Being in the hotel training business, my company Kennedy Training Network frequently receives requests from individuals looking to advance their career education and from managers who are looking for resources for the professional development of their individual staff members. 

Although our company only provides private training workshops and webinars for the existing staff, not individuals, I am always interested in staying on top of what is out there so I can refer those who inquire as a courtesy. 

Recently, I learned about what I think is an exciting new resource launched just last year by Susan Pannozzo which is called Hospitality Academy.  Hoteliers of all levels of experience and disciplines should check it out. 

By visiting their website you will be able to access a menu of podcasts on a wide range of topics relating to hotel operations, marketing, and human resources.  If you use a podcast app, or if you download one of the many apps linked from their website, you can subscribe and be among the first to receive their latest posted podcasts. 

The best part is that it is absolutely free to access all of this invaluable information! 

It was only recently that I learned about Hospitality Academy when Susan reached out to ask me to contribute with a podcast.  I really enjoyed working with her and am happy to have contributed to the bank of knowledge resources she has graciously made available to anyone who is interested. Susan did an excellent job interviewing me and is obviously very experienced both as an interviewer and as a seasoned hotelier; she asked great questions to drill-down to the core issues related to my topic. 

The podcast I recorded was entitled Hotel Sales In The Era Of Technology.  It is a subject that has been a core theme of my hotel training articles for this publication in recent years, and it is the focus of KTN’s Hotel Sales QUEST training programs.  

The meetings and event planning process has undergone wholesale changes from both the supplier and the buyer’s side of the equation.  In the past those planning social or corporate groups’ meetings and events would identify three or four hotels and then reach out by phone to each location. 

Today, a planner typically starts out by searching online and sending inquiries via email or by using the “contact us” form at each hotel’s website.  Many use third party event planning websites such as Cvent, Zentilla, Elite Meetings, Conference Direct and others, allowing them to inquire at multiple locations.  Many companies and organizations have completely outsourced the function of meeting planning to third parties, who are even more likely to inquire electronically.

From the supplier’s side of the equation, most hotel sales and catering sales managers these days are dealing with an overwhelming volume of inquiries because is so easy for planners to inquire electronically to multiple hotels. Instead of calling three or four locations, today’s planners can inquire at a dozen or more with a few simple key strokes.  As a result, most hotel sales managers are struggling to keep up with what some have called “lead spam” and they often develop what I refer to as “lead fatigue.” 

As a result, many hotel sales and catering managers are slow to respond or sometimes do not respond at all, especially if there is no space available for the requested dates.  Also, the responses they send tend to be generic, using cookie cutter templates that are not personalized.

By listening to this new podcast you can hear my thoughts on how the sales process has changed, and what your hotel sales managers and leaders need to do to these days to stand out from the competition. Also offered are some suggestions for using today’s “high tech” tools for bringing “old school” sales concepts into what has become an overly automated sales processes. 

Here is a link to my podcast at Hospitality Academy.  Link:  www.hospitalityacademy.net/16

Doug Kennedy is President of the Kennedy Training Network, Inc. a leading provider of customized training programs and telephone mystery shopping services for the lodging and hospitality industry. Doug continues to be a fixture on the industry’s conference circuit for hotel companies, brands and associations, as he been for over two decades.

www.kennedytrainingnetwork.com