In the course of a few months, the hotel group, conference, event, and BT sales landscape has transitioned from a period of historically high demand to near zero. After the tidal wave of cancellations and postponements in March, followed by an eerily quiet April and May when many were furloughed, hotel salespeople are now returning to an entirely new sales habitat.

Is your sales team ready? The last 10+ years of growth have allowed hotel sales to be more about "fishing" for new leads. Most salespeople could simply wait for a meeting or event planning "fish" swim by and bite on digital "bait" such as a hotel website or meeting planning platform, then reel it into the net. For the foreseeable future, the schools of hungry fish have been dispersed and few are even nibbling at the digital bait.

Now is the time for hotel salespeople to put on their bright orange vests and go out to hunt down new business. Yet to continue with the analogy, the skills and equipment needed for hunting are significantly different from what is needed for fishing. The lack of "sales hunting" skills is by no means any fault of today's hotel salespeople nor due to a lack of effort. With leads flooding inboxes for years now, salespeople were misguided by a number of longstanding facilities, especially these two:

As salespeople return from furlough, or for some salespeople, return from covering shifts at their front desk, they are finding an entirely new environment, requiring new sales processes. Conceivably, those who have worked in sales for as long as 11 years have never experienced a recessionary market, while "seasoned veterans" are out of practice.

Additionally, many sales leaders themselves are unsure of what to do. Instead, many are directing their sales staff to use outdated methods that no longer work. For example, many are assigning salespeople to simply meet standards for "cold calling," such as to place X number of calls or send Y number of emails each day, without regard to the quality of effort. This may have worked after 9/11, but today this results in planners receiving annoying voicemails (because the won't pick-up unknown numbers) or spammy-looking emails such as "We have implemented new cleaning standards, so keep us in mind if you have any meetings in our city."

So what is the solution? At KTN our mantra, which is also the name of our new sales training program, is called Create New Sales Habitudes for a New Sales Habitat! I just love the word "habitude," as it combines "habits" with "attitudes," both of which are essential at the moment. Here are a few sales training tips from our KTN private webcam training and coaching packages and from our newest on-site training workshops.

Get Salespeople to Believe! It's hard to get motivated to sell if you think the situation is hopeless. Encourage open discussions where salespeople can honestly share their fears and hesitations. Leaders, reach out to others in your network, such as your brand, management company, CVB/DMO, and area competitors, and solicit examples of sales hunters who even today are successfully bagging live game!

Organize Your Sales Lead "Flow." When I conduct sales process audits, I find that few salespeople fully utilize their sales CRM/lead tracking tool. Instead, they use a mixed bag of flagged emails, handwritten notes on printed RFP's, post-its, to-do lists, and Excel/Sheets docs. A well-organized "flow" will allow you to hunt for leads with tenacity and to follow-up relentlessly without seeming too pushy.

Prospecting Skills - Part One: Hunters first must know where to go to find the game they are pursuing. Some hotel sales staff have previously been using the many invaluable tools available these days, but when I conduct our KTN sales audits, I find that few have been using them consistently. These include Linkedin premium versions, ZoomInfo, Knowland, and of course the smart use of Boolean Search in Google. Right now, especially with so much displacement of BT business and the general climate of disruption, it's also great time to use an old-school method of looking closely at in-house guests, company names, etc

Prospecting Skills - Part Two: Having identified who sales prospects are, many sales "fishers" need some help with stalking their game in the wilderness. Many need to re-learn sales fundamentals such as what to say during a phone solicitation. Here's one very basic example. If you reach a live person, do not start by saying "Is this Mr. Kennedy? How are you today? Is this a good time to talk?" as people will think you are that robocaller from the IRS, Social Security Office. Instead, immediately state your name, hotel name, and very briefly your reason for calling, then ask if they have a moment to talk or if you could at least send them introductory info.

Prospecting Skills - Part Three: It's time to embrace new "tech for touch" methods, especially video email, narrated screen sharing, online meetings, and even texting camera phone images. I've covered these so many times in other articles, and it's a bit much to rehash here, but if any new readers want copies of previous train-the-trainer articles just email me or visit our website http://www.KennedyTrainingNetwork.com

Polish-Up Your Negotiating Skills. Be assured that savvy planners, as well as travelers in general, are all going to be in "deal-seeking" mode. It's almost as if those who are being hunted can smell blood oozing from the wounds of hunters! With daily media reports on hotels having historically low occupancy, even those who can well afford higher rates are asking for discounts and concessions. In summary, many hotel salespeople will wake up every day, feel victimized by the current habitat, and wish things were back to being the way they were in January of 2020. Others will jump out of bed a bit earlier than normal, don their bright orange vest, grab their cross-bow, and head out to the woods to explore a new habitat. Which type of sales team are you leading?

Originally posted here:
Is Your Hotel Sales Team Ready For The Transition From "Fishing For Inbound Leads" To "Sales Hunting? | By Doug Kennedy - Hospitality...

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Global Sales Performance Management Solutions Market Size |Incredible Possibilities and Growth Analysis and Forecast To 2026 | Oracle, IBM, Xactly,...

MG Motor continues to expand its rapidly growing Middle East network with its partnership with MG Motor Jordan (MESC). The official announcement comes after MG Motor's exclusive distributor in Jordan initially commenced operations from its exceptional showroom at Mecca St. 139, Amman, in the second half of last year.

Following this soft opening, Jordans car buyers have increasingly been able to enjoy the British-born brand's award-winning line-up of products and services for themselves. MG Motor Middle Easts regional office delivers best-in-class customer care to MG owners across the region. Customers have access to a dedicated team of MG sales and aftersales experts, as well as MG's best-in-region manufacturer warranty of six years or 200,000km.

Available in Jordan is the 2020 Middle East Car of the Year, the all-new MG HS, which is designed to put the "sport" back into SUV. Also on sale in Jordan is the Middle Easts 'Best Sub-compact Sedan', the new MG5, as well as the all-new MG RX8 seven-seater SUV, the MG RX5 SUV, the MG 6 sedan and new MG ZS sub-compact SUV.

As part of its 'one-stop-shop' business model, MG Motor Jordan (MESC) oversees new car sales, aftersales servicing and certified pre-owned sales. Ensuring complete support, MG's regional parts warehouse in Dubai delivers a rapid supply of parts to the Jordan market.

Tom Lee, Managing Director at SAIC Motor Middle East, the parent company of MG Motor, commented: "Being part of the MG Middle East network, MG Motor Jordan (MESC) has an excellent understanding on how best to serve its customers, ensuring that all its employees receive in-depth sales, service and after-sales training. MG's exceptional range of models caters to a wide demographic, and we are confident that it will prove particularly popular with Jordan's younger customers."

Mr Mohamed Omar Shaheen, General Manager of Modern Equipment Supplies Company (MESC) said: "This new partnership and cooperation with MG Middle East provides a solid foundation that binds both companies together. This foundation is built on SAIC Motor Middle East's shared vision of placing MG brand as a market leader and in MG's ability to compete among local and global markets by providing high-quality products and services that are suitable for all customers. Furthermore, the high level of professionalism in providing unparalleled after-sales services reflects the brand's successful operations in the Middle East market."

As it starts its journey in Jordan, MG is committed to maintaining the same competitive pricing strategy that has proved such a success in other Middle East countries. MG is already active in eight Middle East countries: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain, Lebanon and Oman. The brand enjoyed extraordinary success in 2019 with sales increasing by 130 per cent to 15,928 units against the backdrop of challenging market conditions.

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MG Motor Expands its Middle East Network to 9 Countries as Jordan Joins the Family - Al-Bawaba

Farfetch exists for the love of fashion. We believe in empowering individuality. Our mission is to be the global technology platform for luxury fashion, connecting creators, curators and consumers.

Private Client

We're dedicated to amazing our special customers through our luxury personalised service. We're a truly global team with functions covering Personal Styling/Shopping, Marketing, Client Development, Customer Service and Operations. We understand the world of luxury fashion and lifestyle and we're unique in our approach to building long-lasting relationships with our clients, helping them to discover magical experiences through Farfetch.

London

Our London office is located in Old Street, London's tech hub, home to a broad range of teams including Commercial, Marketing, and Product. We have large open plan spaces and a feature staircase connecting our 3 floors, encouraging our collaborative and open culture. We also have a big outdoor terrace where we can have lunch and host social events when the sun comes out!

This role will be responsible for all operational processes, systems and training, related to the Europe, Middle East and Russian Private Client teams. The role will work collaboratively with the Global Private Client Sales Operations team, ensuring that the strategy is driven and delivered day to day by local teams.

The ideal profile is someone with previous management experience in a fashion operational environment. An analytical continuous-improvement mindset, focused on efficiency and innovation through collaboration, is key.

What you'll do

Who you are

Read more from the original source:
Sales Operations Manager job with Farfetch | 141301 - The Business of Fashion

Visalia has only enacted two of the eight policies of requiring warning before shooting and duty to intervene, which requires officers present and observing another officer using unreasonable force to intercede and report it to a supervisor. The six other policies include: banning chokeholds and strangleholds; required de-escalationtactics; requiring officers to exhaust all alternatives before shooting; banning shooting at moving vehicles; comprehensive reporting; and use of the force continuum, which restricts the most severe types of force to the most extreme situations and creates clear policy restrictions on the use of each police weapon and tactic.

The Tulare Police Department is the only other department to enact at least one of the policies, according to EightCantWait.org.

City officials and staff pointed out they were not there to talk about the entire city budget or even the entire police department budget. Instead, the meeting was strictly to discuss the budget for Measure N, a half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2016. Measure N revenues are projected to be $11.4 million in 2020-21, just 5% of the citys overall budget.

People have already talked about wanting to shift funds from one thing to another, city manager Randy Groom said. Measure N was voted on by the voters with a very specific expenditure plan, which means the voters said this is what we wanted the money to be spent on and by law it has to be spent on that. In fact, there is an oversight committee that makes sure we spend money on exactly what voters said they wanted it spent on.

Jeremy Fredericksen spoke during public comment asking the city to begin its reforms with the $4.1 million in Measure N funding earmarked for police in 2020-21. He called on the council to rethink and reimagine its police funding by spending that money to train officers on anti-racist practices and retrain them on de-escalation and harm reduction tactics.

Listen to the voices of people here tonight and create a new Measure N budget that reflects values of most vulnerable populations, a budget that reflects that you do believe that Black Lives Matter in Visalia, a budget that reenvisions what our city can do to stop the racism that runs through the institutions of our city and make Visalia an example to cities across the country, Fredericksen said.

The voter-mandated spending plan earmarks36% of the sales tax for police, a third for roads, 13% for fire, 10% for maintenance, 5% for parks and recreation, 2% for youth services and 1% for a reserve fund. The police portion of next years Measure N budget is $2.8 million.

We have no authority to change any of this tonight, Mayor Bob Link said.

The rest is here:
Residents call for council to 'defund the police' - Foothills Sun Gazette

HASBROUCK HEIGHTS, NJ - TheTrustees of the Free Public Library of Hasbrouck Heights discussed the current online offerings to community members as well as the future of a phased-in re-opening.

According to Mimi Hui, Library Director, Governor Phil Murphy signed an Administrative Order last Friday allowing libraries to begin offering curbside delivery on Monday, June 15. The order was officially signed by New Jersey State Police Superintendent Patrick Callahan on Saturday. The Hasbrouck Heights Library is in the process of establishing curbside service while making "safety a number one priority."

Hui also noted that the library continues to interact with the public through its website,social media accounts, and issuing new digital library cards. She explained that registration for the summer reading program has opened and already has over 100 participants, including children, teens, and adults. She said that Youth Services Librarian Maureen Herman is planning special events in July and August, including a virtual escape room based on J.K.Rowling's "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." In addition, the adult book club will continue throughout the summer.

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Looking ahead to re-opening, Hui said the Library is looking to guidance from two task forces working with libraries throughout the state. She said those guidelines will be adopted and tweaked specifically for Hasbrouck Heights needs. She said that returned items are quarantined for 72 hours.

A possible protocol for when the library re-opens is a self-check out process, which could take one of two ways. One way would be for a patron to check out with an app on their cellphone, while a second would be a dedicated ipad to scan books and items at the front desk. The Trustees voted to explore both methods.

Trustee Rose Heck lauded the Hui and her staff for their continued efforts during the shutdown and recommended the group formally commend them for their servicein "going above and beyond."

TAPinto.net'sGrand Re-Opening Marketing Specials provide local businesses with social media marketing, content marketing, and brand awareness as well as the flexibility to market in neighboring towns. For more information, visitTAPinto.net's Grand Re-Opening Marketing Specials

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Hasbrouck Heights Library to Offer Online Activities Throughout the Summer - TAPinto.net

Sixty years after its inception atop Koshys cafe on St. Marks Road, British Council Library in Bengaluru, which later moved to Kasturba Cross Road, has shut its doors. It will now be available only online.

Earlier this week, British Council announced that five of their eight libraries in India will be made exclusively digital. It informed library members that its physical libraries in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Hyderabad and Pune will now become fully online services.

More recently, we have started online English language learning courses for adults and young learners, and we want to ensure that more people in more cities can access our wide range of digital learning resources, the announcement read.

The library will be converted into a centre to conduct International English Language Testing System (IELTS) tests and other United Kingdom examinations operated by BC Examinations and English Services India Pvt Ltd.

It isnt the end of the library, technically. British Council has said, We will be launching the mobile app version of the digital library at the end of June for both Android and iOS platforms.

But perhaps as S. Narayanan, 67, a retired English professor, says, It wouldnt be the same as reading a book. He was a member of the library from 1984 to 2011. You get a sense of joy when you search for a book and find it. Sometimes, you end up discovering new books that are interesting.

Narayanan recalls the time when hed visit the library when it was above Koshys. The library used to be open on Sundays. So, I used to go there from Yelahanka, meet my friends over coffee and snacks at Koshys. I really miss the experience.

According to Santosh Koshy, a third generation owner of Koshys, there were many like Narayanan. My grandfather facilitated the British Council library to be set up above the cafe. A lot of our customers used to visit the library or vice versa.

He recalls Prince Charles visit to the library in 1991. Only a few people were allowed to meet him. My dad could go in. And, the rest of us, who waited outside, shook hands with [Prince Charles] outside.

Writer C.K. Meena, who used to visit the library in her college days (late 70s), says it largely comprised books for studying rather than light reading. Journals, foreign papers I used to go there for literature books. I even had a copy of a Shakespeare folio with the old English spellings. But once literature books decreased drastically, I stopped going there.

Now, British Councils online library will have thousands of ebooks, audio books, magazines, journals, movies, music among other things. But many from professor Narayanans generation will miss the serendipity of stumbling upon a new book.

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British Council Library in Bengaluru to be only online - The Hindu

Washington D.C.'s Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library is one of the libraries trying to accomodate patrons' different needs during the pandemic. Thomas Hawk/Flickr Creative Commons hide caption

Washington D.C.'s Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library is one of the libraries trying to accomodate patrons' different needs during the pandemic.

If you find yourself scrambling for a good novel to escape the novel coronavirus, you're not alone. Across the country, libraries have seen demand skyrocket for their electronic offerings, but librarians say they continue to worry about the digital divide and equality in access not to mention the complicated questions that must be answered before they can reopen for physical lending.

"Since the library closed on March 16, we've had about seven thousand people register for library cards," says Richard Reyes-Gavilan, Executive Director for the District of Columbia Public Libraries. "We've had over 300,000 books borrowed since mid-March, which is astounding considering that our collections are limited."

By the library's accounting, that's 37% higher than the same period in 2019, and DC isn't alone in an uptake in digital usage: Weekly library e-book lending across the country has increased by nearly 50 percent since March 9, according to data from OverDrive, a service used by many libraries to let patrons check out media for e-readers, smartphones and computers. Audiobook check-outs are also up 14% not quite as large a shift, likely because fewer people are in their cars commuting to work.

How pandemic reading has (and hasn't) changed

Nationally, there's been a jump in titles checked out virtually across topics, but demand for children's e-books has more than doubled during this period.

By comparison, e-book checkouts for adult fiction across the U.S. have grown by more than a third, and young adult fiction by more than 50 percent. There have been more checkouts of children's books than adult nonfiction on weekdays since the week of March 22.

"The big change we've seen is within juvenile fiction," says Susan Gross, a data analyst with OverDrive. "Typically adult non-fiction is the second most popular type of title that's read, but now on certain days juvenile fiction surpasses adult non-fiction, which we haven't seen before ... our thought on that is that parents are probably trying to enrich their kids' during the school week when they would typically be in school."

Our thought on that is that parents are probably trying to enrich their kids' during the school week when they would typically be in school.

Susan Gross

So patrons seem to be reading more, but are they reading differently? At the macro level, the answer appears to be no. While adult nonfiction hasn't increased at nearly the same volume in total checkouts as fiction has, it started out much lower, and its relative rate increase is still proportional.

Library categorization is notoriously messy, but OverDrive's rankings of the top national checkouts by genre (using the industry's standard BISAC codes) indicate that readers aren't radically shifting their tastes on the grim/fluffy axis. The top categories have remained remarkably stable through 2020, led by thrillers, romance, "women sleuths," and literary fiction.

That said, some sub-sub-genres are showing signs of our collective psychological strain: Within the self-help category, "motivation" and "happiness" titles have seen an increased number of checkouts, says Gross. Reyes-Gavilan notes that he's seen greater interest in books on pandemics and race relations, although the latter is no doubt boosted by a program that made many titles available for instant checkout.

Libraries have also reacted to the closures by transitioning events to virtual spaces. DC's libraries added a chat service allowing readers to ask a librarian questions over the phone or the web. It also launched its "one city, one book" program online by offering free digital access to Elizabeth Acevedo's With the Fire On High, including a virtual talk by the author at the end of the campaign. And it's been holding Facebook-based storytimes with hundreds of participants.

"More than just their buildings"

Of course, while we typically think of libraries in terms of books, that's not all that they do: They're also a de-facto community center for access to services, which are now increasingly hard to deliver.

Since closing physically, DC library buildings have kept their wireless access on, and have seen almost 20,000 devices connecting for more than 60,000 sessions.

Since closing physically, DC library buildings have kept their wireless access on, and have seen almost 20,000 devices connecting for more than 60,000 sessions. "One of the things that's extremely important in our libraries is the ability for people to print wirelessly from our copiers, for people who are printing out resumes, health forms, job applications, you name it," says Reyes-Gavilan.

Across the country, while physical lending remains closed, five of Seattle's library buildings have been opened for restroom-only access since late April, in part hoping to slow the spread of COVID-19 by making handwashing easier for the homeless.

Seattle's library system also runs a wi-fi hotspot lending program, which reserves 250 devices for high-need populations, like the homeless or poorer families without access. After the pandemic began, existing checkouts were extended, and Seattle's library foundation funded 75 additional hotspots to bring the total number to 325. The library has been installing these in weatherproof enclosures at homeless encampments around the city or assigning them to shelters and relief organizations.

"The conditions that we're living in now kind of exaggerate or accentuate the digital divide," says Andrew Harbison, assistant director of Collections and Access for Seattle Public Library, "and so we also have teams working on figuring out ways to reach people outside the digital sphere."

Reopening and recovering

How libraries will adapt in the long run is still unclear. Digital titles are often three to five times more expensive than physical books, and unlike physical books (which can be borrowed hundreds of times) e-book licenses are typically capped at a short time period or limited number of checkouts (or both) before they must be renewed.

As a result, if this burst in digital lending is sustained, it could be a financial problem for cash-strapped libraries. Seattle's libraries have been able to transfer funding to e-books while branches are closed for in-person borrowing, at some point they'll need to start repurchasing print materials again.

Physical lending entails an entirely different set of challenges. Currently, many libraries plan to isolate returned books or media for 72 hours before they can be picked up by a librarian and reshelved. As a result, circulation may be slower than usual when service resumes.

We'll be offering socially-distant services the likes of which the city has never seen from a public library.

Richard Reyes-Gavilan

However, the hope is that official guidance from the CDC, and a study by the Institute for Museum and Library Services, will be able to reduce those delays if typical surfaces like cardboard, paper, and mylar are not shown to be a significant transmission vector for the novel coronavirus.

Harbison notes that in some ways, programs like restroom access provide a way to anticipate potential challenges when libraries fully reopen offering curbside pickup, providing protective gear for staff, and adapting the space to enforce social distancing by moving furniture and enforcing occupancy limits.

In DC, Reyes-Gavilan is excited about being able to physically open the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, which has been closed for renovation since 2017, especially given the current background of race-related protest. "We'll be offering socially-distant services the likes of which the city has never seen from a public library," he says.

Link:
Libraries Are Dealing With New Demand For Books And Services During The Pandemic - NPR

Yasmin Ofekwill now be offering her previously-scheduled gentle fitness and balance classes for the Scotch Plains Public Library live online via Zoom!

The first session will be held on Friday, June 26 at 10am, with additional sessions following in July and August.

When you develop better awareness of your body through exploring a variety of gentle movements, you can increase your range of motion and achieve better and safer movement in your daily activities.

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Yasmins classes integrate principles from the Feldenkrais Method, to help create a better connection between the brain and bodywhile also strengthening the muscles that keep the body upright.

The class will involve sitting and standing alternately, so please have a chair available and wear good sneakers. Registration is required for each session.

Registration for the June 26 session is now open at http://www.scotlib.org/events. Registered participants will receive a Zoom link via email a day or two in advance.

Visit link:
Balance and Gentle Fitness Classes Online with the Scotch Plains Public Library - TAPinto.net

CHAMBERSBURG The Grove Family Library in Chambersburg has taken its children and adult programs online and has been receiving praise from patrons on the move.

In late March, the library at 101 South Ragged Edge Road began using social media to host programs which would have normally been held in person prior to restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Its been a bit difficult, but we rose to the challenge and have been reaching out to the community, said Joan Peiffer, library director. We have been mainly focused on Facebook and on Zoom meetings.

"On March 23, we started with childrens programs and then added adult story times and a virtual walk somewhere everyday.

Locations for the virtual walks include Caledonia State Park at Pine Run Reservoir, Mercersburg Academy and South Mountain.

What we do varies, Peiffer said. Sometimes its mainly nature shots on the trail.

"Some walks include a brief history of the location and other times it is more of a led walk with an introduction.

In addition to the walks, Grove Family Library posts a multitude of additional content for its patrons to engage in online.

Our summer reading programs started on June 1, and there is plenty of material on our Facebook for people to go on and look back over," Peiffer said."We post at least four posts per day.

Last week we had 3.2-thousand engagements on our library Facebook page. Usually our engagements are around 1.3-thousand," she said. "People are now starting to realize all that we have to offer online.

"We know its different, but this is a great way for our community to engage with us at the library and encourage people to like, comment and share what they enjoy.

Peiffer added that for those individuals who are used to coming into the library to check out and return books, the online e-book selection has been updated with many new titles.

Our online resources are available 24/7 and is available to the community," she said.

For those looking for more engagement during these times, Grove has also taken its book club online via Zoom, an online webcam meeting service.

We did a Zoom meeting with the book club meeting last week and it went really well, Peiffer said. We were excited that we had 17 people that were able to join us.

"We are even looking to grow that club more for the future.

For more information on Grove Family Library visit http://www.fclspa.org/locations/grove-family-library/ or find it on Facebook.

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Grove Family Library utilizing online programs to reach patrons - Herald-Mail Media