“Success comes before work only in the dictionary.” Anonymous

 It is important to keep in mind that if you want to be successful in the hospitality industry, you have to put in the work to achieve the desired results. I feel it is safe to say that we all want to improve our professional results in 2013. The two areas to focus on to accomplish this are:

1. Increasing business from your current customers

2. Attracting new customers

In this message, we are going to address the challenge of attracting new customers. The following are 10 methods that will help you add customers:

• Method 1: Ask For Referrals
  • Current customers
  • Industry partners
  • Friends and family
  • Referral Groups
• Method 2: Past Customers
  • Reach back out to those you have worked with in the past and see if you can again be of service to them or if they know of someone who can benefit from your services.
• Method 3: Networking
  • Industry- be active in your industry
  • Community- get involved in a leadership role in your community
• Method 4: Newsletter/Blog
  • Keep in touch with your potential customers monthly through a newsletter or blog that adds value to them.
• Method 5: Volunteering
  • Get involved in your community and organizations that you are passionate about. It will enable you to give back and meet key community leaders.
• Method 6: Speaking Engagements
  • Be seen as the expert in your industry
• Method 7: Partnering with Vendors
  • Your vendor partners have relationships with the clients you would like to work with. It makes good sense to develop relationships with these professionals.
• Method 8: Direct Mail
  • Regular mail to promote your business does still work…do not abandon it.
• Method 9: Advertising
  • Do your homework and strategically place your advertising directed to those who would have a need for your service.
• Method 10: Cold calling
  • This is often the most stressful and least successful of your methods. However, it is an important part of your overall strategy as you need to continue to reach out to potential new clients.

We need to make certain that we have a clear vision and need to ensure that we are working both hard and smart to implement our game plan in the hospitality industry. Please read the quote one more time: “Success comes before work only in the dictionary.” Success is right around the corner for all of us…let’s go to work and get it!