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NEW HOSPITALITY SALES TEXTBOOK COMING JUNE 2003 -Click Here

OVERVIEW

Discovering, Disseminating, and Diffusing Productive "Go-To-Market" Processes, Paradigms, and Practices

to The Hospitality Industry

(Thanks in advance for your patience while other HSI "links" above are under construction)

WHO

The Hospitality Sales Institute is an independent corporation cooperating in mutual benefit activities with the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management (SHRM) at Northern Arizona University (NAU), Flagstaff, Arizona. There are no formal legal ties between these organizations - only mutually beneficial partnership projects.

Dr. Richard G. McNeill, CHME, Associate Professor at SHRM is founder and President of the Hospitality Sale Institute. He can be directly contacted at 520.523.1713 or Richard.McNeill@nau.edu. Send E-mail.

The Hospitality Sales Institute maintains a resource base of top hospitality sales and marketing professionals, academics, and dedicated researchers. This resource base is focused on projects and services as needed and disbanded upon completion of assignments. In effect, with the exception of core personnel, the Hospitality Sales Institute is a virtual non-profit corporation that assembles the best of the best resources and brings them together to solve hospitality sales and marketing challenges.

WHY

The hospitality sales and "go-to-market" interface between the supplier and customer is undergoing radical transition. Since E.K. Strong first invented feature/benefit selling in the 1920s, the sales training industry has continued to teach his model that after 81 years has become outdated. Industry spends the largest percentage of its training budget in the area of sales. E.K Strong's selling model, which was created to train salespeople selling consumer goods in a 1920s economy is no longer applicable for complex "Consultative Selling" using relationship strategies in the 3rd Millennium. The hospitality industry may be wasting valuable resources.

Clearly, hospitality sales is undergoing reengineering and transformation. Research at the Hospitality Sales Institute indicates that salespeople currently engaged in "Transactional Selling" (look-alike products/services), are being transformed to competitively engage in "Consultative Selling" which harnesses the power of relationship strategies. And, many of these intensively developed relationships are evolving into "Alliances."

The Hospitality Sales Institute was created to bring "state-of-the-art" sales methodology and technology to the attention and competitive use of the hospitality industry.

MISSION

Dedicated to the advancement and dissemination of knowledge focused on business-to-business (B2B) "Go-To-Market" Systems Processes, Pardigms, and Practices in the hospitality industry. "Go-to-Market" refers to the system of interface between supplier and customer. This system ranges from electronic and web-based database building to the relationship arts of the strategic national account manager and "Alliance Sellers" influencing and coordinating alliance partners in cooperative efforts.

The Hospitality Sales Institute believes that sales is no longer a communication step-child of marketing. Marketing now is the supporting function for micromarketers (consultative and alliance sellers) who are the vanguard in bringing complex and customized hospitality service solutions to customers. Competitive advantage demands that the hospitality industry RETHINK the sales force. The Hospitality Sales Institute was created for this mission.

WHAT

Discovery, Disseminating, and Diffusing Productive "Go-To-Market" Processes, Pardigms, and Practices:

Discovery. Research Activities are focused on examining the ever changing "Go-To-Market" (sales) practices in the hospitality industry and accurately reporting this evolutionary advancement. In addition to the study of Present dynamics, we attempt to project Future probable sales environments and scenarios. The Hospitality Sales Institute mines the best thinkers no matter where they may reside and attempts to bring together and focus this talent on our dedicated mission.

Dissemination. Publication of research findings disseminates the most current information to interested parties. We publish our findings in academic journals and professional magazines. Another example of dissemination is the development of case studies published in textbooks on firms facing sales problems. These case studies provide an opportunity for our clients and students to develop practical problem solving skills while learning about current practices within the field.

Diffusing. Teaching activities attempt to extend the concept of passive research dissemination to active involvement with knowledge: (a) Teaching and (b) Consulting:

a. Teaching Activities include customized sales training courses designed for corporate customers and public seminars on sales topics. In addition, the we offer various elective classes to students at The School of Hotel and Restaurant Management. Undergraduate elective sales programs include a basic sales skills module, an advanced sales skills module, and a sales management module.

b. Consulting is related to the field of hospitality sales and are focused on helping corporate clients solve sales management problems. Drawing from our resouce base of industry and academic experts throughout the United States and world, allows us to assemble the right team for each targeted management challenge.