HSMAI Foundation Welcomes Michelle Woodley as Chair, Members of 2022 Board of Directors

HSMAI Foundation Welcomes Michelle Woodley as Chair, Members of 2022 Board of Directors

The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Foundation is proud to announce the members of its 2022 Board of Directors. The board is composed of senior travel and hospitality executives, led by chair, Michelle Woodley, President, Preferred Hotels & Resorts, who begins a two-year term.

“The HSMAI Foundation is dedicated to elevating the caliber and performance of hospitality professionals worldwide who support and drive our industry forward in the areas of sales, marketing, and revenue management. I am honored to chair the organization and work alongside a board of passionate industry experts to execute on our plan to attract new talent and provide resources and opportunities that will nurture emerging talent and foster engagement,” Woodley said.

2022 HSMAI Foundation Board Members:

  • Rachel Bird, Vice President of North America Market Management, Expedia Group
  • Lovell Casiero, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing, PM Hotel Group
  • Matthew Clyde, President, Ideas Collide
  • Lexy Coley, Corporate Director of Talent Development, Omni Hotels
  • Jessica Davidson, CHDM, Senior Vice President of Digital, Wyndham
  • Jeff Doane, CHBA, Chief Commercial Officer – North & Central America, Accor
  • Dorothy Dowling, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Best Western Hotels & Resorts
  • Agnelo Fernandes, Chief Strategy Officer & Executive Vice President of Revenue, Terranea Resort
  • Mike Gamble, President & Chief Executive Officer, Searchwide Global
  • Kenneth Greger, Partner, August Leadership
  • Noreen Henry, CMP, Chief Revenue Officer, Sojern
  • Warren Jahn, CRME, Head of Global Operations Training & Americas Learning Delivery, IHG
  • Lori Kiel, CHDM, Chief Commercial Officer, Kessler Collection
  • Stowe Shoemaker, Dean of UNLV-William F. Harrah College of Hospitality
  • Bruce Tracey, Ph.D., Professor & Editor of Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, Cornell University
  • Amanda Voss, CMP, Vice President of Sales, MGM Resorts International
  • Michelle Woodley, President, Preferred Hotels & Resorts
  • Julie Wooten, Senior Vice President of People Services, CoralTree Hospitality

The HSMAI Foundation will continue and accelerate efforts in 2022 thanks in part to its new Corporate Talent Partner program with leading industry companies and organizations supporting the initiatives of the Foundation that attract, develop, and engage talent in hospitality sales, marketing, and revenue optimization.

The Foundation’s efforts to attract talent include encouraging and providing resources for students and other targeted audiences seeking or exploring careers in hospitality sales, marketing, and revenue optimization. To develop talent the Foundation creates and provides resources to re-skill and up-skill industry professionals. And Foundation initiatives engage leaders in a way that mentors and encourages others to excel and retains them in hospitality. For more information on the Foundation and its programs, visit www.hsmaifoundation.org.

About HSMAI

HSMAI is a global organization of sales, marketing, and revenue optimization professionals representing all segments of the hospitality industry. With a strong focus on education, HSMAI leads the way in identifying and communicating trends in the hospitality industry. Operating as a leading voice for both hospitality and the sales, marketing, and revenue optimization disciplines, HSMAI connects its members with customers. Founded in the United States in 1927, HSMAI is a membership organization comprising 5,000 members from 35 countries and chapters worldwide. HSMAI operates around the globe via regional boards of directors and staff. There are four regions: the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. Each region has signature programs and services for association members. HSMAI has a Global board which is made up of delegates from each region

Achieving a Holistic Hospitality Experience

Achieving a Holistic Hospitality Experience

The future predictions for mental health issues will be a hot topic that the travel and meetings industry cannot ignore. There are already considerations for wellness destinations to include neuroscientists and psychologists in their future programs. Meditation is becoming mainstream, and workouts will shift from 100% focus on the body to part-mind/part-body workouts.

Hospitality Network reported in an article published in June 2021, the prioritization of wellness saw an increase of 27-65% across global markets. This global trend has simply been amplified with the recent health crisis.

National medical services for mental health illnesses were lacking prior to the pandemic. Post pandemic statistics show an even greater need for attention on mental health-related illnesses.

2020 statistics in mental health are mind blowing.

  1. June 2020: 40% of U.S. adults reported mental health issues
  2. Treatment for depression costs the nation approximately $210.5 billion annually
  3. Suicide is the leading cause of death among people aged 10-34 and the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S.
  4. Mental illnesses tend to concur with substance abuse and/or anxiety disorders

Predictions are that following the last two to three years of the pandemic, these stats will continue to increase.

Meeting planners and hospitality professionals that place these issues as an opportunity in the top 5 considerations when planning or hosting an event will likely increase survey scores, and for hotels, bookings.

The interesting part is that the experiences around these well-being opportunities come a lot lower cost than some other activities or meeting breaks planners may have selected in the past. It costs very little to provide breathing and meditation breaks. Nature walks usually come at no charge. It is really about creating an environment inclusive of mindfulness around mental balance.

The first two definitions for sanctuary from Oxford Languages are:

  1. a place of refuge or safety
  2. a nature reserve

The objective for meeting planners and hotels should be to identify opportunities to introduce a “sanctuary” in the guest’s journey specific to the needs of business travelers, leisure guests and meeting attendees.

Guests are not the only audience hoteliers will need to be mindful of. The internal clients’ (AKA associates’) well-being will also need to be addressed. Having programming that addresses mind and body well-being will not overcome or replace lack of service. Keeping associates mentally fit will be a must to ensure staffing levels and execution meet the expectations of the decision makers and guests.

McKinsey & Co. reported in 2019 (pre-pandemic) that 24 in 100 associates required mental-wellness support and have moderate needs such as counseling or psychotherapy. Based on the increase in mental health issues, the case could be made that these statistics have increased dramatically.

Key Takeaways

The Power of the Sanctuary

  1. Bring awareness to the current trend of mental health issues
  2. Create an environment to promote mind, body & spiritual balance
  3. Develop a “sanctuary” in the guest’s journey
  4. Minimize the new stress triggers related to travel
  5. Achieve guest satisfaction by assuring associate well-being

Getting the Most Out of Your Sales Team

 7 Must-Haves to Ensure Success

Have you ever wondered what happens between the interview process and thirty days into the position that changes a dynamo sales professional into an underperforming drag to the team?

Hiring, motivating and retaining really good sales professionals is hard. In a world filled with technology feeding constant data to us, leaders spend less and less time focused on the human capital of the sales office. So often when a sales person fails it is not because they did not deliver but because the employer did not deliver.

In one of my first major roles as a sales leader for a large team, every time I would go to my supervisor to complain about a team member’s lack of production, the first thing my supervisor would ask me is, “have you done everything you can do to make sure this person succeeds?” Though I found this a very frustrating response at the time, I learned a great deal from the experience.

Before you start to write a Personal Improvement Plan that will most likely lead to termination and turnover in the team, ask yourself these very important questions:

  1. Does the work environment provide a place for productivity to flourish?
  2. Have you provided adequate orientation and training?
  3. Is there an open line of communication that works both ways?
  4. Does the sales manager understand their personal goals and how their goals are importantto the team’s goals?
  5. Do they have a plan and does that plan align with the overall business plan?
  6. Are you measuring them and holding them accountable?
  7. Are you rewarding them appropriately for their success?

Does the work environment provide a place for productivity to flourish?

It is very likely that as the leader of the team, you have your own private office. Not every sales organization has the luxury of space to provide every member of the team with a private office. In many cases, bullpens of cubicles are designed, or people are doubled or even tripled in an office. Yet sales managers are dialing for dollars, cold calling, and scheduling appointments, and for this, privacy is a must and background noise can be distracting.

Is the office technology up to date? It can be very frustrating for someone who is trying hard to achieve good time management and multiple times a day they are experiencing system crashes or growing old waiting for a slow system.

Have you provided adequate orientation and training?

This is typically where most leaders fail. Since most sales positions are open for 45-60 days before being filled, there is an urgent desire to have the new manager hit the ground running. That is certainly a plan that will lead to disaster. At a minimum, a 2–3-week orientation and training should be completed before turning a new salesperson loose to sell. The orientation needs to introduce them to the company’s overall mission and not be limited to only the sales department. Also have them spend time in other departments that will eventually support them and the customers they bring. Next, you need to make sure they really understand the product they are selling. Confidence is one of the most important attributes of a good sales manager, and if they are not fully knowledgeable to the product, they will appear inadequate to their targeted customer. Have the new manager shadow one of the more senior managers on sales calls and presentations. Make sure they are adequately trained on systems, technology, and SOP’s.

The training cannot stop with new hire orientation and the first 30 days of employment. People appreciate when you, as an employer, invest in them with ongoing training. Make sure you have addressed an ongoing training plan that ensures all members of your team can grow personally. As a result, you will find they become quite loyal to you as a leader.

Is there an open line of communication that works both ways?

When I was leading sales organizations, in my first meeting with new team members, I would promise them they would never have to go home at night and wonder what I thought of their work or performance. I promised them I would always be very candid and direct with them. I warned them that sometimes they might even find my approach abrasive. However, the good news for them was I expected and would encourage them to be equally direct with me about their challenges, needs and even my leadership style. Communication must work both ways and each person has to have equality in the conversation. An open-door policy is important, but sometimes it is just as important to close the door, shut down emails and texts, and have a one-on-one conversation with your team member. Trust me, you will learn more about being a leader in those sessions than any other resource can provide, especially if the manager trusts you enough to be open and honest with you.

Does the sales manager understand their personal goals and how their goals are important to the team goals?

In my career working with thousands of sales professionals, I was always surprised at how often sales managers were moving aimlessly through their day because they had no idea what their goals were and how their goals supported the team. It is very important that sales managers understand the expectations of what they need to produce. Not only does this plan need to be presented in writing and reviewed with the manager, but it is also important to make sure they are given an opportunity to ask questions and agree to the goal. If a sales manager feels they have goals that are not attainable, you have lost them from the start. It doesn’t mean that you will give your team members easy goals; you can motivate them and stretch their sales ability, but they need to know that you can qualify the goal and work with them to understand the equation that produced the goal. Once they buy in, they will work hard to achieve and even exceed their goals.

It is equally important the manager understands how, by achieving their goals, they help the team succeed, and if they drop the ball, they may cause the whole team to miss the mark. A little healthy competition in a sales office is not a bad thing and if managed appropriately, you will create a synergy within the team whereby they motivate and help each other succeed.

Do they have a plan and does that plan align with the overall business plan?

Hopefully, as part of the training and orientation, you have adequately reviewed the existing business plan of the company. I am always amazed at how much time goes into an annual business plan, only to place it on a shelf and not refer to it or use it as a guide to execute the plan. So often, it doesn’t come off the shelf until it is time to complete the next annual plan. An annual business plan should be your roadmap to success. Make sure that a new team member has fully reviewed the business plan and understands the tasks from that plan that will become their personal responsibility. These action plans are available for them to use and to build from as they develop their own personal action plans.

I am quoting an old cliché, but one that is proven to get results: “plan your work and work your plan”. Work with managers to ensure they are following this golden rule of sales.

Are you measuring them and holding them accountable?

Any good sales professional understands and expects accountability is part of the job description. Ensure that as part of the one-on-one communication you are having with the manager, you are discussing goals and action plans, and discussing how well they are executing on the action plans and meeting financial expectations. If they are exceeding goals, discuss what you see, and what they believe are the reasons for the success. So often, we focus on the challenges and try to analyze for solutions but miss the opportunity to duplicate our successes. When there are challenges, become part of the solution and ensure you are removing obstacles that may be keeping them from making their goals and executing on their plan.

Are you rewarding them appropriately for successes?

All the mentoring and motivating in the world is not going to help if you are not providing reward and recognition appropriately. I highly recommend the incentive compensation plan be approached with the “keep it simple” approach. Do your homework. Make sure you are competitive with the market and the reward equals the effort. Most importantly, the manager needs to understand it. Too often, incentive compensation plans read as if the stars, moon, and planets must align at the exact time the manager is facing due north. They must see it to believe it. If they can understand the process, they will work towards achieving the highest level of the plan. An individual that has chosen sales as an occupation is likely a person that likes to control their own financial destiny, and they embrace the concept of their effort equals the amount of reward.

In conclusion, before you start to turn over a position, ask yourself if YOU have achieved your responsibilities as a leader to make sure you have done everything you should to ensure this individual was given every opportunity to succeed. Yes, sometimes you can’t change the people, and in that case you have to change the people, but in almost every failed relationship it was not the fault of only one of the participants.

Inspiring Leaders Post COVID

Inspiring Leaders Post-COVID

At the time I am writing this article, we are entering month 19 of the Covid-19 pandemic. By now, we have become accustomed to wearing masks if required, socially distancing, and if you are in the hospitality industry, doing more with less. I unaffectionately refer to current events as the tsunami of the Covid-19 storm. If sheltering in place for months, not being able to see family and friends, and a personal health crisis was not enough, now we face a labor crisis, supply chain issues and the price of everything has increased. $40.00 for a pound of crabmeat! Holy cow!!! Oh yes, we are still holding on to our resilience, our hospitality strong, and professing our #wegotthis attitude. Really? Will it ever end? I can’t guarantee we will not see any additional Covid-19 aftermath, but I can promise you this: you will NEVER forget the team you worked with and survived this worldwide pandemic with. I still remember the people and details of the conversations I had with people I worked with in DC during and after 9/11. I will never forget them. Leadership is about vision and responsibility, not power. Seth Berkley If you are someone that leads leaders, hopefully you have had your sensitivity and intuition dialed up to the optimum level. If not, shame on you! YOU have some catching up to do. Do not pass go… do not collect $200… go directly to a wellness check of everyone on your team. Hopefully you have been tuned in and you are aware that almost everyone on your team has suffered at least one if not all the following challenges these last 18 months:
  • Covid fatigue
  • Depression
  • Loss of a family member
  • Health issues
  • Financial concerns
They have become caretakers for elderly family member, teachers to their children and grandchildren, all while dealing with this new normal of working from home. Fair to say it hasn’t been easy for anyone. I have 2 favorite mantras….
  1. The speed of the pack is determined by the leader.
  2. You are only as strong as your weakest link.

Following are 7 leadership practices I strive to bring to my day, every day:

  1. Inspiration
  2. Kindness
  3. Intuition
  4. Confidence
  5. A Positive Attitude
  6. Flexibility
  7. Appreciation

Inspiration requires making sure you have addressed your own needs, mind, body, and spirit. I love to use the example of the oxygen mask on a plane. You must place the mask on yourself before you can help someone else. Once you have addressed your own needs, use personal examples of survival, positive affirmations, and compassion to lead the leaders that report to you. Don’t be afraid to get personal in communication with team members to fully understand the challenges they are facing and how you can be part of their solution.

Kindness is an absolute must. Everyone is running high on emotion and sensitivity after everything they have come through. Kindness is not a sign of weakness as a leader; it is a required attribute. Be nice!

Intuition is one of the most important qualities of a leader today. We are a society that has been told to leave our personal problems out of the workplace. Often, your team members are not going to volunteer the problems and issues they are facing personally or professionally. You must be tuned in to recognize their fatigue, frustration, depression, need for help or whatever is challenging them in that moment. Once you know the problem, you can then be part of the solution.

Confidence is one of the best examples a leader can project. The longer I am in a position of leadership, the more I realize the influence I have on others, in what I say and in what I do. Therefore, I need to be very confident my words and actions will leave my team members in a better place than I found them at the beginning of our encounter. Think of the people you admire and have influenced your life or career. I am positive they were not weak, falling apart and unable to make a decision. Of course not! They were someone that had grace under pressure, solved problems and exhibited strength.

A positive attitude will ensure you get the most out of your team despite what they are facing in their day. In every conversation, tune into the tone and the words they are using. Really listen with full attention and you will be able to pick up on the negatives and turn them into positives. Nix the drama in the conversation to determine the solution. Quite often too much time is spent talking about the problem rather than finding a solution.

Be flexible. Post Covid we have all reevaluated our priorities. So many things we took for granted are now important, like going to your grandson’s soccer came, going to a yoga class or visiting family and friends. Allow flexibility with schedules for personal appointments, family commitments and wellness. It is an investment in your team that will come back many times over.

Appreciate and celebrate the successes and accomplishments of the people you lead. This is not an option. One of the first things your parents taught you is to say, “thank you”. Gratitude for others comes back to you in abundance. A team that is appreciated and recognized is working hard to make you shine every day.

Never forget, to whom much is given much is required. Every day you are making an impression on someone. Always strive to be the best person you can be and never take for granted the people who make you successful every day.