Customers come in all shapes and sizes.  And some just like to complain.  Constantly.  And that is very frustrating, stressful, and frankly annoying.  One customer can disrupt your company's entire day by making an unrealistic demand, and your team can be sent into a tailspin trying to figure out how to satisfy this ridiculous request and to make this customer happy.  Or, how about the customer that calls and asks for a solution, but has no suggestions for how and what should be implemented?  All of these details are then left up to you and your team, which can lead to uncertainty and a bit of insecurity since all of you might think you understand what is best, but you have nothing to guide you on how close to the mark you will be.  None of these scenarios are fun, so for the betterment of our business and employees, we have to learn how to navigate through each type of customer relationship and the unique characteristics included with them.  That way, we can care for each customer in a better manner, which will improve their overall satisfaction and increase the morale of your team.

When you are struggling, in a rut, or bored with your sales, it's time to go back to the basics.  Professional athletes do it, and you should too.  For example, let's say you are a track super star who is now losing races.  Your track coach will tell you to focus on swinging your arms from your shoulders (not with your elbows), relax your hands (rather than keeping them tightly balled), and more.  Small tweaks like these can shave seconds off your race time, which can lead you to 1st place again.  Similarly, if you want to improve your sales, "getting back to the basics" is the surest way for you, and your team, to improve your conversions which equates to an increased bottom line.  Being sloppy or lazy is not affordable in sales.  Here's the most basic tip for success: know how to ask the right questions so you can effectively feature and benefit sell with a smooth, polished, and natural approach.  This is a critical and very easy skill that is within your reach. Keep reading...

Businesses aren't successful by chance.  Someone, who may be you, has to focus and have the vision for what it takes to thrive in today's economy and to continue to provide exceptional service to a demanding consumer market who has high expectations.  Might sound complicated, but let's make it easy and go back to Basics 101.  How about you simply embrace and teach our "FOCUS" concept, which is a simple method that truly focuses on successfully serving your customers?  It always comes back to paying attention to service and delivery when you want to move your needle of success and increase your sales.  Right?

Mastering customer service requires you to first master customer conversations. Why? Conversation is the foundation of the customer experience. Each time you communicate with your customers you are paving the road that defines the future of your relationship with them. Your goal is to travel a long road with them, so you need to ask yourself if your conversations are building trust, moving you closer to more sales, effective with resolving questions/concerns, and more.

Selling doesn't come naturally to most, and it can feel intimidating and scary. The reality is that most everyone that works needs to know how to sell because in some capacity, in some way, they either directly or indirectly influence the company's sales volume. So the best way to get over the fear and intimidation is by being prepared. To be prepared, you have to have thorough knowledge, a winning game plan, and lots of practice. These things, coupled with "practicing by doing," will greatly diminish these hesitations. One thing to note: if someone in sales does not have at least a slight amount of nervousness, he/she has lost the edge and passion behind gaining a sale, so don't allow yourself to get complacent.

The economy is strong, customer preferences are expanding, and technological advances are moving at a fast pace. So what does that mean for the hospitality industry, more specifically hotel strategists and leaders? If hotels want to be major, thriving players, they better recognize what is happening in the hotel marketplace and try to keep pace with the trends, or better yet, be trend setters.