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planner + supplier
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Building Relationships Spring 2011 |
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| Christian T. Walker, CTA, Corporate Events Planner for JCPenney | Lauren Dunnaway, Director of Sales for Double Diamond Resorts |
Christian T. Walker, CTA, Corporate Events Planner for JCPenney, and Lauren Dunnaway, Director of Sales for Double Diamond Resorts, recently
put their heads together to discuss the subject of building relationships.
MPG 
: How have your industry relationships impacted your career?
Christian, the planner: Professionals prefer to do business with people they know. Personal connections are what provide the accountability, confidence, and trust that make it comfortable to work together.
Most significantly, my professional relationships have impacted my career by opening up opportunities for development and advancement within our industry. My industry educators and valued contacts have advised me of open jobs and have often provided personal recommendations.
Lauren, the supplier: I look at each professional relationship as a new tool in my toolbox. Although it may not always be immediately clear to me the value of that tool, the relationship inevitably pays off if I’m willing to foster it. I gain invaluable industry education by keeping myself in a “student mentality” when participating in relationships with both suppliers and planners.
On the flip side, I am also able to utilize my relationships to help others. By being educated on the needs of planners and the services of other suppliers, I can provide value to those around me and elevate my status as a resource.
What is the best way to build a business relationship?
Lauren: Relationships are built on communication, trust, willingness and mutual value. With these things in mind, I devote my time to being “where the action is.” When meeting a new contact at industry events, communication is my first priority. People respond positively when you take a genuine interest in them. I try to ask effective questions about their business, their needs and challenges and allow them to educate me. In return, I try to contribute value in the form of information or connections, and I gain new confidence. It’s also effective for me to use a bit of self-disclosure to make myself approachable. Finally, trust is built by follow through. Once a relationship has been made, it is important to deliver all that’s been promised.
Christian: The key to success is not how many professional contacts you have, but how good your relationship is with a number of key contacts. I believe that being enthusiastic and passionate about your work, being generous with your time and wisdom, and helping others with no strings attached are necessary elements of building long lasting, professional relationships. Become genuinely interested in other people. Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language. Be a good listener and encourage others to talk about themselves. And lastly, be visible and available through various communication tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
How has the multi-generational professional environment affected the way you build and maintain professional relationships?
Christian: We now have four distinct generations working side by side, each recognized by a unique view of work ethics, leadership, success, and relationships. It is important to educate ourselves and understand the motivations and experiences of all four generations, while understanding that deviations from “generational generalities” are evident in every individual.
Lauren: Dealing with a multi-generational environment has been a standard operating procedure since I began working in this industry 9 years ago. Although you can’t paint an entire generation with the same brush, I have found that the most noticeable difference among the generations is in their preferred method of communication. Be willing to tailor your own communication patterns to the preferences of others.
How has the development and growing popularity of social networking sites affected the way you build and maintain professional relationships?
Lauren: Social networking has proven to be a revolutionizing platform. It’s a way for me to mass communicate information about myself and my organizations that enables people to (hopefully) relate. I have found LinkedIn and Facebook to be the most effective tools. As a result, I can maintain a rapport with my many friends and contacts at lightning speed.
Christian: As more individuals embrace social communication technologies, the potential to build and maintain professional relationships is limitless. I utilize Facebook and LinkedIn to communicate with other planners and suppliers.
What role do professional associations play in your relationships with suppliers/planners?
Christian: Being a member of a professional organization gives me the opportunity to develop mutually beneficial relationships. The monthly education and networking programs are often the first point of contact I have with many industry professionals. The relationships I have established and nurtured lend themselves to new bonds, as I am introduced to people by my valued industry allies.
Lauren: Volunteer work in industry associations is an integral component in my career. I’ve served as VP of Membership for the D/FW chapter of Meeting Professionals International for the past two years. The opportunity to work alongside meeting planners and other suppliers on committee work is the best teambuilding experience.
What initiatives/changes would you like to see “the other side” of your supplier/planner relationships implement?
Christian: Planners primarily join professional organizations to become more successful through professional education, personal development and networking. Suppliers join the organizations to increase sales opportunities. This misalignment of interests can create a degree of frustration and difficulty in forming long-term professional relationships.
As a planner, I would like to see suppliers educate themselves on what is happening in my company/organization and to better understand our business and our challenges. When it comes to proposing services, I would like suppliers to ask more questions in advance of submitting their ideas and minding the answers they receive, especially with regards to budget. Lastly, stay in touch. If denied a project, show me you want my business in the future by continually bringing me fresh ideas; there will be a right time for us to do business together.
Lauren: I think we can always benefit from better communication. There are occasional interactions with planners where I felt that time and resources could be saved by sharing more information. It always helps to let the supplier know when you have a specific budget. If there are “hot buttons” for your organization, let us tailor our offer to address those needs. And, of course, I always appreciate knowing if a planner has no need for our services when I am offering an overnight site visit. The last thing I want to do is use my limited site visit budget on someone who has no legitimate need to see our property. Thankfully, 99% of meeting planners don’t abuse site visits.
Do you find your professional relationships to be more or less important than they were when you began your career?
Lauren: Definitely more! Over the past three years, we have experienced an economic downturn like this industry has never seen. These economic conditions magnify the value of solid client relationships. Many clients stopped holding meetings and those that held meetings had very limited budgets. When we have good working relationships with our clients, we can deal more openly and find “win-win” solutions. Good relationships with our competitors have also been important. Other suppliers have referred business to me that helped The Cliffs Resort and White Bluff Resort keep the doors open when other properties did not survive.
Christian: Maintaining and tightening relationships with industry partners during lean times will be all the more profitable to both planners and suppliers during the rich years of the future. The importance of professional relationships continues to grow as my career progresses. No matter your mission, you are unlikely to accomplish it without help. Your professional allies will support your views and causes, help you solve problems, provide advice, act as a sounding board, and offer a different perspective.
How do you hope to improve your professional relationships in the years ahead?
Lauren: I strive to bring more value to the table. One way I can accomplish this is by sharpening my focus on continuing education. The more I know, the more I can contribute to the success of our clients and my fellow suppliers.
Christian: Professional relationships do not just spring up full-grown; they are rich with unfulfilled possibilities and expectations, and must be nurtured. Relationships grow stronger with experience and familiarity; maturing into trust and commitment. I hope to develop new relationships, while nurturing existing relationships. Effective industry relationships form the cornerstone for satisfaction and success with your current projects and your life’s work.
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