7. Differentiate - Give them a reason to pick you. What makes you special?

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Janette says..."This is more difficult than it looks and with hindsight we should have latched onto this quicker. We thought we knew what people should want. We should have been listening to our customers and the things they raved about. And taken our direction from that.

Now, for us, it's all about 'farmhouse and homemade'. In fact homemade anything ...the guests can't get enough of it. So we're remodeling all our marketing material around the 'farmhouse and homemade' theme."

So what's going to make you special? Is it the view? The food? The things you can do in the area? Your décor? You've got to find something. Something other than price. You've got to give them a reason to pick you out of the crowd. The marketing fundis call it your "Unique Selling Proposition" (USP).

Oh, another thing. When you're developing your USP you need to keep your target market in mind. Younger or older; couples or families; budget or luxury?

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Janette says..."We used to think that any customer was a good customer as long as they paid their bill - so we didn't have restrictions on kids. But most of our customers were couples looking for peace and quiet and young children didn't really fit with that. As soon as we sharpened our focus on our real target market, business improved."

8. Rules and the "System" - Guarding against abuse.

Nobody likes rules. So the general rule is the fewer the better. But you have to have some, just to define how far you're prepared to go. For example: are you prepared to do breakfast at 5 a.m.? Probably not - but you will be asked.

Check out times is another one. If you don't specify a time, you'll find some of the guests still hanging around in the afternoon. And you've still got to get that room stripped and prepared for the next guests. You need some rules to preserve the rhythm of the place. Some things need to get done at certain times or the quality of your overall service offering is compromised. You don't need to document your rules. There are tactful ways of drawing these lines.

You don't only need rules for guests. You've got to track your staff. Who fetches the eggs? Who bakes the biscuits? Who weeds the veggie garden? Who turns on the borehole pump to fill the tanks? I could go on forever. But you get the picture. Who does what, when. And it's a lot. And who checks that whoever is supposed to have done what, when, actually did it?

You do.

9. Gradings ...are good - TGCSA anyway.

The Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) looks set to become the sole grading benchmark. Good. If you go to www.tourismgrading.co.za you can download the grading criteria that applies to you (B & B, Country House, Caravan Park or whatever). You'll get 30 or 40 closely written pages jam-packed with scorecards. Assessors are independent and you have to be re-assessed annually. It's rigorous. And affordable.

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Janette says..."Being graded shows you're prepared to be measured against pre-set standards and gives the customers a "comeback" in the event that their experience disappoints. It builds confidence."

10. What Are They Going To Do When They Get Here? They're buying an experience, not a bed!

They're not buying a bed. They're buying an experience. You need to see to it that they enjoy themselves. So you've got to probe. See what resonates with them. And then using your (necessarily) intimate knowledge of the area, steer them in the right direction. With a surfeit of things that excite and delight them. Too many for them to do this trip. So they'll have to think about coming back.

This "intimate knowledge" is not assembled from brochures and web sites. There's no beating personal experience. It's an important investment in your guests' pleasure and enjoyment.

So get out and about. The golf swing can wait.

11. Odds & Sods - What else?

Here's an unstructured list of other things you might like to factor into your thinking. None of them warranted inclusion as a "tip" on their own but I just thought I'd mention them.

11.1 Training

You need a couple of days training before you take over, to learn the "rhythm" of the place. It may not be perfect, but it has been pared down over time and there's no point in re-inventing the wheel.

You also want to be introduced to all current suppliers and to know who the alternatives are. Who's been tried and rejected and why. Getting supplies is a big part of the business and you don't want to waste time finding out who's who and who you can rely on.

11.2 Insurance

Don't forget insurance. You are responsible for your guests' safety and well being. What can go wrong? Hundreds of things: one of your old trees might fall on his / her car or he / she might have a heart attack. There are quite a few things you need to be prepared for.

11.3 Self Test

Self test. Sleep in every room by rotation. Feel what the guests feel.

11.4 Tourism Promotion

Join your local tourism promotion organization. If there isn't one start one. It's in your own interests to promote tourism into the area you've chosen to live in. Also there are some things for which you need a "lobby" if you're going to have any influence...like getting the potholes in the road fixed.

11.5 Set Up From Scratch or Buy a "Going Concern"?

It depends. On two questions. Are you completely new to the hospitality industry? How complicated is the operating model you've chosen?

If the answers are "new" and "complicated", then buy a going concern. Go and stay in the place for a couple of days. Is there a rhythm? A system? What happens when? How long has the staff been there? You want an operating business you can tinker with. Gently.

If you've done this before, set up from scratch. Provided you know exactly what your "rhythm" and "system" is going to look like. And provided you're up for writing detailed check lists. And provided you're up for doing intensive training. You're dealing with untrained and unskilled people. You won't be hiring anybody out of hotel school. But if you can do it yourself, why pay for it?

Still Keen? Good. "Just Do It".

Back To "Part 1"?

© Halls Country House | Drakensberg Accommodation, South Africa