Matt Landau
  • Founder, VRMB
Staff member
Ambassadors
Keystone Retreat

Choose One Word

Big Ideas
Matt Landau
Matt Landau Founder, VRMB
Staff member
Ambassadors
Keystone Retreat
IDEA: New Years resolutions or goals are great for business. But the fact that they are plural means that they're likely to blur together and the fact that they're wordy sentences or phrases gives us all kinds of room to wiggle out and escape accountability.

ACTION: Take some time over the next few days and decide on ONE WORD that sits at the core of your vacation rental marketing goals for 2020.

The best way to do this is lay out your absolute top priorities or ask yourself -- what is one challenge that, if we solve it, will allow us to soar?

Then begin to peel back the layers -- work like a detective to find the single word: the most important common denominator of them all.

If you'd like some accountability help, post your SINGLE WORD below (with a brief explanation of its reach) and I'll personally follow up every quarter and harass you into staying on track :)
 
Connect - When I say connect, my mind has many ways floating around. For starters, I'll email my list of 7,000 active subscribers a better-crafted email each week, finish the FB course I bought and kill it on FB, concentrate on Linkedin as a new source of clicks, FINALLY take Will Franco Will Franco's advice and send each inquiry a personalized video response, and hand out my business cards freely at my local bar. (y) Hahahaha!

I am OTA FREE! Have been since Sept 16, 2019 and October/November/December have been my best months in years.

I have no idea (sorry Matt Landau Matt Landau) what my percentages were for OTA bookings in the past several years but I know now - zero.

Please hold my toes to the fire Matt. I still remember what photos by an architectural photographer did for my biz. I have YOU to thank for that.

I'm going to be very politically incorrect and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! If you don't celebrate, please replace with your favorite holiday. :)

Ciao for now,
T
 
Simple.

Keep it simple and appreciate the incremental steps. 2019 was setting up site for direct bookings, engaging a pricing software, and simplifying communication with guests. 2020 is planned for re-vamping content on listings, welcome book, and automated emails.

Prior to 2019, I had a long list of things to be in place before setting up a website. Finally I decided to take the plunge even without everything being in place, and so happy I did. The result is that the the site is up and running, repeat guests are happy to book direct, pricing software has simplified my life and increased revenues. The gazillion other things that remain can continue to be taken step-by-step.
 
Ever the non-conformist, I have three related words:
Small - continue taking small steps and missteps to improve my small VR biz - if I don't make mistakes, I'm not trying hard enough!
Town - Continue working with the town government to avoid VR regulation (we have none), working with local small businesses, tradespeople and artisans to reinforce connections with community
Rural - Persist on concept that travel to local, small town/rural destinations is a very viable and desirable option; looking forward to meeting and learning from other VR owners and managers at conferences in 2020
 
Reborn - my ultimate choice.

It was a tough choice between others with the prefix of re:
Remodel, renew, reemerge, renovate, reopen

But reborn seems to fit:
  • I have officially left my PM and look forward to hiring staff once we are ready to reopen
  • We are in the throes of remodeling (scroll through Instagram photo collection)
  • I will now be focusing on editing/updating my website and setting up our home in OTA sites
  • Finished Touch Stay Guidebook (though still editing a bit here and there)
  • I look forward to new photos once we complete the living room, 1-car garage conversion into a game room, the building of a new 2-car garage, and update decor/furniture
 
Connect!
Connect with more cool VR owners and managers like all of you!
Connect directly with guests - new and returning (and gaining more LSI!)
Connect with the wider world of travelers through FB and instagram.
All of the posts here were so encouraging. Good job people!! I hope to be more successful with my vacation rentals so that I can come stay in some of YOUR places.
:) Here's to a wonderful, prosperous and happy 2020!
 
JaneW said:
Connect!
Connect with more cool VR owners and managers like all of you!
Connect directly with guests - new and returning (and gaining more LSI!)
Connect with the wider world of travelers through FB and instagram.
All of the posts here were so encouraging. Good job people!! I hope to be more successful with my vacation rentals so that I can come stay in some of YOUR places.
:) Here's to a wonderful, prosperous and happy 2020!
Click to expand...
Absolutely love this word Jane!!!
 
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Matt Landau
Matt Landau
Founder, VRMB
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Ambassadors
Keystone Retreat
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