Surf's Up! Hotels and Sales and the Sea

Reflecting (lately) on a Michigan winter and all that comes with it, I was asked the question; "Why do you live here?" and "What will happen to all these salespeople who seem to have no idea what to do?" Those two colliding queries (in the context of discussing the future of "Hotel Sales") that is: {"the people who represent "sales" of said hotel to "business, leisure and the curious who might want to be "sold"}, a noun.

An article in Harvard Business Review states this in; "Selling After the Crisis" (by Frank V. Cespedes, 2021)

"Over the past 25 years, as business has become more complex, the number of executives reporting to the CEO has doubled, on average. But most built their careers in specialties such as IT, finance, engineering, or legal, and more executives in the C-suite (including the CEO) have made it there without deep experience in sales, according to Heidrick & Struggles’ 2019?Route to the Top?report. Rather than behaving like practitioners of the art of profit maximization, they often treat sales as a mysterious black box—essential for meeting quarterly targets but sealed off from strategy discussions..."

This fact no less true in the Hospitality industry.

"It's like surfing," I said to a slightly mystified audience. Since the fact of my being a surfer seems to delight, and confound (in equal measure it seems) I adopted a metaphor I knew well. "Every beach break is different. Every wave on that beach (and others) is: distinct, different, and none are ever to be taken for granted---much like customers, and if you don't adapt to those conditions you don't get a wave, or worse you put yourself in jeopardy, physical and otherwise. And similarly, as a salesperson, you have to make your own way.

Lately there has been a blitz of insights, cultural artistic forays, into chronicling surfing in death defying leaps of faith while surfing Nazare, Portugal or Mavericks, Half Moon Bay in Northern California, or the pinnacle; Pipeline off Oahu Hawaii's North Shore. Those waves can kill you if you don't know what you are doing. Less than 1% of the worlds surfers (estimated between 17-35 million by any given source) ever attempt these cavernous mountains of sea. That leaves the rest of us.

And the "rest of us" recreational hedonists (who still surf) have the benefit of; new ever evolving equipment, cameras pointed on virtually every great surf spot in the world, "so we know if it's good enough", and more granular forecasting models to precisely tell you; in this timeframe "it's going to be good surf. Head high. Perfect swell direction." And so on.

What do hotel sales people have?

It appears to me, anxiety. And, a lack of direction. But I believe the evolution of AI, Chatbots, distributed and consolidated "leads" focused on algorithmic potential---are all tools to be embraced. Not unlike surfers, "salespeople" (in Hotels in particular) are the substance. You are the brand, the hotel, the human personification of what you represent; Luxury, resort, extended stay, high end "apartment", economy, select, downtown, tertiary market, distinct immersive healing restorative spa---you are all of them.

No surfer (who still surfs) does not prepare like mad when going to a new surf spot; wind, tides, swell direction, "local" tribal customs---and so on. No less should be true for the hotel sales person entering this brave new world. Contrary to most popular media warning of a dire future for sales folks in general (e.g. "The machines are coming..for YOU!) it is becoming more and more evident that the human component of "sales" is becoming even more important, especially post (who knows..) pandemic.

Why? Because we are social animals. We like to interact with humans, more than ever. Of course there are current "safe practices", but over years of relationships the human component of "technical advances" always thrives. For those who do their homework, read to understand what is happening, and act rather than wait for permission, or direction---are given the rewards.

Like a surfer, you are captain of your own ship. No one else to hold accountable. It's just you and a brand new sea. Surf's up.