Hey #meetingpartners, if you’re a seasoned hotel sales  or DMO professional, you’ve likely experienced change at some point in your career.  Change in your hotel sales market, change in territory, change in size of groups you’ll be handling etc.  It can be tough, especially when you’ve worked so hard to cultivate relationships with one demographic, and now you have to start all over with another demographic!

Change is never easy friends, but it can be mitigated with a few simple tips and strategies to help you wade through this time of transition.

Managing a change in your hotel sales market as a #meetingpartner

1. Learn from your predecessor – if your new market’s former manager is still in the building, sit with them and learn what you can about this new market.  Some questions to ask may include:
   1. What do you love about this market/these clients?
   2. What are their painpoints?
   3. What frustrates you about this market/these clients?
   4. Who are some of your best contacts to talk to as an introduction to this market?
   5. Where/how do you find and prospect new clients in this market?
2. Learn through research – take a sampling of your new client database and do your research.
   1. What are they talking about on social media?
   2. Where do they hang out on social media?
   3. What events are they attending?
3. Call/email  and introduce yourself – while this step may go without saying, doing points #1 and#2 above give you GREAT context and value in a phone call!  While introducing yourself, make yourself memorable by providing value or connection that you learned through your research.
4. Revisit your goals – now is the PERFECT time to revisit your business plan and goals for the year!  Consider it a fresh new year and a fresh start!  While change can be scary, new beginnings are exciting!  Try to view this opportunity as growth and a way to infuse energy and excitement into your career!
5. Transition your current clients – ensure a smooth and seamless transition of your current client relationships to THEIR new sales manager. For clients that you know well, a phone call is likely preferred over email.  In the same way that someone doesn’t want to receive a text message that reads “I’m dumping you”, treat your clients with the same respect and provide a phone call first.

Leanne’s Note – Remember #meetingpartners, change is happening on your client’s end as well.  They have invested in a relationship with you and now they are losing you as well.  Be mindful of how this change impacts THEM as well, and acknowledge it when speaking to them.

Whether you’re moving to a market that is more or less desirable to you professionally,  these tips may put you on the road to early success in your new hotel sales market.

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