During the last three years we all got a pass for not staying in our lanes. Every hotel in the world was short-staffed, which meant everyone was doing ALL the jobs. Even with things (more or less) back to normal, people are still doing ALL the jobs. Some of this is due to continued short staffing (which is a whole different article) but some of it is due to excuses – all the excuses that keep sellers from selling.
It would be easy to assume this is a recent issue resulting from the pandemic. However, if we hop into our time machine, this problem existed long before. In fact, there have always been excuses for those who are uncomfortable selling. Some were created by existing business needs and the way salespeople were incentivized; others are tied to a lack of initiative. But mostly, they result from excuses and a lack of commitment to ongoing training.
Let’s unpack some of those excuses and examine why they didn’t make sense then and make even less sense now.
Too Many RFPs
This is a multipurpose excuse. It accounts for time spent (not selling) and often it filled the pipeline, so the seller looked busy. If the hotel was making its budget, RFPs had the added bonus of making the seller look good.
Even before the pandemic, ownership placed a premium on RFP responses. We set goals around the speed of response (typically 2-4 hours). This created a sense of urgency that gave credence to the excuse. In other words, it was a ready-made excuse not to sell. And let’s be clear, completing an RFP isn’t selling, it’s acting as an order-taker and it creates a need to compete solely on price.
Operations Needs Us
Prior to the pandemic, this was less of an excuse (although it was still used). However, the pandemic and the staffing issues it caused brought this excuse to the forefront. Everyone had to do what was necessary to keep the doors open, whether it was answering the phones or checking in guests.
As things stabilized and staffing returned to normal, it was easy to use this excuse. No one really questioned it, which made it the perfect scapegoat for why someone wasn’t selling.
The Sky Is Purple
OK, this one isn’t really an excuse anyone has ever uttered (at least I hope not). It’s really the catch all for the 900 other excuses sellers use not to do the hard work of selling. And let’s be clear, it is hard work. It may not be rocket science, but it is hard work.
Hard Work Brings Good Luck
Selling requires an almost maniacal focus. It’s not just about filling out RFPs, making a few calls, or sending a few emails. It requires research, understanding of the customer, timing, and sometimes good luck.
However, luck won’t come if you don’t put in the work. So, let’s break down the questions you should be asking your sellers.
1. Are you doing the research?
Each seller should be able to supply a detailed plan for how they research new accounts. They should be able to point to the tools they’re using to find companies, how they research them, and then how they build a plan of attack to have a conversation with them. Additionally, they should be regularly updating their plans with new accounts and removing accounts that didn’t pan out.