Issue 26, April, 2003 

 http://www.carolverret.com

Creating Sales "HUNTERS": The Skill Sets Required in the New Hotel Sales Environment

Any farmer can tell you that the most frustrating thing about farming is the lack of control over the environment needed to produce a crop. Drought (such as we have now in the hotel sales environment) means that fewer crops grow and those seeds that do e up produce plants of inferior quality (read lower yield). The crop is diminished and revenue from "farming" declines. Pestilence (we could call this competition) disseminates the crop and makes less of the crop available for harvest (everyone is going after the same business). The "farmer" is dependent on the environment to generate revenue.

Hunters have a different perspective. Hunters go out and actively seek their revenue. If one type of "prey" (market segment) is in short supply, they shift gears and pursue another. Hunters are opportunistic - they have control over the environment (the market) because they can actively seek their prey (prospecting), develop a strategy to "attack" the prey and close on them - bringing them back to the home base. Hunters are not dependent on the environment - they actively adjust to the environment in which they are and control their activity to maximize the opportunities.

Farmers starve (read go out of business) because of their inability to harvest a crop (i.e., the phone doesn't ring!). Hunters only starve if they don't go out and pursue prey - it's the hunter's choice.

This should describe why the skill sets for "hunters" are dramatically different from those of "farmers." Can "farmers" be taught to be "hunters?" In many cases yes -- in others, no. However, every farmer deserves to be presented with the skill sets required to be e a "hunter" and survive in a difficult environment. However, not all of them will pick up the tools and use them.

The following are some of the skill sets of "hunters" that can be broken down into specific training bytes:

	New Business Development or Locating the "Prey." In the current hotel environment, some markets that were previously lucrative have diminished in volume. The corporate and association markets being two of these. This doesn't mean that there is not business to be had from these segments, but identifying where takes more time and strategy. This is a "hunter" skill that can be trained. The "hunter" also needs to identify different types of "prey" - those market segments that are less easy to locate and close but who are still relatively plentiful.
	Developing the Strategy. There are several stages to this one but the first begins with research. A recent seminar participant said that she had begun researching a market segment but that it takes a great deal of time. It does - but this puts her way ahead of others who haven't begun the process. Smart hunters know that their chances of success improve when they research at which watering hole their prey is most likely to be and develop a strategy versus the hunters who simply spot a prey and charge, often unable to outrun the prey itself. The approach follows from the research and adds significantly to the success rate.
	Closing on the Prey. Okay, this is where the analogy breaks down a bit. We want this to be pleasant experience for our "prey" to not only survive but also benefit from what the hotel has to offer. This includes the qualifying, presenting and closing stages. Building the relationship is also part of this stage.

It is also my observation that potential sales "hunters" are often frustrated by the attitudes of managers who are still operating in the paradigm that hotel sales people are essentially farmers. These managers are still operating on the assumptions that hotel sales is revenue management versus revenue generation. The skill set exercise is one that both can use.

It is my mission to provide the industry with training that is not only useful but also cost effective. This is why the live real-time web cast series "Training Bytes: A WebCast Series for the Hospitality Industry" is available. Our first module, "Skill Sets for Hunters" is now being scheduled for May. Each Training Bytes Module includes a live presentation and an opportunity for information exchange among participants. Each module is brief, an hour long, and can be done from any PC. If you would like to receive the press releases or more information please contact us via our information form on our web site at

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If you would like to reserve your spot for Module 1, "Skill Sets for Hunters," of Training Bytes, click here:

Web Cast: Skill Sets for Hunters

Carol Verret, Owner of Carol Verret Consulting & Training, is a twenty-year veteran of the hotel industry. She arrived in Denver in 1984 in the midst of an economic downturn and quickly established herself as an expert in sales and marketing in hotel turn-around situations, applying her formula for REVPAR improvement. To learn more about Carol Verret, Consulting and Training, visit her web site at http://www.carolverret.com

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Contact: Carol Verret (303) 618-4065
Web Site: http://www.carolverret.com/ 
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