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What happened to direct sales in the hospitality industry?

January 19, 2012 | Hotel Marketing

How has the proliferation of technology impacted the way of doing business? Does the new generation of hotel sales people offer impersonal and cut and dry customer interactions and rely solely on technology to give a red light or a green light on a piece of business?

What has happened to direct sales in the hospitality industry? Once a discipline of an enviable combination of great social skills, good business judgment, and powers of persuasion, direct sales was many times the starting point for learning the business of hotels. A knowledgeable sales person understood how each piece of business or account had an impact on revenues in all areas not just limited to rooms and not just for the short but the long term as well. In addition, the successful sales person forged relationships with clients based on trust, which was the result of rich personal interactions.

So, how has the proliferation of technology impacted the way of doing business as well as enhancing the learning curve? Does the new generation of hotel sales people offer impersonal and cut and dry customer interactions and rely solely on technology to give a red light or a green light on a piece of business? Or are powers of persuasion and good judgment still critical in generating business? This article will reflect the insights and wisdoms of key industry leaders who were interviewed for this article on how direct sales has been impacted by technology and where they seen direct sales going in the future.

Selected for this article were three industry veterans who have a wide range of experience with direct sales:

- Heather Allison-Smith, Director of Sales & Marketing | The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, California
- Rose Genovese, Vice President of Sales & Marketing | Affinia Hotels/The Benjamin/The James/The Surrey based in New York, New York
- John Washko, Vice President, Sales & Marketing | THE BROADMOOR in Colorado Springs, Colorado

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