David M. Brudney, ISHC, March, 2011

The recent passing of hospitality coach, consultant and author Neil L. Salerno did not receive the attention one might expect for such a consummate professional who served our industry so well for more than 35 years.
 
His sound and timely counsel will be sorely missed by his many clients and students, as well as those of us colleagues with whom he both collaborated and inspired.
 
His company names - - Hotel Marketing Coach and Website Doctor - - described exactly who Neil was.  And he was one great storyteller.
 
Neil had an innate passion for giving of his acquired knowledge and skills in relationship building, selling and - - in the last decade of his life - - eMarketing.  Neil was all about giving back to the industry, witnessed by his coaching, teaching, speaking, and most of all, by his prolific writing.
 
Not a month would pass - - at times, not even a week - - without one of Neil’s articles being published and read throughout the world.  He wrote about developing and enhancing websites, building traffic, increasing productivity, and revenue management.  
 
Ironically, it was through Neil’s and my own writings that the two of us met.  We began trading comments after each other’s articles would appear.  Neil recognized the importance of integrating both technology-based sales and marketing with the more traditional relationship-based sales and marketing.
 
Neil and I complemented each other’s expertise - - he would write about websites while I would write mainly about direct selling.  We eventually collaborated on two webinars.
 
Although Neil has left us, we are all fortunate that his voluminous writings are archived for future generations to share (you can access Neil’s writings on www.hotelmarketingcoach.com).
 
A strong background in hotel operations, F&B, and sales
 
What I admired most about Neil and Neil’s eMarketing advice and counsel was that he developed his technology-based expertise long after he had mastered the more traditional relationship-based selling skills.  He was no “Johnny-come-lately,” to be sure.
 
Neil had a strong background in hotel operations, food and beverage, and sales prior to his launching Hotel Marketing Coach.  And he had a good teacher; Neil spoke often about his one and only mentor, hotel sales guru Howard Feiertag of Virginia Tech.
 
I find far too many examples of today’s new generation of sales professionals in search of coaching and mentoring from senior sales and marketing executives whose experience is limited mostly to the dawn of the age of the Internet.
 
Lessons from those who have learned
 
I think today’s new generation of sales professionals respond well to reading and hearing more about selling lessons from those who came before; those who succeeded in the pre-Internet age; those who have learned:

• connecting, getting through to the right person;
• we are not selling a hotel or a service; we are in the business of selling a relationship;
• all things being equal, clients will buy from those they know, like, and trust;
• all lasting business is built on friendships;
• we live by relationships with support from technology;
• 80% of communication is non-verbal; and
• especially so today, 50% of all prospects prefer a face-to-face relationship - - becoming familiar, establishing trust.

The value of lessons passed on never became more apparent to me then what I experienced from a recent speaking engagement.
 
I was invited to speak to a local chapter of Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (hsmai.org) and was somewhat surprised to find a group made up predominantly of younger, less-experienced sales associates.  I was told that it was one of the largest attended events in recent years, yet there were very few sales & marketing directors or even general managers in the audience.
 
Storytelling resonates well with new generation
 
Interestingly, what seemed to resonate best with the group was my storytelling of my early, very humble days in hotel sales; my getting started; the challenges faced, the mistakes made, and most importantly, those invaluable lessons learned.  I came away from the speaking engagement reenergized and emboldened to continue speaking, mentoring and writing about anecdotes and lessons learned along the way of a near-lifetime of selling experiences.
 
 
“(He) leaned back in his chair, let go with a huge exhale, and said to me, ‘This is great, really great.  I had forgotten how long it’s been since I had a mentor.  David, there’s nobody here to mentor me - - not my general manager, not at this hotel, there’s no one in the region and there’s no one in corporate.  I don’t have anyone I can turn to and ask about some of the things I never got to learn.  I’m expected to know all of this.  There’s still so much I have to learn about this job, about selling, about technique, relationship building, about strategy.’ ”
That was more than 11 years ago yet I find similar examples today as I interact with sales departments nationwide through my consulting practice.  My concerns have not changed.  Whatever the cause, the great tradition of sales and marketing expertise is not being passed on.
 
Long before the Internet, smart phones, mobile apps, OTAs, and social media, hotel sales pros were booking tons of business the old fashioned way - - building strong, long-term relationships through face-to-face meetings via outside sales calls, attending and participating in meeting/event decision maker conventions and trade shows, fam tours, and on/off-site entertainment. 

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Neil’s legacy for me is to continue my writing, speaking, mentoring and, in particular, my storytelling.  I will be sharing some of Neil whenever I find an opportunity to tell one of his favorite stories - - the one about the very finicky meeting planner who demands to conduct the site inspection anonymously. 

David M. Brudney is a charter member of International Society of Hospitality Consultants

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David M. Brudney, ISHC, is a veteran hospitality sales and marketing professional concluding his fourth decade of service to the hospitality industry.  Brudney advises lodging owners, lenders, asset managers and operators on hotel sales and marketing “best practices” and conducts reviews of hospitality (as well as other industry) sales and marketing operations throughout the U.S. and overseas.  The principal of David Brudney & Associates of Carlsbad, CA, a sales and marketing consulting firm specializing in the hospitality industry since 1979, Brudney is a frequent lecturer, instructor and speaker.  He is a charter member of International Society of Hospitality Consultants.  Previously, Brudney held hospitality sales and marketing positions with Hyatt, Westin and Marriott.

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