Why We Do Hotel | Resort Marketing and Sales

Twenty years ago, I was the VP of an association management group in Washington, D.C.

They were heady times for me - traveling all over the country, running my own extraordinary group of associations and dealing daily with many hotels and resorts and those with which I was not dealing, were dealing with me - asking me on "fam" trips, enticing me with lunches, dinners, and , of course, the basic - Bagel & Danish sales calls.

As you can imagine, with all that traveling, many of my friends became the folks who sold me those hotels.

Over and over again, I was struck that simple management practices, and the basic psychology of targeted sales development were not frequently given pride of place by the sales teams with which I was dealing.

It appeared to me - the client - that there were clear challenges and opportunities in hotel and resort sales and marketing departments. These were challenges that called to my competitive spirit - a spirit that had almost taken me to the Olympics as an alternate on the US Field Hockey team. My knees still tell the story of those "play to wine years".

It was time for me to move to Florida and take on a new challenge in a new arena. I grabbed an entry level sales opportunity at a resort and now, eighteen years later, am given by great clients the fascinating opportunities open to a consultant.

Our team responds to those waves of challenges, just as I do.

A working team, a functioning organism. It's always fun and hard work to help the properties, or clients, find their successes and their own humanity.