by Dave Spector
1. Determine the Day’s Top Priorities and STICK to Them
As tempting as it may be, don’t flip open your computer and dive right into emailing clients, sales numbers, checking in on your team, etc.
While well-intentioned, tackling your day without a plan leaves room for wandering thoughts, for conversations and projects to take longer than they should, and for frivolous activities to take over precious hours that should be dedicated to more pressing matters that impact your hotel’s revenue.
2. Evaluate Your Hotel Product
Dedicate five minutes to monitor your hotel’s review sentiment. Read through your most recent hotel guest reviews: What are meeting attendees commenting about the most? How did your management team respond? What needs improvement? Afterwards, walk the property – taking special attention to where your guests congregate the most. Have a discerning eye and try to see the property in the eyes of a meeting attendee visiting for the first time.
3. Monitor Your KPIs
From your direct revenue ratio (DRR) to marketing cost per booking (MCPB) to your Website conversion rate. Daily check-ups on these sales and marketing metrics are what will drive performance at your property. Don’t get lazy when you’re at full occupancy, or else you’ll be playing catch-up once the high-season ends. Read more: 6 Sales and Marketing Metrics Every Hotel Owner Cares About
4. Speak With Revenue Managers
Forget about checking in weekly with your revenue management team. This must be done every day for the latest numbers, including: your pace reports, ADR index vs comp set, performance vs budget and upcoming periods of weakness.
5. Check Progress of Top 20 Sales Opportunities
Monitor what your team is doing to pursue and convert their top corporate and meeting planner prospects. Go over the competing properties for each event, review the planner’s pain points and hot button issues and what would push the decision in your favor.
6. Speak to Guests and Corporate Meeting Attendees
Walk the conference floor. Talk with meeting attendees. Mingle among the decision makers. These are the people that matter the most to planners, so start a conversation and see how things are going. Ask them what would make their meeting experience or overnight stay even better? Find out what matters to them and jot those notes down to help in procuring future group business.
7. Monitor Your Comp Set’s Activity
Always know what your competition is up to. Use tools like hotel reader boards, STR reports and Google alerts. Signing up for a hotel marketing intelligence service will show your comp set’s most active groups, annual repeat business and which companies are frequent users of your comp set’s event space in your market.
8. Learn: Read Up on Industry Trends and Upcoming Events
Designate a half-hour for industry education, an often overlooked task that most DOSMs feel like they’re too busy to do. Some of our favorite industry resources include Skift, Hotel News Now, and Hotel-Online.
9. Give Praise
Give your team the kudos they deserve. Don’t keep such a close eye on your property and sales prospects that you forget the most important people to your business – your staff! Handing out genuine praise and compliments for a job well done to your sales, marketing, banquet and catering staff goes a long way to boosting morale, customer satisfaction and job performance at your property.
10. Review Your Performance Against Targets and Goals
Keep track of where your hotel numbers are based on the goals you set earlier that quarter or year. Are you close to achieving the room nights you aimed for, or is there still plenty of work ahead? A daily check-in with your hotel sales goals and targets is paramount to reeling in meetings and events to your property.
