Many qualities factor into making a sales person exceptional at their job. Some of these qualities include, but are not limited to, a high energy level, personal motivation, and a pleasing personality, but even if someone doesn’t naturally embody all these traits, there are opportunities for a person to become better at selling. The following are just a few skills that are essential to improving a person’s ability to become great at the business of selling for hotels and resorts. Encouraging and teaching your staff to intentionally focus on each of these customer service skills can significantly increase their ability to make a sale:

1. Listen. Listening more and talking less radiates intelligence. Be sure your staff asks a few key questions, and then allows the guest to speak and complete his or her thought; try not to oversell and let the customer do the talking.
2. Features. As long as the features of your property can be seen as valuable to your prospective customer, then it’s okay to discuss them with your prospects. It would be pointless for a sales person to go on about your vast parking lot if a guest will be flying in. Make sure they take the time to learn the needs of your prospects, decide what features would be most important to them, and then continue to discuss the benefits and advantages of those features.
3. Image. Your hotel’s image is formed by not only the building and its decor, but by your staff and the atmosphere created by them as hosts; by their looks, voice and ability to communicate effectively as well. An enthusiastic tone of voice is a vital attribute of outstanding sales people. It is also helpful to know the right thing to say and how to say it. As well, all staff should be clean and look professional.
4. Motivation. Another trait of great sales people is the ability to successfully motivate others. In the business of selling, it is important to motivate the prospective buyer to make the purchase. Be sure to inform your hotel sales staff of the appropriate way to encourage the prospective buyer to make the purchase.
5. Get Noticed. Sales people must be visible in the business community. As a hotel operator, you should encourage your sales staff to be active in the community and join groups, give talks to groups, be quoted in the newspapers and make an appearance at important and relative business events. People are more likely to do business with someone who is reputable.
6. Improve Communication Skills. Hotel sales staff should learn to articulate properly, and use correct grammar. Slang expressions and filler words, such as “umm”, “like”, and “ya know” should be avoided. By speaking correctly, not only will your staff be seen as intelligent, but their sales strategies will improve.
7. Be Knowledgeable. Sales people should be knowledgeable of the hotel property, your competition, and the needs of the prospective buyers.
8. Emit Confidence. The sales person’s confidence will translate into  the buyers’ confidence. If your staff shows a lack of confidence in themselves or your hotel it can lead to a reduction in sales.

How do you train your sales staff to interact with hotel guests and prospects? Do you have any tips on how to improve hotel sales?

In today’s digital age, most consumers search the Internet using Bing or Google to check out restaurant reviews, menus, and prices before they head out for dinner. Because of this, it is essential for restaurant owners to optimize their online presence in order to get those “would-be” patrons through their door. Here are five crucial tips for operators who are looking to increase restaurant sales in their establishment.

Get Listed in Local Directories

If you wish to appear in the results for someone searching, for example, “local restaurants” you must get listed with several reputable or authoritative business directories to improve your SEO ranking. Getting listed in local directories is important because the search engines, especially Google, rely on reputable and respectable local business directories for their information. This means that if your website link is on one (or preferably more) of those authoritative directories, Google will list your restaurant in the top search results for local restaurants.

Optimize Your Google Places Profile

To increase your business’s standing in Google, you must sign up for a Google Places profile. This is how Google classifies and highlights local businesses. However, you must do more than just sign up for the profile – you also need to optimize it by completing all of the information fields and using some relative keywords in your profile.

Encourage Facebook Check-Ins

Facebook check-ins are what power restaurant listings to success in Facebook Graph Search. If somebody uses Facebook to seek out a local restaurant, and your restaurant has a large number of check-ins from local consumers, your restaurant will be seen as “a place to be.” So, don’t be afraid to encourage your guests to check-in to your restaurant on Facebook. In fact, some restaurants even offer free appetizers or small discounts for the first check-ins of the day. Sometimes a little incentive doesn’t hurt!

Encourage Good Reviews

Online review sites give important sources of information about your restaurant, as more and more consumers are using these sites to research local establishments. Not much can be done to prevent bad reviews other than offering superior service and quality food, but you can actively build up your positive reviews. Encourage, but don’t solicit, your customers to provide you with positive feedback on sites like UrbanSpoon.com and Yelp.com . And if you do happen to get some negative feedback be sure to respond online and correct what you can. This will show potential diners that you listened, the problem has been addressed, and that they can expect to enjoy their experience at your facility. Read more about Getting Reviews The Right Way.

Nurture Leads

Lead nurturing is a sales-boosting technique that works especially great for small businesses, even in the restaurant industry. Create a “Loyalty Program,” ask your guests for their e-mail addresses and then use that information to nurture your relationship with your current patrons. Let them know you will be sending information about discounts, special offers, and news about upcoming events.  Be sure to mention social media in all communications such as invitations to “Like” you on Facebook or follow you on Twitter, etc.

Source1 Purchasing is your source for the latest tips, trends, and news of the restaurant industry. To learn more about the Source1 Program and how it can benefit your business, visit our website at www.Source1Purchasing.com.

Restaurant operators are looking for more ways to save money these days to adjust for  the rising costs of beef and produce. To help your establishment cut back on costs, here are some tips to reduce energy, water usage and waste management costs.

1. Use energy efficient light bulbs. Switching to an energy efficient light bulb can save up to $22 per bulb per year, which can over time add up to significant savings. You should also remember to turn the lights off when they aren’t in use – motion sensor lights can help with this.

2. Run the dishwasher when it’s full. By waiting to wash the dishes until the dishwasher is full, you are able to cut down on water usage, soap and energy costs.

4. Install low flow faucets and toilets. By doing so you will save between 20 to 40 percent of water usage.

5. Turn down the thermostat. You’ll be surprised at the cost difference between keeping the temperature at 68 degrees rather than 72 degrees.

6. Use porcelain instead of paper or plastic. Rather than using disposable plates and cups, you may want to consider a one time investment for china, glass and silver – you will save on disposal costs, and as an added bonus reduce wastes in today’s landfills

7. Invest in energy efficient appliances. With energy efficient appliances, not only will you save on energy usage, but some states even offer restaurants tax credits and other incentives for switching to energy efficient appliances.

8. Trim down your menu. If there are certain items on your menu that just aren’t selling, then remove those items. This will help reduce food waste and keep food costs under control.

9. Take advantage of e-marketing. In today’s society, more people are opting to receive their information online rather than the yellow pages. From creating your own website to online advertising, there are many inexpensive ways to spread the word about your business.

10. Train your staff. Teach your staff to sort recyclables, turn off lights, and inform you of any issues that could be costing you money, such as a leaky faucet.

What steps are you taking to reduce restaurant costs?

Source1 Purchasing is a leading strategic supply chain management group focused on cost management, savings and operational efficiencies for the lodging, restaurant and food service industries. To learn more about the Source1 Program and how it can benefit your business, visit our website at www.Source1Purchasing.com.

Starting with a smart design plan can lead to cost reduction and maximum return on investment for hoteliers now and in the future. By implementing the following tips during the construction phase of your business, you will find a positive impact in the bottom line of your hotel operations.

Water Management Lowers Costs

Hotel designs that start with a consistent plumbing location minimizes the chances for future problems. Depending on the size of your establishment, low flow faucets can potentially save your hotel 1,000 gallons of water a day on average. Low flow faucets are specifically designed to mix air and water in a way that minimizes consumption while providing the guest the feeling of high volume flow. Installing these will allow you to reduce water costs while still keeping your guests happy.

Geographic Design Methods

A smart design is flexible to account for various locations. For example, winter is cold in North Dakota, so if you modified your building materials at your North Dakota hotel site to use 2” x 6” studs for exterior walls to provide more room for insulation to keep the Northern winter cold at bay, the quality of the thicker insulation will result in a slightly higher build cost but a 2.8 percent reduction in energy that is required to heat the property. Considering regional requirements and factors within the context of smart design and operational efficiency can result in beneficial changes in just one place or for all locations.

LED Lighting Saves on Energy

LEDs represent a smart design choice that saves hoteliers during construction and make up about 20 percent of the electricity costs that come with traditional lighting. LED lights use 80 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs, last five times as long as fluorescents, do not require special disposal due to hazardous chemicals (like neon, lead powder, mercury, etc.), and without glass coverings, there are no trapped insects to clean.

Smart design results in savings that go directly to the bottom line. However, to achieve the benefits, you must take some chances, plan for changes before construction and properly execute those plans during the build. Source1 can help you keep your operations efficient by providing you with suppliers to meet all of your purchasing and procurement needs.

 

With sustainability becoming increasingly important in today’s society, restaurant and hotel operators are searching for ways to go greener. Because restaurants are in the business of creating and delivering food to customers, they have a greater opportunity to become sustainable through the ingredients in their meals and the technology that is used to prepare that food. To begin towards a more sustainable establishment, restaurants and hotels can include more local vendors in their purchasing plan, limit the amount of waste that is discarded, and adopt eco-friendly technology solutions.

Operators can take steps towards becoming more sustainable with the following tips for hotel and restaurant owners:

1. Review your restaurant or hotel purchasing program for local vendor options

Restaurants go through a ton of food and produce daily, and it can be tempting to obtain your food products from as affordable a source as possible. However, you can create a more sustainable restaurant by purchasing the bulk of your ingredients from local farmers and suppliers. By doing so, you are supporting your local economy and making sure that crops and other goods in your area are being used rather than being wasted. Plus, by purchasing your ingredients locally, you are ensuring the freshness of your food as well as reducing the time, energy and money required to transport them to your restaurant. If you’d like, may could even grow some of your own ingredients – start your own herb or vegetable garden to supply yourself with some of the ingredients used in your recipes.

2. Be aware of your waste – from smarter inventory management to a better plan for disposal

At the end of the day at your business, you always end up with a lot of waste, whether its food leftover by customers, garbage from everyday use, or extra food from over preparation or inventory that is at or beyond expiration. Rather than simply tossing out waste in garbage bags, you can improve your waste-management program efficiency by doing research and making strategic decisions on where the extra food and waste should go. Consider composting kitchen and produce waste so that you end up with rich fertilizer for soil that you could use in your own vegetable and herd garden. You should also be sure to always recycle all appropriate glass, aluminum, paper, cardboard and items. After doing this, you will certainly still be left with garbage at the end of the day that should be taken to the dump, but you have reduced how much waste is being put into the ground. Local food banks may have donation guidelines, so check with your local food bank organization for any additional guidelines, and any limits on their capacity to accept raw agricultural products, especially those which may require refrigeration. To find a food bank donation center near you, check with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or read here how a Red Lobster in Whitehall, PA uses Food Donation Connection, in partnership with National Restaurant Association, to help figure out the do’s and don’ts of donating restaurant leftovers.

3. Use eco-friendly products

Many products that are used in restaurants contain harsh chemicals, particularly for cleaning up. Rather than using these chemicals, opt for products that are more environmentally safe, like all natural or organic cleaning products. These will properly clean your establishment without adding more toxic chemicals to the earth. Aside from cleaning, there are many other areas in your restaurant that can benefit from the use of eco-friendly items. Strategic sourcing of products and appliances that actually help reduce energy and water costs may prove to be beneficial for your establishment. For example, you could use recycled paper for your menus and napkins and compact fluorescent light bulbs in your light fixtures. You can even really go green by ditching all print advertising and embracing the idea of social media marketing for your advertising campaigns.

These are only a few examples of green practices in hotels and restaurants. What steps have you taken to improve sustainability at your restaurant? Source1 Purchasing provides you with the latest tips, trends, and news of the food and beverage industry to ensure your business is running as efficiently as possible.

Designing a website for your restaurant is a great step to take in order to gain new customers – but only if you use it effectively. Even if you have a large amount of traffic on your website, it means nothing if those visitors never actually dine at your restaurant. Here are some tips that can help you take those people from online visitors to offline visitors.

Get more reviews. Most people like to read online reviews about restaurants before deciding to dine somewhere. Reviews allow guests to explain their experiences at an establishment, and if those reviews are good, you have a better chance of increasing the amount of guests to your restaurant. Create profiles on review websites, such as Yelp, and be sure to include a link to your website so that people who visit the review site can access your restaurant’s website. You should also include the same great reviews from the on your own page.

Go mobile. Now more than ever, people are using their mobile devices more than their desktop devices to search the web.  This means that you need to design your website to be mobile-friendly. When your site is mobile-friendly, those searching for a restaurant to dine in will be able to easily access your site from their smartphones and tablets.  When designing your site to be mobile-friendly, be sure that visitors can access your menu, address and other appropriate information about your restaurant from their mobile devices with ease.

Provide online ordering ability. In today’s society, everyone seems to be in a hurry, meaning they are looking for a fast and convenient way to order their food. To attract these customers to your establishment, you may want to consider providing an online ordering option for to-go orders from your website. To make the process easier for guests, include a complete menu on your website and set it up so that ordering and paying are as simple as the click of a button.  Remember to quote a time for when the order will be ready for pick up. Quick, hassle-free online ordering will is sure to increase your customer base.

Offer incentives. By offering incentives online you are encouraging online visitors to keep returning to your restaurant. For example, you could include a coupon code on your website for a discount when online visitors sign up for your newsletter or when they like you on Facebook.  You may even want to create a loyalty program online for your regular guests. This encourages those who are already visiting your site to become customers, and it helps to further spread the word about your restaurant.  With these easy tactics, you can turn your website visitors into guests in your restaurant, therefore increasing your sales.

What tactics do you take to turn your online visitors into guests at your restaurant? Source1 Purchasing is your source for the latest news, trends, and tips for the restaurant industry. To learn more about the Source1 Program and how it can benefit your business, visit our website at www. Source1Purchasing.com.

From upgrading computer systems to equipment maintenance, restaurant costs have a tendency to add up quickly. So, what is the best way to supply a kitchen with the freshest, most delicious and most sustainable ingredients at the lowest cost?

Begin with your delivery area. Meet with your vendors and ask each one to build current order guides listing only the product that you purchase from them. Create a spreadsheet of these items for your ordering manager. Include the amount of the item that should be on the shelf, in the kitchen, and in the front of the house. This will help to prevent ordering more than you need.

Keep your inventory tight. Hang inventory sheets on a clipboard in a specified area. When the delivery person brings in the product, your manager can take this clipboard and check the inventory order sheet against the invoice, to insure that all of the correct product has been delivered, prices are accurate and that you are getting exactly what you are paying for.

Keep an industrial foodservice floor scale in your kitchen prep area to weigh in any product you buy by the pound. Weighing deliveries can potentially save you thousands of dollars on lost product.

Make sure your meats, seafood and other most expensive products are delivered as early as possible. These costly items should only be checked in by your GM or kitchen manager for freshness.

Establish a standard delivery time. You should stress to your salesperson that not delivering your shipment within your specified delivery times will result in loss of business for them. Setting specified delivery times emphasizes the importance of receiving product to both your delivery person and to your management staff.

Many of the reasons that restaurant costs can increase are that simple procedures get overlooked. It’s important to utilize restaurant-wide, cost-insurable standards across to help reduce your purchasing costs. Source1 Purchasing is a leading strategic supply chain management group focused on cost management, savings and operational efficiencies for your industry. To learn more about the Source1 Program and how it can benefit your business, visit our website at www.Source1Purchasing.com.

Before creating an energy efficiency program at your business, you must first develop a strategy that will guide your actions and produce the best results. Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind when forming an energy action plan:

1. Perform an energy audit to determine current and future energy needs based on current use and available improvements.
2. Establish achievable goals for conservation in your hotel.
3. Appoint an energy team to supervise your energy plan. You may even want to use a task force to devise specific conservation steps the hotel could take.
4. Develop a draft and take into account issues outside of energy when creating your energy plan to be sure that you are not creating problems in other areas such as water use.
5. Complete your plan and decide how to implement and evaluate results.
6. Determine key players for implementation and evaluation, clearly defining roles and responsibilities.
7. Perform an energy audit to determine where and how your establishment uses energy.
8. Create an energy savings plan and begin changes to reduce use.
9. Monitor and measure energy use to determine the success of the energy efficiency program.

When designing your program to go green, it’s essential to start simple to avoid an overwhelming process. A 10 percent reduction in energy consumption can be accomplished through low-cost measures, such as operations and management strategies and can yield significant improvement to green facility management. This 10 percent reduction is the equivalent to removing nearly one million cars from the road for one year, if achieved across the hospitality industry, potentially saving $745 million per year. How do you plan on reducing energy usage at your property? Visit our website at www.Source1Purchasing.com for more advice and news for the hospitality industry.

While 2014 will consist of popular, healthy items such as locally sourced meats, produce and seafood shape, keep an eye out for new flavors, food preparation techniques and ingredients on menus. Remember these new trends on 2014 when you’re updating your menu:

Go gluten-free. To accommodate individuals with gluten allergies or intolerance, or those who just want to lose weight through gluten-free diets, operators have been debuting gluten-free items and even featuring gluten-free variations on their pasta dishes. However, because gluten occurs naturally in products containing wheat, rye and barley, restaurateurs offering gluten-free options must be careful to avoid the possibility of cross-contamination.

Have healthy items for kids. Restaurateurs will continue to focus on the importance of children’s health in 2014. Chefs are introducing more whole grain items, fruits, and vegetables on their children’s menus in an effort to promote healthful kids and improve children’s nutrition.

Try local ingredients. Locally grown items have ben popular for years, but this trend promises to grow even more this year, part of the reasoning being the connection to the sustainability movement. Additionally, restaurant guests tend to equate “local” items with “fresh” items, fitting perfectly into the health and wellness trend.

Go beyond olive oil. It is predicted that chefs will expand their horizons past olive oil this year and turn to other oils in an effort to alter the flavors of different selections. Expect to see more use of avocado, hazelnut and benne seed oils to add flavor to menu items. Moreover, with the Paleo diet becoming more poplar, many chefs will be experimenting with coconut oil even though it is high in saturated fat.

Maximize the contents of the ocean. Don’t feel limited when it comes to including items from the sea on your menu. Chefs will be using fish that are underutilized, such as as branzino and barramundi, as well as ingredients such as fish cheeks and monkfish liver. You’ll even see marine vegetables such as sea beans, plankton and different seaweeds are on the menu.

Do you plan on adding any fresh, new ingredients to your menu this year? Source1 Purchasing is a supply chain management group that provides a comprehensive pallet of solutions that empower operators to reduce operating costs, ensure consistent product quality and achieve higher customer satisfaction. To learn more about the Source1 Program and how it can benefit your business, visit our website at www.Source1Purchasing.com.

It seems as though food recalls are constantly in the news, and as a crisis situation, they need to be managed appropriately to satisfy regulators and public opinion. To help keep your business going during a food crisis, we have provided you with a quick survival steps:

Prepare for It

Food manufacturers discussions about recalls now revolve around when a product recall will occur. Planning for a recall is a necessary for a solid food safety program and good business practice.

A food company’s recall procedure should be in writing, clear, realistic, communicated, and practiced. Practice with mock recalls in order to find opportunities to work out kinks and increase speed. The procedure should define the composition of the recall team, which will carry out the critical recall function. The recall team must have a strong coordinator as well as representation for key functions of the recall: shipping/receiv­ing, customer service, and logistics. The entire recall team should be involved in mock recall activities, which serve as reminders and practice for the role of each recall team member. Contact information for each recall team member must include both work and off-hour phone numbers. The entire food recall protocol should be updated annually or as changes occur.

Should We Recall?

At this point, discuss the risks related to a product issue. The original discussion may have been initiated through regulatory channels, customer complaints, or internal findings, but now discussions are often concerned with the financial cost, regulatory compliance, and reputation associated with recalling a product. A recall program should have predetermined criteria that have been established, specific to a company’s product, and how a decision to recall will be decided, including a reference to regulatory requirements. This could include pathogen limits, evidence of foreign material contamination, and failure of allergen controls. Form this point, steps must be taken to identify all products that will be recalled and to hold and segregate those products.

Act Fast

Because regulations and regulators are demanding more expedient food recall processes, many clients have moved their standards for full traceability from four to two hours—including real time in some cases. To achieve those times, the recall team should be assembled quickly and must know the written procedures as well as their vacation schedules. Those written procedures should be the starting point for their planning and activities. Companies should use the templates and forms that worked well during previous mock recall exercises to quickly identify and isolate affected products.

Convey the Message

Communication with consumers, company employees, and stakeholders is essential in crisis management during the food recall process. Companies should use the appropriate form of communication that will reach their customers. Food companies should also contact distributors, retailers, and customers to inform them of the recall, including instructions on how to handle the recalled product.

During a product recall, you are also responsible for answering everyone’s questions. It’s important to anticipate these questions and relay the information to everyone before it is even asked. This demonstrates the control a company has over its operation and the crisis situation while reassuring stakeholders and helps maintain the company’s reputation.

 

Food recalls are stressful, but with the correct preparation you can reduce stress and damages that can be cause to your business. Source1 Purchasing is your source for the latest trends, news, and advice in the food and beverage industry. To learn more about the Source1 Program and how it can benefit your business, visit our website at www.Source1Purchasing.com.