Neighborhood Mixer & Art Party Held for Residents

Your voice will shape Tampa’s future.

The Howard Johnson Plaza Tampa opened their outdoor pool deck doors on Tuesday, May 8, for Uptown Tampa’s residents, business owners and Downtown Tampa Partnership members and involved staff. With complimentary food and/or drinks provided by Pizza Fusion, WaterWorks Bar & Grill, Kahawa Coffee and the Howard Johnson Plaza Tampa, guests enjoyed a networking opportunity to discuss the social matters and development of the Uptown area.

The Uptown area is a subdistrict located at the western end of Downtown Tampa. Notable attractions include The Tampa Theatre, Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, the Straz Center for the Performing Arts and the Tampa Museum of Art. The district is bordered by Hillsborough River to the west, Kennedy Boulevard to the south, Palm Avenue to the north and Morgan Street to the east.

The theme at the May 8^th event was “Local Artists of Tampa.” Featured artists included Nicole Abbett (Multi-Medium Artistic Photographer), Todd McDonald (Black & White Architectural Photographer), Ray Paul (Fine Artist), Charles Schwartz (Fine Artist) and Dominique Martinez (Owner and Artist of Rustic Steel Creations).

Randy Goers, of InVision Tampa, spoke about Downtown Tampa’s cause and future, sharing details of the ongoing InVision Tampa campaign. Donna Chen, Downtown Tampa Partnership’s newly-elected Director of Marketing and Communications, was also present discussing ideas about the Republican National Convention in August 2012 with locals of Tampa.

This is the first of many neighborhood mixers to be hosted in venues of the Uptown Tampa area. More details are listed at the Uptown Tampa Council’s website. The Uptown District Tampa Neighborhood Association’s goal is to find and solve issues and develop opportunities to benefit all of Uptown Tampa members — harnessing the passion and skill sets to approach and achieve real results.

SIDEBAR:
What is InVisiona Tampa? Using federal grant dollars, InVision Tampa will create a master plan for the City Center of Tampa, Fla., spanning from downtown to Ybor City on the east, Armenia Avenue on the west, and north along historic Nebraska Avenue to Hillsborough Avenue. Working closely with Mayor Buckhorn, experts and scholars with worldwide experience and insight will walk, talk, photograph, map and — most importantly — listen to you about the nuances of your neighborhood as well as the things that matter to you and your families now and in our future. And when we are finished, together, we will have written a community master plan that will catalyze prosperity and a high quality of life for all of Tampa and Hillsborough County.

A Key To Simple Customer Service

By Larry E. Collier, Jr., H.I. Development Director of Operations

It has been some time ago that I learned this simple, yet effective, method for improving the overall service at any business. It has been so long ago that I am not sure to whom the credit should be given for this most amazing revelation. I wish I could take credit for both its simplicity and its truth; however, I can only take credit for being smart enough to incorporate it into my daily business practices. Those of you who know me know I always say, “If you are going to cheat or steal ideas at least be smart enough to cheat off the smart kids”. I would like to give “kudos” to the brilliant people that came up with the simple anagram I.L.E.A.D.

I- IDENTIFY the upset customer. Keep your eyes open for opportunities to impact a customer experience. Look as you move through you business at people’s postures, facial expressions and body language. Not all complaints are voiced freely. If they were, we could deal with them easily and have all our customers leaving with a smile. Reaching out to a customer before they reach out to you can drastically change the resolution process and will usually enable a win for both the customer and the business.

L- LISTEN to the customer. Once you have identified a less than pleased customer take the time to actually listen to their problem, no matter how many times you may have heard the same problem. Do not talk over the customer, fidget, make faces, or any other body language that may be construed as defensive or uncaring. Pay particular attention to your hands and arms these are the culprits that usually get us into body language trouble. So many of us stand with our arms crossed that we don’t realize that we are doing it. I recommend clasping you hands behind you back to avoid sending an erroneous message. If you need to take notes so that you may ask questions when it is your turn to talk.

E- EMPATHIZE with the customer. Remember that out of all the companies that this person could have chosen from, to do business, with they chose yours. We have all known what it is like to have your expectations not be met. Make sure the customer knows that you recognize their disappointment and understand what they are feeling. A little empathy can go along way towards diffusing a particularly loud or upset customer.

A- APOLOGIZE for what the customer has experienced. Remember the validity of the customer complaint is never the issue, the customer experience is. Successful business people realize that what really happened is never the truth but what the customer perceives to have happened it our truth. We are here to resolve a problem and satisfy a customer, not prove who was right or wrong. Simply apologize, one of my favorite lines is “ I am so sorry that you experienced this.”

D- DECIDE a course of action. Choose a course of action that you feel will best satisfy the customers problem. If you are unsure simply ask. Many times I have avoided unnecessary compensation by simply asking “ how may I make this up to you?” Believe me, an upset customer is pretty good at telling you what it will take to make them happy. I recommend that like NIKE, you “just do it”. Your goal should be not to negotiate a settlement but to win a raving fan for your company. This is where you have the opportunity to make the magic that can set you apart from your competition and earn you a reputation as someone that cares. Go the extra mile by letting the customer know you will take steps to ensure that no other customers have a similar experience.

As we move about business remember I LEAD, sometimes “looking for trouble” can be a great business advantage.

www.hidevelopment.com

When SEO Gets Too Convoluted

When SEO Gets Too Convoluted.

Being Emotionally Engaged

Tips to “Create a Need” in Sales

by Andre Callen and the Marketing Team of  H.I. Development

There are 3 common ways people process information given to them. This is known as the Trifect Neuro-Affective Principle, and it’s a fancy way to say that people often make judgments based on an emotion. As a salesperson or marketer, it is your job to understand this principle and use one or all three to reach your target audience and make a sale.

How does a consumer relate to you and your products? Resonance, in marketing, means to relate to consumers and their needs or situations. When you find a way to connect on a personal level with people, they are able to find similarities between themselves and you, the seller of a product or service. Once they begin to view you as more than an intangible vapor in the Internet World, they can identify themselves with you. This is where you begin to explore the extent to which you can understand and create a solution for their problems, pains or needs. The more engaging your content is, the easier it will be to install a belief for a need for your company.

How strongly is a consumer committed to their beliefs? Consumers are often committed to their existing beliefs. If they think a product will not work or a problem is unable to be solved, they may just learn to live with it. They may believe there is nothing wrong with their coffee maker’s a dirty filter that has to be changed every day. You have to show them that a coffee maker can be designed without the need of a filter, and not only that, they need to have one! This is part of your job as a marketer- to be a game changer. Redefine what your consumers have already defined. Show them there is something better and why they must have the product you sell.

How unwilling is a consumer to listen to you? You can explain through page after page of provable quantifiable evidence that your product is the best of the best. Going back to our coffee filter example, you could give your consumer all the reasons you feel your machine could improve his morning routine, his clean up time or his quality of life! Ok maybe that is a stretch, but some people meet all change with resistance. Your consumer may be unwilling to change his opinion about his coffee filters that he has used for 20 years. He may be comfortable with his routine and see no need to give up a habit or a product that he has had for so long. It is and always will be your job to change his mind if you want the sale.

H.I. Development knows that superior performers are people who are emotionally engaged with their job because their talents, values and skills are aligned to meaningful work. A client may need to sit on this new overwhelmingly amazing product of yours and think about it for awhile. But if you presented your facts and your products well, he will be back!

Visit www.hidevelopment.com

Attitude for Every Mood…

{ How to Deal with Negative Effects in the Workplace }

— by Adrianne Robert & Larry E. Collier, Jr., of H.I. Development

Everyone has felt dragged down by someone else’s attitude at work. Has anyone ever felt dragged down by your attitude at work?  How do you react when you hear news people share with you about budget cuts, lay offs and/or employee gossip? If you have a job, you’ve heard negative attitude at some point. Here are some positive pointers to help you deal with setbacks in the common workplace and turn “whiners” into winners”. (source: “Little Red Book of Selling” by Jeffrey Gitomer)

“Be the change you want to see”
How much better can we do our job? Are you focused on achieving the goal or just taking the steps towards that goal? As long as we do our best within the situation we are in, the work will usually take care of itself, if it doesn’t seek help. You will find everyone willing to help someone who always tries their hardest. Simple things such as a weekly “to-do” list will set you apart from the crowd. Make a “to-do” list for the week and then double check it to insure that the items on your list support your departmental goals, while maximizing your time on shift. Don’t worry if you are the only one with a list, working smarter will make you stand out and set higher standards for those around you. Believe me, success is just as contagious as failure. Maybe then your co-workers will find a better outlook for the attitude in the office. Someone once said to me, “If you don’t like change, you are going to like irrelevance even less. So if you want to see changes at work, be that change that you would like to see.”

“Things nor people aren’t as bad as you think they are”
Staying positive is at the core of any good attitude. Studies show that celebrating your coworkers, setting attainable (remember SMART) goals and consistently showing gratitude are all common traits amongst successful businesspeople. Thinking pessimistically only fosters a negative attitude that makes seeing the positives difficult and, in turn, decreases your ability to succeed. Thinking positively lets you see the good things around you and allows you to build off of them, creating an attitude beneficial to advancement.

“Be assertive without being aggressive”
Assertiveness is probably the top trait of those successful in business, however it is often coupled with aggressiveness. The most important thing when attempting to be assertive without being aggressive is communication. When asserting yourself in the office, allow other people as much time to describe their needs as you’ve allowed yourself. When they are expressing their needs, try not to devalue their perspectives; doing so will allow you to stay open to meeting them halfway.

“Be compassionate when dealing with conflict”
No matter where you work, you’ll eventually find yourself in conflict with a coworker. When resolving the matter, make sure you approach the other person with an adequate amount of compassion. We all deal with stress; sometimes it even gets the better of us. Keeping your mind open when resolving conflict will improve your skills at doing so. Being able to effectively deal with interpersonal conflict is a personality trait that is sure to help you advance in any career. Remember we all have a common logic that we share but each of us has our private logic as well. You never know what another person’s private logic may be telling them.

“Have some pride”
The most rewarding career anyone can do is something they take full pride in. H.I. Development is in the hospitality field and we have the responsibility to show our best side to families and travelers staying at our hotels, no matter what our attitudes for the day may be. When you exceed someone’s expectations and go the extra mile to provide the ultimate experience for the traveler, you are leaving an everlasting impression from their visit at your hotel or restaurant. Now THAT is a great feeling!

Whether you are a corporation or an individual, dealing with attitude challenges, you are making the first leap from negative choices to choices that will certainly have a positive impact on yourself, co-workers and family members. “Leading by example” — you need not be the leader to lead by example, however; leading by example may make you the leader and will show your customers that you care and help reinforce your company’s product, increasing sales in the long run. This will cause a chain-reaction and benefit not only the longevity of your company’s future, but more importantly your own attitude for future personal goals.

Contributed by www.hidevelopment.com

2012 Social Media Trends

by Adrianne Robert, Creative Marketing Director for H.I. Development

The age of Social Media is upon us… whether you like it or not. Thanks to Smartphones taking a spike in 2010 and Apple introducing the iPad, most of the Baby Boomers have taken a backseat and let Generation Y steer the road to Facebook check-ins, FourSquare badges and YouTube thumbs up/down.

Don’t know what I am talking about? This may seem all petty and overwhelming to an outsider, but for professional young adults this could be the advantage they are looking for in the current economy slump. According to an latimes.com article, employers are liking – and hiring – Social Media workers. The standard job description includes identifying a Social Media profile for the company’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, WordPress, Manta, FourSquare, Flickr and review sites such as Yelp, TripAdvisor and Urbanspoon to name a few.

What this means for hoteliers and service industry companies, is that you need a strong “socializing” network presence. Keep an eye out for these 2012 trends:

#1: ANALYSIS REPORTS

With a major 2011 trend of real-time tracking and “click” data analysis, the proof of views is in the “impressions” of clicks. A buzz for the New Year predicts ROI statistics will be enhanced, allowing marketing experts to show dollar signs to their bosses from social and viral campaigning.

#2: DASHBOARD STREAMLINING

The two popular tools used to streamline some Social Media outlets include Hootsuite or Social Oomph. After linking 5 profiles or less, you are still ahead of the game by allowing more time to work on E-Commerce Marketing for your company. Another great platform is iGoogle or Netvibes. These dashboards make it easy to monitor your social media platforms in one place, while utilizing alerts and local news happening in your designated zip code. With Apple’s iCloud advantage, people will be using “syncing” devices more often in 2012.

#3: TELLING VS. SELLING

If you have learned anything from your parents, you remember that talking about yourself is rude. In this case, learn to write/show rich and engaging content for Social Media forms such as Facebook, YouTube, WordPress, Quora, StumbleUpon and LinkedIn. You can essentially “sell” your company by “Tweeting” (via Twitter) a sales pitch or promoting coupons. This should be done in smaller quantities.

#4: RANKING FACTORS

If you are “Googled”… what do you see? My belief after listening to Matt Cutts discuss Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and “Google Ranks” on his YouTube Channel, is that G-Team will make it harder for the corporate fish to take over small business ponds. Allowing small businesses to rank higher on the totem pole would include a strong and official company Social Media presence and consistent content with engaging hits from viewers. Google+Plus will also be another trend of ranking higher in search engine hits.

#5: MAKING IT MOBILE

If you are like me and the other 449-million* people with a smartphone, you are going more mobile. What is your warning? Make your website mobile-friendly. The biggest talked about blurb of this past year… “Is there an app for that?” With hotel check-ins, flight arrangements and food reviews to write all on the go, these daily activities are just going to increase with viral popularity. Urbanspoon, Yelp and TripAdvisor review sites will have advantages and qualms with your place of business. Lastly, it is always best to respond to the negative reviews and/or photos, than to blast them online.

(*= Rounded average from RBC, Quora.com)

So what have you learned from Social Media Marketing? It’s all about people. It’s about networking and learning who your customers are. My concluding thoughts: Position your company as a center of influence – the one who knows the movers and shakers. People will respond to that and you’ll soon become what you project. Until then, have fun socializing with your future clients!

Setting the Stage for Success

by Larry E. Collier, Jr.,
Regional Director of Operations for H.I. Development

In the past, many of us have had to manage with decisions made by our predecessors. The booming economy of the late, 1990s – early 2000s allowed many hotels to get incredible rates with mediocre products and services, as we all had learned revenue hides a multitude of sins.

We have all thought, “what if things had only been done differently before.”

Well, welcome to before.

Hopefully we have survived the worst of the recession. It is now time to make sure our strategies are aligned with our goals, as we see demand begin to grow, soon to be followed by rate.

Ask yourself these top bullet items —

• Where do you want your business to be when the economy booms again?

• What changes can you make now, so that when the demand peaks and the rates begin to really climb, your business is positioned to handle the higher paying customer with improved results.

• How will you prepare to generate even more revenue from the same number of rooms?

Personnel and training are essential to growing our revenues as the economy improves. Now that we have slimmed down our staffs as part of our “leaner” and “meaner” operations, we should have only the best of the best working in all our departments. If you don’t have the best of the best, call me I’ll help you optimize your department to improve your hotel.

Now is the time to take our existing staff and instill in them a culture of caring and service, while educating them in the disciplines of revenue management and bottom line profitability. If you have the right people, they will pass the message to new employees as new staff members are adding to handle the increased demand.  Branded hotels should be sure to take advantage of training that is available at little or no charge on your branded websites.

Remember, this training is not only for managers and supervisors — but for every employee. A culture is built from the bottom up.

“No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive”  –Mohandas Gandhi