Networking. Attend local community networking events, get involved on committees, attend dinners, galas, grand openings. Partner with your local Chamber of Commerce, Visitor’s Bureau, Economic Development Council, Sports commission, etc… Join an association, attend meetings that are open to public and members, know what is going on in your community.
Lot Shops. Good old fashion parking lot shops. Know your comp set, drive through before 6:30am and after 8pm during weekdays and weekends. Vehicles love to wrap their business name for visual. Share your findings with your ADOS for follow up.
Shop the Competition. Visit your competition as if you were a potential client. Have they had a recent renovation? Does your hotel have something extra to offer that they do not? Know who you are selling against, and how to sell against them.
Social Media. Make sure you are taking every effort to keep up to date on your hotel social media channels. Follow your competition. Follow your corporate accounts. Know what they are up to before your competition does. Be proactive vs. reactive. Sign up for their newsletters, blogs, white pages, linked in, Facebook, twitter, and trip advisor. You can research your competition as well through many search options. You can research your corporate accounts, and uncover new business (who else is coming to town to work on the same project?).
Online Competition. We all know the importance of parking lot shops. Did you know you can also "shop your competition online"? By reviewing your competitors' websites and looking at the demand generators that they list on their site (local attractions, events, businesses,...), you could find a new source of revenue! Take a look at the things they are listing that are missing from your webpage. Is there an opportunity to add these to your Experience Page as well?
Sales
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