As we're entering the last leg of this year - how many hotels are showing an increase in profits over the same period last year? As we travel around the country, we're speaking with various hotel and management companies and unfortunately we are finding very few.

When asked why they are behind last year in occupancy or average rate we receive the same answers virtually every time we ask the question. The war, recession, over building, non-hoteliers in the hotel industry or rate-slashing. To all of these responses we agree. To each of these responses we ask "what are you doing about it!"

It is too easy to allow our sales managers, alas, our Directors of Sales to maintain the mentality that business is down everywhere, but when business picks up they'll really start turning it on.

If you are aware of people who have this mentality you must do everything to snuff it out like the disease that it is. Great sales managers work harder when business is down. In fact, great sales managers distinguish themselves when times are tough as they continue to bring the business in.

Training is a critical component of effective sales and becomes even more critical when times are tough. How else are young sales managers ever going to become familiar with proper and effective selling technique.

However, we are finding that just the opposite is occurring. As the economy continues to slump we are finding that General Managers are refusing to allow their sales personnel to attend training seminars. The reasons? Too expensive, no time, maybe later in the year when the economy comes around.

Do our ears deceive us? Do people really believe what they are saying? That now is the time to cut back on effective sales training?

Our experience has taught us that when sales managers are asked why they cannot be more productive they often respond, "because I am too busy putting out fires all day". When asked why they are putting out fires all day they respond "because we aren't as organized as we need to be".

When asked why they aren't better organized they respond "because we need more training". When asked why the do not receive more or better training they respond "because we are too busy putting out fires all day".

This is a vicious circle and until you stop the merry-go-round and get the training that is so desperately needed in our industry, it is impossible to break this circle and become pro-active rather than simply re-active.

We find it curious (and not so coincidental) that the hotels that continue to send their sales managers through accelerated training programs continue to be amongst the profit leaders. The hotels that are behind last year are those that come up with reasons that training will not help them.

Our firm recently conducted two one-day, crash course training seminars and some of the responses that we received from the hotels that declined to attend were mind boggling. One hotel stated that they could not attend because the seminar was on the same day as their staff meeting.

I wonder how many room nights they have booked at past staff meetings? Another hotel declined because they had too many new sales managers. Are you kidding? Isn't this who good training can most benefit? Another hotel stated that they were short staffed in their sales office and had three sales positions open. Guess why? Your failure to effectively train your people will almost always insure high turnover.

While it is easy to laugh at some of these responses the truth is that they are an indication of the sad state of our industry as a whole. How can owners and General Managers intrust their investments to twenty to thirty thousand dollar a year employees and then not provide them with the training it will take to allow them to be productive?

Training consists of much more than having your new sales people spend a day at the front desk and a day helping catering with set-ups and dish-ups. Training is not showing new sales people to their desks, assigning them a market, handing them their files and then telling them "my door is always open". If they do not know what to do they certainly will not know what to ask.

Training is teaching. Training is hands on technique in the areas of indentifying new accounts, making effective presentations, negotiating, overcoming objections clients may have to utilizing your facility, closing technique and above all how to manage their own days. Training is role playing and practicing before they ever get on the phone.

If you have allowed your sales people to participate in reputable training programs, congratulations. You are already realizing a return on your investment both in terms of productivity and loyalty. If you are denying your sales people the opportunity to participate in training programs you have two choices.

Batten down the hatches and prepare your excuses for your owners and General Managers when they call you on the hot-line as surely they will, or stop the merry-go-round for once and for all and give your people the training they need.

Whether you send them through corporate sponsored programs, franchise meetings, local college programs or outside consulting firm seminars, get them trained.

Who needs training...you do!

Operating since 1987, Steinhart & Associates is recognized as one of the premiere hospitality sales and marketing consulting firms in the United States satisfying a highly specialized niche by concentrating on three specific areas of demand. Tel (650) 854-4568  •  Fax (650) 854-7629  •  Email: SteinAssoc@aol.com