Marketing Question?

[MarketingMojo]

My point... maybe you need a new perspective about yourself? Maybe you aren't shy... but worried about saying something "wrong," etc. could be many reasons why you believe you are shy.

Ha, ha, how much have you read from me on here? Afraid to say something wrong? Nope, don't fit the description..

notice I said, "etc.", and could be many reasons why you believe you are shy, too.. that was just a guess...
By the way, it's much easier to chat anonymously and be frank -- than to sit face to face and be frank with people...so I am not totally convinced Morticia...

I would have to observe you in person to eliminate that possibility.
So, why do you feel shy, then?

 

[MarketingMojo]

I actually follow a life coach...Laura Ber man Fo rtga ng (spaces so this thread doesn't show up in a search for her name).
She's helped me quite a bit over the years (about 12 at this point!).

Very cool...very cool :<)

 

[Morticia]

My point... maybe you need a new perspective about yourself? Maybe you aren't shy... but worried about saying something "wrong," etc. could be many reasons why you believe you are shy.

Ha, ha, how much have you read from me on here? Afraid to say something wrong? Nope, don't fit the description..

notice I said, "etc.", and could be many reasons why you believe you are shy, too.. that was just a guess...
By the way, it's much easier to chat anonymously and be frank -- than to sit face to face and be frank with people...so I am not totally convinced Morticia...

I would have to observe you in person to eliminate that possibility.
So, why do you feel shy, then?
.

It's really trite...fear of rejection. That last time I put myself out there chatting about people I knew who this person might know at the same biz and how we loved working with the company got me the 'don't call us...' and a nice view of her back for the rest of the evening. Yes, I did speak with others during that same event and I got some names of people we could hire and I created a pkg with the place that held the event, but the big fish blew me off.
At the same event, a new-to-town couple showed up. Very friendly, talked to everyone, a big-ticket biz (pharmaceuticals) and I watched as they were schmoozed by people who ignored me completely. Invites to dinner, drinks, 'join me at my table tomorrow night...' the whole thing.
The folks who did all the inviting know me and have never so much as said, 'Hey, see ya around!'
So, in a biz where what you are marketing is essentially you and your creation and where a large percentage of calls end with no committment to buy and no return calls, seeing the brush off in action, in front of your eyes, just makes it all that much more difficult to go out and do it again every week.
Said as I am dressing to go out and do it all over again...

 

[aieechihuahua]

My biggest challenge is holding a page one position on the search engines, and keeping up with the rising costs of each of the prominent directories for our industry, and understanding Google Local.
I do what I can for myself, ie social media, blogging and my own seo, because I have a very small inn and do not want to pay someone else to do it for me. I am a cheap, control person. I am pleased with my efforts, as I have as much business as I want, (we don't like being full all the time), and an additional challenge is finding the time to do it myself and still be a happy innkeeper.

 

[Morticia]

So, apparently it is not just me. Talking with friends tonight who are much more 'out there,' they said the same thing I noticed...'they're all cliques, they all have name tags on from the same biz/biz type.' So even the extroverts were having trouble.
I came away with one good line to use with wafflers on the phone, so it was worth it.

 

[Emily Spiers]

So, apparently it is not just me. Talking with friends tonight who are much more 'out there,' they said the same thing I noticed...'they're all cliques, they all have name tags on from the same biz/biz type.' So even the extroverts were having trouble.
I came away with one good line to use with wafflers on the phone, so it was worth it..

So, apparently it is not just me. Talking with friends tonight who are much more 'out there,' they said the same thing I noticed...'they're all cliques, they all have name tags on from the same biz/biz type.' So even the extroverts were having trouble.

This is going to sound funny, but I have the same problem at my daughter's 4H meetings. All the other moms are there...they know me, I know them. They're all in their little PTA mommy clique and I'm alone in the homeschooling mommy clique. I've even talked to my daugther about it so that she sees that it is just a part of life, but that usually doesn't make me feel good inside at all...

 

[birdwatcher]

When we had the Inn the challenge was with the meet and greet was excactly what someone else said there where "cliques", yea they where all nice and yea it was nice to see everyone, but the same people always got the "woman of the year" or "man of the year" awards at the chambers, and the people that have been around for years and years hung out together and could not give us a nod after the dinner, get together, meet and greet or whatever. It kind of made is the "outsiders" and we still feel that way after almost 5 years.
Now we will be going to another Inn and this time I will do things a little differently, my husband and I had to juggle so many things when we had our own Inn-family, finances, fixing things and so forth, this will be our first time without kids and we will be working for an Inn and will be making it our first priority for letting the community know we are the new innkeepers. This will be a challenge cause the Inn had not so wonderful Innkeepers before.
I think marketing is on-going as K puts it and believe me I will be working and taking advise from all of you once we settle in. Luckily my husband and I are very social and love being around people which helps with marketing yourself. I was also in advertising sales for 15 years--which also helps.

 

[Morticia]

So, apparently it is not just me. Talking with friends tonight who are much more 'out there,' they said the same thing I noticed...'they're all cliques, they all have name tags on from the same biz/biz type.' So even the extroverts were having trouble.
I came away with one good line to use with wafflers on the phone, so it was worth it..

So, apparently it is not just me. Talking with friends tonight who are much more 'out there,' they said the same thing I noticed...'they're all cliques, they all have name tags on from the same biz/biz type.' So even the extroverts were having trouble.

This is going to sound funny, but I have the same problem at my daughter's 4H meetings. All the other moms are there...they know me, I know them. They're all in their little PTA mommy clique and I'm alone in the homeschooling mommy clique. I've even talked to my daugther about it so that she sees that it is just a part of life, but that usually doesn't make me feel good inside at all...
.

So, apparently it is not just me. Talking with friends tonight who are much more 'out there,' they said the same thing I noticed...'they're all cliques, they all have name tags on from the same biz/biz type.' So even the extroverts were having trouble.

This is going to sound funny, but I have the same problem at my daughter's 4H meetings. All the other moms are there...they know me, I know them. They're all in their little PTA mommy clique and I'm alone in the homeschooling mommy clique. I've even talked to my daugther about it so that she sees that it is just a part of life, but that usually doesn't make me feel good inside at all...

OK, so this has nothing to do with anything, but when my daughter was in high school there was one girl who competed in x-c running who was home-schooled. She ran as her own 'team.' She could never 'win' as you had to have a 5-person team to compete for placement, but she ran because she loved it. My daughter told me about her and, because she came by herself and had no team or supporters, I cheered her on. Never met the girl as she packed up and left after the races, but someone was there yelling her name and encouraging her and that's all that mattered.

 

[Emily Spiers]

So, apparently it is not just me. Talking with friends tonight who are much more 'out there,' they said the same thing I noticed...'they're all cliques, they all have name tags on from the same biz/biz type.' So even the extroverts were having trouble.
I came away with one good line to use with wafflers on the phone, so it was worth it..

So, apparently it is not just me. Talking with friends tonight who are much more 'out there,' they said the same thing I noticed...'they're all cliques, they all have name tags on from the same biz/biz type.' So even the extroverts were having trouble.

This is going to sound funny, but I have the same problem at my daughter's 4H meetings. All the other moms are there...they know me, I know them. They're all in their little PTA mommy clique and I'm alone in the homeschooling mommy clique. I've even talked to my daugther about it so that she sees that it is just a part of life, but that usually doesn't make me feel good inside at all...
.

So, apparently it is not just me. Talking with friends tonight who are much more 'out there,' they said the same thing I noticed...'they're all cliques, they all have name tags on from the same biz/biz type.' So even the extroverts were having trouble.

This is going to sound funny, but I have the same problem at my daughter's 4H meetings. All the other moms are there...they know me, I know them. They're all in their little PTA mommy clique and I'm alone in the homeschooling mommy clique. I've even talked to my daugther about it so that she sees that it is just a part of life, but that usually doesn't make me feel good inside at all...

OK, so this has nothing to do with anything, but when my daughter was in high school there was one girl who competed in x-c running who was home-schooled. She ran as her own 'team.' She could never 'win' as you had to have a 5-person team to compete for placement, but she ran because she loved it. My daughter told me about her and, because she came by herself and had no team or supporters, I cheered her on. Never met the girl as she packed up and left after the races, but someone was there yelling her name and encouraging her and that's all that mattered.
.

I cheered her on. Never met the girl as she packed up and left after the races, but someone was there yelling her name and encouraging her and that's all that mattered.

And that made all the difference...the road less travelled.

 

[YellowSocks]

I am wondering, what is your biggest marketing challenge when it comes to marketing your B&B Inn?
You know, the one that keeps you up at night?

Nothing keeps me up at night... but sometimes my kids wake me up at 2 a.m.. (Ugh.)
Biggest challenge... running an inn alone (although now dh is here full-time, so it's better) while homeschooling twins. We have a miniscule budget and extremely limited time, balanced by a lot of enthusiasm and technical ability.
Secondary challenge... guests are either coming to town, or they're not. When they are, we're full. Off season, we're not.
I'll be happy for any tip that costs less than $50, takes less than half an hour (total), and brings 2 or more room nights.
=)
Kk.

 

[Copperhead]

So, apparently it is not just me. Talking with friends tonight who are much more 'out there,' they said the same thing I noticed...'they're all cliques, they all have name tags on from the same biz/biz type.' So even the extroverts were having trouble.
I came away with one good line to use with wafflers on the phone, so it was worth it..

We were members of the chamber for years, and we felt the same as you!!! The cliques all spoke to each other, never allowed anyone new in, they just walked around and stared like 'who the hell are you?' but never did they stop and ask, cause they really did not want to know. Seems like this is a great place for sales people - as you mentioned Ins. and I found also with financial investors and Real Estate. In speaking to one of the secretaries of the chamber she mentioned that she had noticed it, she took me around at a couple of these meet and greets and edged me in. It was nice but it did not last, and we never got a reservation from doing those. - wasted time, effort and money!
One place I found to seem to work are BNI groups. The good points are that they only allow 1 member from any certain business type; they meet weekly; each person has a time to speak giving a plug about their business; the objective is to provide leads to others in the group. As a member you are required to attend each week - only a few absences per year are tolerated (extenuating circumstances accepted), this is because BNI wants you there to learn about the others in the organization in order to provide leads to each.
I am unable to join as they meet (our local group) at 7:30AM, well we all know what I am doing at that time of day - and it ain't sleepin' thats for sure. A couple of people I do business with invite me as a guest a couple of times a year (they do limit visits to 2-3 times a year) and I have attended now 4 times. I have met some really great people AND the last time got a couple of good leads as others knew that I was coming.
The way (I think) they do leads is that when a member hears someone needs for example a hotel for a family friend, they speak up and say they know of a great B&B in town (gives a plug about it) and ask for their info to provide it to the innkeeper. So these are real leads, not cold calls. The person knows you will be calling and is willing to get the call.
They also have a short educational talk - usually very informative that would work for any business and usually one of the members has a ~15 min. spot to go into detail on their business.
(sorry about swaying deeper away from topic here)

 

[MarketingMojo]

My point... maybe you need a new perspective about yourself? Maybe you aren't shy... but worried about saying something "wrong," etc. could be many reasons why you believe you are shy.

Ha, ha, how much have you read from me on here? Afraid to say something wrong? Nope, don't fit the description..

notice I said, "etc.", and could be many reasons why you believe you are shy, too.. that was just a guess...
By the way, it's much easier to chat anonymously and be frank -- than to sit face to face and be frank with people...so I am not totally convinced Morticia...

I would have to observe you in person to eliminate that possibility.
So, why do you feel shy, then?
.

It's really trite...fear of rejection. That last time I put myself out there chatting about people I knew who this person might know at the same biz and how we loved working with the company got me the 'don't call us...' and a nice view of her back for the rest of the evening. Yes, I did speak with others during that same event and I got some names of people we could hire and I created a pkg with the place that held the event, but the big fish blew me off.
At the same event, a new-to-town couple showed up. Very friendly, talked to everyone, a big-ticket biz (pharmaceuticals) and I watched as they were schmoozed by people who ignored me completely. Invites to dinner, drinks, 'join me at my table tomorrow night...' the whole thing.
The folks who did all the inviting know me and have never so much as said, 'Hey, see ya around!'
So, in a biz where what you are marketing is essentially you and your creation and where a large percentage of calls end with no committment to buy and no return calls, seeing the brush off in action, in front of your eyes, just makes it all that much more difficult to go out and do it again every week.
Said as I am dressing to go out and do it all over again...
.

That is not trite at all...very legitimate. To be honest, when I first came into the forum today... that was my very same fear...and so far everyone has been lovely. I worry just like you about being rejected.
On the other hand, if you don't mind me saying so, those people sound very self-serving and it breaks my heart that people are so unkind. I wish I could go there and and have "your back".
Let me stew on this situation a bit... I might have something up my sleeve to help you in this very situation.
While you are there tonight...keep this in mind..."Anyone not interested in treating me appropriately is probably not worthy of working with me, anyway!"
Believe me I understand what it's like to have a service based business that is all about marketing yourself and your services. It's can be tough, and even harder on our self-image/esteem.
Good luck this evening! Hugs to you!

 

[MarketingMojo]

The obv...Money..

 

[MarketingMojo]

For me it is getting enough money to pay for the marketing and then the marketing making enough money to have made the spending worthwhile.
I do not lose sleep over much of anything. To me, marketing is something that is on-going. I never stop marketing - from talking to people in line, noticing an out-of-state plate with bicycles on a rack or motorcycles at a gs station, etc. I am working at Twitter, Facebook, and blog - doing best with blog.
I categorize marketing in two separate things - target and shotgun. Directories are shotgun (newspapers are birdcage material) meaning trolling for whoever/whatever comes to the surface and targeted is in a publication or web site that is interest oriented - and usually a lot less expensive than shotgun with an excellent ROI (usually)..

 

[MarketingMojo]

My biggest challenge is the umpteen amount of phone calls I get per week from someone who doesn't even know we have a website and does zero background work before cold calling, who knows better than we do on how to market our inn. The dozens of spam emails and solicitations who know very little about this industry who tell us how it is done.
Now if they had some articles on the subject and we read/hear their feedback and emailed or posted them, then they might get some interest in what they are trying to sell..

 

[MarketingMojo]

Part of the problem with a lot of the marketing strategies is that they all take time. A lot of time. It's something we typically don't have. You'll find that the innkeepers on this forum are about as tech savvy as they get and most of us do it all ourselves.
What we need are marketing tips that are proven they work for our industry. With doing everything innkeepers do, then add facebook, twitter, Youtube, blog, schmoozing, website, lodging directories, associations, and sometimes actually having a few minutes to spend with family, we're strung out pretty thin. We don't have the time or the energy to "try" anything new unless it makes real sense to us. Sometimes proving it to us is a very difficult task.
So, with everything I said above, what's 1 small tip you would give us right now to add to our arsenal?.

 

[MarketingMojo]

So many options is my problem. It is what keeps me up at night.
Where to invest my time/money to acquire the guests I want. I notice the other innkeepers are also aware that we don't want ALL the guests. Not all of them are a good fit for our individual inns.
I made the HUGE mistake last year of listening to an rep who puts ads in airline magazines. He said he lowered the price, I would get 40,000 people looking at my ad as their airline did not have any internet on board.
I bought into and did not get 1 lick of business! I am in debt to them and they produced nothing.
There are so many sites out there, so much to keep track of and it all costs money and time. Something we have so little of. Trying to decipher what will produce the guests and revenue without breaking the bank, that keeps me up at night..

 

[MarketingMojo]

My biggest challenge is holding a page one position on the search engines, and keeping up with the rising costs of each of the prominent directories for our industry, and understanding Google Local.
I do what I can for myself, ie social media, blogging and my own seo, because I have a very small inn and do not want to pay someone else to do it for me. I am a cheap, control person. I am pleased with my efforts, as I have as much business as I want, (we don't like being full all the time), and an additional challenge is finding the time to do it myself and still be a happy innkeeper..

 

[MarketingMojo]

 

[MarketingMojo]

My guess is I'm not the only one who hates these meet and greets and the cold calls to secretaries to let them know we're here. So, it would be better to ask the group, because asking me just gets my opinion!
My first attempt at getting some 'insider info' at one of these events was met with 'don't call us, we'll call you,' and you can be sure they didn't. They didn't even give me their biz card. 'Oh, sorry, I forgot to bring them.' To a meet and greet? Why'dja bother showing up then?
I haven't given up, tho, I'm off to another one tonight!.