Carol Verret Consulting and Training Consulting Training Seminars |
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. . All Marketers Are Liars - Web 2.0 Strategies for Hotel Sales
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April 2008 - Seth Godin gets your
attention in the first part of the title of his 2005 book, �All Marketers
are Liars � The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low Trust World�.
While he goes on to state �� marketers aren't really liars... they're just
really good at telling stories that customers want to believe�.
In the hospitality industry, the customer is less likely to blindly believe
the �marketer�s� story as there are so many ways to access stories written
by people like them about the experience they had or want to have.
The customer is control and in Web 2.0 is "Seeking information and looking for perspective--like-minded experience and judgments--are currently trumping the straightforward hunt for the best price.� (Douglas Quinby, Senior Director of Research PhocusWright, Quoted in Forbes 03/28/08). The good news is that price isn�t the only driver the bad news is that our customers don�t believe hotel marketers anymore � they don�t trust our pictures or our adjectives. They believe each other! At the annual Travel Com Conference, produced by the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), it became apparent that the economy is having a significant impact � critical for forecasting this summer�s upcoming busy season. At the conference it became clear that �The poison pill in the online travel environment is the slumping economy. If you�re not concerned that $4-a-gallon gas will affect your customers� travel intentions, then focus on the fact that incomes are barely keeping up with inflation. Uncertainty in the economy puts stress on the travel industry - the cracks are already being felt as boomers expect to spend less on travel this coming year, and 62% of survey participants feel the economy will worsen in the next year.� (GroupTravelBlogComments, April 11, 2008) The hotel�s online presence is it�s �story�. This is the story that presents to the potential online customer and they are all online in every market segment to one degree or another! The hotel�s online presence is not �one size fits all� -- the �story� must appeal to multiple niches or customers with specific interests in a way that appeals to them. Hold the adjectives, rolls out authentic images and post testimonials from satisfied guests! In a slowing or recessionary economy, it is imperative that hotel marketers and sales professionals �get it� � the consumer is under stress to spend their dollars as wisely as possible and this includes travel. I recently gave a keynote on this subject at the Newmarket/Delphi Annual Users conference in Las Vegas. The keynote was followed by a Drill Down session focusing on implementation strategies that flow from this seismic shift (sorry, I can�t think of another adjective to describe how profound it is). A few of the strategies that came out of this session are shared below:
Don�t cringe � have fun! Web 2.0 opens up numerous possibilities
for creativity in the hotel sales and marketing process!
Carol Verret And Associates Consulting and Training offers training services and consulting in the areas of sales, revenue management and customer service primarily but not exclusively to the hospitality industry. To find out more about the company click on www.carolverret.com. To contact Carol send her an email at [email protected] or she can be reached by cell phone (303) 618-4065. Visit www.hotelsalesblog.com. copyright © Carol Verret, 2002-2003 -2004 -2005 - 2006 - 2007 - 2008 |
Carol Verret 5910 S. University #C-18, PMB 374 Greenwood Village, CO 80121 Telephone: (303) 618-4065 [email protected] Web Site: http://www.carolverret.com/ Email: [email protected] |