As a sector, hospitality is in decline.
The wide choice consumers have in where to spend their ‘leisure pounds’, combined with the competitive nature of retail, has given this industry a lot to think about.
Here’s a thought, last Christmas, 55% of the beer, wine and spirits sold outside the store were on sale or on sale, while the option to ‘dine for ten pounds’ or party at home with friends has become increasingly attractive. .
Of course, there are also cinemas, gyms, theaters, bookmakers. They can spend their money on vacations, computer games, clothing, DIY, home electronics, books, magazines, tobacco, and of course their family.
So how do we attract these consumers back to the hospitality field?
How do we get the message out to the public that we offer such high levels of value and service?
I was recently training a group of bar managers which gave me a fantastic insight into how they view their suppliers and the hospitality market in general. Once again I reminded myself that the best point of view for a seller is that of the customer.
As we covered the need for good customer service, a little product knowledge, the perfect service, and some exciting industry facts focused on keeping your facility full and profitable, I realized how important it was for all of us to take some responsibility to stop this decline.
As salespeople, we really need to understand that a big part of our role is to identify customer problems and discover solutions.
A little off topic, but a good example is the man who walks into a DIY store to buy a drill, but he doesn’t want a drill, he actually wants a hole.
A bad salesperson would ask you about the drill you had in mind, the good salesperson would ask you about the hole you want to create.
In my experience, when brand owners offer their services to train staff, it has little to do with solving any of the problems the point of sale may have, and more to do with an egotistical tirade about their product and why the customer should sell it.
They bring these people together for precious hours and then tell them about the drill they’ve come to sell instead of talking about the hole.
Then they leave; pleased with themselves for “achieving” something that had no measurable criteria for success.
Of course, it’s also important for POS owners and managers to recognize the issues they face and gain an edge over the competition with sound advice and smartly targeted training.
Beverage brands and outlets that inhabit the on-trade have a symbiotic relationship; it is a relationship of mutual benefit and interdependence.
If bars, restaurants, hotels and pubs are successful, so are their brands.
If the on-trade serves the brands perfectly and politely, people stay longer and return more often, while the brands look their best and retain their original prestige.
The reason people choose to go out and socialize is to enjoy a service and experience that they can’t necessarily recreate at home.
We are all aware that there are burger joints and cafeterias that achieve uniform and perfect service at all times, with a per capita expenditure similar to that of some street bars.
Can the same be said of our brands and the points of sale that sell them?
However, with all the knowledge we have on the subject, with discussions around large meeting tables every week detailing the impending drop in sales numbers this year, companies and sales managers will set sales targets for the next year at an unreasonable level, hoping that by putting a few people on the road with the same sales story and a rewritten version of last year’s presenters, the tide will mystically turn.
Hope alone will not work.
New problems require new thinking; Twenty years ago hospitality was nothing like this, and our sales methods should evolve as well.
do it now
Honestly answer these questions;
Do your vendors have features or benefits?
-What thought processes do they need to adopt to be seen as problem solvers and business partners?
-How could you improve sales for the benefit of your customers?
-How do you want your brand to be perceived by the end user? Is that happening now?
Who will you use internally or externally to deliver the process?
do this from now on
Understand that your customers and your brands do not exist in separate universes.
There will always be an “us and them” attitude between buyers and sellers, but here’s the thing; “Are you keeping that impasse on purpose or because you really hadn’t considered the alternatives?”
Wouldn’t you rather be seen as a business partner than a supplier?