There are certain basics which endure in spite of the advent of new technology. In this highly-competitive marketplace, new technology tends to capture everyone's attention, perhaps with the desperate hope to discover some magic panacea which will solve all our problems. When you find it, please let me know.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm all in favor of innovations to support hotel marketing efforts. My own business concentrates on Internet and electronic marketing, certainly an emerging technology. The conundrum is that we humans tend to latch on to new technology and decide that many of those tried and true basics no longer serve us well. After all, they are basic, by nature, and not as much fun.
I believe this is caused, at least in part, by the possibility that many of today's sales and marketing people came into the business during the explosion of technology in the last ten to fifteen years and therefore, were never encouraged to learn the tried and true basics of hotel marketing. The basics may not be as exciting as the Internet, websites, blogs, and playing with social media, but here's a news flash, the basics still work.
The Basics of Building Business
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Many experts agree that it is impossible to build business with new business alone. The cost of soliciting new business alone is huge. The big test is how well a hotel creates loyalty with its guests, to provide a base of business to build upon and determines how much business we keep.
Fifteen years ago, CRM, customer relations management, was the buzz through-out our industry. It was based upon the belief that, to build repeat business, we need to earn the loyalty of our customers by personalizing the travel experience. I believe that at least some of the new technology, we love, instead, tends to de-personalize the travel experience.
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