Each generation of new employees present new challenges for leadership and hiring managers. How do hiring managers of Sales Talent adapt their recruitment practices to the characteristics which define the Millennial Generation? Conversely, how does GenY adapt themselves to be successful with non GenY supervisors and clients? If we are to build successful high performing sales teams, our leaders must be equipped to manage a team with multiple generational characteristics. We also need to coach and counsel GenY on the most effective ways to sell in this commodity driven sales environment. The traditional personal approach is no longer possible as technology is now an integral part of the sales process. READ MORE

Despite encouraging signs that the recession is well behind us, revenue, costs and profits are still under close scrutiny. Achieving a competitive edge, while at the same time "doing more with less" is a daily challenge for hospitality executives. Revenue management "changed the game" for hospitality when it came on the scene 20 years ago. By applying analytics the specific problem of room pricing, hotels were able to increase room revenue without increasing room cost. It's time to change the game again. To stay ahead, executives need to build this kind of fact-based decision making into the corporate DNA. READ MORE

Once one of the most under-loved and often misunderstood departments within a hotel, revenue management is today central to a hotel's ability to manage bookings and operate profitably. While the days of manually crunching numbers and trying to keep track of pages of spread sheets are slowly being replaced by a more strategic approach, we look at how guest data is being gathered and interpreted in today's modern hotel environment and how a hotel can turn a revenue manager into a revenue leader whilst creating a sustainable revenue management culture across all departments. READ MORE

The biggest challenge that hotel companies must overcome when launching training programs is tying the benefits of learning to business results and the bottom line. As a training manager or learning coach, you should base your training programs upon your company's business strategy with clear-cut expectations for what you and your trainees should expect to get out of the programs. Your learning initiatives should support your organization's goals from the top and be supported by top-level management within your organization before you execute them. READ MORE

To achieve true Total Revenue Management, you need to follow and valuate your guests footsteps throughout their stay.  A couple of very powerful data mining techniques can be used to map out the seemingly random decision processes that your guests use.  When used creatively, Market Basket Analysis and Decision Trees can illuminate the common behavior that your most profitable guests exhibit.  With this insight, you can take your Revenue Management to the ultimate level. READ MORE

The hotel industry is seeing the winds of change. The economy is slowly improving. Demand is higher than supply. How long will that last though? Take advantage of this forward motion by reevaluating your strategy. Conquer the commoditization beast and differentiate your hotel! Considering C.K. Prahalad's concepts of Core Competency and Competitive Advantage will give you the tools to deliver a unique and unconquerable value mix to enhance your hotel's position. READ MORE

Professional development, training and education are constant in today's competitive marketplace for businesses and their employees remain current. Many professions require ongoing development for its members and in some cases resulting in professional certification. For example, professions such as education, music, law, technology, and accounting have required professional certifications in their field for many years. Notably, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) has been a hallmark certification for anyone working at a public accounting firm and given the state of our tax system, the CPA will continue to be an important designation. READ MORE

The traditional approach to launching a renovation is to put up a big wall that divides the construction area from the rest of the world, add a small announcement blurb to your webpage and post a sign with two hammers that reads "pardon our dust for the next six months." I call this dated strategy the "out-of-sight out-of-mind" method. A better approach is to think of a renovation as a client engagement initiative that begins six months before the construction and extends for six to 12 months after the ribbon cutting. This may seem daunting at first, but if managed properly, this mindset will take the renovation experience to the next level for everyone involved. READ MORE

The Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) prohibits employers from discriminating against disabled individuals, which includes failing to provide a reasonable accommodation to a disabled individual. Before Congress passed the ADA Amendments Act (“ADAAA”), when an employee requested an accommodation, employers generally could determine whether the employee was disabled. Further, even if an employer entirely failed to accommodate an employee, there still was a good chance the employer would win any resulting lawsuit because of the difficulty in proving a disability. If it has not already, the passage of the ADAAA, which made it much easier to prove disability, should have entirely changed an employer's approach to accommodation requests. READ MORE

The impetus for this article comes from the thousands of miles I have traveled and the many places I have stayed in my work as a leadership consultant. Depending upon the city and the client, the range goes from residential inns to five star resorts, from boutique hotels to bed-and-breakfast retreats, from international chains to franchise operations. From a leadership perspective, what becomes clear is that while creature comforts can vary (and are always critically important), my ultimate experience is determined by the interactions I experience and observe with staff. READ MORE

In the last 30 years, water and sewer rates have increased faster than even the cost of oil. The typical busy hotel manager and engineer has an overflowing plate and now they must add the management and reduction of water and waste water costs. In this article, we will look at the rising cost of water bills, water use benchmarks for hotels, getting started, and an introduction to new national codes, standards and rating systems that will impact hotel operations. READ MORE

Let's face it; in the hotel business if you don't deliver acceptable customer service, guests are more than likely to walk out your door and into one of a multitude of competitor properties, even after just one bad experience. And, in today's socially active world, there's no hiding your inefficiencies as irate customers are quick to take their experience to Twitter or other hotel review sites and spread their negative stories. The competition is so fierce that it's easy to understand why a hotel brand's customer reputation is one of its key drivers of business success. READ MORE

Technology-enabled travelers have shifted the playing field for hoteliers. Their unprecedented access to information is transforming the traditional hotel booking and pricing practices. If a hotelier fails to deliver a service or price promise, consumers will have several purchasing alternatives and a plethora of ways to share their negative experiences in social communities. In order to adapt their go-to-market strategies to this new reality, hotels need to look for answers in the emerging industry trends. READ MORE

A hotel without its employees is nothing more than a building with beds,” states Niki Leondakis, president and COO of Kimpton Hotels. That's why it's so critical to retain the employees who make your guests feel like they have come home. Here's what you can do to make a lasting connection with those who matter - your employees. READ MORE

As consumers, we encounter hundreds of brands every day. Every car that we see driving down the street, every cup of to-go coffee, every pair of jeans and of course, every TV advertisement that we see floods our brains with ideas/impressions about each company/product/service, based upon the visual aspects of the brand. Your company's brand is what helps potential customers remember you - even though they are exposed to thousands of competing marketing messages every day - so it better be a good one. This article examines the necessary steps to successfully develop and implement a hospitality brand. READ MORE