Most guests don’t start their travel day with the intention to complain, whine, and create conflict. However, when their lofty expectations for the perfect vacation or business trip meet with the reality of today’s stressful travel experiences, we often encounter the worst side of the nicest personalities. There are two choices: be reactive and treat others the way they are treating you, or flip their vibe. This webcast covers:

• How bringing out the best in others makes work more rewarding and fun.

• Hospitality starts in the “heart of the house.”

• Creating positive first impressions that set the tone for guest experiences.

• Nurturing empathy by better understanding guests’ travel intentions.

• Powering up your positivity.

• You gotta be here 40 hours a week anyway; why not make the best of it?

This episode originally aired on June 12, 2023. To register for future webcasts, visit www.KTNwebcast.com

In this webcast, Doug will present highlights from Kennedy Training Network’s newest training program that will help your team convey heartfelt hospitality when communicating in writing and also secure more bookings by way of the often-overlooked channel of textual communications.

Participants will learn that potential guests who are shopping online often send questions by email, chat, or in-app messaging before booking. Doug will share how to recognize and capitalize on sales opportunities that occur when:

• Responding to direct email questions and inquiries as sent to reservations@yourbrand.com.

• Answering messages on OTA platforms (Airbnb, VRBO, Expedia, Booking.com).

• Corresponding with guests during chat exchanges.

• Using email as a proactive follow-up tool when callers are not yet ready to commit.

• Personalizing email templates by adding just one or two sentences to show we care.

• Following up tenaciously in a way that feels heartfelt and personalized.

This episode originally aired on May 12, 2023. Register for future webcasts at www.KTNwebcast.com

These days, most reservations inquiries are often disguised as “I just have a quick question about…” Rather than simply answering simple questions, and thus sending callers back online to book, possibly at a costly OTA, these questions help your team engage callers in conversations that routinely end with confirmation numbers.

• Today’s callers are pre-informed, having visited numerous websites, so the key is to ask more and better questions to determine what it is they need to hear in order to commit.

• Updated versions of old-school questions for determining familiarity and reason for travel.

• A simple question for engaging those who are shopping on OTA’s.

• A key question that opens the door to selling the overall experience before you quote rates.

• How to secure the sale, overcome resistance, and proactively follow-up if they are not quite ready.

This episode originally aired on April 17, 2023. Register for future webcasts at www.KTNwebcast.com

In this episode, Doug presents his “Four Pillars of Heartfelt Hospitality” which have been foundational to the more than 2,450 on-site training workshops he has presented during his career. Of course, the “demonstrative communications essentials” are important and will be covered in future podcasts, but these philosophical pillars ensure that your guests experience heartfelt hospitality and not “scripted politeness.” Hospitality means caring about as well as caring for our guests. Bringing out the best in others, brings out the best in ourselves. Make it your job to “flip the vibe” and to blast out 5-G Positivity. Using your “power of release” when encountering negative guest “bullies” so we can move back into the headspace of hospitality. The road to hospitality excellence is a joy ride! Power-up your attitude before you punch in for work.

Register for future webcasts at www.KTNwebcast.com