The final weeks of the year typically bring a flurry of communication and activity between meeting planners and hotels. This busy season makes it difficult to navigate through all of the information and determine the necessary action steps. This reminds me of a radio ad for a local organization that bases its message around the question- So What? This simple question applies to us in the meetings, events and hospitality industry as well.

We all think what we have to say about our product or service is worthy of the attention of others. The person we are communicating with is saying- so what? What is in it for me? The challenge is making the connection for them between the products or service that we are offering and the benefit they receive. I would encourage you to always give your message the ‘So What?’ test.

• Before you send out the RFP to your hotel partners, read it one more time and ask – So What? Does your RFP cover all of the event details? Does it tell about the organization, and highlight the hot buttons and decision factors enabling the hotel to submit their best proposal?
• Before you send out your proposal to your customer, read it one more time and ask – So What? Did your proposal address the needs of your customer and tie together the benefit of using your product or service?
• Before you send out the contract to your customer, read it again and ask – So What? Are all the pertinent details included? Are the dates, number of guest rooms, meeting space needs, etc. correct?
• Before you finalize the agenda for your upcoming meeting, does it answer the question – So What? Is there a clear purpose for the meeting and is this message carried throughout the entire meeting/event?

In this day of information overload, make sure that your messages are clear, concise and offer valuable information to answer the question – So What is in it for me?

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in “Hospitality Professionals: Is Being An Independent Meeting Planner and Event Planner Right for You?”