I recently read (and it’s been beaten into us by quite a few folks lately) that in order to be successful with your business, you must offer an experience that falls into one of these categories:

1. the best
2. the cheapest

Generally, I think this is accurate. Playing in the middle territory is dangerous and a sign you are trying to be all things to many people. However, these terms are very broad and subjective, particularly when earning the “best” position in a customer’s mind.

Personally, I think you can achieve the “best” status at multiple price points within the same group product/service offering. For instance, Motel 6 can be the best (budget category), and so can Four Seasons (luxury). You can have the best food by serving $100 entrees as well as $5 hamburgers.

The key is to determine the experience your guests want at the price point you are offering…in other words, how do they want to feel? Then, simply do it better than everyone else in your class. Choose an edge to play on, service, food, artwork in each room, or whatever makes the experience distinctive and memorable. And, be the best at doing that. Of course, it’s usually not one feature that makes the experience memorable in the first place, it’s a combination or culmination of experiences which makes you stand out above the rest.

Not long ago, I received an unsolicited e-mail from a travel agency who wanted my business. Interestingly, the only question they asked was whether or not I paid commissions? I responded with one request, “please give me three references from clients in the same rate category.” I haven’t heard from them since.

If you’re operating at the mid-price level with a run-of-the-mill offering, there’s probably little danger in making the net as big as possible in order to snag the most fish, whether their willing, or just unsuspecting. However, if you have a wonderful experience, better than most in at least one respect (and that’s really the audience I speak to), then you could really hurt yourself by aligning with third parties who don’t have enough sense to determine whether their client base even matches yours. Notwithstanding wasted commission dollars, the real problem lies in your lack of control over the sales message and the target audience. The result is a mismatch between you and your prospective guests. They are likely lured in once, never to return. Or, more importantly, they are not compelled to go out and rave about you.

So, before aligning yourself with any third party, ask some questions like these:

1. How will they help spread the word? Do they have a marketing plan?
2. Are they reputable? How long have they been in business?
3. How do they grow their business? Referrals or Advertising? Do they build long lasting relationships?
4. Why do their clients buy through them? (They flunk if they respond with something like…we get our clients the best price)
5. Do their clients trust them (get references)?
6. Do their clients fit the profile of our audience?

You are more likely to spread the word about your business with fewer, well aligned partners which will send guests who want to experience exactly what you are offering.

Less is More!

Obtaining guest feedback is easy…or, at least it should be. Unfortunately, many of us are still stuck in the “we need as much information as possible” mode…thinking that the more questions we ask, the better our information will be. We are under the false assumption that “quantity” is somehow proportional to “quality”.

I suggest that these “old school” tactics (comment forms, e-mail surveys, telephone follow-ups, etc.) are the result of our own laziness, our failure to take time to build a quality relationship with our guests in the first place. Respectively, we are in no position to ask sincere and personal questions at the end of their stay.

You only need to know one thing about your guest’s experience in order to continue a productive relationship with them…How did it make them feel? If you get an honest answer to the question (that’s where the relationship part comes in), you have all of the information you need to continue a meaningful dialogue and make improvements to your operation.

So, focus on building relationships with your guests and lose the lengthy comment forms.
Besides, have you ever felt good about filling out a three page comment card?

Today, my friends and I were reviewing a marketing plan, when one asked, "how is this expereience going to get people to come back?". That's a question often asked, and usually answered with something along the lines of "we're more convenient, we're better, or we offer a better value", etc. This is fine if your selling Coke or Courtyard by Marriott (nothing against them, just an example). People buying these products are looking to feel "safe". That's what convenience, consistent quality and good value are all about.

But, many in the hospitality business are not selling the safe buy. Rather, they offer new, unique, unusual, creative and astounding experiences to make people feel special and cared for. Respectively, their audience is likely to try new things and new places which is precisely why they showed up at the door in the first place.

So, don't try to make these guests do something they aren't naturally looking to do, come back every six months. Instead, focus on something much more important...making sure their experience is so emotionally moving that it becomes memorable. Memorable enough to compel them to spread the word about you to friends, neighbors, customers and business partners. This is far more valuable than worrying whether or not they will come back year after year. Of course, they will eventually return, especially after they've tried a few other things and found those experiences to be inferior to yours. Remember to be better!

As a hotelier (or anyone in business for that matter), above all else you should be clearly focused on accomplishing two things:

1. Ensure your guests feel compelled to go out and tell everyone they know about their experience at your hotel.

2. Get your guests’ permission, and develop a way to keep selling to them…over and over again.

That's it!

It's pretty simple. In order for someone to remember you and your product, they must feel something when they interact with you. And, obviously, a good memory comes from positive feelings.

It's not good enough just to have "great service". It must be delivered in a personal and adaptive way to create emotion. So, the next time you need to make decisions about your product or service, ask yourself, "How will they feel?", i.e., rushed, comfortable, warm, betrayed....you get the picture.