Questions I Wish You Would Ask Me – Eddy Brosse, Global Hospitality Manager, Paris France

1. Name your favorite hotel and why it is special to you –

• Sentosa Resort & Spa (Singapore) – amazing moments of peace, outstanding service delivery standards for a very nicely designed resort

2. Name your favorite restaurant and why it is special to you –

• Busaba Eathai (London) – great food, relaxed atmosphere, lovely surroundings, my London cantine

3. Where do you vacation the most often?

• Asia, then London

4. What is your favorite charity or cause?

• Doctors of the World – I completed the London to Paris bike ride 2010, and I am assisting with the organisation of the 2011 ride
• Also helping whenever I can with environmental sustainability issues (carbon offsetting, projects …)

5. Name your pet service peeve, why and any ideas you may have to address it

• Staff talking to one another, ignoring waiting customers in front of them – good service is very simple, if only people would apply some empathy and use common sense

6. Who was the most important mentor in your life and why?

• My Dad – he taught about being organised, disciplined and demanding with oneself

7. In the last five years, what has been your most memorable meeting or convention experience and why?

• Probably the reunion we organised at the Holiday Inn Woking (UK) for alumni of a school for deaf – we had to completely reorganise operations for one weekend: learn basics of sign language, understand special needs and rethink fire procedures (evacuation) – One of those moments when teams come together and accomplish great things – we were all so exhausted, but felt so fulfilled at the end: a team’ success on all fronts

8. What is the one piece of advice you would offer to a graduating student with a hospitality degree?

• Listen, observe and think on a daily basis, hotels are not factories – And also, apply the Golden Rule: treat others like you would like to be treated yourself

9. What is the one question do you wish someone would ask you in an interview today?

• What is your vision of the hospitality industry today and tomorrow?

Eddy BROSSE A global Hospitality Manager considering the next step        Paris, France

http://fr.linkedin.com/in/eddybrosse

Mobile: +33 (0) 6.85.17.25.45 –  Skype: eddyetseb – Twitter: http://twitter.com/eddybrosse

KEYS TO SUCCESS is the umbrella title for my 2011 programs, hospitality services and columns. This year’s writings focus on a variety of topics for hotel owners, managers and professionals including both my “HOW TO” articles, HOSPITALITY CONVERSATIONS, Lessons from the Field, Hotel Common Sense and Principles for Success

Feel free to share an idea for a column at info@hoganhospitality.com anytime or contact me regarding consulting, customized workshops, speaking engagements … And remember – we all need a regular dose of common sense.

John Hogan is a successful hospitality executive, educator, author and consultant and is a frequent keynote speaker and seminar leader at many hospitality industry events.  He is Co-Founder of a consortium (www.HospitalityEducators.com) of successful corporate and academic professionals delivering focused and affordable counsel in solving specific challenges facing hospitality today.

www.HospitalityEducators.com is a membership site offering a wide range of information, forms, best practices and ideas designed to help individual hoteliers and hospitality businesses improve their market penetration, deliver service excellence and increase their profitability. Individuals wishing to contribute materials may send them Kathleen@HospitalityEducators.com. Special pricing is in effect for a limited time that also includes a complimentary copy of LESSONS FROM THE FIELD- A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE HOTEL SALES.

HospitalityEducators.com Announces the Launch of “Questions I Wish You Would Ask Me”

We at HospitalityEducators.com are pleased to announce the launch of this new feature :   “Questions I Wish You Would Ask” , which includes interviews such as those found in our HOSPITALITY CONVERSATIONS,  and and it also allows industry professional the opportunity to share their perspectives, values and opinions on additional areas and subjects that may not have been part of the planned discussion.   This segment will include a wide range of hospitality professionals from all portions of the industry.

We ask participants to answer at least five of the following nine questions.

Questions I Wish You’d Ask – Dr.Joyce , Nashville, TN USA

publication date: Jan 24, 2011        author/source: HospitalityEducators.com

1. Name your favorite hotel and why it is special to you –  

• My favorite hotel is the Ritz because of the “extra’s” and the way you are treated.

2. Name your favorite restaurant and why it is special to you –

• My favorite restaurant is Bones where they have great Lobster.

3. Where do you vacation the most often?

• Most often, we go to Atlanta to see our daughter but if we have a choice, it would be Rome.

4. What is your favorite charity or cause?

• Favorite Cause/Charity is helping children.

5. Name your pet service peeve, why and any ideas you may have to address it

• Mostly, my pet peeve on service would be people standing around while you’re waiting for water. Too many employees; not enough service.

6. Who was the most important mentor in your life and why?

• My favorite mentor is my husband who is one of the smartest businessmen I know. Why? Because he reads 3-4 papers a day and keeps abreast of what is going on in the world.

7. In the last five years, what has been your most memorable meeting or convention experience and why?

• My most memorable meeting was a class taught here in Nashville, when I made 6 new friends. For whatever reason, the   7 of us were brought together to work together.

8. What is the one piece of advice you would offer to a graduating student with a hospitality degree?

• My advice would be to treat people like you would have other people treat you….go that extra step….run that extra mile…do something nice for everyone you come in contact with.
  

9. What is the one question do you wish someone would ask you in an interview today?

• The one question I wish I would be asked in an interview would be “Why didn’t you just give up when you learned you were vision-impaired and uneducable? Dr. Joyce

Dr.Joyce Knudsen, AICI CIM Research Program Development, Writer and Internet Talk Radio Host at The ImageMaker, Inc.® and WAKM Nashville.

imagemaker@bellsouth.net twitter    drjoyce_knudsen http://www.linkedin.com/in/drjoyceknudsen

Posted to HospitalityEducators.com     January 24, 2011

Recommended Reading – The Classics remind us of the Essentials

Up the Organization: How to Stop the Organization From Stifling People and Strangling Profits

Recommended

Comment: “This is a 30 year old classic I recently re-read for the 3rd time. It has logical and pragmatic approaches in bite size messages that remain timely. 

Robert Townsend established himself and his company as the one “who tried harder” to meet customer needs. This book is an ABC manual of common sense business strategies beginning with Advertising and ending with Wearing out one’s Welcome. He tackles nepotism, useless meetings, egos, in house politics, accountability and much more.

Townsend co-authored work with Tom Peters later in his career and one can see the influences they shared and believe in.

An excellent read- a classic!

Dr. John Hogan CHA CHE
HospitalityEducators com
HoganHospitality com
”

Extended Stay Properties and Corporate Lodging and Apartment Accommodations Are Changing the Market

Understanding the competition is critical to success and many mid market properties are missing an important player in their competitive set.

While Residence Inns, Homewood, Studio 6, Candlewood and certain other brands in the extended stay market have been around for a number of years, additional competitors are entering the field and making a major impact.

With an established presence in major markets like Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix,  San Francisco,  Washington DC, Toronto, Vancouver and other cities throughout North America, business travelers,  relocating families and staff on temporary assignment are finding furnished corporate apartments and housing a real find in many new and  smaller markets.  With wide-ranging guest services, tasteful and spacious accommodations with a range of amenities at typically 25 to 35 percent below standard hotel costs, these facilities are becoming major forces in a growing number of cities.

These residences are constantly providing services that meet the needs of their core market of corporate and human resource executives, and other end-users are now finding corporate apartments can be well suited to their needs.

In my role as an executive and consultant in medical lodging, I have found furnished apartments are ideal for patients and their families in treatment at major medical centers. International visitors discover how these accommodations are convenient, well priced and often larger than some of their residences in their country of origin.

Hotels in a number of markets can meet this trend, but must focus their renovation and updates in the right manner so these guests can experience their stay more as a resident, than as a short-term tourist.  There are a range of other needs including visiting families, insurance claims and people involved in the always stress filled instances of divorce.

Specific values in meeting this demand include.

1.      Value, compared with regular hotel rates

2.      Security, as they include a residential feel, with many requiring identification prior to entry.

3.      Space, including multiple bedrooms, kitchen and dining areas, and multiple closets.

4.      Convenience of kitchens equipped with appliances, full-size refrigerator, pots, pans, dishes and glassware, to linen closets, and even cleaning services and supplies. Many successful facilities offer hospitable meeting places such as on site or near-by, restaurants, coffee houses and lounges.

5.      Service, as preferred by agreement with the guest and facility management.

6.      Fitness & Recreation.  Many of these kinds of facilities offer onsite or access to nearby-by fitness centers, swimming pools, trails, golf, tennis and spas.

7.      Technology, which is becoming an essential, is available including telephones, voice mail, Wi-Fi, Cable TV, DVD, and radio. This is also a family-friendly feature

 

I have worked with a number of properties in many different locations and market conditions.  Contact me and let me know how I can assist you

Keys to Success Hospitality Tip of the Week: Focus on understanding that “Change is a process, not an event“   Change is also something personal that requires focused and individual attention.   We have all heard the question on change: If we continue to do as we have always done, how can we ever expect to achieve different results? For hotels and the hospitality industry, the potential for dramatic change in the first 100 days of 2011 is there, as there is finally a sense of optimism in the direction of the economy.   Optimism alone is not action or change, and what do The First 100 Days of 2011 mean for you personally? What do I personally need to change to make my hotel or hospitality business more successful? Questions I Wish You’d Ask – Making Hospitality More Profitable Part of the 2011 Keys To Success Workshop Series KEYS TO SUCCESS is the umbrella title for my 2011 programs, hospitality services and columns. This year’s writings focus on a variety of topics for hotel owners, managers and professionals including both my “HOW TO” articles, HOSPITALITY CONVERSATIONS, Lessons from the Field, Hotel Common Sense and Principles for Success   Feel free to share an idea for a column at info@hoganhospitality.com anytime or contact me regarding consulting, customized workshops, speaking engagements … And remember – we all need a regular dose of common sense. John Hogan is a successful hospitality executive, educator, author and consultant and is a frequent keynote speaker and seminar leader at many hospitality industry events.  He is Co-Founder of a consortium (www.HospitalityEducators.com) of successful corporate and academic professionals delivering focused and affordable counsel in solving specific challenges facing hospitality today. www.HospitalityEducators.com is a membership site offering a wide range of information, forms, best practices and ideas designed to help individual hoteliers and hospitality businesses improve their market penetration, deliver service excellence and increase their profitability. Individuals wishing to contribute materials may send them Kathleen@HospitalityEducators.com. Special pricing is in effect for a limited time that also includes a complimentary copy of LESSONS FROM THE FIELD- A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE HOTEL SALES. Consulting Expertise and Research Interest 1.    Sales Management and training 2.    Turn-around and revenue management 3.    Professional Development for the Organization and the Individual 4.    Customer Service 5.    Making Cultural Diversity Real 6.    Developing Academic Hospitality programs 7.    Medical Lodging Consulting If you need assistance in any of these areas or simply an independent review or opinion on a hospitality challenge, contact me directly for a prompt response and very personalized attention. www.HoganHospitality.com Your Hospitality Resource for the Hotel Owner, Innkeeper, Manager and Hospitality Industry Associations http://www.linkedin.com/in/drjohnhoganchache CONTACT Dr. John Hogan, CHE CHA CMHS United States – Phoenix, Phone: 602-799-5375 www.hoganhospitality.com/ Email: info@hoganhospitality.com

Making This New Year’s Hospitality Resolutions “Real & Practical”

January 20, 2011

Real and Practical Action Sales Action  Steps #1-12

Regardless of the source of the tradition of making resolutions, we all realize that people all over the world have been breaking them. The title of this short piece is Making This New Year’s Hospitality Resolutions Real and Practical, and my goal is to offer a slight alternative to the resolutions making approaches that seem to get broken so often, for whatever reasons.

“You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”  Zig Ziglar, “Secrets of Closing the Sale”, 1984

Most hotels create an annual sales and marketing plan for last year, but what happened to the execution?  While one can blame the economy or the government or some other 3^rd party, we must each assess how much of our success is tied to our efforts.

The calendar now is approaching late January, and looking back at lost opportunities for last year is a wasted effort.  It is now time to think how you will be conducting your sales efforts this year, in measurable components.

Regardless of where you are in planning , think about TODAY to committing yourself to a fresh start.  In our book LESSONS FROM THE FIELD – a COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE HOTEL SALES, Howard Feiertag and I offered practical approaches to selling in the last big market downturn.

1. Sell Price Last: Even in challenging economic times, price remains only one of selling points of all. People want value, but if you know where you are competition-wise, price should not be the breaking point if you are competitive.

2.      Include more items in packages. Comp rooms, free parking, free A/V and various other “freebies” are sometimes necessary ingredients in closing a deal, especially in a soft market. “Listen” to what the potential client feels is important to them and then deliver what they want at a fair to all price and package.

3.      Close As Soon As Possible: The prospect you leave behind may be closed by the competition.  Time is important to everyone, so use yours effectively.

4.      Increase the Number of Your Sales Calls: If you make more calls, you meet more prospects; if you meet more prospects, you can do more selling, and if you do more selling, you close more sales. (The law of averages works.)

5.      Have Sincere Pride in Your Product and Service: Be proud of where you work; then, where you work will be proud of you.

6.      Be Persistent: Most sales are closed after the fourth or fifth call.

7.      Be Loyal: One of the greatest virtues of selling is loyalty to your hotel, your manager and your owner.

8.      Ask For the Business: Too many salespeople are on Public Relations calls; they forget to ask for the order.

9.      Communicate More: Let the staff (especially the switchboard and front office) know where you are and where you’re going to be.

10.  Have Confidence in Yourself and Your Team: The seller’s confidence in the product results in the potential buyer’s confidence, more often than not, results in a sale.

11.  Find Your Balance Between Aggressive and Assertive Selling: Sales isn’t an athletic competition where someone wins and the other loses.  Find a happy medium between high and low pressure sales techniques. In fact, a confident professional does not need pressure to close a sale, but rather assists the potential client in solving their needs.  This goes back to #2 – LISTENING MORE.

12.   Keep In Touch Regularly: Don’t lose contact with a prospect. Phone calls, notes, newsletters, even birthday cards, are good ways to remind people that you’re still interested in them.

Keys to Success Hospitality Tip of the Week: Focus on understanding that “Change is a process, not an event“ Change is also something personal that requires focused and individual attention.   We have all heard the question on change: If we continue to do as we have always done, how can we ever expect to achieve different results? For hotels and the hospitality industry, the potential for dramatic change in the first 100 days of 2011 is there, as there is finally a sense of optimism in the direction of the economy.   Optimism alone is not action or change, and what do The First 100 Days of 2011 mean for you personally? What do I personally need to change to make my hotel or hospitality business more successful? Questions I Wish You’d Ask – Making Hospitality More Profitable Part of the 2011 Keys To Success Workshop Series KEYS TO SUCCESS is the umbrella title for my 2011 programs, hospitality services and columns. This year’s writings focus on a variety of topics for hotel owners, managers and professionals including both my “HOW TO” articles, HOSPITALITY CONVERSATIONS, Lessons from the Field, Hotel Common Sense and Principles for Success Feel free to share an idea for a column at info@hoganhospitality.com anytime or contact me regarding consulting, customized workshops, speaking engagements … And remember – we all need a regular dose of common sense. John Hogan is a successful hospitality executive, educator, author and consultant and is a frequent keynote speaker and seminar leader at many hospitality industry events.  He is Co-Founder of a consortium (www.HospitalityEducators.com) of successful corporate and academic professionals delivering focused and affordable counsel in solving specific challenges facing hospitality today. www.HospitalityEducators.com is a membership site offering a wide range of information, forms, best practices and ideas designed to help individual hoteliers and hospitality businesses improve their market penetration, deliver service excellence and increase their profitability. Individuals wishing to contribute materials may send them to  Kathleen@HospitalityEducators.com. Special pricing is in effect for a limited time that also includes a complimentary copy of LESSONS FROM THE FIELD- A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE HOTEL SALES. Consulting Expertise and Research Interest 1.    Sales Management and training 2.    Turn-around and revenue management 3.    Professional Development for the Organization and the Individual 4.    Customer Service 5.    Making Cultural Diversity Real 6.    Developing Academic Hospitality programs 7.    Medical Lodging Consulting If you need assistance in any of these areas or simply an independent review or opinion on a hospitality challenge, contact me directly for a prompt response and very personalized attention. www.HoganHospitality.com Your Hospitality Resource for the Hotel Owner, Innkeeper, Manager and Hospitality Industry Associations http://www.linkedin.com/in/drjohnhoganchache CONTACT Dr. John Hogan, CHE CHA CMHS United States – Phoenix, Phone: 602-799-5375 www.hoganhospitality.com/ Email: info@hoganhospitality.com   .

“Fresh Air and New Ideas – “Change is a process, not an event”

“Fresh Air and New Ideas[1]”

“Change is a process, not an event.”   James Prochaska, PhD

Change is also something personal that requires focused and individual attention.

We have all heard the question on change: If we continue to do as we have always done, how can we ever expect to achieve different results?

It is a New Year and we are in

The First 100 Days of 2011

The expression of the First 100 Days sets a tone, introduces a sense of urgency or an anticipation that something positive or significant will occur.  Many elected officials use that time period to initiate as many new programs and ideas as they can, while business leaders and sports coaches similarly use this short time period to launch as many new strategies and as much discipline as possible into their organizations and teams.

For hotels and the hospitality industry, the potential for dramatic change in the first 100 days of 2011 is there, as there is finally a sense of optimism in the direction of the economy[2].   Optimism alone is not action or change, and what do The First 100 Days of 2011 mean for you personally?

What do I personally need to change to make my hotel or hospitality business more successful?

Dr. Prochaska (who was quoted above) is a psychologist at the University of Rhode Island and is known for his model of the “stages of change.”  While his research deals primarily with health issues and he was not addressing the hospitality business specifically, one can easily see the parallels in almost every situation.

Which Stage of Change Are You In?

1.     Pre-contemplation (“Never”)  Stage

Standard Statement

“From my point of view, there is nothing I need to do but stay the course. That has always worked before and should work again.”

Or

“ I may have some shortcomings, but so does everyone else.”

Vulnerability

The world has changed in the last three years globally.   It is easy to blame the government, the banks or the competitors, but little is likely to change for the positive until something changes. Each of us must take specific assessments of our own position

2.    Contemplation (“Someday”)  Stage

Standard Statement

“If I only had more time, I could address the challenges I am facing.” (Challenges can be service, revenues, or other unique areas to your business)

Or

“Eventually, I’ll come up with a plan to address for (my specific problem areas)

Vulnerability

Good intentions do not bring results, only a sense of potential.  Think back to the last time you made New Year’s Resolutions – how did that work out?  How will you get beyond the thinking stage to the action level?

3.  Preparation (“Soon”)  Stage

Standard Statement

“I will begin the new sales and marketing campaign as soon as we update the marketing plan and finalize the new ad copy…………sometime in the next four weeks.”

Or

“We are committed to completing our staff reviews and making the necessary changes by the middle of next month.”

Vulnerability

“Soon” may or may not happen.  Research shows a  substantial percentage of people who need to modify their behavior for health reasons either never get to the “soon” stage or progress beyond it.  I would say from my professional experience that many business decisions likely share this high percentage

4.  Action (“Now”)  Stage

Standard Statement

” Talk is cheap and while others talk about changing,. I’m actually taking action .”

Or

“We are working on making improvements, but are having challenges in measuring the results more.”

Vulnerability

Change is not easy – we all understand that.  It is  essential to be able to change quickly enough to both feel some short-term benefits. It is also essential to be able to measure progress so that we can continue the improvements  that accompany the change.

5.   Maintenance (“Forever”)  Stage

Standard Statement

“I need to find sources of encouragement to assist me in continuing and  maintaining  the changes I’ve already begun and are continuing .” (Changes in procedure, marketing, operations, hiring, etc. can all bring stress)

Or

“It was not easy, but understanding and accepting the positives of these changes are now becoming the new normal and I actually look forward to the new challenges because I can see the new results happening”

Vulnerability

Change by definition is doing something different and dramatic change can be hard to maintain.  The new protocols or practices are becoming accepted in your spirit, but the  “old” ways of doing things are likely still prevalent in your mind.   Look for the centers of strength and assurance for the hard days.

Beginning on Monday, January 17, there will be a new and regular series of” Fresh Air and New Ideas” provided on this blog and on www.HospitalityEducators.com for hoteliers and hospitality professionals to consider, fine tune and act on.  The first link is already there – the rest is up to each of us!

Dr. John Hogan CHE CHA CMHS    Hotelier, Speaker, Educator, Columnist

* Co-Founder of www.HospitalityEducators.com
A membership information site committed to MAKING YOUR HOTEL MORE PROFITABLE!

* Principal, www.HoganHospitality.com
Your Hospitality Resource for the Hotel Owner, Innkeeper, Manager and Hospitality Industry Associations.

2011  Keys to Success are results-driven programs  aimed at building competitive advantage. These programs are available as either a keynote address or an interactive workshop. Details are available can be found at both sites.

Program # 10

Questions I Wish You’d Ask – Making Hospitality More Profitable!!

---

[1] An informational series from www.HospitalityEducators.com

[2] https://hoganhospitality.wordpress.com/2011/01/14/the-impact-of-the-first-100-days/

The Impact of the First 100 Days

The First 100 Days

That expression or term alone raises a certain expectation, a sense of urgency and a feeling that something positive or significant can occur.  Many government and business officials use that time period to introduce as many new programs and ideas as they can.   Sports coaches likewise use the first three plus months to try to introduce as many new plays and as much discipline as possible into their teams.

For hotels and the hospitality industry, what could it mean?

What could it mean for you personally?

I am proposing that if we do it right, we could make 2011 a real turn around year for us, as the new year is starting with Optimism for the U.S. Economy

1. An early January 2011 of the CEO Briefing commented that U.S. CEOs may have something to smile about, with the U.S. economy showing some signs of recovery.
2. Business week magazine noted the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index of U.S. stocks increased about 12.8 percent for the recently concluded year and with the extension of the Bush tax cuts last month, there is even a greater sense of optimism.
3. The positive outlook for the US is in contrast to negativity associated with the economy in other parts of the world , according to Businessweek. Europe is struggling with sovereign debt,  while China, India, and several other emerging countries need to block inflation. Emerging-market economies are not controlling growth and there is increasing demand for commodities that could lead to increased energy costs globally.

I propose the way we do it right is by looking at our own First 100 Days, and that means Making our New Year’s Hospitality Resolutions Real and Practical. http://www.hospitalityeducators.com/articles/20110114

Beginning on Monday, January 17, there will be a new and regular series of” Fresh Air and New Ideas” provided on this blog and on www.HospitalityEducators.com for hoteliers and hospitality professionals to consider, fine tune and act on.  The first link is already there – the rest is up to each of us!

Dr. John Hogan CHE CHA CMHS    Hotelier, Speaker, Educator, Columnist

* Co-Founder of www.HospitalityEducators.com
A membership information site committed to MAKING YOUR HOTEL MORE PROFITABLE!

* Principal, www.HoganHospitality.com
Your Hospitality Resource for the Hotel Owner, Innkeeper, Manager and Hospitality Industry Associations.

2011  Keys to Success are results-driven programs  aimed at building competitive advantage. These programs are available as either a keynote address or an interactive workshop. Details are available can be found at both sites.

Program # 10

Questions I Wish You’d Ask – Making Hospitality More Profitable!!