Should the GM have his/her own accounts? YES. Today, the more urgent nature of our business has pushed the general manager from "overseer" and "supervisor of the sales director" to a heavily involved sales manager in his/her own right.

Today's GM attends weekly sales meetings, personally greets meeting planners when they visit the hotel, reviews marketing plans and sales goals, and attends the daily revenue meetings as well.

But should the general manager also be personally responsible for managing specific hotel accounts? Last month, at a Hospitality Sales and Marketing International session conducted in New York, it was advised that general managers take responsibility for two specific accounts: first, their own franchise and the myriad of marketing opportunities presented by their hotels' brand; and second, the alternate distribution systems and electronic outlets hotels are now learning how to manage.

Some comments on these suggestions: How often do general managers read through the manuals provided by their brand to better understand the opportunities given to them? If the GM only had that kind of time and attention to give. Someone needs to review these opportunities and insure that the hotel is capitalizing on them. Secondly, someone needs to manage and pay keen attention on a daily basis to the all-important electronic alternate distribution systems. If the GM has the focus and time, wonderful.

In addition, consider this: The GM should manage two local sales accounts and they should be two key prospects. You know – the ones who give most of their business to your competitor, and rejects your sales managers every time they try to schedule an appointment. It's this "big hit," so to speak, that the GM can take under his or her own wing, and serve as the account person.

Why should the GM take on two key local accounts?

* The general manager will quickly understand how challenging it is to contact customers and schedule appointments, and be more understanding of what your sales executives face;

* The GM will gain a greater understanding of the competitive set as he or she learns about the travel behavior and patterns of key prospects;

* The sales team will view the general manager as "serving in the trenches" and fighting for the business, just like the rest of the team;

* A key executive can serve as a reality check when sales goals are being established and appreciate what it might be like to work with goals that are unrealistic;

* The impact of the GM calling on a customer is powerful and goes a long way;

* A GM calling on a customer also sets your hotel apart from others and tells your customer that their business is important and you will work that much harder to insure their satisfaction;

* When a General Manager successfully lands a piece of business, his or her own level of personal satisfaction will soar, and the hotel will imporove with a renewed sense of personal productivity!

* We all know how challenging it can be for a sales team to initiate calls, schedule site inspections, and ask for business, while at the same time continuing to search for new accounts. But when the General Manager takes an active role and challenges himself to take on two accounts, it sets a great example for the team, uplifting them and showing that he or she is on their side, facing the same challenges and feeling of satisfaction when someone hits that home-run.

HVS Marketing Communications can work with your company to assess how this new way of doing busines is accomplished. Our sales and property assessments review how work is being done and where changes can be made to allow the time for a renewed sales effort.


About the author
Leora Halpern Lanz (Director of HVS Marketing Communications, and Senior Manager) joined HVS as its Director of Marketing in February 1999. She is responsible for the global marketing and external promotion of HVS' growing office network and comprehensive hospitality services.
In February 2000, Leora launched HVS Marketing Communications, the firm's sales, marketing and public relations consultancy. HVS Marketing Communications provides sales, marketing and public expertise for the hospitality industry. It was at the request of hotel executives with whom

Leora has worked that she established this service for HVS. Specialties of this service include: operational reviews; marketing plan development; sales/marketing assessments and audits; coordination with the property's flag; sales action steps; pre-opening marketing; sales direction and training; and promotions including web marketing.