Make 2018 a Party to Remember
New Year, Best Year! Build on Last Year’s Lessons for Success
Beth Standlee
By Beth Standlee, CEO, TrainerTainment
What did you learn in 2017? Did you have more group events than you did in 2016? How about your birthday party program? Was it everything you had hoped it would be? What is the plan for 2018? Have you set your goals? Do you have a plan for reaching them? Do you have the resources in place to reach higher with parties than ever before? A key resource would be a person who would champion group and party sales. Someone must be accountable for the growth and if you dream big enough you could have an entire sales team!
These are the kind of thoughts and questions that swim in my mind as I think about how to help facilities grow their party business. I believe wholeheartedly that the answers to the questions above set the foundation for the results you get. In my mind, gone are the days of simply responding to the incoming call. Relying on what calls in is too risky in today’s market. There’s far too much competition for you to “hope”’ enough of that party business comes your way.
The locations that focus on growth set up an outbound reach strategy. They consistently implement that strategy on a daily basis and measure their results. These are the entertainment centers that will significantly grow their party business in 2018.
For me, a big part of growth also comes from learning. At TrainerTainment, we have the opportunity to be in hundreds of locations each year. Paying attention to what’s working and what’s not is something we are intentionally focused on. We also read and pay attention to what others are saying.
My sales reading or re-reading list from last year include the following:
Dan Pink leads the way in the science of motivation. I love his book, To Sell is Human.
Mark Hunter’s blog is quite good; and we use his book High Profit Prospecting to supplement our sales coaching program.
Mike Weinberg’s New Sales Simplified and New Sales Management Simplified are must-reads for any sales organization serious about moving to the next level.
The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle is a great read for anyone in leadership. I think we all have an expectation that people will “get it” and perform at a high level very quickly. I also believe we lower our standards at times and hire people who may not actually have that ability to perform at the talent level we would like. The Talent Code helps unravel much of the mystery around growing people in our organizations.
I think this list might be enough to get you through the rest of the first quarter. Feel free to check in with me about what I’m learning currently. I’m happy to share and would also love any of your recommendations.
You see, I’m pretty sure that to have that memorable 2018 party business you’ll have to invest some time in learning what makes the party great. Turning the learning into earning is where the real magic happens. I hope that 2018 will be your breakout year with groups and birthday parties.
Beth is the CEO of TrainerTainment LLC, a training company devoted to the family entertainment and hospitality industries. Beth and her team are focused on helping the companies they serve make more money through sales, guest service, leadership and social media marketing training. Training products and services are delivered in person, through books and DVDs, and virtually with e-learning courses, webinar development and 24/7 online access. Visit her company’s website at www.trainertainment.com.
