In the past three days I’ve heard from five sales leaders who have shared that they are in the middle of a search for key sales positions. Honestly, this is an average week for me… and, it’s not news, that it’s far too common in the hospitality industry. As a business owner, I completely empathize with the frustration and sometimes helpless feeling that overcomes leadership when this happens. Just when the property seems to be gaining traction… someone gives their notice, or needs to take a leave of absence, or someone simply is not the right fit for the position, yet they hesitate to release that person because of the fear of not finding anyone else in their market. If you’re reading this… there is a very strong chance you’ve been affected by similar scenarios.

When I hear from hoteliers that do not have this issue and enjoy longevity on their sales team, I celebrate with them and ask them “how do you do it?” I love to hear those stories of success, and share what we’ve found from our own conversations and research.

So, what can hospitality leadership do to attract and retain top sales talent? Here are just a few things to think about as a hotel leader feeling the effects of sales department turnover:

1. Engage with your team. There is a ton of research that shows the newest generation of workers remains engaged and excited about their jobs when they have an opportunity to earn a seat at the table, and be engaged with leadership. They want to be a part of the action, and they get fired up when they can contribute. This doesn’t mean give them more than they can chew, but instead ask for their feedback from the field. What are they seeing? What are they doing that they feel is working? What do they need help with? Then use that information, and get them involved in a special initiative!
2. Know what fuels your team’s fire. It is way too easy to read studies and make the assumption that all millennials want the same thing from their career and are driven by the same goals and incentives. Not true! I recommend the book, “The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace” by Gary Chapman & Paul White, which is an excellent guide to help leaders gain insight into this area with employees of all generations and experience levels. I also recommend utilizing Gallup Strengthsfinder 2.0 to better understand how each of your individual employees operates, what they bring to the table, how they thrive, and what motivates them.
3. Take deep breaths and be patient. As my business coach tells me quite often, “It’s pace not race.” Building a team culture takes some time. You need to hire the right fit for what you envision for the culture to be, not what it is today. It’s tempting to hire to fill a position quickly, with an under-whelming candidate because you need revenue and need someone to field the basic inbound calls, etc. They can “get you by” immediately. Please don’t do this to yourself or the rest of your team. Commit to taking the time to find someone who fits your vision! There are many options for the immediate support, such as task force or Sales4Hire™, which can be either a temporary or long-term solution.
4. Create a job description that attracts your ideal candidates. This can be tricky for some, as it means more than a standard job description stating the requirements and responsibilities. But, it is worth it in the long-run, to find the right person! An attractive job description uses language that portrays the company culture, and speaks to the ideal candidate directly, which means you first must identify who that is.
5. Review the numbers. What can you afford, and what is the market rate for the talent that you need? Can you bridge that gap? Sometimes you can’t, and that is why you are losing talent or not attracting them in the first place. In this case, it’s time to get creative with building your sales team. You need revenue… there is no doubt about it, but perhaps the traditional on-site sales model is not the solution for your property.

It is never too late to make changes to how you attract and retain top sales talent and run your sales organization! Don’t be discouraged, dig deep and identify the root-cause so that you can address it and move forward. I personally want to have more celebrations with sales leaders that have it figured out and have overcome the turnover conundrum. Let’s do this!

Want to have a deeper conversation around possible solutions for your hotel’s situation? Connect with Amy by scheduling a no-obligations getting acquainted call or contact: amy.infante@planbconsultants.com (312) 636-7384.

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