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Thursday, May 28, 2009Thursday, May 28, 20092:00 2:00 –– 3:00 PM EDT3:00 PM EDT

Hospitality Sales and Marketing Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (Association International (HSMAIHSMAI))

“Prospecting in a Down Economy”will begin shortly.

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“Prospecting in a Down Economy”

May 28, 2009

Cindy Novotny

by

Hospitality Sales and MarketingAssociation International (HSMAI)

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Overview of Format and TopicOverview of Format and Topic

� ModeratorFran Brasseux

Executive Vice President, HSMAI

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HSMAI University Alliance PartnersHSMAI University Alliance Partners

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POLL QUESTION #1POLL QUESTION #1How many people are participating in

this webinar at your location today?

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Today’s Speaker:

� Cindy Novotny Managing Partner, Master Connection Associates

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� Sounds easy enough

� Proactive sales

� This too will pass

� Out of Chaos comes Opportunity

� Thrive vs. Survive

Take The Bull by the Horns!

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� Let’s build a case to bring business back

� What is cost avoidance in a tough economy?

� How can you as a hotel, DMC, city, bureau, convention center and other industry professionals provide value propositions that sell the “sizzle?” during tough times?

� Strategic Prospecting as a team

Today…

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Think Differently

� You’ve got to target smaller, privately held companies and think much more creatively than in the past

� This period in our world is completely

different from the days after 9/11

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The Positive Side

� The good news is that there are many companies

continuing to do ‘business as usual’

� Even banks and smaller financial companies

still have their people on the road calling on

their customers

� You will leave with a re-vamped prospecting

plan that can be easily implemented back on

the job

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We may not have been here before, but…

� Don’t kid yourself…you have to work harder right now

� Strategies = Focus

� For every move you make – plan your next move

� Sometimes it takes a good “old fashioned” crisis to make us pull ourselves up by the bootstraps

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Bold Strategies and Actions

� Disruptive Innovation

� Don’t go on the defensive

� Put yourself in the right position

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Forecasts…

� PKF – REVPAR will decline by 7.8% nationwide in 2009

� Now is not the time to slow down

� Keep moving while everyone else stands still

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Don’t run with the herd…

� Step up the sales effort

� Steal business from the competition

� Find new business – make the recession work for you

� Go after healthy markets

� Enable aggressive internet activity

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Prospecting Plan

� Move from Telemarketing to Prospecting

� Block out time

� Develop 5 Broad Probes to begin the Initial Call

� Ask for a phone appointment

� Ask for other names in the organization

� Be general in your Broad Probes

� Develop an email or fax to send right after the call

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“Prospecting Road Map”

• Identify your “ideal” prospects

• Focus on the “right” customer

• Use an unusual and creative approach

• Ask a lot of questions of existing customers

• Listen to the answers and take notes

• Give the customer what they are asking for

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Become Rejection Proof

� We all know what a paradigm is…

� There is a paradigm about selling…

� It is not an event

� It is a process

� Without effective prospecting

you will never be able to take

credit for new business development

– the brand will!

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Believe in the Brand and Believe in YOU!

� If you believe in your product then your prospects will be better off after they speak with you

� If you believe in yourself, your company will be better off with you as a sales person

� Knowing that you have something worth talking about will put you into the top 20% of everyone selling today

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A prospect is anyone who has a need, a budget and the authority to make acommitment.

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Moving from…

Telemarketing Prospecting Business

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The Prospecting Commitments

1. Make an appointment with yourself everyday to prospect at least one hour

2. Make as many calls as possible and don’t break the rhythm

3. Simply find the names of people who you will talk with later that have responsibility for booking hotels

4. Be prepared with a list of companies, associations, etc., before you start to call

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Commitments

5. Work without interruption

6. Consider prospecting early in the morning or later in the afternoon

7. Vary your call times

8. Be organized

9. Know your goal

10. Don’t ever STOP!

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Don’t Blame Anyone But Yourself…

� Entrepreneurs always make something happen

� It is what it is…

� Are you ready to make the commitment to not fall victim to the “slow down?”

� This is the time to make the best of a bad thing – be an opportunist not a victim!

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Questions?Questions?

Cindy Novotny Managing Partner, Master Connection Associates

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Upcoming HSMAI University ProgramsUpcoming HSMAI University Programs

And coming up And coming up

June 25 in June 25 in

Anaheim:Anaheim:

Webinar ProgramsWebinar Programs

Thursday, June 4Thursday, June 4

New Revenue Management MetricsNew Revenue Management Metrics

With Carol With Carol VerretVerret

Tuesday, June 16 Tuesday, June 16

Seeing Green: Communication with Seeing Green: Communication with

Environmentally Conscious TravelersEnvironmentally Conscious Travelers

Presented in partnership with Presented in partnership with PhoCusWrightPhoCusWright

Tuesday, July 7 Tuesday, July 7

Where Are We Now?Where Are We Now?

With Smith Travel Research and PKF ConsultingWith Smith Travel Research and PKF Consulting

July 14, 21, & 28July 14, 21, & 28

Internet Marketing SeriesInternet Marketing Series

With Gordon With Gordon LiametzLiametz

All webinars are 2:00 All webinars are 2:00 –– 3:00 p.m. EST3:00 p.m. EST

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TodayToday ’’s webinar is copyright 2009 by the Hospitality Sale s & Marketings webinar is copyright 2009 by the Hospitality Sale s & MarketingAssociation International with All Rights Reserved.Association International with All Rights Reserved.

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