Stop Surrendering

Stop Surrendering

Sometimes someone will try to register at a hotel where I’m holding an event or experience and a misguided reservations clerk will claim he’s never heard of me or there is no such program and rate. So the individual calls me asking what to do.

What to do is not to call me but instead ask for a reservations supervisor or the sales director while you’re on the phone. Those people can probably resolve the problem on the same call. But the caller simply accepts the rejection and seeks help elsewhere (or pays the higher room rate).

This happens far too often. A gatekeeper tells us someone doesn’t accept calls. A buyer tells us there is no budget. A restaurant hostess tells us there is no room. A maitre d’ tells us there is no better seat.*

Take control of your life. Do something immediately that will resolve your issue. Don’t slink away, whine, or worse, claim you were mislead. (“You don’t have a favorable rate!”) Be your own advocate and find a way. Damon Runyon said that the battle isn’t always to the strong, and the race isn’t always to the swift.

But that’s the way to bet.

© Alan Weiss 2012. All rights reserved.

* Get a referral directly to the buyer. There is no budget, but there is always money because a real buyer can move money. Ask for the manager. Slip him $25.