The media is killing our sales people and causing hospitality industry burnout!!! The OC Watchdog blog was one of the first to report about the AIG executives “Partying” at the St. Regis near San Diego in October of 2008. The Media also turned out a story with the headlines; “General Motors Corp. is wining and dining its biggest customers at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort this week as its executives in Detroit work to keep the company out of bankruptcy court.”
Americans certainly have passionate opinions about AIG and GM spending taxpayer money and the question that continues to be asked is, ”Was this really an effective use of taxpayer money?”
In my opinion the answer is a resounding YES! Every story has a different perspective and I choose to support our industry. I congratulate the sales people at the St. Regis and the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass who through tough times had the skill and the tenacity to close on contracts with GM and AIG. In addition the money that these companies spent at the resort kept the hotels going and employees working. Isn’t that the point of a stimulus package? How much more effective could the use of our taxes be?
But this is a rant about how the media is killing our sales people and subsequently all those who rely on them. Because of sensationally worded media stories including AIG and GM sales people are finding it difficult to close business and the effect has been dramatic. Las Vegas has been hurt the worst as cancellations have reached an all time high. Bloomberg reported Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Wynn Resorts Ltd. joined hoteliers in lambasting U.S. lawmakers’ criticism of corporate travel, saying hundreds of thousands of jobs are in jeopardy. And the media continues to report these stores with no conscience of the repercussions on the people who have made hospitality a career.
When is enough, enough? I suggest the media be more responsible with its’ reporting by showing how the money supports the hospitality industry, the people that work in it, as well as the community at large. Our industry is taking a deathly blow with one-sided journalism and we who are in the hospitality industry should speak up instead of allowing the media to kill our sales people!
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3 Responses to “Hospitality Training Burnout and Death of a Salesman…Thanks Media”
AMEN! We’ll never get ahead if we don’t get a break. It’s frustrating that most people just don’t “get” the hospitality industry. Media bashing the industry loses so many jobs!
Great article Keith! I recently read about a survey of 135 meeting planners – over half had reduced meetings due to fear of public image of having a meeting. And of those 135 less than 10 had government help. The perception of meetings being bad has to stop – meetings are some of the largest contributions to community tax dollars and drive employment.
Citing hospitality industry burnout as the potential death of a salesman is very on point. It seems you and Ben Stein think alike. Here is a exert from his articles:
“The problem is that animosity toward ill-advised travel has led to fear in business: that government or media circles will frown on it for having meetings at all, especially if the locale is deemed luxurious. Business people say they are canceling meetings left and right to forestall criticism.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/business/22every.html?_r=2