February 6, 2012 at 11:07 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Tags: hotel revenue management, hotel sales, hotel sales training, social media, social selling
Google has flexed its most formidable muscle, Search, to promote and some would say force hotels to have a Business page on Google+. Those companies and organizations that have a Google+ page will be given first preference in Search results. Not only that, there is a real revenue Issue as follows below.
An active Google+ page will be given preference in appearance on Search. The most popular travel Search is ‘hotels (X)’. If a meeeting or travel planner is trying to get an idea of the hotels in a given market, those htoels with an active presence on Google+ will be gieven first preference in the sort on Search.
In addition, the hotel’s links, web sie and interaction with it’s circle will appear. This is very compelling as it allows instant interaction with the hotel and the hotel’s web site. They will have an opportunity to gather information, and send an instant RFP if there is one on the web site — all of that right there in one location – one platform!
Here’s how it works. Next to each entry on the results section of the Search page, there are two arrows. If you don’t have a Google+ page, when you mouse over the arrow it will show the map and the hotel’s Google Places page. If you do have a Google+ page, the arrows will show the hotel’s web site.
What does this mean? The Google Places page if a customer clicks on it will show a widget that asks for dates and will show rate results in a drop down that will have all of the OTAs listed first with the web site link at the very bottom.
The advantageof the Google+ search showing the web site is that the customer can click on the site, interact with it and make a reservation right there using the hotel’s web site booking engine.
25-35% commission on all reservations made using the OTAs on the Google Places page verus 0% commission using the hote web site booking engine? No brainer!
There is a lot more to this development — keep checking back for the latest on the Google+ issue
December 19, 2011 at 4:20 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Tags: hotel revenue management, hotel sales, hotel sales training, social media, social selling
We all have things we meant to do, wanted to do but didn’t doin 2011. Here are 5 resolutions for 2012 that are easy to keep:
1. Get supremely organized (my personal resolution!)Will this be the year that you (and me) finally do this?
2. Set goals for your activty so you can achieve your revenue goals. I love Google calendar for this as I can color code every type of activity to ensure everything is done!
3. Develop and implement a social media system to ensure that you are maxmizing opportunities. There are a few on the group Linkedin Strategies – my favorite is 7 Steps to Make LinkedIn work.
4. Prospect like crazy! Set a goal to identify X number of new prospects each week and stick with it!
5. Celebrate success – both yours and that of others! Don’t let pride get in the way of asking others how they do things well in areas you want to improve on. Find a mentor!
Let us know through your comments what resolutions you would add.
December 1, 2011 at 7:17 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Tags: boutique hotels, expedia, hotel revenue management, hotel sales, hotel sales training, independent hotels, social media, social selling
Especially in urban settings, boutique hotels struggle with mid week corporate at this time of year when leisure mid week is non existent.
The large franchises have not only their frequent guest programs but also national accounts that feed many of their hotels at reduced rates. Then there are the large consortia that won’t even issue an RFP to a smaller hotel!
These are usually large companies with a volume of business travel. Faced with trying to steal share from these which entails more effort than the results are worth, what strategies can smaller independent and boutique hotels deploy?
Look at the flip side of the typical source of corporate travel for the franchise hotels.
Unmanaged coporate travel by small and medium sized businesses that book their own travel account for 56% of all corporate travel according to a research study by Forrester and Best Western.
Think about it. These small to meduium sized companies don’t have enough volume to negotiate significant discounts like the big guys. But they like everyone else would like a place where they are appreciated and can get issues addressed.
What about a full court press blitz, eblasts, direct mail, sales calls, reception, for every small to medium sized business in the market. Let them know that ‘their small business is big business to you!’ and you will give them the name and contact info of a live human at the hotel that they can contact if they have an issue!
I worked with a hotel once that had no major demand generators within 3 miles of the hotel — only small to medium sized businesses.
We went afer them. After about six months, we were driving a higher ADR than the comp set, getting roughly the same occupancy levels mid week as the franchises and had a stunning REVPAR!
Also, sign up for Expdia’s VIP program that caters to these unmanagaged business travelers.
(I’ve got to get a grip on the length of my titles!)
November 7, 2011 at 10:12 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments
Tags: boutique hotels, historic hotels, hotel revenue management, hotel revenue management training, hotel sales, Hotels, hotels sales training, independent hotels, remote revenue managment
Whan I look at the source of business reports for distressed hotels, almost always I find that they are not doing effective online distribution with the OTAs and are not using other online distribution platforms.
An online strategy and execution in these areas is the fastest way to jump start short term revenue. There are stratagies in developing a presence on the online channels that can be executed quickly and effectively.
For example, have you developed a mobile only promotion on the OTA’s mobile platforms targeted to stimulate occupancy when you need it? The hotel may have a mobile site of its own but it doesn”t drive the traffic or exposure that an OTA mobile site does.
Where on the page does your hotel appear on the OTA sites? How do you move it to the top of the page? HInt: The answer isn’t rate parity.
There are other distribution channles such as the Historic Hotels of America that blasts out promotions from its members to every member of the National Preservation Society and a bunch of others including me — I dont’ belong to either association!.
These are only three of many things you can do with a distressed hotel that will almost instantly generate incremental revenue. There are many many more!
real simple Remote Revenue Management has developed a special program for distressed hotels. You can continue to open and close your inventory, we will do the Online Radical Triage. Send us a blank email with Online Radical Triage in the subject line and we will send you more information..carol@carolverret.com
May 25, 2011 at 11:43 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments
Tags: hotel revenue mangment, hotel sales, hotel sales training, social media, social selling
If you don’t know what the customers you want look like, market segment, demand periods, rate sensitivity, etc. you will have to keep settling for the inquiries that come in over the phone – even if they are ‘shopping’ you and all the other hotels in your market. You know they are shopping so desperation sets in and you go lower and throw in more value adds to get the business. Why? Because you have no other prospects to work because you don’t know where to look for the clients you want!
It has never been easier to prospect than it is today. The power of Search on search engines and social media bring you a universe of prospects. However none of these will help you unless you can sort through the multitude of prospects to locate the ones that are appropriate for your hotel.
Develop a ‘filter’ based on your current ‘good accounts’ — those that you want more of. What is the DNA of your current good accounts by market segment and/or seasonality?
Where does the booking originate geographically? Who are they demographically in terms of verticals or industry, what is the position of the person that books the business and the people that attend the meeting or function? Last of all, fiscally how rate sensitve are they, how do they pay the bill.
Without a filter to sort through the universe of prospects, your prospecting efforts will be like a scatter shot approach hoping a duck flies through versus a shot gun approach that focuses on a specific target.
If you don’t figure this out, you are doomed to wait by the phone for an inquiry, a bureau lead — kind of like waiting for a date to call!
February 3, 2011 at 10:31 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments
Tags: hotel blog, hotel industry, hotel revenue management, hotel sales
I have been talikng about social media as sales tools for a long time. It now has a name — Social Selling.
In a recent survey by OgilvyOne of 1,000 sales professionals all over the world the question was asked How Important is the Use of Socail Media in success as a Sales Person? 73% of the Chinese sales professionals agreed it was important while only 27% of their US counterparts indicated it was important.
Where’s the disconnect? Do the Chinese know something we don’t or are they just ahead of the curve?
Do you use social media in your sales processes and if so, how? If you don’t, why?
Log onto www.socialmediarevmaxonline.com to see if you think a better presence on social media is a good idea.
January 11, 2011 at 1:10 am | Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments
Tags: hotel blog, hotel industry, hotel revenue management, hotel sales, social networks
“TripAdvisor has integrated with Facebook to personalize the site for each visitor. … automatically showcasing travel reviews from friends.” (Travel Weekly, 12/21/10) WOW! Time to make sure both bases are covered – are you responding to those Trip Advisor reviews AND how is your social presence on FaceBook? Is your Fan page an attraction to visitors to the page and FANs – are you building a Fan base and interacting with Fans and responding to posts?
Grudgingly, many managers have accepted Trip Advisor. They usually blame Trip Advisor for bad reviews — must have been a disgruntled employee, a scamming guest,(fill in the blanks)! The reality is that Trip Advisor does a pretty good job of vetting their reviews. Most of the disgruntled managers have a bunch of bad reviews that they don’t want to respond to because there may be a grain of truth there.
These managers should go look in the mirror, take a deep breathe and accept the fact that after price and location, reviews and recommendations from friends is the deciding factor in property selection! (Epsilon Survey)
Let’s talk about those friends — FaceBook friends. If the property is not monitoring it’s online presence on social networks, does not have an effective Fan page (with Fans) AND does not respond to Trip advisor reviews — it could be in serious trouble with this new partnership between Trip Advisor and Facebook.
If you think you might need help on that Fan page log onto Social Media RevMax on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Social-Media-RevMax/144897988896255 It might be a quick, easy, affordable solution for you!
December 10, 2010 at 8:37 pm | Posted in Hotel Sales Training Issues, In the News, Information, Social Media | 5 Comments
Tags: Google Maps, hotel blog, hotel industry, hotel revenue management, hotel sales, hotel sales issues, hotel sales training, hotel trends, motivation, recovery for hotels, social media
The Recovery is here — so the experts are telling us. This recovery may be felt in some markets more than others. After all the dust has settled from the last brutal 18 months – what lessons can we carry into the recovery.
1. Dropping rate does not create demand. There have been studies on this by people smarter than I am, Cornell University for one, to the effect that those hotel’s that value add and are smarter about discounting generate more revenue than those hotels that jus follow the lowest rated hotel to the bottom.
2. Customers are now trained to expect value. Peter Yesawhich defined value as ‘ something that the customer could not otherwise afford.’ This could be the reason that the luxury segment of the industry is recovering faster than the other segments. See — it’s not just about rate!
3. Meetings are back but we lost 15% during the recession and are expected to only increase in this segment by 8% in 2011. Value add- value add! Be very careful of dropping rates especially on longer lead business.
4. Customers are locating, gathering information and booking hotels on different channels than they were prior to the recession. How well does your hotel web site appear on mobile phones, do you have a mobile app, how well is your property placed on Google maps?
5. It’s time to reward the warriors — those that have come to work every day and fought the frustrating battle of the last 18 months. Say Thank You to everyone that stuck around. While you are at it — pat yourself on the back!
The eBook The Best of Hotel Sales & Revenue Management is here! The past two years have been among the most difficult in the industry’s history. This 55 page book contains lessons we all learned during the recession and those that will launch us into the recovery. Click below for more info.
http://www.carolverret.net/viral/dec10book.php
November 11, 2010 at 5:20 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Tags: hotel revenue management, hotel sales, hotel sales training, social media
Socail media’s benefits extend to using as a sales tool for prospecting, qualifying and engaging potential prospects.
Facebook works as a sales tool with the proper Fan buidling Strategy. A Facebook Fan page without Fans is like a PBJ without the jelly. It’s dry and sticky and not very satisfying! Apart from the insertion of the icon and tag Become a Fan on FaceBook, and invitation through FAceBook to all of your exisitng clients and prospects to become a Fan is an effective way to increase your professional Fan base. Only then does Facebook become an effective tool for engaing with clietns and prpspects.
But remember you have to give your Fans a reason to return to your Fan page. Try a scavenger hunt through your links and pictures with a prize for everyone that gets all the answers. Fun, simple and will ensure that your Fans visit all of your Fan page pages.
Qaulitfy accoutns on LInkedIn throughcompany searches. This willalso list a number of emplyees of the company. Find the right contacts and join the groups that they belong to. Be active on the groups. You can invite people into your network if the two of you belong to the same group. they get to know you and you are at the top of thier minds when they are ready to buy!
Just a few tips — we have more to help you maximize your presence on social networks.
Ask us how at carol@socialmediarevmax.com
September 15, 2010 at 9:04 pm | Posted in Events, Hotel Sales Training Issues, In the News, Information, Uncategorized, Webcasts | 2 Comments
Tags: Google Maps, hotel blog, hotel revenue management, hotel sales, hotel sales issues, hotel trends, recovery for hotels, social media, social networks
RMs have new tools for distribution that weren’t even on the radar prior to the recession and were barely on the radar in 2010. Now these tools are must haves!
As though revenue managers didnt’ have enough channels to manage there are several new ones.
Mobile apps have demonstrated that they have become a valuable new reservation channel and have the potential of generating incremental revenue from in house guests.
However, a few questions to ask your team be fore enabling a mobile app. Is your res engine on the web site up to the task? Is it mobile friendly and how will it appear on a mobile device screen? Are your promotional eblasts mobile ready in terms of short concise offers that users don’t have to scroll down too far to access? Have you linked your Twitter and FaceBook to your mobile offers?
The second thng is Google maps exhibiting hotel rates on destination searches. I am in Des Moines and I needed a hotel room on Friday night at the airport. I searched for ‘airport hotels des moines’. Most popped up with their rates but a few of the franschises weren’t playin’.
The real issue was that in many cases the rates were just wrong! Most consumers will make a selection based on the rate structure on the ‘Google map’. When I went into one hotel’s web site the rate was $10 higher than the one on the map and another was not only ten dollars lower than the rate on the map but also included breakfast and a ‘beverage’ — very welcome on a Friday night!
It is unclear where Google is pulling the rates from but this makes a clear case for rate integrety and parity across all channels. How many people would go back to the map and take the time to click through all of the other hotels whose rates were displayed just in case they could find a better one. Most of them will take the rates at face value.
Google maps is going to be a huge palyer in travel search and will drive business to those htoels that maintain parity and updates on offerings on all channels incuding the mobile app!
Join us on Sepptember 23 for a webinar Habits of Highly Successful Revenue Managers for 2011. These are just a few of the issues we will be discussing. Copy and past or click below for more info.
http://www.carolverret.net/viral/sept1110.php
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