YES(!)...I Can Help You With That

Click here for a link to a story about a hotel that charges $14k for dessert.

As I read this story it brought back memories of a negative way I used to think. When doing sales work for the Monona Country Inn & Suites I was often asked if we supplied transportation to and from the airport for persons attending meetings at the hotel. My usual response was "No, we do not provide transportation". Other than mentioning taxi service, I would cease thinking about the clients transportation issues.

This changed when I attended a sales seminar a year into my position. The speaker talked about using "YES" instead of "NO". For example using the same situation as above I could have said "Yes, we have several options for transportation including taxi service as well as shuttle service to and from the airport as well as your place of business...give me a couple hours and I can work up a price for this service." By using "YES" I assured the client I was on top of the situation and at the same time let the client know that we didn't provide transportation. After determining a price for the transportation I would respond with, "I've organized transportation for your needs...the price will be $xxx.xx. If you'd like, I can place those charges on your meeting room bill and I can be the contact for you to the taxi service...How does that sound"?

The "YES" way of responding and thinking made the client, and myself feel good. I would rather say "Yes, I can help you with that and the cost will be..." and have the client/customer say "NO" and have them realize that I tried to cater to their needs rather than me abruptly saying "NO".

After attending the seminar and implementing the "YES" response I noticed 2 things happening. The first was the client would use our hotel again for future meetings. The second was that the client referred my hotel when business acquaintances asked them where they should have a meeting. These end results were great, but the best result was the 10-15% up-charge that was placed on their bill for organizing the transportation. Because the client didn't have to concern themselves with the issue of transportation, they were more than happy to pay the fee.

Here are two examples of how I used "YES" instead of "NO".

Client: I like your meeting room rates and set-up...Do you have a restaurant for lunch?
Hotel Sales Person: Yes, we can provide lunch. We have a catering menu set-up with xyz restaurant. Our meeting room clients are always happy with their service as well as their affordable menu items...can I fax or email a copy of their menu?

Client: For my meeting I need 8 computer monitors and a LCD projector. Does your meeting facility have this?
Hotel Sales Person: Yes, I can arrange those items for you. In the past we have worked with abc Electrical. They rent out computer equipment. I will call them right now and call you back. I'm sure you will be happy with their rates.

Many times our hotels staff concentrate too much on the amenities we don't have. In many cases we are able to accommodate guest needs if we have a positive mind-set and tackle their request with a smile and can-do enthusiasm.

However, I would have a difficult time trying to convince someone to take out a loan to buy a $14k dessert.