be a time when the professional appearance of the individual, the office or the hotel should be in question. First impressions remain important today – I just did a Google search on the term first impressions and the total number of links was 8,120,000. What does that tell us?

10. Constantly evaluate where you are in relation to your plans. Budgets at times seem unachievable and can be controversial, as they are often created 15-18 months out. In times of economic uncertainty, forecasts as short as 90 days out can quickly become dated. Effective sales professionals project within the hotel ownership guidelines but regularly re-assess the markets and adjust their action plans to maximize success. Communicating that strategy and action regularly to management and ownership builds credibility and positions the sales professionals as accountable and proactive.

the way to learn

Did you ever go to a training or education event and question why you were there? Did you ever find yourself tuning out the leader because there didn’t seem to be anything in the presentation for you?

When you discovered an interesting concept or potentially valuable skill at a training event, did you ever have it evaporate before you had a chance to try it on the job? In fact, how long did it take you to forget 80 percent of what you heard in the last training session you attended? Three key questions in any training situation are:

• What’s in it for me?
• Will it stick?
• Will I be rewarded for what I’ve learned in the training program?

The only right answer to the first question involves a concept we call learning, which means being able to do something new or to do something differently or better than you’ve ever done it before. And if it doesn’t stick, it isn’t learning. As a trainer, educator, consultant, or manager, you should be asking yourself, what can VLC do for me? The heart of VLC is “the way to learn” process. It is the natural process we all experience as learners before we can own and use what we’ve received in a training situation.
LEARN is an acronym that represents the five-step process participants follow as they take in, practice, apply, and internalize skills and concepts.
LEARN is the secret for turning training into learning. Each letter of this acronym stands for an important part of the learning process
The LEARN process.

L Listen and Understand—If you capture my attention and interest, I’ll listen to what you have to offer and try to understand it.

E Evaluate and Decide—When you help me see what’s in it for me, I’ll evaluate the competencies you’ve introduced and decide how I can use them on the Job or in my life outside the job.

A Attempt and Build—If you help me build my skills step-by-step in a safe environment, I’ll make a serious attempt to learn.

R Return and Apply—When I feel comfortable with the skills and abilities I’ve learned, I’ll return to the job and actually use what you’ve taught me. I’ll be able to apply them to my own situation.

N Natural Transition—Now these skills and abilities are mine. I own them. I may pass them on to other people or take them to the next level and learn more on my own.

Some common wrong email habits

Here are the most common email habits and email etiquettes that waste not only yours but your recipient’s valuable time as well. Take a look at them and I am sure, there would be at least one that you may be habituated to.

Incomplete and irrelevant subject in email This is a fairly common email practice that is not given much importance. Those who have been in professional industries and use email for their day-to-day communication would know the importance of using a relevant subjects in their email. When relevant subject is used, your email gets the right attention it deserves and also acted upon, as it should have been. Incomplete and irrelevant subject lines may lead to delays in getting attention to your email and often it may not be read at all. Some common examples of incomplete subject lines are: ‘Hi’, ‘Hello’, ‘Quote’, ‘Sales Promotion’, ‘Support Staff’, ‘New Project’ etc.

Try to elaborate the subject line and incorporate few words that are most relevant to what your email is about. Good examples are: ‘New Project on PHP from ABC Company’, ‘Sales promotion on ABC Product’, ‘Request for adding more resources to support staff’ etc. Also note that some email server may mark your emails as spam mails if the subject line has very few words such as ‘Hello’.

Very Lengthy Emails Who doesn’t like detailed information? But then, if you use email to pitch in your idea or make some suggestion, using bullet points would be a better choice than writing 2 pages of an email. The recipient of your email will find it very easy to read through the bullet points and understand the essence of your email rather than spending their valuable time reading through 2 pages of your story.

You should avoid writing lengthy emails and rather stick to crisp, clear and few lines of text, and if possible use bullet points to pass on your message. Convey your message in as less text as possible. That’s the key to successful communication.

Improper usage of CC and BCC CC and BCC should be used only when applicable and required. It’s a good idea to put all of your recipient’s email addresses and distribution lists in BCC, but the same doesn’t hold true if you were to make business recommendations to your leadership team.

Not quoting the original email when replying Some do not or forget to quote the original email when replying to it. This might be an OK practice if the recipients are already aware of the history of previous emails but doesn’t look good when the same email gets forwarded to someone else who doesn’t know anything about the original message.

If the email you are replying to is running through a chain of emails, it might be a good idea to remove unwanted conversations but the original email must remain intact for better understanding. Replying to All When replying to an email, carefully look at people marked in TO and CC fields of the email. You may be sending a reply to people who should not be receiving your reply or say for example you are replying to an email that was originally sent to a distribution list asking for some information, for example an email sent to everyone in the office asking to know who parked their car in the parking lot # 4. You could unintentionally end up replying to all and send the required information to everyone in the list and it may not be appropriate.
I will post some more email habits that wastes time in near future. Look forward to it

20 Rules of Writing Effective Business E-Mails

Be accurate. Whatever claims you make, benefits you offer, or statistics you quote, make sure they are true and not inflated. Nothing is worse than starting off a relationship with exaggerated or even false information.
Be brief. Your job with B2B e-mail is to capture interest, then provide more information if it's wanted. You need to identify the most important benefit to the recipient and sum it up in a short paragraph. Think of it as the 30-second "elevator pitch" in e-mail form.
Be clear. Most business people are turned off by e-mail messages with bad grammar, misspellings, and/or unintelligible content. If you personally struggle with writing, hiring a professional writer to prepare your messages is a worthwhile investment.
Be genuine. Forget the hype that works with consumers. The B2B relationship is built on trust. Make sure everything you say conveys you are a genuine, upstanding, honest person running a reputable business.
Speak their language. Whatever you're going to say, write in words they understand and are comfortable with. Don't write down to them or above their comprehension level. People tend to understand and react better to words they use in everyday conversations.
Put yourself in their shoes. Try to picture the daily routine of the people you're contacting and reflect that in your writing: "I know you're busy, so I'll get right to the point."
Watch out for a "knowledge gap." Don't assume recipients have the same knowledge about your product or service you do. After you've captured their interest and have reached the "additional information" stage, try offering a step-by-step walkthrough of whatever you're marketing to help them understand what you're trying to say.
Write business e-mails as letters, not as ads. In the B2B world, a forthright communication in letter format is much more effective than an e-mail that looks and smells like an ad.
Take your time. As you would with B2C (and any other communication, for that matter), let your B2B e-mail message sit for a day or two after you complete it. Show it to colleagues and other business people, and get their opinions. In almost every case, the passage of time and other people's input will help you improve your messaging and writing.

the way to learn

What’s in it for me?
Will it stick?
Will I be rewarded for what I’ve learned in the training program?

The only right answer to the first question involves a concept we call learning, which means being able to do something new or to do something differently or better than you’ve ever done it before. And if it doesn’t stick, it isn’t learning.
As a trainer, educator, consultant, or manager, you should be asking yourself, what can VLC do for me?
The heart of VLC is “the way to learn” process. It is the natural process we all experience as learners before we can own and use what we’ve received in a training situation.
LEARN is an acronym that represents the five-step process participants follow as they take in, practice, apply, and internalize skills and concepts. LEARN is the secret for turning training into learning. Each letter of this acronym stands for an important part of the learning process
The LEARN process.
L Listen and Understand—If you capture my attention and interest, I’ll listen to what you have to offer and try to understand it.
E Evaluate and Decide—When you help me see what’s in it for me, I’ll evaluate the competencies you’ve introduced and decide how I can use them on the Job or in my life outside the job.
A Attempt and Build—If you help me build my skills step-by-step in a safe environment, I’ll make a serious attempt to learn.
R Return and Apply—When I feel comfortable with the skills and abilities I’ve learned, I’ll return to the job and actually use what you’ve taught me. I’ll be able to apply them to my own situation.
N Natural Transition—Now these skills and abilities are mine. I own them. I may pass them on to other people or take them to the next level and learn more on my own.

Time Management Tips

Time Management Tips :Time management is a very important skill for professionals. With time management, they will be able to deal with a certain task with ease and avoid crushing pressures. This skill will also lead to increased productivity which could lead to a better career But becoming a person with efficient time management skills is a lot easier said than done. You can set a schedule which seems to get things done on time. But one small problem will lead to another and before you know it, nothing has been done.

Consistency in Thinking Small: Time management could be very difficult if you are tackling a very large task. But they can be easily addressed if you create small stages so that each factor
that could contribute to the success of the task will be done on time. Thinking small will also provide you with a check point on how much you have completed so far.But trouble in time management can easily start in large tasks. Because there is a bigger target composed of small tasks, managers would often think ahead and focus on the end result rather than focusing on the task at hand. When the bigger picture overrides the smaller tasks, virtually nothing will be accomplished. Consistency is always the key to proper time management. Since the plan is already laid out, it is important to follow them to the last letter to ensure that the bigger task will be completed.

“It’s Already There so Finish It”:One of the common mistakes for employees and managers is to stop midway through the task. The reason why this would happen varies but among them is when they perceive the end result will not be according to original plan. Although this might sound a good reason, it’s a defeatist way of thinking. Giving up before ending the task will not only curtail productivity but will actually start a very bad habit. Eventually, every task assigned will no longer be ended appropriately since there is a perceived trouble in the end – even though they might not happen.But time management is not just controlling series of tasks until the goal. It is a commitment that should be followed to the end. Of course there could be troubles in the end but as an employee, what is important is that you have done something instead of stopping without doing anything.

Distinguishing Work Time to Free Time :Another challenge to time management is when work and play overlap each other. Sure, there could be fun while working but playing at work will never help in finishing the assigned tasks. Playing can only distract and could lead to troubling on refocusing on the said tasks. Always distinguish the time that you should be working and you should be playing. By setting a free time, you’ll have a time where you can relax and get the pressure off so that you can go back fully recharged to face another task or to

continue and finish the assigned work.

How to increase Operating Results!!

A different market.., needs different management …..
Business is NOT as usual anymore and when you think it is, then you will have much less results then before. There is no magic to have better results than other Hotels/ Resorts but if you think you don’t have to adept and your staff can work as usual, your business will be by now in trouble!

Hotels/ Resorts, especially in Pakistan and other parts of the world are fighting for survival as declining demand, some areas over-supply and the current law & order and financial crisis has results that many Hotels/ Resorts have problems paying the bills and banks are not supportive to overcome this period.
Hotel owners ask me what should I do, how can I increase my occupation….? Old strategies don’t work anymore, most hotels have adept very slow on the online developments and especially those are hit very hard.

Most hotel owner solutions are, saving on the cost and where do we save?
You save on things that do not hurt immediately ….. as re-finance to long or middle term or new financers/ participants, JV, not replacing staff that leaves, marketing, stock etc.

Most of that helps temporary but you can’t keep doing it, for example; there is a moment you have to spend on marketing again or revenues go down for a long time!!
The best hotels saved and asking themselves… what now, cost down, revenues down and what now??? Revenue enhancement… and how we have to do that is the question!!
Improvements
Is it that many hotel managers became less creative during 1998 and 2007, business was doing well in general with the standard strategies, was management a little spoiled?
We have to increase, on all departments, the services and quality to standout!

Friendliness, cost nothing but it will guests forget little things that need improvement on your Resort or Hotel.
Consciousness of the staff, they have to understand we have an alarming situation that we can overcome/beat! Keep the trust level, of staff, high and increase their motivation!

Communication is one of the keywords, to improve business, not management who knows it all and decides all… communication is the key. Communication between the owners and management, cards open on the table to receive input from many levels in the organization. Communication with your guests
Brand Hotels depend too much on the head office strategies and creativity, which were successful from 1998-2007 but reality shows, managers need to be more creative.
You need top marketing/ sales management for that, do you have?
You need flexible creative General Managers with new strategies! Do you have?
Local marketing strategies can be very successful, finding niches in the local market a head office will never know! Alternative strategies and creative game plans are necessary!
Diversify your customer groups, hotels that only target elite customers, they really have to change their marketing attitude.
Reaching the goals of the company that’s what most brand managers do and that is not enough! Those management forget to go further. I maybe have to say, they were never motivated to go further! (maybe one of the reasons I never worked for brand hotels, they limit my creativity and quick solutions) Those manager are their more to please owners, career, instead of guests!!

Go by the corporate rules, and I am pretty sure those corporate Hotel groups created this mentality. I have to be honest in standard times it worked but now?? Personally as turn-around manager, I saw it coming and I waited for the correction in the market and then only, so to speak, the raisins in the porridge make profits.

It’s all about creativity and flexibility and not afraid to do things different, in a different market. To stand out, in quality, services and actions …..!

Have a creative year!

19 Common Sales Errors and How to Avoid Them

According to management consultants, success is often the result of avoiding errors rather than merely making the smart moves. That’s certainly true in Sales, where these 19 common errors keep cropping up, even among experienced sales reps.
This post not only describes each error, but also explains why each error is made, how it affects the customer and (most importantly) how to avoid making the error in the first place.
I honestly believe that this may be the most useful post I’ve ever added to this blog, so enjoy.

ERROR #1: Neglecting to Develop Sales Skills.

What you did: You never bothered to hone your basic selling skills, like rapport building, cold calling, closing, etc.
Why you did it: You were too busy with the day-to-day pressures of making your numbers to spend the time.
How it screwed you up: You’ve plateaued at a certain level of selling, and never fulfill your potential as sales professional.
What the prospect thought: “Gee, is this guy from the 1990’s or what??”
How to avoid a repeat: Ask a respected peer to monitor your sales interactions and provide advice about where you need work. Then schedule a regular time every week to work on those skills.

ERROR #2: Forgetting to Prime Your Pipeline.

What you did: You avoided lead generation, getting referrals, and cold calling.
Why you did it: When you’ve got plenty of prospects and customers, it seems like a waste of time to generate more opportunities.
How it screwed you up: When your current slate of clients ran out of steam, you had to hustle to build your pipeline… and experienced some lean weeks without commission while you do it.
What the prospect thought: “Why hasn’t that company gotten in touch with me. I guess I’ll buy from somebody else.”
How to avoid a repeat: Schedule quality time for cold-calling and asking for referrals and other lead generation activities. Then execute those activities until you’re certain that you’ll have customers to work with… no matter what happens in the future

ERROR #3: Failing to Qualify Prospects.

What you did: You started a sales opportunity without first confirming that the customer was likely (or able) to buy.
Why you did it: You were so excited that the “customer” is willing to talk that you don’t want to burst your bubble by discovering that they’re not really a customer.
How it screwed you up: You spent days developing an “opportunity” that generated exactly zero revenue for your firm and zero commission for your wallet.
What the prospect thought: “Why is this guy still here? Oh, well, I guess I’ll get him to do some free consulting for us.”
How to avoid a repeat: In the very early stages of the sales cycle, ask questions that will reveal if the prospect really needs what you’ve got to offer and (more importantly) has the money to buy.

ERROR #4: Proposing a Generic Solution.

What you did: You took a bunch of boilerplate material and threw together a solution that would probably work with any company in that industry.
Why you did it: You didn’t have the time to customize your presentation or solution, so you just proposed what you already had in hand.
How it screwed you up: The prospect will be less than enthusiastic (to say the least) when it become clear that the solution is just a cookie-cutter intended for anyone.
What the prospect thought: “Does this idiot really think I need a cookie-cutter solution?”
How to avoid a repeat: Don’t fool yourself into thinking that your generic solution will fill the bill for everyone. Instead, ask questions that uncover real customer needs, then build and present a solution that matches those needs

ERROR #5: Trying to Negotiate Too Soon.

What you did: You entered in discussions of price, delivery, etc. before you’ve secured agreement that a financial transaction is going to take place.
Why you did it: You wanted to close the deal as quickly as possible, but more quickly than was practical.
How it screwed you up: Rather than negotiating terms, you ended up in a price discussion. As a result, you got a lower price than you otherwise might have commanded.
What the prospect thought: “I’m not convinced that I should buy, so let’s see how low I can get him to go on the price!”
How to avoid a repeat: Before final negotiation, establish an overwhelming need for your product, and your product alone. Ace out the competition and leave no other option that can satisfy the customer’s requirements.

ERROR #6. Not Learning Your Own Product.

What you did: You didn’t take the time to learn the ins and outs of your product set.
Why you did it: You figured that you could always check the specification (or call an engineer) later, once the customer was interested.
How it screwed you up: The customer knew more about your products (and your competition) than you, totally destroying your credibility and ability to add value.
What the prospect thought: “How dare that firm send a complete novice to sell to us!”
How to avoid a repeat: When they have product training at the quarterly sales meeting, actually attend the training course — without a hangover from the previous night’s partying. Before calling on the customer, review the products that might interest him. Have all the spec sheets and information to hand (either online or in your briefcase), just in case.

ERROR #7. Not Learning About the Customer’s Industry.

What you did: You didn’t bother to research the basics of the customer’s industry.
Why you did it: You probably figured that one industry is pretty much like another, so why bother learning the details.
How it screwed you up: The customer realized that your experience wasn’t really applicable to his industry, thereby putting you into the “also-ran” category.
What the prospect thought: “Doesn’t this guy realize that we have unique needs?”
How to avoid a repeat: Prior to meeting with any customer, dig around on the Internet to find analyst reports and news articles about the industry. Find out the major players, the major firms, and the major concerns. Take notes, so that you don’t have to do it all over again next time you call on a similar customer.

ERROR #8: Not Understanding Basic Business Principles.

What you did: You revealed your ignorance of basic business and accounting.
Why you did it: Uhhh… Because you are ignorant about basic business and accounting.
How it screwed you up: Your lack of knowledge seriously limited your ability to add value. You couldn’t talk intelligently about ROI or how your offerings would impact the customer’s bottom line.
What the prospect thought: “Why is this guy in sales?”
How to avoid a repeat: Go to your local college or community college and enroll in a basic business course. Find out how to read a financial report, how understand an annual report, and how to calculate ROI. You don’t need an MBA degree to sell, but you do need to know what you’re talking about.

ERROR #9: Letting the Ball Drop.

What you did: Like millions of sales pros before you, you simply didn’t do what it takes to close the deal.
Why you did it: Probably you were working too many accounts and too many deals.
How it screwed you up: While you may have made some sales elsewhere, this lost opportunity means lower revenue for your company, and a loss in your reputation, both with your management and with your erstwhile prospects.
What the prospect thought: “What the heck ever happened to that sales guy??”
How to avoid a repeat: It’s all a matter of organization. Spend a half hour EVERY MORNING to structure your day. Schedule time so that you’re 100 sure that you can return ALL your calls promptly. If you discover that you’re swamped, hand some of your accounts to somebody else.

ERROR #10: Talking too much.

What you did: You nattered on and on about your company and its offerings.
Why you did it: You wanted to make the sale so badly that you tried too hard.
How it screwed you up: You didn’t find out what you really needed to know in order to close the deal.
What the prospect thought: “My Lord, this guy loves the sound of his own voice.”
How to avoid a repeat: Get “centered” before your next sales call. During your conversation with the customer, focus your intent on customer: words, gestures, tonality and context. Don’t think about what you’re going to say next. Listen, then respond, then ask another question.

ERROR #11: Asking obvious questions.

What you did: You asked lots of questions that you could have easily have answered by searching on the Internet.
Why you did it: You figured you could wing it without laying the groundwork.
How it screwed you up: You ended up wasting valuable time with the customer.
What the prospect thought: “For cryin’ out loud, doesn’t this guy know we have a website?”
How to avoid a repeat: Research the customer thoroughly before your first important meeting. Continue to research throughout the cycle, as you learn more about the customer.

ERROR #12: Ignoring the Competition.

What you did: You never discovered who else was selling to the account.
Why you did it: You were so excited at the opportunity, you didn’t want to look too hard at something that might scuttle it.
How it screwed you up: The competitor outmaneuvered you by getting the inside track for his proposal.
What the prospect thought: “Why is he still calling me?”
How to avoid a repeat: Always ask who else is calling on a prospect. Figure out their sales strategy based upon whom they’re calling upon. Come up with a plan to counter the competitor’s move to keep the playing field level.

ERROR #13: Forgetting to Actually Sell.

What you did: You got so into “relationship building” that you never moved the sales forward.
Why you did it: You found it easier to make a new friend than to take the risks involved in developing and closing the account.
How it screwed you up: You were afraid to put the friendship at risk, so you never got up the gumption to close the deal.
What the prospect thought: “Gosh, what a nice guy!”
How to avoid a repeat: Remember that the best way to build a long-term SALES relationship is to sell to the customer, early and frequently. Put rapport-building activities into a business context, so that you become business allies rather than bosom buddies.

ERROR #14: Failing to Find Out How The Customer Buys.

What you did: You didn’t discover anything about that customer’s unique buying process.
Why you did it: You were focused on your sales process — how you thought the sale was supposed to going — rather than on the customer’s buying process.
How it screwed you up: You ended up dealing with inexplicable delays as the customer took actions that were outside your understanding. You pushed for decisions when the time wasn’t ripe. Ultimately, you didn’t take the steps you needed to take in order to clinch the deal.
What the prospect thought: “This guy is really pushy.”
How to avoid a repeat: Gently ask and discover how the customer buys. Then adjust your sales process so that it matches the buying process. Take the steps that help the customer move to the next stage in their buying process.

ERROR #15: Missing a Big Change in a Customer Account

What you did: You believed the deal would go through, even though the customer’s environment was changing.
Why you did it: You were hoping that the big layoff/restructure/acquisition (or whatever) wouldn’t make a difference.
How it screwed you up: Your sponsors and contacts lost power (or even their jobs) in the big shakeup, leaving you without the leverage to move the sale forward.
What the prospect thought: “I wonder if I can get a job working in his firm.”
How to avoid a repeat: As soon as you discover there are big changes in the works, increase your focus on the account. Offer to help during the transition. Make more calls to your contacts. Find out who’s benefiting from the change (there’s always somebody). Move quickly to shore up your position and build enough connections so that the deal will remain alive, regardless of what happens.

ERROR #16: Delaying Too Long to Close.

What you did: You avoided closing the deal, even though the prospect was sending signals that it was time to close.
Why you did it: You were afraid the answer will be “no” and wanted to avoid that horrible feeling of losing the deal.
How it screwed you up: Because you missed the right point to close, the deal may have slipped away. Other priorities and roadblocks emerged, making it harder (and perhaps impossible) to close the deal.
What the prospect thought: “Maybe there’s something wrong with this deal, because it’s almost like this guy doesn’t want to sell it to me. Maybe I should look elsewhere…”
How to avoid a repeat: Throughout the sales cycle, position for the close by confirming that the discussions are on target. When there are no substantive issues left to address, make a final check for agreement and then ask for the business. Just do it.

ERROR #17: Continuing to Sell After Closing.

What you did: You kept talking and selling, even though the customer already say that he was going to buy.
Why you did it: You were so certain that the customer would say “NO!” that you didn’t hear the “YES!” when it happened.
How it screwed you up: Best case, you ended up offering discounts and perks that will degrade the profitability of the deal. Worst case, you accidentally surfaced objections that scuttled the deal.
What the prospect thought: “Man, this guy must really love the sound of his voice… just a second, did he just offer me a 10% discount????”
How to avoid a repeat: Remember that selling is mostly about listening, not talking. When you get a “yes,” stop talking, smile, and take the order. It’s that simple.

ERROR #18: Failing to Follow-up After a Sale.

What you did: You never bothered to check on the customer to make certain that they were delighted with the purchase.
Why you did it: You had moved on to other opportunities and felt that you shouldn’t be bothered with last week’s news.
How it screwed you up: You pretty much screwed up that relationship and at the same time damaged your reputation in that industry. Word gets around.
What the prospect thought: “All this jerk cares about is making sale..”
How to avoid a repeat: After each sale closes, schedule a series of follow-up phone calls and email to check on the customer’s status.

ERROR #19: Failing to build long-term relationships.

What you did: You focused on closing business, regardless of what your customers really needed.
Why you did it: You were so focused on yourself that you dehumanized the customer into a way to make your quota.
How it screwed you up: Long term, you’re committing career suicide. The easiest customers are always repeat customers. Because you’re not building relationship, you’ll be constantly be building your pipeline from scratch, which means more work for less money.
What the prospect thought: “I never want to see this idiot in my office again.”
How to avoid a repeat: Think of selling as a way to help people, and to change the world for the better. Honor your customers and your relationships, just as you honor your friends and family.

Important aspects of a career shift

Many people realize that they have chosen the wrong career in their life and as soon as they are aware of their mistake, they want to change their career. However, altering your entire career path after you have been working in a field for years is not an easy task. You have to consider the problems which might arise when you decide to switch from one career to another. It might turn out to be a bad move as many people do not get settled into a new career so easily.

The problem with starting a new career is that you have to begin from the very first step and work your way to the top. For someone who has been working for years in an organization and has climbed the ladder to a certain extent, doing it all again can be scary. Not only that, since you have to start at the bottom you might also have to report to someone who is considerably younger than you are and that can be difficult for some people to deal with.

A career change is not only a big change in your professional life; it also requires you to make some changes in your lifestyle to adjust to the new career. There are many people who are too scared to change their career paths and never try but there are also those who change the career but then revert back after a few months. The main reason is that changing you career can be difficult and scary at the same time. Given below are some tried and tested ways to help you in starting a new career successfully and have a rewarding experience.

Plan Carefully And Meticulously:

The most important aspect of a career change is to make sure that you are taking the right step. Of course there might be some reservations and fears but you need to be sure that you have done all that was possible to make it successful. Before you leap to any job opportunity you need to consider some important things. Decide whether you want an entire career change or a minor career shift, or maybe you need to change the industry or sector you are currently working in.

When you make specific plans, the change in the career path will be less scary. You must try to find out as much as possible regarding the career option you are leaning towards. For instance you need to know the number of average working hours in that career, any kind of special training that you’ll need to excel in that field etc.

Discuss Your Plans With Others:

It always helps to talk to someone who has gone through a similar phase in his or her life and by sharing experiences you can learn a lot. Moreover you can learn from the mistakes they made and make sure that you avoid them when you make a career shift. You need to talk to people who have recently made a significant change in their career paths and are happy with their decision. They can provide you with a lot of relevant information and motivate you to make the right decision. Even if you cannot find someone who has changed his career recently in your circle, you can always go to online forums and discuss your hopes and fears with people who have been through this rough patch.

Know What You Want:

One thing you need to know is that changing your career is not a simple task. You cannot change your entire career path every few years so it is important to make sure that you are choosing a career where your heart lies. Think about what you want from life, what you want to do in life and how you want your professional career to evolve. Finding an answer to all these questions will help you in making the right decision.

Technical Training:

When you have decided on a career change, you need to make sure that you are capable of joining that industry and perform well. If you need educational or technical training to join an industry, make sure that you get it before making the career shift as you need to be ready to take on challenges at the new job with the latest skills you have acquired.

Get In Touch With Your Network:

Networking is one of the most important tools when you are looking for a job and especially when you have made a career shift. Over the years, we make many contacts working at different places and hence the bigger the network gets, the higher are the chances that you will get a job successfully. Moreover, since you are new to the industry, a strong network can help you a lot in getting to know the basics of the industry and how it works.

Look At The Bigger Picture:

When you make a career change it is extremely important to see the long term effects of the move and evaluate how it will affect your professional life. Your career shift should help you in achieving your professional goals and evolve into a much better professional in the long run. Just looking to the short term benefits can hinder your growth as a professional and result in job related frustrations as well.

Restaurant etiquette and manners:

The article gives advice on etiquettes and manners in getting great service in a restaurant, from booking the best table, to handling the maitre d', and even the chef, waiters and waitresses with courtesy and charm

What are the secrets of those restaurant patrons who always seem to jump the queue, and be led straight to the best table in the house? How do they get such great service, while others have to wait an age for their meal, which, when it arrives, is only half-cooked or barely even warm? There are ways to maximize your chances of becoming one of those regular customers whoThink ahead
Even the most obliging maitre d' is needlessly stressed by last-minute bookings. Try and get into the habit of giving your favourite restaurant plenty of notice when calling to book a table. When you make the call, introduce yourself, let them know that you've been to the restaurant several times, and find both the food and the service superb. You'd be surprised at how few people bother to do this. Everyone blossoms in the presence of a little praise - even a hardened maitre d' - so don't be afraid to offer some sincere and credible compliments.
Once you've established a sense of rapport over the phone, briefly explain the nature of the evening which you'd like the restaurant to host. Is it a birthday dinner, a surprise reunion, a meet-the-parents event? Let the maitre d' know something about the personal side of the evening, and how important it is that everything go smoothly.
Having set the scene, elicit his advice on the best place to sit. Too many patrons call and aggressively demand "the best table", only to find when they arrive they've been seated right next to the bathroom or a noisy kitchen. Involve the maitre d' in your situation, and he is much more likely to be willing to accommodate you.
On arrival
It is absolutely essential that you arrive looking like you are accustomed to receiving good service. If you know you're looking your best, you'll be more confident and outgoing. A polished appearance lets the staff know that you're a successful person who demands to be treated with respect. What you wear will, of course, depend on the formality of the restaurant and where you're going afterwards, but a good rule of thumb is to overdress rather than underdress.
Make sure that you greet the maitre d' warmly, introduce yourself, and remind him that you spoke to him on the phone about your requirements for the evening. Tell him again that you deliberately chose his restaurant as the venue for the evening because you've been here before, and were impressed with the quality of the food and the service.
Ask him if he managed to secure that table you talked about, and when he leads you towards the perfect table, be gracious and warm, but don't grovel. Remember that restaurant staff will only give you good service if they respect you, not if they feel sorry for you.
Handling waiters and waitresses
Once you're seated at the table of your choice, you must be ready to deal with the next level of restaurant staff: the waiters and waitresses. Again, by far the most productive approach is to be warm and charming. When the waiter approaches, look him in the eye, smile and ask how he's doing.
Listen to his recommendations, feel free to ask questions about the food or wine, and thank him for his help. Let him know if you had the veal last time and it was out of this world. Thank him every time he brings something to the table. Remember, waiters have a difficult job and deserve your respect and courtesy.
If you're being polite and pleasant to serve, you also have a greater chance of resolving any potential complaints that may arise. Say you've ordered three dishes and there are only two on the table. If you ask your new friend the waiter if he would mind checking on where the third one is, it's highly likely you'll find it steaming on the table within about a minute, accompanied by a polite apology for the delay.
However, if you've spoken dismissively to the waiter and have barely made eye contact, any little mistakes or delays are certain to take much longer to straighten out. In this scenario, the waiter doesn't care about giving you good service, because you've treated him as your inferior.
There's also an etiquette for leaving the restaurant. It goes without saying that a generous tip is essential. But make a point of thanking your waiter for the excellent service too. The phrase "send my compliments to the chef" is NOT a corny cliche, but an urbane way of making sure that everyone involved in your pleasant evening gets the thanks they deserve.
Naturally, you must also let the maitre d' know that you had a wonderful time, and acknowledge the part he played in the success of your evening. Tell him you'll be back soon for more of the wonderful food and service.
If you make such a charming exit, it's highly likely that you'll be seated at the table of your choice and be given excellent service every time you visit this restaurant are welcomed with open arms.

SALES OFFICE?

SUBJECT: THE SALES OFFICE
Purpose
It is very important to have an office, which provides all means for efficient work. The sales office must be:
In a good location, well equipped for the daily office work. Equipped with up-to-date communication facilities, direct telephone lines, if possible. Equipped with Professional tools, such as charts, photographs, visitors corner, if possible.
Filing System
The most important basic instrument for a sales office is a well-organized filing system. For all correspondence, memos, telexes, contracts notes and files have to be kept up-to-date.
A good trace file reminds the sales manger that certain follow-ups must be made on certain dates.
There are several ways of setting up trace files-with separators on the database or with monthly day-by-day separated desk files or desk calendars.
The first thing to do in the morning for a Sales Manager is to check the trace file as accurate timing is of tremendous importance for successful selling.
Centralized filing system must be established in the office.
Database
The backbone of any sales department is a good, accurate and up-to-date database. To effectively contact the potential accounts on time, there must be sufficient information available.
The following basic information must be indicated on the database:
Company Name
Address (P.O.Box, Address, Street, City, District, Province, Country) Location,Telephone Number
Fax
E-mail
Website
Name of the manager, Title
Name of the person taking care of booking, title
Indication of potential
A Excellent
B Good
C Fair
D Poor
Call Frequency
After each visit, the following information must be entered:
Date of visit
Initials of visiting sales person
Name of person contacted
Results of the call
Any account worth being visited at least twice a year, should have a data entry.
Reference Library:
In the sales office, a reference library should be available and contain at least the following items:
Basic information on business houses (Directory of the Chamber of Commerce, lists of industries, association rosters diplomatic corps directory)
A list of travel agencies national and worldwide, Maps of the city
A complete set of rate sheets, brochures, menus, house magazines, etc., of our hotels and of the competition
Subscriptions:
The Sales Department should subscribe to certain publications that contain information about the market. A careful study of these is essential:
The local newspaper, if any, the national newspaper and magazines
Travel trade publications, both national and international Conference trade publications, both national and international.
Memberships:
It is of great value for a Sales Manager to join certain businesses and social organizations that can bring close contact with important people.
Printed Material:
All promotional material which is used in sales should be ordered sent through the General Manager of the respective hotels.

FEW PRINCIPLES FOR MANAGEMENT?

Lets have a look at few principles, if applied for management?
Few of the principles that if have used successfully, see how they might apply to Management:
Shape. By getting a good read on the edges of things, they can better focus the viewer’s attention. In management, figure and ground can help you separate the real issues from the red herrings. What’s the problem we’re trying to solve?
Where do we draw the edges of our business? How can we separate ourselves from the competition?
Line. A line is a simple device to connect one thing with another, to lead a viewer’s eye, a listener’s ear, or a reader’s thoughts from point A to point B. It creates a sense of trajectory (Noun) that suggests motion. Where is our company headed? How do our products and services connect?
What does this year’s performance say about next year’s? If the connections among decisions, products, and events are not clearly delineated, your sense of aesthetics will reveal the problem before the market does.
Texture. In all forms of art, texture is used to organize complexity and add depth. Texture is a fact of life, for better or worse, in every company. How can we thread together our businesses, processes, brands, products, features, and communications to create a tapestry instead of a train wreck? How can we organize complexity to give it resonance?
Scale. Every one knows that large scale is the shortcut to shattering power.
But scale can also mean small scale. How big must our business be to beat the competition and serve our customers?
Where should we upscale? Where should we downscale? What are we doing today that, by increasing our investment in it, would give us a competitive edge or a decisive victory?
Proportion. The principle of proportion weighs the relationship of one element to another. Artists of all kinds grapple with this issue, but so do business leaders. It’s a question of balance.
How should the various parts of our business relate to each other? When is it strategically sound to be out of balance? How do we know if we’re investing the right amounts in the right innovations?
When we make a decision, how should we give weight to conflicting concerns so we don’t throw the baby out with the bath water? By developing a corporate sense of proportion, these judgments get easier.
Variety. With large scale artworks, it’s variety that holds people’s interest. In time-based experiences, this also implies pacing. Variety in systems performs a different function. It gives the system enough complexity to correct itself and stay healthy.
How can variety help us create a culture of perpetual innovation? How can we use it to spread our exposure to risk? How can we use pacing to keep our customers on the edge of their seats, wondering what delights we’ll prepare for them next?
Rhythm. Of course, rhythm is essential in music. But it crosses over into other art forms as well. “Rhythm of innovation” to restore the company to its former glory.
What kind of rhythm is right for our company?
When should we release our new products? How should we change speeds to harness a good economy? A bad economy?
Depth. Yet the principle of depth can be applied with equal success to businesses and brands. The diagram opposite shows how each part of the business, from the internal vision to the external brand, can operate at multiple levels of understanding. Are we communicating our mission and message to every audience? How about our product stories? Do they resonate across regions, segments, and cultures?
Harmony. Harmony is based on the principle of synergy, or how the parts work together to do more than they could do separately. In music, it might be how the notes sound together. In cuisine, how the flavours taste together. In business, it’s how people work together. How can we achieve synergy among functions, departments, and divisions?
How can we remove dissonance and emphasize alignment? How can we get a complex organization to execute a simple idea?
Contrast. In business, cash is king. In aesthetics, it’s contrast. It’s contrast that makes art both emotional and memorable. When a company creates vivid differentiation between itself and its competitors, it’s using the principle of contrast.
How can we increase the contrast between our brand and those of our competitors? How can we design our products and services so they stand out in a crowded marketplace? How can we make sure that our communications hook into in people’s minds?
I could go on, but that’s another manifesto. Suffice it to say that the best management decisions are also aesthetic decisions: They satisfy our deep intuitive sense of what’s right, what’s good, and what’s beautiful.
Aesthetics serve as a compass to keep you from getting lost as you design the way forward. What is good design? This is the question that has haunted the design community for decades. Whenever the conversation comes up, the “eye of the beholder” argument shuts it down.
Someone says that good design is design that “works,” and someone else adds that the arbiter of “what works” is the individual user. At this point everyone nods and the conversation ends. But the question is never fully put to rest.
I believe there’s a more universal answer. It’s this:
Good design does not depend so much on the eye of the beholder, but on a combination of aesthetics and ethics. Good design is design that exhibits virtues.
What virtues? You know good old human virtues like generosity, courage, diligence, honesty, substance, clarity, curiosity, thriftiness, helpfulness, and wit. By contrast, bad design exhibits human vices like selfishness, fear, laziness, deceit, pettiness, confusion, apathy, wastefulness, harmfulness, and stupidity.
In other words, we want the same things from design that we want from our fellow humans. When we combine ethical virtues with aesthetic virtues, we get good design.
Good design does not depend so much on the eye of the beholder, but on a combination of aesthetics and ethics. Good design is design that exhibits virtues.
Soul, like beauty, is one of those evanescent qualities that disappear under the microscope, but it’s clearly visible when you meet it on the street,business tradition that overvalues narrow, short-term success, and undervalues broad, long-term success. Spreadsheet management has only led to resentful customers, dispirited employees, and a divided society.

Why would this change? Because it has to. In an era when customers are not only omnipotent but omniscient, when over-production leads to an ecological box canyon, a selfish focus on the bottom line is bad design.
Good design, in contrast, is a new management model that deliberately includes a moral dimension. It’s a model that not only serves shareholders but employees, customers, partners, and communities.

12 SALES MISTAKES?

THE 12 Sales Mistakes and How to Avoid Them?
1-Not being Obsessed, You must like what you are doing for a living-selling-enough to become obsessed with it.
2-Not Listen to the Prospects, You must let the prospect speak about him or herself the information you will receive is invaluable
3-Not Empathizing with the Prospect put yourself in the prospect’s shoes, you will understand how to sell to the person better.
4-Seeing the Prospect as an Adversary, The Prospect is not an enemy, the Prospect is your Finance.
5-Getting Distracted, by giving the prospect all your attention, you will, in turn, win the prospect’s undivided attention
6-Not Taking Notes, Taking proper notes will help you keep the prospect’s needs in mind and improve your presentation
7-Failing to Follow Up,When was the last time you wrote a thank you letter after your first meeting with a prospect?
8-Not Keeping in Contact with Past,Clients This ties in neatly with 7, of Course, where are talked about keeping in touch with prospects and current Costumers by mail.
9-Not Planning the Day Effectively, Think for a moment about Mistake # 1; it has relevance here. You must be absolutely dedicated to getting the very Most out of your day.
10-Not looking your Best, When it comes to work, stay away from any piece of clothing that doesn’t instantly communicate your status as an Intelligent, organized Professional.
11-Not Keeping Sales Tools Organized Your Professional Image, as we’ve seen, depends to a large degree on your Personal Appearance. However, you should keep in mind that it depends on your tools as well.
12-Not Taking the Prospect’s Point of View Get to know your Product or Service thoroughly, isolating how it helps people.

How to Set Goals That Will Make You Rich

These 7 steps to goal setting will help you achieve anything you put your mind to.
1. Long term goals in all 4 major areas of your life.
The 4 areas are Family, Health, Career and Finance. You need goals in all areas.
Start by setting your long term goals.
To do this, imagine your life as perfect, as if you already had the perfect family situation, were in perfect shape, had your dream career and had accomplished your financial goals.
Write down those long term goals.
2. Short term goals in all 4 major areas of your life.
A short term goal is like a milestone on your way to greatness; generally they are about 1 year down the line and help you follow your progress on your long term goals.
Make sure the short term goals motivate you to work hard on their completion.
Write down your short term goals.
3. Deadlines
Set deadlines for each goal. By what date do you want to have completed your goals.
4. Measurable
It’s important that all your goals can be measured. You need to know when you have succeeded. For example don’t write “I want a lot of money” instead set an exact figure “I want to have 5 million dollars”.
5. Write your goals in the positive, present tense and add your deadline.
Write down your goals as if you had already completed them. In other words “I have 5 million dollars” instead of “I want 5 million dollars” and then add the deadline. “I have 5 million dollars by the 31 of December 2014.”
This activates your subconscious mind to start pulling events and opportunities to you. It also helps you follow your progress and gives you a definite target.
6. Make plans for your goals completion
Write down how you plan on completing each goal.
For example:
“I have 5 million dollars by the 31 of December 2014. I have made this money by selling a company that does this and this and sells that. I will first start the company as a part time job until I have enough customers to move over full time, from there I will ….” and so on until you have a comprehensive plan for its completion..
You will not get your plans right the first time.
You will fail, what is important is that you learn from your failure and use it to succeed.
To succeed you need to fail, there are lessons you need to learn. What is important is that you believe that you will succeed. The only thing that needs to be changed is your plan.
Each time you fail, go back to your plan, use the knowledge you have acquired from your mistakes and make a new plan to take action on.
7. Put the paper somewhere you will see it every day.
Either tape it to your bathroom mirror or put it beside your bed. What is important is that you read it every morning and evening.
Conclusion
By setting goals in this fashion you will start making them a reality.By clearly stating your goals you will be following the same methodology as some of the richest men alive.
Your future is out there, just go and get it.

Energy conservation measures for Hotel Industry - DO’S AND DONT’S

FOOD & BEVERAGE DEPARTMENT

This department consumes approximately 25% of the total energy cost so the opportunities to reduce
energy consumption in this area are excellent. Some helpful guidelines are given below.

A. FOOD PREPARATION - KITCHEN
01. Determine the preheating time for ovens, grills, boilers, fryers & other cooking equipments. Generally speaking 10 to 20 minutes should be sufficient.
02. When preheating ovens, set thermostat at the desired temperature. Ensure thermostat controls are operating the properly.
03. Determine cooking capacity of ovens; use smaller or more energy efficient oven when possible.
04. Use additional fry units, boilers, oven etc. only for peak business hours.
05. Load & unload ovens quickly. If an oven door is kept open for a second, it losses about 1% of its heat.
06. Cover pots & panswitch lids while cooking.
07. Turn off cooking & heating units that are not needed.
08. Oven should not be opened during operation. Food will cook faster and lose less moisture if oven is kept closed.
09. Frozen food should be thawed in refrigerators. It will thaw easily & reduce power demand on the refrigerator.
10. When using gas range for full heat condition, the tip of the flame should just touch the bottom of the pan or kettle. Yellow flame is the indication of inefficient, incomplete combustion and wastage of gas. Clean burners, pilot light regularly. If flames are still yellow, have gas-air mixture adjusted.
11. A blue flame with a distinct inner cone is best. Flame should never flout but should just wipe the surface. Adjust flame until it is entirely blue.
12. Thoroughly clean pot & pans to ensure there is no carbon build up at the bottom.
13. Placing foil under range burners & griddles will improve the operational efficiency.
14. Fryers need to be cleaned & oil filtered at least once a day.
15. Cooking rang burners should always be smaller than the kettle or pot place on it.
16. Have broken door hinges and cracks of oven doors attended to immediately.
17. Turn off Rotary Toaster when not in use. Use pop up toasters on lean timings.
18. Shut off steam Heater on dishwasher when dishwasher in not in use.
19. Use hot water only when necessary.
20 In pot washing area fill sink for washing utensils instead of running water.
21. Cleaning should be done during day hours if possible. Do not use dishwasher till full load of soiled dishes is available.
22. Turn off lights in the walk – in refrigerators and freezers when not required. Lights not only waste energy but add load to the box.
23. Close tightly all walk-in doors after operating them.
24. Allow hot foods to air cool before placing in refrigerators.
25. Do not store items in front of the refrigerant coils or fans in a manner that restricts air circulation.
26. Fully stored refrigerators and walk-ins use energy more efficiently than partially stored ones.
27. Be sure foods requiring refrigeration are promptly placed in storage after delivery.
28. Turn off supply and exhaust fans in kitchens stores etc. when areas are not in use.
29. Report and leakage of gas immediately.
30. Keep records of all break down of equipments to find out accident prone/uneconomical equipment.
31. Turn on equipment only as needed. Make sure they are turn off at night.
32. Carefully follow instructions in the users guide for all equipments.
33. Keep equipment and door seals clean and free of debris to prevent energy waste.
34. Reduce peak loading. Your electrical bill is determined by two factors:-
(a) demand charge (if applicable)
(b) total consumption in kWh

1 You may achieve this by:-
(a) Intensive cooking such as baking and roasting during non-peak demand hours.
(b) Use minimum number of electric appliances at a time. Stager their operation.
(c) Try to use electrical appliances between 6 AM to 10 AM or after mid night if possible.
35. Equipment should be turned on at specific time to a specific temperature and turned off at times hen not needed. A 10-15 minutes preheat period is requires only 7 to 15 minutes for pre-heating.
36. Clean heating elements at least weakly. This may even be done daily if you do high volume frying.
37. Cooking foods in least volume possible for most economic use of energy.
38 If keeping electric burner on for shorter period is inevitable, when they are not in actual use keep the temperature low until you are ready to cook. This will even prolong the life of burner besides conserving energy.
39. Avoid to turn on gas burners until you are ready to cook.
40. If possible, fill cooking vessels according to capacity. Large cooking vessel if used for cooking lesser quantity of food will consume more energy.
41. Use flat bottom pots and pans for maximum heat transfer.
42. Group kettles and pots on close top ranges.
43. Turn down heat as soon as food begins to boil and maintain liquids at simmer.
44. Clear boil overs and spill overs promptly to avoid build up of carbon deposits which will effect the efficiency of equipment adversely.
45. Always try to use roasting and baking oven to full capacity for maximum utilization of heat. If possible wait till oven is loaded upto its optimum capacity prior to switching on.
46. Regular & prompt cleaning of rotary toaster saves energy.
47. Avoid frequent opening of refrigerator doors. Door opening if planned, saves energy.
48. Do not allow frosting on refrigerator coils to save energy.
49. Close & preferably lock ice cuber bins after removing ice for use.
50. Using hot water for cooking consumes less energy as compared to cold water.
51. Switching off heater when cooking is over, not only saves energy it is safer as well.
52. Do not use dishwasher until you have sufficient load

B. BANQUETS
01. While air conditioning is on, try to avoid using candles on the table. They add a tremendous heat load.
02. When renting a space for function try to fit the space to the size of function. Do not rent a 300 person ball room to 50 people even if the room can be divided. Remembers you are spending almost same on air conditioner of the space.
03. When setting up for a function, make certain that heating, cooling and lighting are off until ½ hour to 1 hour before function starts. Turn off systems as soon as the function is over. In fact, air conditioning can be turned off even ½ hours before function finishes. Air conditioning effect will stay for ½ hour.
04. If you have a choice, try to avoid function that requires the addition of many spotlight or other heat producing equipment.
05. Assign an individual responsible for turning lights on and off.
06. Keep the light off whenever any function area is vacant or unoccupied.
07. While Air-conditioning is on ensure that all doors and windows are properly closed.
08. During winter season try to use outside air for cooling.
09. Review lighting levels and prepare new standard lamping plans for meetings rooms to reduce unnecessary wastage of energy.

C. RESTAURANTS

01. Reschedule cleaning of are during day light hours.
02. Avoid using electrical light while setting the table whenever possible.
03. Turn off air-conditioning ½ hour prior to closing the restaurant.
04. Keep wall and ceiling properly cleaned for better light reflection.
05. Turn off lights when not needed.
06. Review lighting level to provide minimum acceptable lighting level in all food service area.

2 FRONT OFFICE AND LOBBY MANAGERS
01. Front office can play an important role in energy conservation. When occupancy in unfortunately not high, front office should rent room by virtue of their location. In summer, rooms on the east or north sides of the building will be cooler. Also, corner rooms with two outside exposures will be warmer. Rooms close to heat source should also be avoided if possible. This would certainly help reduce air conditioning load and result in saving of energy.
02. Front office should make sure that the rooms which are not to be rented out during lean period are not air conditioned or ventilated unnecessarily. If any one of these is to be rented. out, air conditioning or ventilation can be started ½ hour before the guest moves in.
03. Lower all lighting levels during late night and day light hours. Turn off all lights in offices when these are closed.
04. If possible, instruct shopkeepers to reduce the amount of shop and display lighting. Although, in most cases, shopkeepers do pay for their electric consumption, the lighting load still affects hotels cooling systems.
05. Lobby, managers should ensure that Lobby Main Entrance doors are not unduly kept opened. A door opening will result in ingress of heat from outside and adversely effect air conditioning.
06. Lobby Managers, in course of their duty, do take rounds of the property. They on their rounds, should ensure that no unnecessary lights or water tape are left ON by careless staff.
07. During day light hours reduce electric lighting load in Lobby etc. to minimum to make full use of natural light.
08. During low occupancy period try to block complete floor. If this is not practicable, attempt should be made to block as far as possible total wings of individual floor.
09. As soon as guest checks out, Front office should inform Housekeeping so that all lights of the vacant room is switched off at the earliest.
10. Report broken windowpanes to stop ingress of air.
11. Inspect public toilets periodically and report leading W.C. and faucets top stop water unnecessary
illumination.

HOUSE KEEPING DEAPRTMENT
The major space in a hotel is devoted to guest rooms and corridors. Number and variety of ways to conserve energy in these areas are startling. Although the energy conserved in one room or corridor does not seem significant, but when multiplied by 100 or so rooms, it does become significant. Some of the opportunities for Housekeeping Department where they can significantly contribute to energy saving listed below:-
01. Turn off guest room lights when rooms are not physically occupied.
02. Use minimum lighting when making up and cleaning rooms. Use natural light whenever possible.
03. Turn off corridor lights, or reduce it to 50% when natural light is available.
04. Turn off lights in linen rooms, storage room and maids closets when not in use.
05. Check your areas for light level. Reduce number of lights if possible. Use lower wattage bulbs Wherever possible.
06. Have lamp shades cleaned at once. Bulb gives more light with clean lampshades.
07. Keep walls and ceiling walls cleaned for better light reflection.
08. Switch off music & TV Sets when rooms are not physically occupied.
09. Turn off HVAC system when rooms are not physically occupied.
10. Report water leaks immediately
11. Keep windows closed and curtain on. The ingress of hot air in summer and cold air during winter contribute to very large waste or energy. For example 6’ wide window opened just one inch would allow hot air necessitating 1.76 kwh to cool. This in terms of monetary value,
12. Keep room hot water temperature at lowest acceptable limit.
13. Minimize use of lights during night cleaning by switching on only those lights which are actually required to clean a particular area.
14. Bellhops may be advised to leave only such lights on which are actually needed by the guest While leaving the room.

3 LAUNDARY DEPARTMENT
One of the large consumers of water and heat, the hotel laundry is an outlet that can significantly reduce
energy consumption with no effect on guest comfort or satisfaction. Some of the important points to
achieve desired results are listed below:-

01. Have lights turned off when not in use.
02. Periodically clean lamps and lights fixtures.
03. Clean and wash walls, floors and ceiling
04. Operate washing machines at full load, partial loads may require same amount water as full loads.
05. Check and record your water consumption. Compare water consumption daily to find wastages, if any.
06. Do not leave water taps running.
07. Consider using cold water detergents. It will greatly reduce energy consumption.
08. Reduce hot water temperature to 120 o F.
09. Repair or replace all hot water piping insulation.
10. All steam line values should be checked for leaks. That is, you should be able to shut off steam to any machine not in use keeping steam supply main open.
11. If possible use final rinse water for 1st wash.
12. Reduce time between loads to prevent tumblers from cooling down.
13. Air line should be checked for leaks.
14. Periodically clean exhaust duct and blower of lint and dust.
15. Keep steam pressure at lowest possible level.
16. Shut off steam valve whenever machine is not being utilised.
17. Keep radiator coils and fins free from dirt all the times.
18. Ensure all steam traps in perfect working order.
19. Keep an eye on the preventive maintenance schedule of all laundry equipments by Engineering Department to ensure timely compliance.
20. Ensure that Drying tumblers and washing machines are kept clean and free from scale at all times.
21. Switch off laundry exhaust fans when laundry is closed.
22. Ensure that extractors are working properly. Incomplete extraction increased load on dryer and consumes more energy for drying.
23. Reschedule machine operation to reduce peak demand charges.
24. Inform boiler room when steam is not required so that boilers can be shut down to save fuel.

ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
An analysis of Hotels show that approximately 60% of then energy consumed in a property is in the
equipment and machinery rooms, boiler rooms, air conditioning rooms, water treatment and pump areas
and sewage plants. Engineering Department is responsible for running and maintenance this equipment.
They are also concerned with entire building and complex.

Keeping the above in view, it is imperative that the Engineering Department operates these equipments
at peak efficiency. Engineering Department can help conserve energy in the following Ways:
01. By acting as an advisor to various departments to help them achieve their respective Energy Management goals.
02. By ensuring efficient and economic operation of all equipments.
03. They must maintain history card of each machine so that in-efficient and uneconomical machines can be identified and eliminated to save the wasteful uses of energy. This will also help in deciding the preventive maintenance schedule of each machine.
4 Some guidelines to achieve energy management goals at little or no cost are listed below:-

HVAC SYSTEMS – PLANT ROOM
01. Turn off HVAC machinery in all unoccupied spaces.
02. Eliminate or reduce duct air leakage.
03. While operating chillers ensure following:-
- As far as possible keep leaving chilled water temperature on the higher side.
- Reduce entering condenser water temperature
- Maintain proper refrigerant charge.
- Eliminate refrigerant and charge.
- Maintain proper flow rate of condenser water
- Operate chillers in proper sequence.
- Operate condenser and cooler pumps in proper sequence.
04. Lower hot water temperature for heating when outside temperature rises.
05. When chiller is not operating, make certain that chilled and condenser water pumps are shut down.
06. Use proper water treatment to prevent fouling or sealing of condensers, cooling towers and piping.
07. Repair all hot, chilled and condenser water lines, valves and pumps. A considerable quantity of water is lost through leaky pump glands which can be saved easily.
08. Repair or replace damaged hot or chilled water line insulation.
09. Check cooling water tower bleed off periodically.
10. Check efficiency of chiller against manufacturer’s specifications by checking water temperature and pressure drop in and out of chillers and condensers and motor amperage on compressor.
11. Condenser tubes should be kept clean.
12. Stop all refrigerant leaks.
13. Check daily purge operation on chiller for signs of air leaks
14. Remove algae growth from cooling towers.
15. Check all belt drives. Replace worn out or frayed belts.
16. Clean AHU coils and fans periodically, check chilled water sample to know the internal condition of coil. Do periodic cleaning of coil.
17. AHU filter must be cleaned periodically.
18. Check all thermostat for correct functioning.

BOILERS
01. Check Boilers Room for negative air pressure which can reduce combustion efficiency.
02. Avoid multiple boiler operation. One boiler operating at 80% is more efficient than two at 40%.
03. Operate boilers at as low steam pressure as possible.
04. Avoid excessive boiler blow down.
05. Clean burner nozzle periodically.
06. Pre-heat the fuel to correct temperature before injection.
07. Maintain a good water treatment programme.
08. Repair and replace if necessary boiler and flue insulation that is damaged.
09. Repair and replace all worn or damaged steam and condensate piping insulation.
10. Insulate all condensate and steam pipe line flanges.
11. Check and repair all steam traps.
12. Eliminate all steam leaks.
13. Check fuel lines for leaks.
14. Check combustion control in order to maintain maximum efficiency.
15. Check all safety valves for any leaks.

5 HEATING
01. Check and back wash water filtration plant for higher efficiency and reduction in water system scaling.
02. Check water analysis periodically.
03. Repair at once all leaks, dripping faucets and shower heads.
04. Check toiler flush valves for any water leaks.
05. Lower hot water temperature to 120oF.
06. Check and adjust swimming pool make up water (not to exceed 10%).
07. Shut down pool filtration plant when pool is not in use.
08. Reduce lawn and shrubbery watering to absolute minimum.
09. Check water regulating valves on water coolers, refrigerant units and ice machines.
10. Consider sprint loaded, self closing water valves in Kitchens.

BUILDING AND GROUNDS
01. Seal all exterior windows, doors cracks and openings to reduce outdoor air leaks.
02. Reduce gap under the doors of air conditioned spaces to minimum.
03. Check grounds for leaking pipes underground.
04. Check and repair all door closers.
05. Make certain all electric connections are tight.
06. Keep all ‘contacts’ clean.
07. Check Lighting levels in all Engineering spaces to see if they can be reduced.
08. Replace all incandescent fixtures with fluorescent and energy efficient lamps like PL-9 or SL-25 etc.
09. Keep all light shades clean. Use shades that allow more light to pass or reflect.
10. Do not switch on lights unless necessary.
11. Arrange schedules for turning or reducing lights in guest corridors, lobby area, function spaces, restaurants, bars, shops, kitchens etc.
12. Make a house inspection of all departments to see that energy conservation is being observed.

4 ways to become a better hotel manager

360-degree evaluation
A good first step is to implement a 360-degree evaluation, an exercise that will enable you to see how others perceive you on all levels in the work place.
A 360-degree evaluation seeks input from multiple levels of contact within an organization, so the person in the center of the figurative circle gets a complete picture of how he or she is seen in the workplace. To complete my evaluation, I first conducted a self evaluation and then selected five individuals each from my peer group, my direct reports and my superiors to do the same. The combined feedback provided a report for review.

A 360-degree evaluation is a powerful tool that provides an inside view of how you are being perceived by superiors, peers and subordinates. It gives you a better understanding of how you come across to others in your management style.
Based on that feedback, it enables you to make the needed adjustments to change behavior or leverage what you do well.

If you’d like to try a 360-degree evaluation, simply Google “360 assessments” to find one of the many companies and sources that provide this service.

Strength assessment
Another powerful assessment tool is “StrengthsFinders 2.0” by Tom Rath, one of many evaluations that will help you identify your natural talents and strong tendencies. This particular book has an individual code (one per book) that is used to do the assessment online. It identifies your five top natural strengths based on 30 human themes. The findings reveal we all have different combinations of top strengths, making us all individually unique.

Challenge assessment
Likewise, the challenge assessment revealed the areas of lesser tendencies and areas that could become risk factors—those that make us especially vulnerable when under stress. We used the Hogan Assessment tools for this exercise.

Through these various assessments, our group has learned to recognize and better understand each other’s differences. We have identified individuals who can complement one another’s most powerful strengths, and we can now pair them to create stronger teams.

Affirmations boost morale
We all like to be praised, recognized and acknowledged for what we do well. Such positive reinforcement lifts self esteem and encourages us to do even better. In an effort to involve our entire hotel community, we instituted a week of affirmation.

Every department installed a poster board upon which each team member could post positive comments about another individual, acknowledging their strength and talents. This process created an opportunity to identify talent in each team member that might not have been publicly recognized previously. It also allowed members to be “discovered” for more development and learning. It certainly boosted morale.

Through these exercises, we have all become more cognizant of our own personalities and strengths. We can utilize this insight to form more effective teams and ultimately become a stronger and better work unit.

Negotiate your salary now or suffer later, say experts

Discuss renumeration package before end of recruitment process to ensure a fair salary

Marisa Beid (name changed), got a perfect job last year. “I was so happy when the company said that I’ve been hired. I just agreed to what they offered me, thinking that must be their pay slab for my kind of position,” she told this website.
One year down the line, however, Marisa believes her company has been unfair to her. “I’m the most qualified person in my team and one of the most productive workers, but what I get is the least,” she complains.
Marisa is just one example of many people in the workforce who feel they haven't been treated fairly or justly rewarded by their firms. “Who is at fault here?” asks a recruitment expert. "She should have done her homework and negotiated better rather than settling for what was on the table," he said.
Accepting the initial offer, especially if it is below your expectations, can be detrimental in the long run, say experts. Negotiating a better pay package before you start work is the best way to go forward. This will not only ensure that you are paid fairly but will also determine all your future hikes and bonuses, say experts.
According to Professor Horacio Falcao at Insead, who specialises in negotiation, “[negotiating a better pay] is only important if the candidate is not happy with the offer that is given.”
“However, remember that your entry pay will become the basis for your future raises and bonuses since they are mostly percentage increases over your base salary. Thus, it is important to negotiate your salary before the end of the recruitment process or interview to ensure that you are getting a fair salary to the value you expect to deliver to the company. Even if there are no increases, just understand its logic and fairness already results in better satisfaction with the company and with oneself for arriving at a good and fair outcome,” he told Emirates 24|7.
Some experts believe that negotiating the salary at the earlier stages may not be a good idea but vit should certainly be done before the end of hiring process, and not after one has joined work.
“The interview is probably not the time to negotiate salary; at that time, your focus is to make the best impression you can. Ask questions that convey you are going to be a wonderful addition to the team, not that you are only interested in your own compensation. However, once you have the offer, in most situations, it is a good idea to negotiate salary. As my friend and world-respected negotiations researcher Adam Galinsky always says, ‘You can’t get what you don’t ask for!’” Grainne Fitzsimons, Associate Professor of Management, Fuqua School of Business, told this website.
The belief that a job offer will be rescinded if a candidate asks for higher pay is not as prevalent as many believe, say experts.
“It is less prevalent than most candidates imagine. If a company went through a recruiting process and selects a candidate, they are not likely to rescind a job offer just because of a legitimate question or request. However, if the question or request is made as an inflexible or a non-negotiable demand, then the risk of the offer being rescinded increases not because of the content of the request, but because of thw way it was done," said Professor Falcao.
“There will be times when it is inappropriate to ask for a higher salary, and individuals have to use their own best judgement about whether this is a company that is open to negotiation or not. Candidates should ideally wait until they have the job offer in writing before they negotiate any terms. Of course, everyone knows an example or two of job offers that were rescinded once the candidate started asking for more money and other perks, but most employers expect a highly qualified candidate to stick up for his/her own interests when seeking a job,” adds Professor Fitzsimons.
On negotiating salary in the best possible way, the Insead expert has a word of advice. “In short, the best way to negotiate salary is to not think of it only as salary, but rather as your compensation and even more so as your career. An extra $5k/year today may pale if instead you negotiate to set yourself to make an extra $50k within the next three years," he says.
"Thus, look to negotiate broadly, such as to be allocated to a more interesting position or department with more learning opportunities, challenging projects and growth that may have you promoted faster. Negotiate to have the best mentor in the company and thus find your way to success faster. Negotiate to have a particular training that prepares you to perform better and earn a bigger bonus. Or even, negotiate for a better work-life balance, which may result in less burnout and a more sustainable career. Of course, salary is important and an extra $5k/year is always welcome. Still, we need to remember to keep the big picture of all the reasons why we work for and negotiate them all,” he explained.

5 STEPS FOR CONFIDENCE BUILDING?

CONFIDENCE BUILDING:
1. Confidence is acquired.
2. Preparation develops it.
3. Action cures fear. Fear is indecision and postponement.
A. DEALING WITH FEAR:
1. Identify it.
2. Admit it.
3. Accept it.
4. Deal with it accordingly.
(Confront and take action or cure.)
B. RECOGNIZE FEAR AS CONSTRUCTIVE AND POSITIVE:
IT WAS GIVEN FOR YOUR OWN PROTECTION AND YOUR OWN GOOD.
4. Deposit only positive thoughts in your memory.
5. Withdraw only positive thoughts from your memory.

The Six Basic Needs of Customers

1.Friendliness
Friendliness is the most basic of all customers needs, usually associated with being greeted graciously and with warmth. We all want to be acknowledged and welcomed by someone who sincerely is glad to see us. A customer shouldn’t feel they are an intrusion on the service provider’s work day!

2. Understanding and empathy
Customers need to feel that the service person understands and appreciates their circumstances and feelings without criticism or judgment. Customers have simple expectations that we who serve them can put ourselves in their shoes, understanding what it is they came to us for in the first place.

3. Fairness
We all need to feel we are being treated fairly. Customers get very annoyed and defensive when they feel they are subject to any class distinctions. No one wants to be treated as if they fall into a certain category, left wondering if “the grass is greener on the other side” and if they only received second best.

4. Control
Control represents the customers’ need to feel they have an impact on the way things turn out. Our ability to meet this need for them comes from our own willingness to say “yes” much more than we say “no.” Customers don’t care about policies and rules; they want to deal with us in all our reasonableness.

5. Options and alternatives
Customers need to feel that other avenues are available to getting what they want accomplished. They realize that they may be charting virgin territory, and they depend on us to be “in the know” and provide them with the “inside scoop.” They get pretty upset when they feel they have spun their wheels getting something done, and we knew all along a better way, but never made the suggestion.

6. Information
“Tell me, show me – everything!” Customers need to be educated and informed about our products and services, and they don’t want us leaving anything out! They don’t want to waste precious time doing homework on their own – they look to us to be their walking, talking, information central
And all this leads to....

Hotel breakfast: Asset or downfall?

Breakfast is frequently one of the last things your guests experience before they check out, so it is likely to leave a lasting impression. Even if we've got the quality of food and the menu balance right, how much effort goes into getting the service spot on?
If you run a bed and breakfast, chances are what you serve and the way you serve breakfast probably garners a lot of your attention as it’s often the only meal you provide. But do hotels give breakfast the same focus?
For many hotels, breakfast provides a great opportunity for additional profit. But we’ll never capitalise on this if we don’t look after our existing breakfast customers.
You probably serve more breakfast than any other meal, but does it receive the same degree of care and attention as lunch or dinner?
All too often breakfast is used as a training ground for new or inexperienced front of house staff. I frequently experience waiting staff at breakfast who have little more than a basic understanding of what's available, the basics of hygiene when clearing and setting up tables, and dare I say it, of the English language.
How welcoming are your guests made to feel at breakfast? Do they get a surly request for their room number, with absolutely no eye contact as the waiter or host checks their list? Or do they get a nice genuine smile and a welcoming “Good morning”?
Breakfast service can be confusing for those not familiar with your hotel. Simply telling a guest it’s self-service (which is what I heard the other day at breakfast) doesn't really tell us very much, especially when the guest is still standing at the front entryway and can't even see into the restaurant or where the buffet is located. Should they wait to be allocated a table, or can they just sit anywhere they like? Will you be serving fruit juice, tea and toast, or do they go and help themselves? If you have just one type of egg on the buffet, are others being cooked to order?
A smooth and speedy operation is paramount on busy weekdays when everyone appears to descend on the restaurant at once. The necessity for speed of service may differ at weekends from midweek. Few business users during the week are prepared to hang around waiting for their pot of tea and toast, whilst those on a leisure break are more likely to take their time and not feel rushed. Recognising guests’ expectations and being able to adapt to their approach and style of service will be an important factor in how your guests perceive the level of service.
One of the most frustrating things with breakfast buffets or self-help items is the complete lack of logic in the layout. Just a little thought applied to the order in which guests would want to collect their items can avoid bottle necks and prevent frustrated guests who may not be at their best first thing in the morning.
Here are 10 tips for avoiding bottlenecks (and mess and wastage):
1. Encourage your team to take the customer journey, serving their own breakfast and seeing everything the guest sees. Some things to check:
2. Fruit Juice: Are the glasses next to the fruit juice? Are all the various juices labelled so guests can work out what they are without having to taste them? It’s not only frustrating for the guest to discover that what looked like grapefruit juice is in fact pineapple, but does nothing for your wastage levels and food costs either.
3. Cereal: Are your bowls, cereals and milk arranged logically for guests to pick up the bowl, help themselves to cereal, then pour their milk? It sounds obvious, but I so often see guests having to backtrack to get their milk.
4. Milk: Recognise that pouring milk needs two hands—one to hold a cereal bowl, another to pour the milk. Is there anywhere to place fruit juice, tea or anything else guests already have picked up?
5. Pastries: The logical flow goes for toast, breads and pastries, butter/ spreads and conserves. The guests’ sequence is plate first, bread second, then spread followed by jam. It frustrates them to find they’ve sat down and forgotten their butter.
6. Tea: If guests make their own tea, is it easy to make? Where I stayed this week all the pots were already laid up with teabags, which is fine if you wanted normal tea, but there were no other pots for brewing specialist teas. Guests had to empty teabags out of the pots to make their tea. Crazy! … and nowhere to leave the wrappers.
7. Hot drinks: Depending on what you use for hot water or coffee, check how well this dispenses. Is it pre-measured? If so, does it over fill the pot, causing spillages. Or does it short measure, encouraging guests to take a second measure.
8. Utensils: Check to make sure your utensils match the items with which they’re paired. If you serve fruit, is this cut into spoon-sized chunks, or elegant slices? Either of course is fine, but just make sure that the serving utensils and plates or bowls you provide are suitable. Slices can't be eaten (or easily served) with a spoon; they need a knife and fork, so only providing bowls to be served in is illogical. I frequently see ladles used for fruit salad, stewed fruit or bowls of yogurt. Have you ever tried serving from these ladles? A shallow spoon would make life a lot easier for the guest. Why complicate things?
9. Toast: Cold rubbery toast is a big criticism of many a hotel breakfast. But do rotary toasters perform any better? You've just plated up your bacon and eggs and head for the toast, only to find either there’s a queue or the settings on the toaster make it possible to get the toast anything between completely underdone and burnt to a crisp. And of course while you're trying to perfect the colour of your toast, your bacon and eggs have gotten stone cold. I'm not saying rotary toasters are a complete no-no. Just check the settings so the toast only needs to go through once to make it look and feel like toast, and position it so guests can cook their toast before plating up their hot food.
10. Hot dishes: If you use lids on your hot dishes, are the dishes labelled so guest don’t need to open each one to find the bacon? Is there somewhere to safely put the lids without having to do a balancing act. Or move them without dripping condensation on the floor and counter? Check your utensils’ handles don’t get too hot and guests burn themselves. And while on the subject of hot food, hot food put onto cold plates doesn’t stay hot for long. Whatever your style of service, ensure you warm your plates as much as possible within the realms of safety.
Look and learn how well your layout works for your guests. Watch for your bottlenecks, and rearrange accordingly. What are the things that guests constantly ask for when it’s there already? How much to-ing and fro-ing is there from table to buffet?
Make your breakfasts memorable, for the right reasons, and leave your guests relaxed with a positive last impression and an incentive to come back.

The Five Drivers of Successful Sales Leadership

Courtesy of DALE CARNEGIE..

Self-Direction
To be an effective manager of salespeople, begin with yourself. Maintain a positive attitude and a proactive approach to people and situations when leading a successful sales team. Being accountable for the sales of an organization can be a high-stress responsibility. An effective leader is continuously and consciously in the process of becoming a better leader and putting systems in place that create results.

People Skills
As an effective sales leader, you must build trust, respect, and rapport before attempting to influence others, their attitudes, their behavior, or their performance. Effective sales leaders project a concern for others, want to understand what motivates the people they manage, and are skilled at motivating peak performance.

Process Skills
To manage other salespeople effectively, you must recognize the need for processes that will yield repeatable sales results. Many people get into sales because they are good at building relationships. Help the people you manage capitalize on their relationship building skills by developing an effective process to harness those relationships.

Communication
Effective communication successfully connects people and processes. Effective leaders place a high value on creating real understanding. They actively seek suggestions and input. They demonstrate the ability to motivate others and are able to successfully persuade others.

Accountability
Effective sales leaders know how to close the gap between expected performance quotas and actual results. They hold themselves accountable for both personal and team results. The people they manage respect their ability to coach and mentor to achieve organizational goals.

Tips for Sales Managers
1. Reach out to others for ideas, help, and support. Being a sales manager can be lonely. Talk to other sales managers, inside or outside your organization. Find a mentor.
2. Hold your salespeople accountable. Failure is usually a result of lack of accountability.
3. Recognize when a salesperson is not a good fit for a job or customer. Find a different position for that individual if possible, but don't leave people in a position where they are failing. You are not helping anyone. They are probably as unhappy with their performance as you are.
4. Set standards and keep to them. Managing by exception creates chaos. Sometimes salespeople negotiate better with their managers than with their customers; avoid the pitfalls of those types of negotiations. If you maintain your standards, everyone will have clear expectations and be poised for success.
5. Have your sales team members try to resolve their differences before coming to you. Some salespeople will fight harder against their colleagues than they do against your competition. Discourage this behavior; they need to work together as a team and having you resolve every internal issue wastes time and emotional energy.
6. Remember that a big part of your job is to remove roadblocks. Ask your team members what people, policies, and processes are getting in their way. Be responsive when they come to you with problems and try to make an immediate impact on the problem.
7. Establish systems and processes that are clear and that add value. Salespeople, sales managers, and sales support staff often find themselves going in circles trying to figure out our own internal processes, policies, and guidelines.
8. Be engaging and approachable. Make people feel they can come to you with problems. People tend to hide problems to avoid embarrassment or because they hope they will eventually find a way to resolve them. If your team members trust you, they will bring issues to light earlier so you can resolve them quickly.
9. Remember that salespeople will tend to paint a picture that is rosier than reality. Ask probing questions to get a full sense of the real picture.
10. Spend 80% of your individual time helping top performers, and 20% with lower performers. A 10% increase in a top performer will bring your organization a higher return on your time. Most managers do the reverse and spend most of their time with problem people. Instead, focus one-on-one time with top producers, and group time with low producers.

Good luck!!!

4B"S FOR MOTIVATION?

The Four Be’s For Motivating with Trust?
Be Real. Be yourself and let the real you shine through. When you’re real open, honest, approachable, humble, respectful and caring people will respect you, work hard for you and see to it that you are incredibly successful. It’s very important that you not come across as someone who is superior to the people who work for you when you motivate with trust, there is no room for arrogance.
Be Appreciative. People absolutely love to work hard when their efforts are appreciated. The reason is that the need to be appreciated is one of the strongest of all human needs people crave appreciation almost as much as they crave food. So if you, as a team leader, supervisor, manager or executive make it a point to sincerely thank your employees for the things they’ve done on your behalf, they’ll make it point to give you their best efforts. The lesson here is that you can’t say “thank you” too often.
Be Interested. This is all about treating people like they really are your most important resource after all, it’s their level of effort that determines your success. You do this by getting out of your office and getting involved with your employees. Get to know them and let them get to know you.
Ask their opinion on things and listen to what they have to say. And make sure you give them your undivided attention when you’re listening. Remember, talking is about meeting your needs; listening is about meeting theirs.
Be Nice. Being nice is about being the kind of person that everyone is happy to see come to work. This means smiling and saying or doing something that brightens the day of each person you come into contact with. Being nice is critical because it’s what makes people like you, and they have to like you before they will trust you. Lets found that being nice making those around you feel good about themselves is more important to your success as a manager than how competent you are?

Human Resources Management Tips for Hotels

There are a few human resources management tips for hotels that can eliminate some of the problems that plague most hotel human resources managers.
Since one of the biggest problems that a human resources manager in the hotel industry faces is the issue of employee retention, many of the tips address that issue.
The first tip revolves around choosing the right person for each job. Choosing the right person for each job can be one of the hardest tasks of the human resources manager. In many cases only people will low skill levels apply to many of the jobs offered in a hotel. It is the job of the human resources manager to make sure that the person chosen for the job will do it correctly and have staying power. This can be done through the interview process. With the right questions each applicant's answers will reflect how they feel about the job.
Another great tip for the human resources manager is to have a lot of positive reinforcement. If they employees feel they are in a friendly environment, then they will produce better work. Everyone likes to be noticed when they do a good job so catching employees doing their jobs properly is an important part of being a human resources manager. This is also very important in the hotel business because customers can always tell the tone of the staff. If they see happy staff members the customers will be more likely to return to the hotel.
Another aspect to the human resources management tips for hotels is to implement a clear progression plan that employees can use to advance in rank and salary at the hotel. If employees feel they will be stuck in the same job and pay grade throughout their time at the hotel then they will move on to another hotel or business to increase their salaries and duties. If there is a clear advancement program in place at the hotel that they already work in then they will be more likely to stay at the place they already work.

All of these human resources management tips for hotels will provide a basis to use as a springboard to increase the productivity in your hotel. Follow these tips and you will soon see an increase in the mood and service level of your hotel. The human resources position at any hotel is one of the most important jobs in the hotel, so it is very important that it is run professionally and well.

Market Your Property

10 Quick Ideas to Market Your Property Better Now

These pointers can help you attract, and retain, the right guests.

Many GMs think that marketing planning is done once a year, typically in the fall and in advance of the coming fiscal year. Here are a series of quick points you can spring on your director of marketing to see to help keep your marketing program on track.

1. Repeat customers are easier to cultivate than new guests. Make sure you don't forget to capture as much information as you can for each guest. Expand your database to know: why they visited, what they did (spa, golf, meals, room type, etc.) Then, maintain a relationship with your past guests, encouraging them to revisit by appealing to their interests.

2. To everything there is a season. Mark your calendar in advance. Plan every holiday with military precision. Unlike every other promotional program that you create, these no-brainer events deserve your full attention. If you’re not full, shame on you! You have the power and the knowledge. Just do it. No excuses.

3. Everybody eats. Of course you have a spa and you might have a golf course, too. But at best a quarter of people regularly visit spas, with lower numbers for golf. However, with almost perfect certainty, I can guarantee that your guests eat, Make it your business to ensure that they eat with you. Create menus and venues that give your guests what they want. Incentivize them with room and food packages if need be.

4. Remember there are five weekdays and two days in the weekend. Depending upon your property’s location, this typically means that business groups take precedence to leisure travel. Now examine your sales and marketing plan spending. Is this reality accurately reflected?

5. Marketing needs to start the minute your guest interacts with you. Once you have a reservation, start your engines! Remember the importance of initial experiences. A welcome packet on check-in beats a myriad of tent cards.

6. You don’t control price; the market does. Only your owners are interested in comparisons to pre-2008 ADRs. Be realistic in your expectations. It’s a different world out there. If your competitive set is at $250 per night, don't even think that the old days of $400 per night are in the cards. Remember that without occupancy, rate is irrelevant.

7. The minute you wean yourself off the OTAs, the better. Sure, they provide a quick fill. But they drive your rate down and do nothing to generate loyalty in your product. For example, the latest OTA deal is to offer a four-star property at a two-star price. Think about it for a moment: they are commoditizing all the work it took you to get to four stars, relegating you to an equal with others at that level.

8. Invest in your local neighborhood. Hire and train. Promote and motivate. Donate and participate.Give back and tell everyone about it. It pays to be a friend and a community leader. Treat everyone as family and they will return in kind.

9. Socially savvy makes sense. Don’t just pay lip service to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, Invest in appropriate programs to harness the energy of these programs and fully integrate them into your marketing programs and brand strategy.

10. Your website is your window to the world. Make it sing, and make sure that it works effectively. Don't expect to be No. 1 in Google search if you are an independent in a busy market. Use creative programs to drive links.

And One Bonus Idea
Advertising still works. The best way to find you is through your website. Advertise its presence. Create meaningful advertising campaigns that combine eye-catching imagery with calls to action. And remember to measure the campaign, not just each and every individual ad.

Larry Mogelonsky (larry@lma.net) is the president and founder of LMA Communications Inc., a, full-service communications agency focused on the hospitality industry. Larry is also the developer of Inn at a Glance hospitality software. As a recognized expert in marketing services, his experience encompasses Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts and Preferred Hotels & Resorts, as well as numerous independent properties throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Larry is a registered professional engineer, and received his MBA from McMaster University.

Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

habit 1 - be proactive®

This is the ability to control one's environment, rather than have it control you, as is so often the case. Self determination, choice, and the power to decide response to stimulus, conditions and circumstances

habit 2 - begin with the end in mind®

Covey calls this the habit of personal leadership - leading oneself that is, towards what you consider your aims. By developing the habit of concentrating on relevant activities you will build a platform to avoid distractions and become more productive and successful.

habit 3 - put first things first®

Covey calls this the habit of personal management. This is about organising and implementing activities in line with the aims established in habit 2. Covey says that habit 2 is the first, or mental creation; habit 3 is the second, or physical creation. (See the section on time management.)

habit 4 - think win-win®

Covey calls this the habit of interpersonal leadership, necessary because achievements are largely dependent on co-operative efforts with others. He says that win-win is based on the assumption that there is plenty for everyone, and that success follows a co-operative approach more naturally than the confrontation of win-or-lose.

habit 5 - seek first to understand and then to be understood®

One of the great maxims of the modern age. This is Covey's habit of communication, and it's extremely powerful. Covey helps to explain this in his simple analogy 'diagnose before you prescribe'. Simple and effective, and essential for developing and maintaining positive relationships in all aspects of life. (See the associated sections on Empathy, Transactional Analysis, and the Johari Window.)

habit 6 - synergize®

Covey says this is the habit of creative co-operation - the principle that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, which implicitly lays down the challenge to see the good and potential in the other person's contribution.

habit 7 - sharpen the saw®

This is the habit of self renewal, says Covey, and it necessarily surrounds all the other habits, enabling and encouraging them to happen and grow. Covey interprets the self into four parts: the spiritual, mental, physical and the social/emotional, which all need feeding and developing.

Basic Principles of Marketing 4P

There are a few things you must know when planning your marketing campaign. These factors are the "Principles of Marketing". Learning how to market correctly is the biggest task when starting a new business or selling a new product. Without proper marketing, your endeavors will more than likely not succeed. The following are some basic principles of marketing - 4P (Product, Price, Place & Promotions ).
[Product] When marketing, you must first create a product or service that is clear and easy to comprehend so the potential buyers will have no problems in understanding what your company is offering. This is by far the most important role in marketing. If you are offering a product or service to impending clients and the client cannot fully understand what your product or service is and does, they will pick up and move on. A few of the things you can include in your campaign to make sure the public will understand your product and service is include a warranty, customer service, instructions, company name, visual examples of how your product or service works.
[Price] The next issue to work with when working on your marketing campaign is to create a price that is reasonable and competitive with your other companies in your market. You should do some research on these companies and find out the average prices of your type of product or service and in turn create a price that is lower than the average if it is possible in your budget and profit margin. The public will notice a product or service substantially quicker if the price is in their budget and with the growing economy, the public will appreciate a low cost product or service.
[Place] When marketing your product or service you must also choose a location that will best suit your company in reaching your prospective market. This is a task that few people will really spend the time on but it plays a major role in how well your business does. Think of it like this, would you promote your children's toy inside of a bar? You must choose a location to promote that will reach your future client base. This holds true for new products more than existing companies and products because if people do not know your product exists then how will they know they need it and buy it.
[Promotion] You must always remember that communication with your consumer base is by far the most important aspect in marketing a new product or service. If you can make your client feel safe and feel as though they are making the right choice in choosing your product, you are one step ahead of your competition. Safety with their money is a large part in the decision the potential clients make when choosing a product or service that they are in need of, and if you can make sure they feel safe, you will be 1 huge step closer in closing the deal. Safety is key, and will always be the most important aspect in marketing a new product or service.

FEW PRINCIPLES FOR MANAGEMENT?

Few of the principles that if have used successfully, see how they might apply to Management:
Shape. By getting a good read on the edges of things, they can better focus the viewer’s attention. In management, figure and ground can help you separate the real issues from the red herrings. What’s the problem we’re trying to solve?
Where do we draw the edges of our business? How can we separate ourselves from the competition?

Line. A line is a simple device to connect one thing with another, to lead a viewer’s eye, a listener’s ear, or a reader’s thoughts from point A to point B. It creates a sense of trajectory (Noun) that suggests motion. Where is our company headed? How do our products and services connect?
What does this year’s performance say about next year’s? If the connections among decisions, products, and events are not clearly delineated, your sense of aesthetics will reveal the problem before the market does.
Texture. In all forms of art, texture is used to organize complexity and add depth. Texture is a fact of life, for better or worse, in every company. How can we thread together our businesses, processes, brands, products, features, and communications to create a tapestry instead of a train wreck? How can we organize complexity to give it resonance?
Scale. Every one knows that large scale is the shortcut to shattering power.
But scale can also mean small scale. How big must our business be to beat the competition and serve our customers?
Where should we upscale? Where should we downscale? What are we doing today that, by increasing our investment in it, would give us a competitive edge or a decisive victory?
Proportion. The principle of proportion weighs the relationship of one element to another. Artists of all kinds grapple with this issue, but so do business leaders. It’s a question of balance.
How should the various parts of our business relate to each other? When is it strategically sound to be out of balance? How do we know if we’re investing the right amounts in the right innovations?
When we make a decision, how should we give weight to conflicting concerns so we don’t throw the baby out with the bath water? By developing a corporate sense of proportion, these judgments get easier.
Variety. With large scale artworks, it’s variety that holds people’s interest. In time-based experiences, this also implies pacing. Variety in systems performs a different function. It gives the system enough complexity to correct itself and stay healthy.
How can variety help us create a culture of perpetual innovation? How can we use it to spread our exposure to risk? How can we use pacing to keep our customers on the edge of their seats, wondering what delights we’ll prepare for them next?
Rhythm. Of course, rhythm is essential in music. But it crosses over into other art forms as well. “Rhythm of innovation” to restore the company to its former glory.
What kind of rhythm is right for our company?
When should we release our new products? How should we change speeds to harness a good economy? A bad economy?
Depth. Yet the principle of depth can be applied with equal success to businesses and brands. The diagram opposite shows how each part of the business, from the internal vision to the external brand, can operate at multiple levels of understanding. Are we communicating our mission and message to every audience? How about our product stories? Do they resonate across regions, segments, and cultures?
Harmony. Harmony is based on the principle of synergy, or how the parts work together to do more than they could do separately. In music, it might be how the notes sound together. In cuisine, how the flavours taste together. In business, it’s how people work together. How can we achieve synergy among functions, departments, and divisions?
How can we remove dissonance and emphasize alignment? How can we get a complex organization to execute a simple idea?
Contrast. In business, cash is king. In aesthetics, it’s contrast. It’s contrast that makes art both emotional and memorable. When a company creates vivid differentiation between itself and its competitors, it’s using the principle of contrast.
How can we increase the contrast between our brand and those of our competitors? How can we design our products and services so they stand out in a crowded marketplace? How can we make sure that our communications hook into in people’s minds?
I could go on, but that’s another manifesto. Suffice it to say that the best management decisions are also aesthetic decisions: They satisfy our deep intuitive sense of what’s right, what’s good, and what’s beautiful.
Aesthetics serve as a compass to keep you from getting lost as you design the way forward. What is good design? This is the question that has haunted the design community for decades. Whenever the conversation comes up, the “eye of the beholder” argument shuts it down.
Someone says that good design is design that “works,” and someone else adds that the arbiter of “what works” is the individual user. At this point everyone nods and the conversation ends. But the question is never fully put to rest.
I believe there’s a more universal answer. It’s this:
Good design does not depend so much on the eye of the beholder, but on a combination of aesthetics and ethics. Good design is design that exhibits virtues.
What virtues? You know good old human virtues like generosity, courage, diligence, honesty, substance, clarity, curiosity, thriftiness, helpfulness, and wit. By contrast, bad design exhibits human vices like selfishness, fear, laziness, deceit, pettiness, confusion, apathy, wastefulness, harmfulness, and stupidity.
In other words, we want the same things from design that we want from our fellow humans. When we combine ethical virtues with aesthetic virtues, we get good design.
Good design does not depend so much on the eye of the beholder, but on a combination of aesthetics and ethics. Good design is design that exhibits virtues.
Soul, like beauty, is one of those evanescent qualities that disappear under the microscope, but it’s clearly visible when you meet it on the street,business tradition that overvalues narrow, short-term success, and undervalues broad, long-term success. Spreadsheet management has only led to resentful customers, dispirited employees, and a divided society.
Why would this change? Because it has to. In an era when customers are not only omnipotent but omniscient, when over-production leads to an ecological box canyon, a selfish focus on the bottom line is bad design.
Good design, in contrast, is a new management model that deliberately includes a moral dimension. It’s a model that not only serves shareholders but employees, customers, partners, and communities.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS?

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Objectives:
Define and understand communication and the communication process
List and overcome the filters/barriers in a communication process
Practice active listening
Tips to improve verbal and non verbal communication
What is Communication?
Communication is the art of transmitting information, ideas and attitudes from one person to another.
Communication is the process of meaningful interaction among human beings.
It’s Essences:
Personal Process occurs between people, involves change in behaviour
Means to influence others
Expression of thoughts and emotions through words & actions.
Tools for controlling and motivating people.
It is a social and emotional process.
What are the most common ways we communicate?
Spoken words Visual images
Written words Body Language
Types of Communication
Downwards Communication: Highly Directive, from Senior to subordinates, to assign duties, give instructions, to inform to offer feedback, approval to highlight problems etc.
Upwards Communications: It is non directive in nature from down below, to give feedback, to inform about progress/problems, seeking approvals.
Lateral or Horizontal Communication: Among colleagues, peers at same level for information level for information sharing for coordination, to save time.
In modern business environment communication extends beyond written or spoken
Words to listened word. Visual dimension added by T.V, a computer has given to new meaning to communication.
Communication Networks
Formal Network: Virtually vertical as per chain go command within the hierarchy.
Informal Network: Free to move in any direction may skip formal chain of command. Likely to satisfy social and emotional needs and also can facilitate task accomplishment.
Barriers to communication:
Noise, Inappropriate medium
Assumptions/Misconceptions
Emotions, Language differences
Poor listening skills, Distractions
Hearing Vs Listening: Hearing, Physical process, natural, passive
Listening Physical as well as mental process, active, learned process, a skill
Listening is hard. You must choose to participate in the process of listening.
VALUE OF LISTENING: Listening to others is an elegant art. Good listening reflects courtesy and good manners. Listening carefully to the instructions of superiors improve competence and performance. The result of poor listening skill could be disastrous in business, employment and social relations. Good listening can eliminate a number of imaginary grievances of employees.
Good listening skill can improve social relations and conversation.
Listening is a positive activity rather than a passive or negative activity.
ESSENTIALS OF COMMUNICATION “Dos”
Always think ahead about what you are going to say.
Use simple words and phrases that are understood by every body.
Increase your knowledge on all subjects you are required to speak.
Speak clearly and audibly.
Check twice with the listener whether you have been understood accurately or not
In case of an interruption, always does a little recap of what has been already said.
Always pay undivided attention to the speaker while listening.
While listening, always make notes of important points.
Always ask for clarification if you have failed to grasp other’s point of view.
Repeat what the speaker has said to check whether you have understood accurately.
ESSENTIALS OF COMMUNICATION Don’ts
Do not instantly react and mutter something in anger.
Do not use technical terms & terminologies not understood by majority of people.
Do not speak too fast or too slow.
Do not speak in inaudible surroundings, as you won’t be heard.
Do not assume that every body understands you.
While listening do not glance here and there as it might distract the speaker.
Do not interrupt the speaker.
Do not jump to the conclusion that you have understood every thing.
How to Improve Existing Level of COMMUNICATION?
Improve Language, Improve pronunciation, Work on voice modulation, Work on body language, Read more.
Listen More:
Avoid reading or watching or listening unwanted literature, gossip, Media presentation etc. Interact with qualitative people.
Improve on you topic of discussion.
Practice meditation & good thoughts.
Think & Speak
Do not speak too fast.
Use simple vocabulary
Not speak only to impress someone.
Look presentable and confident.
Improving Body Language Tips:
Keep appropriate distance
Touch only when appropriate
Take care of your appearance
Be aware people may give false cues
Maintain eye contact
Smile genuinely
"Success for YOU in the new global and diverse workplace requires excellent communication skills"

GUESTS NEED?

DETERMINING AND MEETING GUESTS’ NEED
Nearly everything we do is based on our needs at the particular moment and whether or not they are being met. The most basic needs are for food and shelter. Once these needs have been met we begin to experience more complex needs for security and acceptance.
The need for security is especially strong who are entering a new or unfamiliar environment such as a guest or a new employee. The need for acceptance is equally strong for people in new situations.
To meet these needs for security and acceptance it is important to show recognition, that is, to show that you value a person as an individual and feel that he or she is important. This can be done through making a special effort for a person.
If the needs for security or acceptance are frustrated or not met the individual will become anxious, depressed and frequently difficult to handle. Difficult behaviour usually indicates that a need is not being met. Each guest needs to feel that they are important to the hotel’s employees. Please make every effort to make each guest feel that you care about them as an individual person. Consider the possibilities.
One of the most basic and important human relations skills is the ability to recognize and meet people’s needs. This is frequently more difficult than it would appear. People whose needs are frustrated often behave in ways that cover up what their needs are. People who feel afraid and rejected will frequently appear hostile and angry. What they need is reassurance and acceptance. However, it is not easy to translate hostile and angry behaviours into the need for reassurance and acceptance.

IMPORTANCE OF ANY CUSTOMER IS ACTIVE LISTENING?

ACTIVE LISTENING:
Effective communication is not the sole responsibility of the message sender, especially in verbal messages. The receiver also plays a vital role in the communication process. The listener must not only hear the words; he or she must also understand and interpret the message.
The listener can have a substantial impact on increasing the effectiveness of the communication. Indeed, a wise listener who is asking skilful questions will determine both the content and the feeling behind the message. By concentrating and remaining calm and respectful, the listener can both control the amount of emotionalism in the communication and keep the conversation on track.
1- Asking appropriate questions.
2- Encouraging the speaker to continue clarifying.
3- Stating back to the sender your understanding of the message.
Asking Questions
Ask - "What may I do for you?" or "How may I help you?" Don't interrupt the speaker.
Clarify - "When would you like this to be done?" or "Where would you like it to be delivered?"
Non-verbal Clues
Non-verbal cues play a strong role in determining the nature of a conversation. They can open or close the lines of communication. Such gestures as eye contact and a nodding head can encourage a person to talk. Impatience with a person can effectively terminate the desire to communicate.
Verifying
Frequently repeating back in your own words what you understand the sender to say can be used to help you concentrate on the message. It can also be used to help the sender clarify or understand a particular problem. Verifying and paraphrasing allows you to check your own understanding and lets the speaker know what you understand.
Communications is a two-way process:
FEEDBACK
The role of the 'RECEIVER' is to actively 'LISTEN.' ACTIVE LISTENING is more than hearing; it is interpreting what the 'SENDER' means.
A guest calls down to the Front Desk in the early evening and wants to know where his dry cleaning is.
What are some questions you might ask of him or her?
When the "sender" is a guest, the responsibility for hearing, understanding and remembering the message rests squarely with you. We do not require that our guests follow the rules of sending messages. So, we need to listen very actively.

COMMUNICATION?

GIVING MESSAGES TO OTHERS:
To a great extent, the effectiveness of any organization depends on the effectiveness of the communication that takes place within it. Many of the problems that arise in a hotel are due to poor communication practices. Poor communication is not unique to the hospitality industry. In spite of the importance of good communication, some experts estimate that up to 70% of communication breaks down because it is misunderstood, misinterpreted, rejected, ignored or distorted.
Communication is commonly considered to consist of three parts:
1-The Sender
2-The Message
3-The Receiver
In order for communication to be successful, the sender must organize a clear, well thought out message. The message itself must be worded in a language that is easily understood by the receiver and the receiver must focus and interpret the message. Communication may break down in any one of these three parts.
When the guest or a co-worker is relying on us for information, we have a responsibility to be an effective sender. This is particularly true when the message is verbal.
Below are some skills that we, as the 'sender', must use effectively to insure that communication takes place.
Organize the Message
Too often, we communicate a message without clarifying beforehand exactly what it is we want to communicate. If the message is important, take time to plan out how to effectively and simply state it.
Speak Clearly, Audibly and Slowly
A mumbled, inaudible message will not get through, nor will words that fly by a receiver's ear. A message given in a hurry or on the run appears to have little importance. Many times receivers judge the message by the way the sender presents it. And of course, the receiver is evaluating the sender's ability and confidence at the same time. It is difficult to take the person or the message seriously if it is not stated effectively.
Verify:
If you are giving directions to a guest, even if the message has been well organized and has been delivered carefully, you cannot be sure that it has been understood until the message has been verified.
Verifying means to ask the receiver to restate to you how he or she understood the message. Although most people are reluctant to verify feeling that it makes the receiver appear stupid or inattentive this risk is generally worth it, compared to the aggravation created by misunderstood messages.
Careful phrasing of your request for verification usually avoids conveying rejection or embarrassment.
Would you care to repeat back the directions so that I am sure that I included everything?
When giving a complicated directive, you may wish to warn the receiver that it will be complex, and suggest that the receiver take notes. Still, you must verify.
The task is a bit complicated to me. I want to be sure I have been clear and complete. Would you read back the steps we have to take?

SIX CORE VALUES OF INNOVATION!

What are the six core values of innovation?
The six key contexts of innovation can assist leaders as they guide the innovation process, and the six core values of innovation help them spark a deeper passion for the work of innovation among potential contributors. The core values should imbue the pursuit of innovation with meaning beyond the goal of creating cool, new products and services. They are a powerful wellspring of purpose for making innovation an organizational priority.
1. Capability (strategic value)—Innovation is about building stronger and more capable organizations. Building a capacity for innovation requires an intelligent, strategic and disciplined approach.
2. Inclusivity (technological value)—Innovation is an intrinsically social and collaborative process, i.e., everyone has a role to play. Web technologies enable open and distributed participation on a global scale.
3. Possibility (cultural value)—Possibilities are the precious fruits of the human imagination. Innovation fully embraces the discovery of what is possible for our organizations, even if it involves risk and failure.
4. Opportunity (intellectual value)—Through the application of experience and knowledge, the human intellect identifies and shapes innovation opportunities in ways that enable action.
5. Sustainability (financial value)—Innovation can create a sustainable future for organizations, and the work of innovation itself must be made sustainable through the consistent and well-paced investment of resources.
6. Responsibility (leadership value)—Innovation is a critical element of responsible stewardship for leaders who must be vigilant for the health and well-being of their organizations.
There are four questions that must be asked:
What do you need to do more of?
This question helps you identify what you need to continue doing in order to increase your results.
What do you need to do less of?
You must identify the things you do that waste time, or are not effective.
What do you need to start doing?
This question asks you to think of things you are not doing that could be significant and important to getting better results.
What do you need to stop doing?
You must identify low-impact, time-wasting activities to eliminate from your daily habits.
These activities could be minor, such as spending too much time on the telephone with colleagues,helping others out on non-emergency items while pushing aside your more critical tasks, inefficiently preparing for meetings, and generally allowing small things to push you away from your primary objectives.

SIX KEY CONTEXTS OF INNOVATION!!

GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE, WHY IT IS IMPORTANT?

GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE
Categories for good customer service are:
Tangible, Quality, Reliability, Environment
GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE
Good customer service may be defined as Intangible, Sense of caring Courtesy, Willingness to help and Ability to solve problems.
CUSTOMER CENTERED
Benefits of being customer centred Customer retention and loyalty, new customers, increased market share.
CUSTOMER CENTERED
Enhanced service development, Image and positive publicity, Staff satisfaction and motivation, increased profitability, Survival.
SUMMARY
What is customer service-Meeting the expectation of customers
Main purpose of business -To create and keep customers
Why is customer service important?
Stiff competition, knowledgeable customers
What is your role?
Customer representative (moment of truth)
Factors which influence performance
Behaviour, Skills, knowledge and Support
Why are customers important
They are the reason we exist
Affects the bottom line of the company
THE IMPORTANCE OF SATISFIED CUSTOMERS
What is the cost of getting new customers in relation to keeping existing ones?
How many people will an unhappy customer tell?
How many of these customers will be retained if we handle customers well?
How many people will a satisfied customer tell?
How many unhappy customers complain?
ANSWERS:
It costs five times more to obtain new customers
Unhappy customers tell ten people
Eighty percent of all complainers stay if handled well.
Happy customers only tell three or four people
Most unhappy customers simply don’t come back

CUSTOMER SERVICE

A MOMENT OF TRUTH

“A moment of truth is an episode in which a customer comes into contact with any aspect of the company, however remote and thereby has an opportunity to form an impression”.

1-CUSTOMER SERVICE
KEY LEARNING INTENDED
What is customer service?
Main purpose of business
Why is customer service important?
What is your role?
Factors which influence your performance
Why are customers important?
WHAT IS CUSTOMER SERVICE?
Meeting the Expectations of the Customers, Is the ability of the organization to constantly and consistently give the customer what they want and expect?
2-WHAT IS CUSTOMER SERVICE?
EXPECTATIONS Needs and wants of the customers
CUSTOMERS Internal customers External customers
3-WHAT IS THE MAIN PURPOSE OF BUSINESS?
To create customers, without customers there is no business
DEFINITION:
PURPOSE :To create a customer, ACCORDING TO THIS Organization's ability to remain in business is a function of its competitiveness and its ability to win customers from the competition.
QUALITY- CONSCIOUS COMPANY The customer is the foundation of the organization and keeps it in business
4-WHY IS CUSTOMER SERVICE IMPORTANT? Stiff competition, Basic philosophy is changing from sales to marketing
ONE CAN GET AWAY WITH BAD SERVICE IF: Monopoly, maybe competing on price, everyone gives a similar service, you are a genius
IF YOU WANT TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP
Understand the person, understand the needs, and understand his psychology
5-WHY ARE CALL CENTERS IMPORTANT?
Call centres are set up so that they can give better service to the customers
Tell the customer about product features, services etc without actually going to the particular company, Saves time, Prompt service
ROLES UNDERTAKEN Customer service representative Sales support (back office)
YOUR ROLE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE
First point of contact, Build a customer rapport or break it, YOU PLAY A KEY ROLE
An employee who provides quality service must do three things, Accept responsibility for providing timely customer service, Courteous manner, Learn and apply customer service skills in a positive manner.
SKILLS REQUIRED
Good communication skill, Patience, Adaptability, Persistence
WHAT FACTORS INFLUENCE YOUR PERFORMANCE?
Behaviour, Interpersonal skill
Communication skills– Listening and verbal
Team working, Customer service focus
Vision, Leadership, Skills, knowledge, Technical skills
Product knowledge, Market knowledge, Support, Training
Coaching, Clarity of role
IMPACT OF GOOD SERVICE
Customer loyalty, Repurchase, Referral business, Increase in profitability
IMPACT OF BAD SERVICE
Customer complaints, Negative public relations
Loss of customer business, Increase in cost to replace lost customer
CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP
Successful organizations of the future will be those who become customer centred and drive their business from a customer perspective
6-WHY ARE CUSTOMERS IMPORTANT?
Customers are the reason that we exist:
A customer is not an interruption- HE IS THE PURPOSE
A customer is not dependent on us – WE ARE
No one ever won an argument with a customer

SALES PROMOTION

SUBJECT:                    SALES PROMOTION
Definition
Sales Promotion consists of different tools used for the direct presentation of the product to its users and distributors.
Personal Selling
Personal selling is the strongest means available for promoting a hotel's facilities. Personal selling involves a salesman, who is the symbol of his organization in front of his/her customer. Therefore, a salesman must familiarize himself with the following four things:
1-His Company; every thing about the hotels facilities.
2-His Competitors; every thing that competitor hotel's are offering, so that a salesman knows how to sell better.
3-His Customers;         Who are they?
Where do they do?
What do they want? and
   When do they want it?
4. How to present:Finally the salesman should know how to make an effective presentation.
The effective presentation must contain;
a-Photographs; to show the product in use and other views of facilities.
b-Brochures; means, tariff sheets, fact sheets, flyer, company profile, floor plans, banquet requirement, menus and etc.
c-Banqueting plans, to show the floor area and the different seating plans.
D-Visiting cards.

Methods of Personal Selling

Subject: METHODS
There are various methods of personal selling:
1. Sales Calls
2. Telephone selling
3. Internal selling
4. Entertaining
1-SALES CALLS
Local sales calls is your day to day work. Set up your target of how many sales calls per week you feel feasible. Follow this programme, as a high rate of calls will definitely produce new business.
Sales trips might be useful to travel outside your local area in order to reach other markets.
Do not rely on your "gut feeling" as to what market segments are significant. Get in touch with your local airline, your national tourist office or with other official institutions. Find Out where the business comes from. Try to combine your sales trips with major travel industry congresses.
a) Visits are made to:
i) Commercial organizations;
ii) Industrial organizations;
iii) Government and semi government organizations;
iv) Traders and merchants;
v) Professionals and educationalists;
vi) The town elite;
vii) Social organizations such as the Rotary and Clubs;
viii) Multinational local representatives;
ix) Embassies and International Organizations
x) Professionals e.g. lawyers, architects consultants etc.
xi) The rest, any other organizations whose needs can be served.
b) For all sales calls, careful planning is required and the following suggestions may help:
i) Have a specific reason to call;
ii) Try to avoid sales calls to pass the time;
iii) Never say; I happened to be in the area and I dropped in to see you;
iv) Give a good reason for your call;
v) Learn as much as possible about the organization you are visiting before of your visit.
vi) Have your sales ideas and tools ready before you make a call.
vii) Set your target for every personal call. Either it should be a definite promise or it should be for the collection of maximum information.
c) Besides the above-mentioned personal preparations, basic, sales etiquette should be considered:
a-Be friendly but do not behave in an over familiar manner
Make sure you are punctual.
Introduce yourself clearly.
Your prospect's time is valuable - do not waste it. Make
your point quickly.
Try to get as much information from him as possible and build your sales around his comments.
Make your customer feel important; try to find out his problems, offer your assistance in solving them.
a-Use sales kit tools to better explain your facilities. Have floor plans, menus, photographs, etc., available.
Avoid saying "I don't know" if specific questions on your Properties are asked.
Repeat any promises of follow up in order to clarify your proposed actions with the customer. And always use his name.
Do not oversell. Leave promptly when your business is completed
2. TELEPHONE SELLING
It is important to use the telephone as often as possible in order to contact the customer but disturb him as little as possible.
The two types of telephone selling are:
1-Receiving incoming calls regarding Hotel facilities.
2-Placing outgoing calls to increase business.
The only advantage of outgoing calls is your preparation before calling the customer. If he calls you - you have to be ready to answer him on the spot. Also, during sales calls by telephone, some etiquette must be considered.
a-Analyze your customer's needs as quickly as possible then give him the answer in terms of facts and figures.
b-Try to speak his language! A function room explained to a Lady may be described as "charming", the same room described to a man may be "right atmosphere for functional business meetings".
3. INTERNAL SELLING
The internal selling involves the product mix to existing customers. The customer has already made the first step by coming in, therefore, it is our internal selling to increase their average spending. Whereas external selling/ promotion increases the number of customers or external. The entire staff is involved in one form or the other - the internal selling.
4. ENTERTAINING
The prospect is invited to the establishment which gives him a real opportunity to sample the product over lunch and, later, a grand tour of the hotel, in order to showing him / her the facilities. Although, this type of selling is limited to the fact that it is expensive but in the pre-opening stage, it is very effective and also necessary.

HOW MARKETING BUDGET IS PREPARED

SUBJECT:                    MARKETING BUDGET
Definition:
The Marketing Budget is a document outlining the expenditures required to attain the quantity, marketing objectives determined in the Marketing Plan.
Policy: The Marketing Budget is expected to be a realistic forecast of the required quantum of expenditure. All levels of the unit marketing management are involved in its preparation, but the ultimate responsibility is that of the General Manager and the Director Sales & Marketing.
The Marketing Budget should include the expenses incurred on the following heads of account:
a)      Advertising, printing, production;
b)     Sales promotion, trade shows, special events;
c)      Public relations;
d)     Sales/marketing departmental salaries and benefits, conveyance, sales trips;
e)      Travel and entertainment;
f)       Marketing and reservation fees;
g)      Mailing of promotional materials and mail shots etc.,
It obviously helps to draw up next year's budget if the present year's costs are monitored each month. The more people you involve, during the planning stage, the more realistic the budget will finally be.
For Food Promotion, it is essential to involve the Director F&B; Accounts Department has also to be consulted for the different marketing and reservation fees.
Once the budget is finalized, the total expenditure should be checked against industry guidelines (a certain percentage of total hotel revenue). If this does not correspond exactly, then the budget will have to be revised.

ANNUAL MARKETING PLAN

SUBJECT:                    ANNUAL MARKETING PLAN
Definition:
The Marketing Plan is a document that analysis a Unit's position within its market, commits the management of the Unit and the Company to a set of objectives and outlines the strategies to achieve these objectives within the time framework of the Plan.
Policy:
While the Marketing Plan is ultimately the responsibility of the. General Manager and the Director Sales & Marketing all levels of the Unit management are involved in its preparation and the nature of the commitments are from the bottom upward.
Description:
The Marketing Plan comprises:
a) Analysis of the Market (National)
-       Analyses economic situation;
-       Assess trends in tourism/travel;
-       Discuss developments;
b) Analysis of the Market (Pectoral):
-         State product proposition (what demands are satisfied by the product? The "Offer");
-         Analyze visitor origins/motivations;
-         Quantify demand;
-         Outline customer profile;
-         Identify sources of business;
-         Describe and assess competition;
-         Analyze strengths and weaknesses;
c)     Identify opportunities, including the establishment of market share objectives.
d)    Describe the product (including development proposals) and state the selling proposition.
e) Establish the Price Structure and policy.
  f)   Outline the Marketing strategy:
- Discuss product distribution;
- Outline the sales promotion plan;
- Describe any packages to be offered;
- Outline the advertising proposals;
- Outline the public relation proposals;
- Outline any special promotions e.g. F & B;
- Establish the budget;
g) Set sales targets for the year.
h) Outline Action Plan.
Standard Operating Procedure:
a)        The Operations Sales & Marketing Team & Reservation Offices and Group Corporate Office input for the Marketing plan shall be obtained by June of each year.
b)       Objectives and targets will be jointly agreed on by the Operations Sales & Marketing Team and the Corporate Office.
c)        The marketing plan shall be prepared by the end of September each year.
d)       The marketing plan shall be approved by the end of October each year.
e)    The marketing plan will be implemented from January of next year.
Applies as Fiscal year in Pakistan starts from July to June, so the months will (April May and June)

PUBLIC RELATIONS:

PUBLIC RELATIONS
Public Relations is involved with creating attitudes and perceptions to improve overall image of the hotel.
Various strategies, which will be used by the Public Relations department to achieve its objectives, are:
MEDIA RELATIONS
This involves working with press, print or electronic media and Internet. To make people understand about our product and its sub products and to have a favorable image in public, a strong and positive media relations will be built.
On regular basis press releases / photographs will be sent to print media about happenings at the hotel. Every month at least one event or promotion of the hotel will be projected on electronic media.
To have a reciprocal relationship with media people special lunches, dinners or tea receptions will be organized for them on monthly or bi monthly basis.
INTERNAL RELATIONS
To strengthen both morale and loyalty of fellow associates different trainings and entertainment programs will be organized for them, which will in return result in better customer service and guest satisfaction.
To promote different products of the hotel like rooms, restaurants, health club etc, “Brain Storming” sessions will be organized with the concerned departments. This will not only give us an opportunity to gather more and unique ideas but will also help us to know about the expectations and needs of our clients.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS
To build goodwill for the hotel and to portray an image of a “Good Corporate Citizen,” hotel will get involved and will support events for special causes that are a concern to the community through fund raising, volunteer work and donations to special community projects.
To promote the hotel as ‘Environment Friendly” hotel “Environment Day and Tree Plantation” will be held at the hotel in collaboration with WWF and on its own.
CORPORATE RELATIONS:
To organize more mega events in collaboration with multinationals and national companies’ strong relations will be built with them through personal visits and through telephone. More emphasis will be on joint promotions and sponsored events to lesser the cost and to maximize the revenue.

SALES & MARKETING?

MARKETING
It concentrates on finding what people want, and then evolves different strategies to achieve the exchange of goods and services for a monetary consideration in which value needs are satisfied.
The entire range of marketing activities revolves around the six P’s namely a known as the marketing Mix.

1. PEOPLE The product users and their needs. The motivation behind their needs.

2. PRODUCT The attributes of the product and how this product satisfies the needs of users.

3. PACKAGING Packaging is the presentation of the product to its users. In a hotel it is the interior and exterior presentation.

4. PLACE Place is the location of the product, the location of channels of distribution through which the users may avail the services or goods (products).
5. PRICE The quantum of monetary considerations, which are satisfied, for both the purchaser and the producers.

6. PROMOTION The activities involved in creating awareness and demand for the product.

SALES It emanates from the product; it concentrates on the goods or the service produced and tries to find a buyer.
Sales identify the market and develop promotional strategies accordingly to sell the product to the identified buyer/ user.

What is Sales and Marketing?

Important Questions of sales and marketing?
Q1: what is the difference between marketing and sales?
Q2: what are the five steps involved in developing a marketing plan?
Q3: what are the five basic five steps of presentation sale call?
Q4: what is difference between internal marketing g and internal sales? Why each in important
Q5: what is the role of general manger in internal sales? What re three ways to develop sales oriented staff?
Q6: what methods do hospitality firms use to monitor the effectiveness of advertising?
Q7: what is difference between advertising, public relation and publicity?
Q8: what are the three distinct groups of frequent business travelers?
Q9: what types of advertising re most likely to attract the attention of business travelers?
Q10: what are some travelers of individual leisure travelers?
Q11: what is tour broker, tour whole seller? How does property reach each of them?
Q12: what are some of the ways in which properties can provide good service to travel agents?
Q13:what are some of the challenges and opportunities travel agent will face in future?
Q14: what two segments compose the group meetings market?
Q15: what are the three face to face selling techniques used to reach meeting planner and how those be effective?
Q16: what are different types of reunion groups? how can property reach each group?
Q17: what are some trends affecting the restaurant industry today?
Q18: what are must be researched before positioning a restaurant?
Q19: what methods are used to merchandise food and beverage products?
Q20: what are two basic responsibilities of most catering departments?

WHAT ARE SALES STRENGTHS?

Sales Strengths: Before we start, let’s get one thing out of the way.
There is no single right way to sell. In fact, we believe there are as many ways to sell as there are sales people.
Who you are is who you should be. You’ll be most successful at sales if you make the most of who you are and by that, we mean using your natural talents the ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving that come naturally to you.
Best sales people in the field, we believe that the best sales people are the ones who focus on building those:
Five talents into unique strength:
This means combining your talents with skills, knowledge, practice and developing your own approach to sales. Rather than spending time imitating the following “best practices,” the most successful sales professionals learn to sell their way.
Learning how to maximize your strengths and minimize the time you spend managing weaknesses takes practice, effort, and creativity. Here are seven strategies, along with first-person examples, to help you apply your efforts more effectively and overcome some challenges you might face.
1. Create open communication and transparency In most organizations, people hide their weaknesses. But we think it’s better to admit them and recognize how they may be holding you back or hindering others. Talk with your manager about where you’re having trouble and why. More importantly, don’t ever be embarrassed about what makes you great.
I can spend time just going through the motions, or I can see what types of challenges are out there and go after them, I think that keeps the job fun. I think that’s what makes life fun. You know, winning, talents take a lead role in her approach to sales, but two of her other top themes, Focus and Achiever, are what drive her to remain consistently productive and intent on goals clearly focusing on her strengths, not obsessing over weaknesses.
2. Intentionally use your strengths We conducted a meeting with one of the sales teams to discuss an upcoming strengths coaching session. The group was having a good time and was incredibly enthused. The meeting was more like a party than a business discussion. Then the sales head whose top theme was Command, said, we’ve all discussed our strengths. What about weaknesses? What’s my biggest weakness? The room went silent. Everyone stared at the table. Finally, one account executive meekly looked up and said, “Well, when we have sales meetings, you kind of tend to, you know, do all the talking.”
Another person, building on the comment from the first, muttered, “So sometimes we don’t get the chance to tell you things.” A third offered, “Which means you don’t always get all the information you need.” Then someone in the back whispered, “And we’re all afraid to interrupt you.”
This hit the sale head hard, but he recognized the opportunity. After the meeting, he had his assistant type up his top five themes. He sent a copy to everyone on his team and called another meeting for a week later. He said, “These are my strengths. Tell me how to use them to make us better.
3. Find support systems A support system helps you with what you don’t do well or gives you reinforcement when you need it. Support systems can be technological, such as programming a spreadsheet with macros that do the math on sales reports or reminder e-mails that you send to yourself. You can also establish a support system by developing new habits.
A support system helps you with what you don’t do well or gives you reinforcement when you need it.
4. Build complementary partnerships You build a complementary partnership by teaming up with someone who is strong in an area where you are weak. One of the best ways to create such a partnership is by offering your talents in exchange for someone else’s. This works like a support system, but the difference is that you offer something up as well.
If you can’t find a partner, ask your boss for help. “I had a manager who would always say to me when things would get overwhelming, ‘I’ll cover the paperwork. I’ll cover the organizational stuff.
Go see your customers.’ He knew that’s where I would get my energy from. We all have to do things that we aren’t the strongest in, but those are the things that zap your energy.
A great manager’s going to figure out, even around some seemingly rigid rules, how to do that for that person. And then that person’s going to go over the mountain for his manager. So don’t overlook the possibility that your boss can be a complementary partner too.
5. Get the right education Sales people need training the right kind of training. And that training doesn’t rely on a rigid formula, program, or plan. The right training or development program is issue-based and specific. If you need better product knowledge, then this is a training issue. It’s also a good idea to consider why the initial training program might not have done the trick. The right training accommodates individual strengths and learning style.
“It’s information and dialogue and different scenarios that you can practice and believe in.” It’s also important to note that training and development are not synonymous. Training is the opportunity to enhance your level of skills and/or knowledge. The right training accommodates individual strengths and learning styles.
6. Manage unpleasant tasks by focusing on the outcomes In sales, there are some things you just have to do: sales reports, expense sheets, meeting logs. And if you’re like most reps, you hate doing them. So agree with your manager on the activities that are not negotiable the stuff you must do to keep your job. Negotiate a standard, a bare minimum, and get it done. More importantly, focus on the outcomes of those activities, not the steps.
Remember, all the things you don’t like doing are only a small part of the job.
7. Adjust or change roles As a successful, sales people whose top five themes are Maximized, Relater, Strategic, Achiever, and Input realized over time that he’s probably a better farmer than a hunter. “I have enough skins from successful hunts on my wall to add credibility.
Once you make the most of your strengths and stop trying to make up for your weaknesses, you’ll start to think about your job in a whole new way. You will gain perspective about your unique approach to sales. You may even see where you’ve made some wrong turns. Most importantly, you’ll start realizing how you can sell with your strengths.
You’ll see how using the talents you have and understanding who you really are will make you a better salesperson.

REJECTION OR RECOGNITION?

REJECTION: Rejection is the feeling that others do not value us or accept us as a person.
Everyone experiences rejection to one degree or another. Some people experience it several times daily. Others experience it less frequently.
Many times rejection is felt when it is not intended. People who are feeling rejected tend to try to hurt others. Points to remember about rejection are:
If we think we are being rejected by others, we experience feelings of hurt; People do not normally intend to give these feelings of hurt to others. When the guest is tired, anxious, frustrated or often times in a new culture, he or she experiences rejection and hurt by others even if it was not intended.
When the guest feels rejected, he or she wants to hurt back. One of the best ways we can help a person stop feeling rejected is to show him or her recognition. It is important to remember that everyone needs recognition, especially the guest. If we accept the guests without giving them recognition, they will still feel rejected. In the hotel business, it is very important to understand the cultures of the guests as much as possible to avoid making the guest feel rejected.
RECOGNITION: When we show that we are interested in a person as an individual, rather than as a part of the faceless crowd, we are giving "recognition". We care enough to demonstrate that we accept the person's uniqueness. There is a sense of belonging.
What are some of the things that show the typical guest of the Hotel that we accept and respect him or her? How do we give him or her recognition?

HOW THE GUESTS FEEL	HOW WE REACTTO THE GUESTS	THE RESULT TO THE GUESTS’ FEELINGS	GUESTS’ BEHAVIOR
POSITIVE	+ RESPECT (RECOGNITION)	POSITIVE FEELINGS	GRATEFUL, APPRECIATIVE
POSITIVE	REJECTION	HURT FEELINGS, DEFENSIVE	INSECURE
NEGATIVE	+ REJECTION	INCREASED HURT, WITHRAWN	ANGRY
NEGATIVE	+ RESPECT (RECOGNITION)	RESTORED POSITIVE FEELINGS	PLEASANT, SECURE

20 Questions from Customers Perspective?

Seeing Things from the Customers Perspective:
Sometimes we are so busy organizing and managing our business, we forget that it continues to exist because of the customer. We see customers as number that bring in income .We get busy laying plans to lure (attraction) customers to us and not have them go to our competitors.
But, do we invest enough time and effort to discover WHO our customer is? and to think of him or her as a human being, who also thinks and plan, has specific needs and expectations?
A good exercise in the right direction when planning anything connected to customers is to REMEMBER that we ourselves are customers. For a brief moment, let us forget our Marketing Objectives & Operational Challenges.
Let do a little exercise, Us analyze ourselves…
1-What do we as potential customers, look for in a hotel service?
2-Do we go physically around checking or sampling products?
3-Do we ask people we know for their recommendations?
4-Do we expect to find something uniquely suited to our wants, tastes, style of life, and economic capability?
5-What happens when a sales person tries to force upon us something we do not agree on?
6-What happens when we do not receive immediate attention?
7-What happens when the sales person serving us does not listen effectively?
8-Do we expect the sales person or manager to treat us like royalty?
9-Do we expect them to thank us for patronizing their operation?
10-If the sales people are busy, are we ready to wait patiently for our turn even if no one has acknowledged our presence yet?
11-How do we react if we hear the Manager or employees indulging in personal jokes and conversation while we wait?
12-Do we expect first-class efficiency, cleanliness, and order even in a little operation?
13-Do we expect the Manager or sales person to wish us a good day, and a “we’ll be happy to see you again”?
14-Are we so proud that we tell friends about our stay?
15-Was the service so good that we feel compelled to visit again?
16-Do we expect to be recognized when we visit again?
17-Do we expect to see the same people there?
18-If the sales people do not handle our complaints to our satisfaction; do we want top management to do so?
19-How often do we expect increase in prices?
20-What would make us “stick” with one hotel?

The Number Friendly Hotel Manager

The other day I was compiling profile of general manager for a luxury hotel owned by one of my clients. I thought of searching on the net to find out what others are looking for as essential qualities for this person. I surfed and surfed and found that if I was to base my search for a good and efficient hotel manager I might land up with someone who treats his people as his extended family, takes regular rounds of the property, greets his guests, has knowledge of internet and understands sales functions.

This left me a bit disappointed, until I saw the term 3P’s, I jumped because the P’s are my favorites too, so I read it further only to find that these “Three Pees” meant – people, price and property. The most important P was missing, I am sure you all have guessed it by now, yes I mean “Profit”. For me the most basic and primary role of a hotel manager or for that matter, any manager is to generate profits for the enterprise he is heading.

This experience prompted me to pen down my thoughts on what traits and qualities a successful hotel manager should have. I am sharing these thoughts through this short article. I know many of you would have different views on the subject.

In my experience I found that in addition to the knowledge of hotel operations like food & beverage, front office, housekeeping, engineering, a present day manager has to have an in-depth knowledge and hands on experience of hospitality marketing and above all he has to be a “number savvy” manager who believes that numbers are his best friends. He should have the ability to talk to the numbers to understand and interpret them. I have met so many managers who would fumble to respond to a question like “ so Bob, what will be your closing number this month” or say “what is your deficit this year”..and so on. This happens because “Bob” simply reads the reports as a newspaper without the due analytical approach it deserves. By the foregoing, I am by no means propagating that the manager should have a finance specialization, but he must have a thorough understanding, appreciation and interpreting skill of financial results and documents.

I have observed that a good hotel manager focuses on a few numbers only. He does not get bogged down by the rows and columns stuffed with numbers in a financial report. His approach is focused. It is not very difficult to understand and separate those important numbers for any one, but one must have the basic understanding of those. Let’s walk together to understand these.

Most of us focus on the top line and the bottom line. But we have to focus on the elements that the top line is made up of and what are the components of the bottom line. We all understand that the top line or the revenue or sales whatever you may call it, is a product of price and volume, in other words Revenue equals price multiplied with volume sold. The task of the manager therefore is to play with these two factors to maximize the value of revenue. Here he has to keep in mind that his total available volume, if not utilized perishes by the hour and vanishes at midnight. Therefore he has to apply a dynamic and reactive marketing strategy for any given period, be it the year, the month, the week or the day and even for the day for forenoon, the afternoon and the evening. All these are possible only if the manager has his numbers and they are on his fingertips.

Let us also go to the second set of numbers that are important to improve the bottom line. The bottom line spells out the profits or the surplus of revenue over expenses. In other words, profit equals revenue minus expenses. Expenses are basically of two types, fixed irrespective of the amount of revenues and variable expenses which keep increasing with each unit of sales. A good manager concentrates on variable and semi variable expenses, line by line in search of ways and means to economies. I would discuss an interesting example here. Let’s take electricity cost. It is made up of number of units consumed and unit price. Now, the hotel does not fix the unit price of electricity, it is the utility company, who does it, what you could do is to control the consumption. But the question is does your report contain the units consumed numbers, if it doesn’t, how do you control it, you cannot. Now this is what I mean by a number friendly manager, he will seek the numbers that will help him improve the results.

A successful hotel manager concentrates on revenue (price and volumes) of all products and sub products and all controllable costs embedded in 3M’s - Manpower, Material and Marketing. In all these revenue and cost heads he controls both variables that are the numbers consumed or used and the price or cost. This gives him greater leverage to maneuver, control or economize improving the efficiency of bottom line. In addition, if he is able to operate the hotel, that will be an added advantage. So here is the profile of a successful general manager of an upscale luxury hotel… A dynamic, profit oriented, experienced hotel manager with strong marketing skills. Should be able to lead a team of professionals, motivating them ….

The next time you are searching the internet for qualities that a good general manager should possess…I hope you will think of these pearls of wisdom …

You are permitted to reproduce, print or copy this article without any change or edit in any manner, provided the author information is also reproduced.

Ram Gupta is a professional hospitality consultant with over four decades of experience in Asia, Europe, Middle East and the Far East. He has been associated with over two dozen hotel projects and a number of upscale wellness spas. His web site can be viewed at http://www.bcgglobal.com

The Other Side

The Other Side

Most hospitality articles talk about the hospitality industry itself. For instance, how to improve the industry, increase the number of guests, clients, buyers, and conventions, how to better accommodate guests and make their stay a positive one. Ultimately, because it’s a business and there needs to be an emphasis on the bottom line. While there is nothing wrong with talking about ourselves, we seldom, if ever, talk about how guests see us.

To be blunt, most do not see us at all. We are invisible minions that only appear long enough to perform a service and, once done, immediately become invisible again. We are, for the most part, nonentities in the life of most guests.

I believe upper management wants it that way, because it means the front line personnel are doing their job, and doing it well. One of the few reasons why front line personnel become visible to a guest is because they did something extremely well or did something badly, enough so to bring that person or incident in to the consciousness of the guest. I can almost guarantee you that most of those "somethings" were more negative than positive.

Please remember that most guests are coming into a foreign environment when they enter a hotel. They are entering an environment full of strangers that is totally different than the comfortable and safe home—not the house—they left. Our job is to replicate as much as possible that comfortable home-away-from-home environment, or at minimum provide a semblance of it.

In such an environment, guests, for the most part, are always in a reactive mode. They are not the ones to initiate any conversation, they are not the ones that know where to go or what to do; they are, for the most part, lost, anxious, and uncertain. It's up to us, as hospitality experts, to allay their anxiety, allay their uncertainties, and yes, even their insecurities. That's our job.

It is through this initial meeting between guest and hotel personnel that the guest/servant relationship is established; each, instinctively, unconsciously know and realize that relationship and each act accordingly. It is a relationship that does not lend itself too well to “hail fellow well met” or "getting to know each other." How many of you that are in the hospitality industry know by name any check-in desk person from any hotel, except your own, you've ever stayed at? How many of you have ever bothered to notice or even say hello to the room maids while walking to or from your room? How many of you have ever bothered to learn the name of your waiter that served you every night for a week at your dinner table? To most guests we hotel people are not David or George or Henry or Mr. Jones, we are little more than a job title: concierge, bell hop, waiter, check-in, check-out, doorman, etc.

Every successful hotel, whether starred or starry, has a personality, an ambiance earned over a period of time that successful general managers attempt to enhance and protect. In time, the hotel name itself invokes in a prospective guest that feeling of "home, security, warmth, fun, pleasure, a good time, etc." I need not mention the hotels; you know the names and places. If the hotel happens to be part of a chain, then that ambiance also may be carried over to other hotels of the same chain.

Let me give you a personal example from my youth of what I mean: Every summer, once school was finished, my mother, brothers, and sisters would pack up all our belongings into our Volkswagon Microbus and travel through three or more states visiting this or that national or local park or this or that landmark or this or that friend until we got to wherever it was we were going to stay for the next school year. At the end of every day of travel, no matter what town or city, we always first looked for a Holiday Inn or, at minimum, a AAA rated motel. There were not too many Holiday Inns yet in the late '50s, but in the few we had stayed, they sold us on customer service, quality, cleanliness, security, air-conditioning, price, and, for us kids, a pool. Holiday Inns became familiar places for us; a known quantity and quality—our preferred home-away-from-home.

Since then, I have had the privilege to stay at many of the top, and not so top, hotels throughout many parts of the world, and I am here to tell you that luxury or size has nothing to do with whether a hotel has ambiance.

By way of showing you what I mean, I will recount a story my brother told me about a hotel he had stayed at in Cannes, France during a Mardi Gras celebration many years ago; it was the last room available anywhere in Cannes, he felt sure, as he had already gone to a dozen or so hotels without any success. The hotel he stayed at, he did not remember its name, was a one star hotel and the room he got was too large for the bare bulb light hanging from the ceiling to read comfortably by, but not dark enough to show wallpaper doubling over itself along the upper edges of the walls; there was no night table, though the room did have an old-looking scratched up armoire with three wire hangers; other than the bed, it was the only piece of furniture in that room. The bed itself was of iron, and creaked every time he touched it, and had a mattress that sagged so much, it reminded him of the loose hammocks we kids used to sleep in in our backyard when younger. The management of the hotel was an older gentleman, Fernand by name, that, my brother swore, manned the front desk 24 hours a day and always seemed needing a shave and a change of clothes, but Fernand never failed to wish him a nice day on my brother’s outing of the day or welcome him back, by name, and ask after his comfort.

No better hotel, my brother tells me, and he's stayed in starless and starriest hotels throughout the world, has ever replicated the warmth and friendliness he experienced in that run-down looking hotel.

The point here is that the ambiance, the oomph, the IT may be found anywhere where people actually care, and show that care in their actions towards others.

I readily admit that most luxury hotels are more apt to have a more pleasing ambiance than their lesser counterparts (snobbery on my part?), but nonetheless, don’t ever equate ambiance with luxury. Ambiance takes the concerted effort of human beings, people working as a team, to produce and to maintain it, not luxury, not a fancy building, and definitely not a bottom line.

Guests don’t distinguish between you and your hotel. Nor should they, as the hotel is you, and you are the hotel. It becomes doubly important that employees at all levels understand this concept and why that is so.

Employees are performers that cater to guests’ expectations. To modify Shakespeare, “All hotels are a stage, and all employees, men and women, merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And the hotel employees play many parts . . . .” It’s like a successful Broadway play (I’d like to think more of a musical/comedy/drama rather than a straight musical, straight drama, or straight comedy—the audiences change, but the players give their 100 percent best every time.

On with the show!

Guests evaluate service quality based on five factors: 1. Reliability: The ability to provide guests what was promised, dependably and accurately; 2. Responsiveness: The willingness to help guests promptly; 3.Assurance: The knowledge and courtesy you show guests and your ability to convey trust, competence, and confidence; 4. Empathy: The degree of caring and individual attention you show guests; and 5. Tangibles:The physical facilities and equipment, and your own and others' appearance.

These factors, if well learned by your employees, will come close to providing a perfect stay for your guests, but only if you back them up with meaning, desire, and passion.

It's Social Time

No sooner does the hospitality industry get used to the Internet and World Wide Web to drum up business for them, then comes along the social media craze to add a new wrinkle to the maze of networks and programs broadcasting whatever one wants for the world, figuratively and literally, to hear, read, and see.

The social media I am talking about is encompassed in those ubiquitous squares, rectangles, and circles you see on just about any business website: Facebook, Twitter, Bebo, LinkedIn, etc. Click on one of them and instantly you are transported to opinions about how the business fared in the eyes of the guest, client, or buyer, from the good, to the bad, to the ugly. Talk about laying it all out for the rest of the world to read, hear, see, and, perhaps, heed! And the business being uplifted or slammed can do nothing about it; they have no control whatsoever as to what truths or lies are being written about them.

Come on, Hotel Guy, haven't guests been posting their stay reviews on hotel websites for years? Yes, that's true, but all those postings are controlled by the hotels' hired web gurus; they approve/disapprove of every posting. Plus, the vast majority of all online hotel bookings are not done through the hotel website but through middle booking websites, such as Expedia, Orbitz, Kayak, Travelocity, and a host of others, and for most of us, we choose the least expensive rate that fits our lifestyle without going further. For those of us that travel a lot and live out of our suitcases, we know that we can get a much better hotel rate through a booking agency rather than through the hotel directly—the same applies to airline and car rental agencies.

The hospitality industry, for the most part, has embraced, sometimes through tight jaws and gritted teeth, the good and bad reviews. For the good reviews, they know they are doing something that is pleasing to guests, and for the bad reviews, they know that, if the complaint is merited, they know what needs changing. Every good hotel provides its guests a "How did we do" feedback postcard that the guest can fill out and drop at the front desk or mail. Only a few people ever read the feedback on that card and, I feel quite sure, that many hotels throw the cards away without ever reading them; probably still do, for those that still offer them. Hoteliers cannot throw away any comments satisfied and dissatisfied customers made to their friends, and the world, on whatever social media network used.

From The Waldorf Astoria and The Plaza Hotel in New York to Red Roof Inns and Motel 6 wherever you go, you can follow each one or all of them on Facebook, Bebo, LinkedIn, or Twitter, or any of dozens of other social networks in as many a variety of languages. The top 15 social networks, with Facebook having 640 million+ customers alone, total more than 4.168 billion customers.

Can you afford to ignore such a potential database of guests, customers, clients, or buyers?

In a New York Times article by Julia Weed, "Hotels Turn to Social Media to Connect with Travelers" (April 18, 2011), she writes that "Hotels have begun offering bookings through Facebook and smartphone apps, and they hope the convenience and direct contact will lure back travelers who have been turning to online travel agencies."

She goes on to state that the "Trump Hotel Collection has been offering Facebook reservations for around six months, and Ivanka Trump, executive vice president for development and acquisitions at the Trump Organization, even has a booking widget on her personal Facebook page. Ms. Trump said her company had an advantage in social media because 'we are a personality-driven brand.' She added, 'When I tweet out a hotel special, a million people see it.' Once guests have made reservations through Facebook, Ms. Trump said a hotel “attaché” contacted them to complete a “dossier” of their personal preferences, like the newspapers they wanted delivered, in-room amenities they required or particular room temperatures." Now that's personalized customer service almost to the nth degree!

Not all agree, though, as is obvious by a Gulliver article, "Booking hotels via Facebook" (The Economist, April 27, 2011), "This is crazy. People who use online travel agencies clearly don't crave "direct contact," and I can't imagine a Facebook or smartphone app that could make booking a hotel room more convenient than Kayak and Orbitz already do. The online agencies' share of bookings continues to increase every year. They're a fact of life—especially for young people who have never known a world without them. Social media aren't going to stop that shift."

Websites that can do what the Starwood Hotels and Trump Hotel Collection can do cost money; maybe too much to make it cost-effective for most hotels except for the larger chains and luxury hotels. After all, the only real reason for offering such a service in the first place is to cut out the travel agency booking commissions. Sure, the hotel may tout better, more personalized customer service as its main reason, but we all know that's pure sweet talk, as all personalized customer service comes at a cost to the customer.

In my opinion, the real importance of social media at the hotel level is in its human equivalent of "word of mouth" advertisement; all free, and available worldwide. Now that's power! If hotels can tie in to that, they then have the ability to speak to the individual, whether person, company, organization, or other group entity and offer individualized packages to the benefit of all—something that travel agencies, online or local travel agency cannot offer, unless by prior arrangement with the individual hotel.

I once said that the social media would be as great as revenue management, was I wrong?

Most hotel guests worldwide probably booked their hotel through a local or online travel agency; their primary criteria being cost for their living style level. In the United States, I would guess that a goodly portion of all motel rooms are walk-ins off the road looking for a night's lodging, while at the same time, I would guess that hotels get most of their clientele through reservations, rather than walk-in traffic, and, I would further guess that that the more luxurious the motel, the more reservations they are apt to make, as opposed to relying on walk-in traffic.

Why do I state the obvious? Because name brands that gain a reputation for cost and service get the business, and the more business you get, the more profit you make, and so forth and so on. In order to remain competitive, you need to analyze and evaluate the importance that a social media website can do to improve your competitiveness and your bottom line.

Tweet, anybody?

10 daily actions for a highly successful Revenue Manager

A Revenue Manager has to focus on multiple tasks during the week but some of these items have to be done every day. The results of taking these actions have a very far reaching impact on revenue generation and maximizing. Here are top 10 habits of highly successful Revenue Managers.

1. Review of Reservations: Review the reservations booked from yesterday. Look through them to answer some of these questions. Which market segments it came from? The reservations made what rate did they come in at? Was it high or was it low? Do you spot a trend? How far out the reservations were booked?

2. Pace Analysis: Check the room nights and revenue picked up from last night and compare it to your Forecast & Budget of the month. Are you still in line to meet it? If not, decide on the next step. If yes, are there patterns indicating a strong month and can you capture more revenue based on pace you are seeing?

3. Competitive Review: Check on what your competition is doing. Have they changed any prices or launched a new special you should be aware of? If there are substantial changes compare it to the activity you are seeing on those days.

4. Inventory Control: Balance inventory to sell the appropriate product. Check if there are any days where an inventory imbalance is creating an availability issue, if yes, resolve it. This is also a good time to resolve oversell issues in any room types. Check for sold out dates too. Decide on the oversell limit based on expected wash and lead time.

5. Pricing Analysis: Doing weekly pricing adjustments is very common in hotels but based on business you are picking up make sure you are priced appropriately for high activity days or days where you are not seeing enough activity maybe the rooms are priced too high.

6. Channel Analysis: Is your inventory available in all channels? Sometimes hotels sell out of rooms on certain days on OTA’s or vice versa, make sure you have matching inventory available across all channels to avoid rate parity issues.

7. Market Segment Review: Check the segments you are getting the bookings from. Whether it was transient or group, what worked well and what didn’t? Based on the performance of the segments decide on what you need to do boost business or extract more out of a segment.

8. Web Analytics Review: Always look at the basic analytics metrics (link to web analytics article) on a day to day basis, why? Because you will start realizing what to expect from the site in number of visitors, what kind of conversion you can see, any traffic spikes & new sources of business. Once you are familiar with the metrics get working on getting more conversions.

9. Same Day Inventory Check: Decide whether you want the hotel to sell more rooms or you think the hotel is right where you want it. Talk to the FOM (Front Office Manager) let them know what you are planning to do if you are in an oversell situation. Keep them included in this, they will appreciate it.

10. Daily Reports: Create a report that you can share with your Exec Team & Managers. This should be a simple and easy to follow. Just because you are familiar with the report and understand it quickly not everyone can. Think about your audience and simply!

Are there other actions you would add to this list, what do you think?

Twelve Steps to Raise Your Self Esteem

Step One

Stop comparing yourself with other people. There will always be some people who have more than you and some who have less. If you play the comparison game, you'll run into too many "opponents" you can't defeat.

Step Two

Stop putting yourself down. You can't develop high self-esteem if you repeat negative phrases about yourself and your abilities. Whether speaking about your appearances, your career, your relationships, your financial situation, or any other aspects of your life, avoid self-deprecating comments.

Step Three

Accept all compliments with "thank you." Ever received a compliment and replied," Oh, it was nothing." When you reject a compliment, the message you give yourself is that you are not worthy of praise. Respond to all compliments with a simple Thank You."

Step Four

Use affirmations to enhance your self-esteem. On the back of a business card or small index card, write out a statement such as "I like and accept my self." or "I am valuable, lovable person and deserve the best in life." Carry the card with you. Repeat the statement several times during the day, especially at night before going to bed and after getting up in the morning. Whenever you say the affirmation, allow yourself to experience positive feelings about your statement.

Step Five

Take advantage of workshops, books and cassette tape programs on self-esteem. Whatever material you allow to dominate mind will eventually take root and affect your behavior. If you watch negative television programs or read newspaper reports of murders and business rip off; you will grow cynical and pessimistic. Similarly, if you read books or listen to programs, that are positive in nature, you will take on these characteristics.

Step Six

Associate with positive, supportive people. When you are surrounded by negative people who constantly put you and your ideas down, your self-esteem is lowered. On the other hand, when you are accepted and encouraged, you feel better about yourself in the best possible environment to raise your self-esteem.

Step Seven

Make a list of your past successes. This doesn't necessarily have to consist of monumental accomplishments. It can include your "minor victories," like learning to skate, graduating from high school, receiving an award or promotion, reaching a business goal, etc. Read this list often. While reviewing it, close your eyes and recreate the feelings of satisfaction and joy you experienced when you first attained each success.

Step Eight

Make a list of your positive qualities. Are you honest? Unselfish? Helpful? Creative? Be generous with yourself and write down at least 20 positive qualities. Again, it's important to review this list often. Most people dwell on their inadequacies and then wonder why their life isn't working out. Start focusing on your positive traits and you'll stand a much better chance of achieving what you wish to achieve.

Step Nine

Start giving more. I'm not talking about money. Rather, I mean that you must begin to give more of yourself to those around your. When you do things for others, you are making a positive contribution and you begin to feel more valuable, which, in turn, lifts your spirits and raises your own self-esteem.

Step Ten

Get involved in work and activities you love. It's hard to feel good about yourself if your days are spent in work you despise. Self-esteem flourishes when you are engaged in work and activities that you enjoy and make you feel valuable. Even if you can't explore alternative career options at the present time, you can still devote leisure time to hobbies and activities, which you find stimulating and enjoyable.

Step Eleven

Be true to yourself. Live your own life - not the life others have decided is best for you. You'll never gain your own respect and feel good about yourself if you aren't leading the life you want to lead. If you're making decisions based on getting approval from friends and relatives, you aren't being true to yourself and your self-esteem is lowered.

Step Twelve

Take action! You won't develop high self-esteem if you sit on the sidelines and back away from challenges. When you take action - regardless of the ensuing result - you feel better about yourself. When you fail to move forward because of fear and anxiety, you'll be frustrated and unhappy - and you will undoubtedly deal a damaging blow to your self-esteem.

Food Hygiene and Safety In Your Kitchen

There are strict laws and regulations which control the standard of food. These deal with the production, distribution and sales, ensuring that the food is safe for us to buy. It is then our responsibility to choose, store, handle and prepare food in a safe and hygienic way to keep it safe for our family and friends to enjoy.

It is thought that many food poisoning cases originate in our own homes and with some basic knowledge of safe practices, the numbers of cases could be substantially reduced.

This module will explain some basic rules to follow when you are preparing food, to keep it safe to eat. It will also answer some questions about food poisoning – how it can happen, what causes it and how to recognize the symptoms. It is good to know that all forms of food poisoning are preventable and by understanding what the causes are then you, as the cook, will know how to produce safe food.

Buying Safe Food

Buy your food from reputable retailers with good standards of hygiene practices.

Ensure the dates, which are marked on the food (either use by or best before), are within the time scale that you need.

Do not buy too much highly perishable food unless you are absolutely sure that you can use it within the stated time.

Once you have bought your food, if any of it is chilled or frozen, it needs to be taken home as quickly as possible, to return it to chilled or frozen storage.

Don’t buy food in faulty or damaged packaging as this increases the likelihood of it becoming contaminated.

Food Handling and Kitchen Hygiene

However carefully you select your food, you must remember to store it and handle it hygienically at home.

Your kitchen and storage areas should be kept scrupulously clean. This does not been they have to be sterile, a certain amount of bacteria are everywhere. Many people are concerned that we are living in a too clean environment.

However there is a balance to be reached and where you are dealing with food, then it has to be agreed that a good level of cleanliness will help to prevent a case of food poisoning. Modern kitchens and the materials used have helped make cleaning much easier than it used to be, but cleaning still has to be done.

Cleaning Chemicals

Detergent – e.g. washing up liquid. This is used with hot water to remove grease and dirt from equipment or surfaces.

Disinfectant – this is a chemical which reduces bacteria to a safe level. It is important to check that there is no grease or dirt present before using a disinfectant.

Anti bacterial products – these are often a combination of cleaner and disinfectant, but check on the instructions usage advice.

A Cleaning Checklist

1,Always clean your worktops before preparing food.

Clean your worktops thoroughly after you have prepared food, particularly if you have been using raw meat, poultry, fish or unwashed vegetables.

Dishwashers are a very effective way of disinfecting dishes, utensils and you will probably find that most chopping boards can be washed this way.

Dishcloths can be a perfect place for bacteria to multiply, so get into the habit of cleaning them often, then rinsing in very hot water, squeezing them dry, then allowing them to air dry. Don’t leave them in a damp bundle on the sink.

Disposable kitchen towels are very useful and can be used to dry down surfaces that have been cleaned, then just throw the paper away.

Tea towels can harbour bacteria if allowed to be stored in a damp state. There will be little need for them if you rinse your dishes in very hot water and allow them to air dry.

Keep you hands clean, they are an effective way of passing on bacteria from one food to another.

The best advice would be to Clean As You Go.

Storage of Food

Earlier, mention was made about the importance of placing chilled and frozen food into the fridge or freezer without delay after you have brought the shopping home. In this section we will discuss how to store this food.

Refrigerators –

It is advisable to have a fridge thermometer which should show that the temperature inside your fridge is below 5C. This will in most cases stop the growth of bacteria, and certainly slow it down so they will not multiply to dangerous numbers.

Do not have too much food in the fridge, this will not allow the air to circulate properly and the fridge will then not operate efficiently.

Always keep raw food on the lower shelves and the cooked food above, this way any ‘drips’ cannot contaminate ready to eat food.

Never put hot food into the fridge. This will cause the temperature of the fridge to rise, and the refrigerated food already in there will begin to warm up.

Cover food well, to prevent it from becoming contaminated and it will also prevent it from drying out so that the quality will be maintained.

Check the contents often, to ensure you are not keeping foods for too long, remember all of those jars etc. will have recommendations on the label, e.g once opened, refrigerate and use within 3 days, or weeks etc.

Never put open tins into the fridge, any contents left should be put into a suitable container, covered and then refrigerated – the reason being that it is a possibility that the food could become contaminated by the aluminium in the can.

Get into the habit of always closing the fridge door immediately after you remove anything. This will help to maintain the correct temperature in the fridge.

Clean your fridge often, paying particular attention to the handle. Use an odourless cleaner – bicarbonate of soda is highly recommended even though this is seen as old fashioned – anything strong smelling will linger in the fridge and possibly taint foods which are stored there.

Freezers –

The temperature which your freezer should be operating at is –18C. You may consider that a thermometer would be useful in your freezer as well.

Never re-freeze foods which have been thawed and not used. This is because the food will have risen in temperature which could allow bacteria on it to become more active and begin to grow and multiply.

You must wrap food well for the freezer. Remember cross contamination can still occur in the freezer. Also, foods not wrapped adequately could suffer from freezer burn, which, inn effect, dries up the surface of the food which particularly reduces the quality of the food, but also can result in the food becoming ‘spoiled” and a reduction of the nutritional quality.

This point relates more to the efficiency of the freezer, but it is best to keep it fairly full. Only allow the quantities to run down if you are expecting to do a major shop, or you grow your own produce and you are expecting to have a glut of fruit and vegetables.

Always, when freezing your own food, remember to label it with the date and what it is, otherwise you will end up trying to guess a few weeks later – the food can look totally different sometimes in its frozen state.

When thawing food, follow manufactures advice if there is any. Produce like raw meat or poultry should be placed in a container and placed in the fridge. You could defrost in the microwave, but if so, cook it straight away.

About Food Poisoning

Food poisoning is a very unpleasant illness for which the main symptoms are stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. It usually occurs between 1 and 36 hours of eating the contaminated or poisonous food and the illness usually lasts between 1 day and a week. In some cases the illness can cause permanent disability or can even be fatal, particularly to those groups of people that are known to be vulnerable i.e. the elderly, the very young, pregnant or nursing mothers or those who are already ill or may be immune deficient.

Food poisoning is caused by :-

Bacteria or their poisons

Viruses

Metals

Chemicals

Poisonous plants

Remember, food poisoning does not just happen – it is caused – and this is due to something going wrong in the chain of events before the food is eaten. It is thought that many food poisoning incidents occur in people’s own homes, as was mentioned earlier.

Food poisoning caused by bacteria is most common.

Foods which have been contaminated by these harmful pathogens look, smell and taste quite normal.

One of the main reasons for food poisoning is the storage of high risk foods at room temperature for too long e.g. sandwiches made up in advance and not chilled.

Other reasons are:

Undercooking foods

Cross contamination between raw and cooked foods

Poor hygiene practices of the person handling the food

Careless use of left-overs

Not reheating food thoroughly

Bacteria – What are they?

They are microscopic organisms which are found everywhere and are invisible to the human eye, although they can be seen through a microscope.

Not all bacteria are harmful – in fact the majority are harmless, many are beneficial, for example those naturally present in milk which are responsible for the production of yogurt and cheese. We also require bacteria in our bodies to help us digest food.

Then there are some harmful bacteria which cause food spoilage and then the pathogens which cause illness like food poisoning.

Bacteria need certain conditions to multiply and grow – these are

WARMTH

FOOD

MOISTURE

TIME

In perfect conditions these bacteria can multiply very quickly – every 10 to 20 minutes. They multiply by dividing in two and this is known as binary fission. In effect, this means that in perfect conditions 1 bacterium could become more than 1 million in less than 4 hours.

Bacteria thrive in warm temperatures, 37C would be perfect. This is why it is recommended that those foods which are most at risk from bacterial growth are kept refrigerated, below 5C. If you are cooking food and keeping it to eat later, either keep it hot – above 63C, or cool it quickly and refrigerate it. Then reheat it quickly and thoroughly.

Bacteria prefer foods with a high protein content. Examples would be:

Cooked meat and poultry

Home made stocks – gravies and soups

Dairy foods and dishes made with them

Egg dishes

Fish dishes

Rice and pasta dishes

All of these foods should be refrigerated whilst they are being stored.

Moisture is also needed, but any of the foods listed above would contain sufficient moisture to support the bacterial growth.

The Bacteria

Salmonella - There are many different species of salmonella and all in all they account for a very large proportion of the reported cases of food poisoning. Typical incubation time would be between 12 and 48 hours, but this could differ to be less or more time. The symptoms would be diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and stomach pain. The usual sources would be raw poultry and meat, raw eggs and cross contamination from faeces, rodents, insects, birds and maybe even your pets.

To prevent this bacteria from causing food poisoning:

Cook foods thoroughly – salmonella are readily destroyed by heat

Avoid raw foods coming into contact with cooked foods

Thorough cleaning and disinfecting

High standards of personal hygiene – WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN

Staphylococcus Aureus - About 40% of the population are carriers of this type of bacteria. It is carried in the nose, throat and mouth and also present around septic cuts, wounds boils and grazes. The symptoms are severe but only for a short period. You would be vomiting within hours of eating the contaminated food, but it rarely lasts longer than 24 hours. It is therefore extremely important for food handlers remember to wash their hands thoroughly – often.

When it gets on to food it produces a toxin, which makes the food poisonous.

To prevent this type of food poisoning:

High standards of personal hygiene

Handle food as little as possible, using tongs or other suitable equipment

Never use your fingers to taste food, and if you use a utensil, thoroughly wash and disinfect before using again.

If the food is not going to be eaten immediately the refrigerate it, or if it is hot food, keep it hot.

Clostridium Perfringens - This is different from the previous 2 types of bacteria in that it is not completely destroyed by heat. At higher temperatures it can form spores which can withstand extremes of temperature and cannot be destroyed by normal cooking.

If the contaminated food is then allowed to stand at room temperature the outer shell is dissolved and growth and multiplication starts again. Symptoms of this type of food poisoning would be stomach pain and diarrhoea and these would begin 12 to 48 hours after eating the contaminated food. It is found in raw meat, vegetables, soil and dust. It is quite often associated with reheated foods like casseroles or meat pies.

To help prevent this from happening:

Always keep your raw foods and cooked foods separate, including vegetables

Cool cooked foods quickly, then refrigerate

Avoid reheating food, but if necessary bring it to a high temperature as quickly as possible and serve as quickly as possible.

Never reheat foods more than once.

Bacillus Cereus - This is another type of bacteria which is a spore former and therefore is not destroyed by normal cooking. The symptoms of vomiting and stomach pain usually occur a few hours after eating the contaminated food. The most common foods associated with this type of food poisoning would be cooked rice, pasta and sauces made from cornflour.

To avoid this type of food poisoning:

Avoid reheating – certainly do not reheat more than once (a common problem is reheated rice)

Chill foods rapidly and refrigerate if not eating straight away e.g. rice and pasta salads, custards.

If you do reheat, then do it quickly and to a high temperature.

E.Coli (Escherichia Coli) - This is a bacterium naturally found in the intestines of man and animals. Only certain strains are known to cause food poisoning – these can cause severe abdominal pain and diarrhoea, being particularly dangerous to those who are vulnerable to illness. The particular strain which has been involved in recent outbreaks is known as E.Coli 0157 and is classed as a food borne infection – this means that it is carried on the food and then when you eat the food you become ill.

To prevent this causing food poisoning:

Thoroughly cook the food – remember it is carried on the surface of food like raw meat, so make sure that the surface reaches a high temperature. This is often associated with minced meat products because the meat is all chopped and minced, and therefore what was once on the surface could now be in the centre, so thoroughly cook – all the way through – for dishes made with minced meat, e.g. burgers and sausages

Make sure you completely separate raw meat and cooked

Thoroughly wash your hands before preparing food

Campylobacter - There are many different types of this, Campylobacter Jejuni is the one linked with many outbreaks of food poisoning in this country. It causes diarrhoea and is generally thought of as a food or water borne infection rather than food poisoning.

If these bacteria are present in food or water they do not tend to multiply in it, however, once swallowed the bacteria can multiply in the gut causing illness. They are easily killed by heating. As they are often found on chickens, this emphasises the need for thorough cooking and washing hands after handling raw poultry. However it has also been associated with milk, which is often used as it is.

One particular way that milk has been known to become contaminated is by birds pecking at the foil top. If you suspect that this has happened, do not use the milk for safety – or only use it for cooking.

What Did You Learn From Your Staff Today?

Listening is a gift not all of us has it is a key skill in our hospitality or service industry, here are some points and a strategy to help you improve the way you listen to others.

1. QUIET YOUR MIND

We get all speeded up in the normal course of life, so the first step in learning to listen is learning to slow down. Start to notice your busy thinking and just start to let it go. A few deep breaths can help, maybe shake the tension out of your arms and shoulders. You will get better at this as you go along.

2. DROP DISTRACTIONS

As your mind quiets down, you will start to become aware of the mental baggage you are carrying around. Let go of those thoughts as well. Your purpose in listening is to be – really BE – with the other person, have them feel important and to learn something new. Stray thoughts make that process harder. The other person will be aware when you are thinking about something else. They won’t feel that you are truly interested in what they have to say and they won’t tell you anything significant. Don’t let stray thoughts get in the way of the learning ... or the relationship.

3. ASK AND ANSWER QUESTIONS

You will never get yourself into much trouble if you are either asking or answering a question. It is when you start making unsolicited statements that you tread on thin ice. Slow down. Know less. Learn more.

If you want to learn, you have to ask good questions ... and be intently interested in the answers. If the other person asks you a question, feel free to answer it, but then turn the conversation right back to them. Remember that your only purpose is to learn, not to impress or inform.

4. ENCOURAGE AND EXPLORE DIFFERENCES

There is a lot that you don’t know ... but you don’t know what it is! Usually we listen for things that we agree with, but your purpose in listening is to learn something new from (or about) the other person, so you should be listening for ideas that are different from the way you see things.

Even notions that sound “crazy” to you are something that makes sense to the other person. Respect their point of view and ask questions that will help you better understand why they see things the way they do.

You do not have to agree, disagree or have an opinion one way or the other about what the other person is telling you. In fact, any sort of judgement will get in the way of your learning.

5. LISTEN FOR INSIGHTS

Insights are the pot of gold at the end of the listening rainbow. When you listen for insights, you don’t know exactly what you are listening for ... but you will recognize it when you hear it!

If you are willing to hang out in “I don’t know,” it will keep your mind quiet and open you up to possibilities. At the least, the person you are listening to will feel well-heard, understood and valuable.

Like all new habits, this will take practice and repetition to become part of your operating style. You can probably see that the value of listening to learn is not limited to interactions with your staff.

What did you learn from your mate today?

What did you learn from your kids today?

What did you learn from your parents today?

What did you learn from your life today?

The procedure I suggest is this: at least once a month, sit down with each member of your team one-on-one for 10-15 minutes. This needs to be totally uninterrupted time – no phone calls, no distractions, no cancellations because “something more important” came up.

Expect people to be a little suspicious of your motives, particularly if you do not regularly do something like this. Pay attention and put them at ease by not being judgmental.

Your only goal is to listen and learn something new. In case you get stuck when you sit down with a team member, here are some questions to help open up the discussion or keep the dialogue flowing:

- What do you like most about working here?
- If this was your place, what would you change about it?
- How can we help you be more successful on the job?
- What are we doing that makes no sense at all to you?
- If you weren’t working in this kind of business, what would you be doing?
- What is it about that work that appeals to you?
- What do you do with your time off?
- What have you done lately that you are particularly proud of?
- How can we help you achieve your goals in life?
- What else should we know about you as a person?

And now it is time for the question you knew was coming ...

Potluck Party

Potluck Party

The term "potluck party" has an old-fashioned ring to it. I picture ladies in their Sunday bonnets and June Cleaver dresses, teetering in high heels, while carrying a large dish covered in a checkered cloth. But in reality, potluck parties are an ideal form of entertaining for the contemporary host or hostess who would like to gather with friends but is too busy running between the office and the soccer fields to host a formal party. Whenever the impulse to host a casual get-together strikes, you can call up your friends, neighbors or family, tell them you're organizing a potluck, and ask them to bring along one dish to share with the rest of the group.

Organizing Your Potluck Party

Although the term "potluck" suggests a random assortment of dishes, it's likely to turn out better when the host does a little bit of organizing. If you don't want to risk the chance that all of your guests will bring only desserts, begin by assigning your guests a specific course to bring along. Next, ask each guest to commit to a general category of food even if they're not prepared to tell you the exact recipe. After all, as much as I love brownies, five plates of brownies wouldn't give much variety to your potluck and there would be a lot of leftovers!

When you're the host, remember to dig out extra serving platters, baskets, and utensils before your guests arrive. Not everyone brings food ready to be served. You don't want to be distracted from your guests because you're pulling things out of your attic or cabinets.

Don't forget that someone needs to be responsible for beverages. The host can supply them, or ask everyone to bring something they would like to drink with their dish.

As host you can choose what your contribution will be. If enough people are coming, providing the location for the party and the dinnerware can be enough. Sometimes the host will stock the bar with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks including juices, water and soft drinks. Often the host will provide the main course such as a turkey, hamburgers on the grill, or an egg casserole (depending on the time of the party) and ask guests to bring side dishes and desserts. It's really up to you based on the size of your guest list.

Food Suggestions

Whether you're hosting the potluck or are simply invited to attend one, here are suggestions for the kind of dishes that work best.

§ All dishes should be prepared in advance.

§ Nobody should do more in the kitchen than pop something in the oven for reheating. The dishes should be easy to transport. I don't recommend a soufflé unless it's prepared by the host.

§ If there are many people attending the party, the serving size of each dish does not need to equal the number of guests. Everybody will take only a small portion of each dish when there are many from which to choose.

§ Traditional potluck dishes include casseroles, chili, bar cookies, salads and breads.

§ Recipes don't need to be fancy. Dishes that have been handed down through the generations are often the most popular.

§ If you're looking for a new recipe to try at your next potluck, here are several excellent collections to start you on your way to potluck fame.

Be A Best Hotelier - Part 3.

CUSTOMER RETENTION?

Humor side of Hospitality

10 GOLDEN RULES OF LISTENING?

No money, no honey—You’ll be working all the way to your 60s -study

CUSTOMER PSYCHE? (CUSTOMER RETENTION)

How to encourage referrals

Stock Rotation

Will The Next Mr. Mcdermott Please Stand Up

Is it Getting Better?

Listening Skills !!

Reputation

Communication skills – the difference between men and women

5 steps for interviewing a hotel GM

Make yourself visible at workplace

Motivating Your People

CREDIT CARD HANDLING PROCEDURES

Customer Relation and Skills

SIX KEY CONTEXTS OF INNOVATION!!

20 Rules of Writing Effective Business E-Mails

56 ideas for your hotel blog and newsletters

Sales Service (first Impressions)

HOW EFFECTIVELY WE SELL ON TELEPHONE?

Ease Public Speaking Anxiety Through Preparation...

Hotel protection strategy in a post-bin Laden world

PATIENCE my FRIEND...!!!

Hospitality Industry Challenges for the coming decade? Key in Success71

1. Work - Life Balance

2. Customer Sensitivity

3. Experience Leaders

4. Austerity

5. Specialists Professionals

6. Changing Demographics

The Essential Resume Skills

10 Simple Ways to Get to Know Yourself Better

Self Development| Accelerate Your Ability to Learn

Why you should go prepared for an interview

How To Write A Resume - 10 essential resume writing tips!

Say Goodbye To Oberois

3 Immediate things to do for your hotel's Social Marketing

How to Blog for Career Success

Everything you wanted to know about LEED stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design

How To Develop Your Menu

Recruitment Secret 'Recruiters Pay Human Resources'

The What & The Why

What You Can Do

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5 Ways to Practice For Your Interview

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How To Write The Objective Of A Resume

what does your signature say about you? 79 -

The Why?

The Basics

size of the signature

Size of the first letter of the signature

slant of the signature

the use of first name, last name or alphabets

underlining the signature

dotting the signature

any backward loops in the signature

What you can do!

what does your handwriting tell about you and what you can do about it 75

More / Related Topics / Articles

1. Size of the letters

2. Slant of the writing

3. space/alignment to the straight line

4. pressure on paper while writing

5. dotting the i

6. crossing the t

7. the y,g loop

Sharp ‘n’s and ‘m’s

Conclusion

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How to motivate your team - 10 Ideas For Hotel General Managers

HOSPITALITY?

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