ARTICLE REVIEW
Article summary
Analysis
Giving your employees some sense of authority could go a long way into helping any type of business grow big and fast. As the author suggests, an employer should set certain parameters within which the employee can have the power to negotiate with the customer. The notion will not only inspire your clerks to be better salespeople, but it will also give them a sense of being treasured and trusted. One would be surprised how such small gestures and strategies would turn the business around. It is, therefore, paramount that managers call on such techniques if they want to boost room sales (Merritt).
Charity begins at home. Hence, it applies even to business. The author suggests that it would be very prudent to promote your business locally. A good business relationship with the local community would be very profitable as the room sales will increase. Thus, it is because you will have another base of customers who are not even the primary target. Moreover, they can be superb ambassadors for your business. They will be technically advertising your room sales business for you, to their friends and even relatives. So a good business rapport with the surrounding community is of utmost importance.
One of the fastest developing sectors of the lodging industry is described as single female travelers. One ought to tap into the mentioned market by making subtle adjustments to his operating standards. In addition, one may opt to review the amenity package, lighting quality and amount in the bathroom/dressing area. The notion will be a significant boost for the business since one will be attracting more female visitors than ever before. Since the place will be more secure, more guests will be coming to your property since everyone loves assured security.
There always exists a balance that ought to be sustained between the labor cost and guest service. In the future, however, one loses room sales while, at the same time, clerks try to perform as many functions as possible. One ought to consider, for example, an incoming phone reservation that is not attended. The notion occurs owing to the reason that the clerk on duty is undertaking other functions such as reservation pegged with cashiering and auditing. Other functions such as room service attendance, replacing of facilities such as air conditioners and performing wake-up duty, intriguing into a message are also associated with the aforementioned notion. Therefore, one should be able to know how to manage their employees by assigning them the right amount of work and according to their skills and qualifications. Hence, it will ensure that business is running quite smoothly since every single person will be aware of their role in the workplace.
In any business, one should always know the target market. One you properly isolate your market niche, you will be effectively capable of delivering high-quality service and product. The mentioned notion is because once an individual identifies his target market, one will be able to find out their needs and wants. A client is the most important entity in any kind of business. Professionals claim that the customer is always right. The notion has been used for several years and has been described as successful by some business men and women. Clients aid in defining the services and operations that businesses and organizations ought to offer their clients. Hence, business professionals have learnt to respect and use the power of the client to their best interest. Once you fully understand that, you will be able to offer maximum satisfaction to the customer. Therefore, after executing on the mentioned notion, the business will develop exponentially as rooms will be full of occupants.
Demographic data is one of the most important assets that a property owner selling rooms can have. Such data can be mined by paying attention to variables such as emails, zip-codes, special requests, company and arrival days and time. From the notion, one will be able to tell where most of his customers come. Not only that but also when they come. That is, what time of the year or during which seasons. The aforementioned notion is a total goldmine for any manager since one can now plan from the point of having a clear picture. Furthermore, the manager will be able to offer individual packages to particular clients.
Offering special packages will always attract special guests. After all, who does not prefer to feel valued? However, more to the notion is the fact that more money will be trickling in than under ordinary circumstances. If the special package program is managed properly, the business may be able to rise to twenty-five percent above the daily average rates. The notion clearly brings to the fore how clever maneuvers around price can be very profitable.
Application of the elements of the article to become an effective leader
First and foremost, the article teaches one always to look at things from others’ point of view. The notion will enable a leader to have a variance of perspective. Through the notion, I, as a leader, will be able to know what the customers and my employees need since those are already established. The practice will make one an effective leader because they are operating from a point of knowledge. Establishing programs of total quality management is essential when an individual expects to become an effective leader. Such a program enables operational challenges to be addressed at the lowest possible level. Hence, it will make one an effective leader since problems are dealt with from as low on the ‘food chain’ as possible. The notion will curb problems before they become catastrophes. The manager will look good since the program has improved operational activities within the workplace.
As a business, the immediate surrounding can determine a lot in as far as the success of the business is concerned. Hence, it will be up to the manager to make certain that there is a good business rapport with the local community. Thus, it will make one good business leader since he or she can create a suitable condition for business. Such kind of experience will make one an exquisite leader for the long term. One can become a very effective leader by knowing how to divide labor and specialize it among his or her employees. The notion is owing to the reason that there will be an order in the workplace, meaning that everything will be running as smoothly as possible. Consequently, it will not only get the best out of the employees, but will also offer customers maximum satisfaction due to the excellent service offered. Thus, it will surely contribute so much into molding a person into an efficient leader.
The shows how one can get higher profits by offering special packages. The illusion created by a special package charade has proved to be costly to the consumer but very profitable to the business. The notion is the epitome of a business mind. By applying the mentioned kind of principle to any business, one will be able to become an effective leader because such kind of practices sharpens the mind. Every leader could use a sharp mind. Being able to mine demographic data from emails, zip-codes, companies, arrival days pegged with time, require much vision and focus. To be able to do this will contribute very much to the leader’s vision and business focus. It will prepare one to be able to identify potential problems just by spotting weird patterns. Such skills and practices are guaranteed to make one a very effective leader.
I find the article very rich in information and very educative. The techniques the author gives are not only eye-openers; they are also proven. The author also explains how these techniques can revolutionize one's business. A business person will, therefore, be able to know whether to integrate them into his or her system or whether their system needs a total overhaul. To say the least, I agree with the item and would recommend it to anyone out there who is into the room selling business. I believe that any bookworm will be able to pick put a thing or two from the article. The detail that the author has a Ph.D. and a wealth of experience in management, I would say the author surely knows what he is claiming. The author’s resume is also very impressive. Apart from the Ph.D., he has written six books on management and had over six hundred articles and presentations. It would be intellectually unrealistic for me to not agree with his work. All that said, I think that readers should only rely on the techniques that are relevant to their situation. One should make the techniques fit their organization and not the other way round.
Conclusion
Finally, I, once more, stress that, I am in total agreement with the information the article is trying to convey. The notion is because the author has provided as with real life situations in which some of the practices mentioned in the article have worked. The notion emphasizes my agreement and acceptance of the spirit of the article. In conclusion, I would urge anyone to be familiar with the works of Dr. Edward A. Merritt. They are eye openers and educative, especially this one. Taking into account what the author has written in this item, it is quite clear that one can make his or her business better by learning new techniques. One must be able to receive ideas as well as accepting change.
Reference
Merritt, Edward A. "15 Techniques For Increasing Room Sales Now." (n.d.): 10.
