[Matt Landau]

Warning: What I am about to share with you holds little weight in a formal business setting. It's not something my professors ever covered in business class. It never shows up on the profit loss statements at the end of the month. You won't find it in any formal contract and it's certainly never mentioned at "Disruptive" tech summits or conferences. And yet it might be our greatest secret weapon of all.

When I was home visiting my parents for the holidays, over dinner one night I randomly asked when they would retire.

My mom is a researcher and a professor of cognitive science at Johns Hopkins University and my dad is a shopkeeper (the old-school kind) in Princeton, New Jersey...a small woolens shop that's been in our family for decades. Both are in good health, but also nearing the age that most professionals would hang up their boots.

"I think I'll retire when I stop enjoying it," my mom said.

And then my dad. "Yes, I think I'll retire when it stops being fun."

It is an incredibly rare these days to be able to say that you do for a living that which you consider to be enjoyable or fun. Inner Circle members seem unanimously fortunate in this sense: every host I encounter genuinely loves what they are doing. And this is more than just a good thing. It is DISRUPTIVE!

IDEA: Having fun with vacation rentals is disruptive because it can't be faked. Having fun with vacation rentals is disruptive because it tilts the laws of supply and demand. Having fun with vacation rentals is disruptive because it's infectious -- fun rubs off on others. Those who are having fun with their business are disrupting the hospitality industry forever.

ACTION: Give yourself permission to invest in that fun!

• Throw pizza parties for your guests like BobG in the Italian countryside
• Include photos of your dog Horton in monthly newsletters like Amy of Great Vacation Retreats in Kauai.
• Personally test the dancing skills of your service providers like Karla of Tropical Blessings in St. John
• Attend the Vacation Rental Women's Summit in New Orleans next month and meet one of our industry's most fearless leaders Amy Hinote (promo code "VIP" for discount). P.S. I will be in New Orleans too and invite you to dinner!

The moment you stop enjoying your vacation rental job is the moment your great disruptive advantage disappears.

QUESTION: What are some things (products, services, events, or activities) you can invest in that fall under the category of FUN? What are some ways to channel the fun?

 

[Andrei]

I am marketing my 1st listing https://staybit.io/listings/sanfelipe.html and trying to find tenants willing to pay in stablecoins using my app. Replying to booking requests is not as fun as coding, but it is something I never done before

 

[Crafty]

I was just reading the VRMA magazine about disruption. Unfortunately, their take is that the OTA's are the disruptors, as they seek to quell the book-direct movement.

For me, my biggest disrupting tool is the name, persona and brand of "Crafty". Not that I'm any prize...but marketing as a human being is the exact opposite of the OTA model...where they have build "the wall" between guests and owners. (I still cringe when I hear an owner say "My AirBnb").

I got a call (and a booking) from a lady in South Carolina yesterday. Her sole reason for picking "Crafty's Beach Retreat" was because she could talk with a real-live person. The OTA's have tried that with their phony call centers, but...not so much.

 

[Amy]

HORTON! Matt Landau Made my morning.

 

[Tracy]

I was just reading the VRMA magazine about disruption. Unfortunately, their take is that the OTA's are the disruptors, as they seek to quell the book-direct movement.

For me, my biggest disrupting tool is the name, persona and brand of "Crafty". Not that I'm any prize...but marketing as a human being is the exact opposite of the OTA model...where they have build "the wall" between guests and owners. (I still cringe when I hear an owner say "My AirBnb").

I got a call (and a booking) from a lady in South Carolina yesterday. Her sole reason for picking "Crafty's Beach Retreat" was because she could talk with a real-live person. The OTA's have tried that with their phony call centers, but...not so much.

Agreed #Crafty, we go the extra mile to find the right property based on our guests wants & needs. Also, how many times have we received calls from guests that have arrived after booking with an OTA when they learned the property was not as described or in some cases there was no home at all. Yes, this happens in Orlando with over 25K rentals. So, choose wisely,check credentials and do your homework before renting as we tell our guests and always pay with a credit card.

Tracy @ www.homes4uu.com - www.vacationhomebooking.com

 

[Mark]

Matt Landau - great topic. We all have to infuse fun into our routines. Guests can tell in many subtle and even not so subtle ways if you enjoy what you do.

I do something that is fun for me, but not something everyone would exactly classify as 'fun'. I also look at it as a disrupter or uniqueness over the OTAs...

If, through my various personal interactions with guests ahead of their stay, I find out their visit includes a special occasion like a birthday, anniversary, retirement, graduation, etc..., I leave a small, unexpected gift. This is on top of the canvas gift bag with wine, thermos mugs, and local snacks. Also on top of the stocked fruit bowl. It's nothing big, but winds up having great meaning for the guest.

The fun part is hearing their gushing responses when they realize that, 1.) you not only heard their passing comment about the occasion, but 2.) you actually cared enough to act on it.

Most are blown away even though to me it isn't any big deal or hard to do. Several that I recall include a dozen Titleist ProV1 golf balls for a retiring golf addict, a magnum of champagne on ice for a graduating doctor and family, a logo'd martini shaker for an ametuer mixologist's birthday, etc...

They are easy things to do, but mean a lot to each guest. It's fun figuring out the right gift for the guest/occasion, and the biggest thing of all - It isn't something an OTA is going to be able to match at this laser-focused level. It's a way to earn these guests for life - or at least for as long as they travel to your area!

 

[JPrugh]

Thanks Matt Landau for challenging us again! Here are some fun things we do:
1) We provide wine or a small bouquet of flowers for guests with a special occasion. One of our guests at our executive stay properties is leaving next month--since she has been an exceptional guest, she will receive a gift from Hemslojd, our local Swedish boutique.
2) I started up a blog www.travelingcentralks.com so that potential guests can realize that, ja! (Swedish for 'yes), there are plenty of things to do here. I need to add this Saturday's Swedish Luau, complete with a 'pig' made of Swedish meatballs, ukelele practice and grass skirts over longjohns.
3) Finally, owning and operating a vacation rental is extremely fun. The Inner Circle has been instrumental in challenging me to be more professional. While I'll always feel behind, I'm starting to catch up.

 

[Crafty]

Matt Landau ...consider distilling this post just down to "FUN'.

Checking into a chain hotel can be like a visit to the DMV.

Some VR are cluster (you know whats)...where are the keys? how does the TV work?...what? no linens?

You could make a entire blog on "Fun"...let's do it.

 

[MeganM]

I couldn't agree more with you, Matt Landau and also Crafty - it has to be fun and it has to be personal. While we have our "Nashville Vacation Homes" brand, our profile picture and about us is still all about us. Even on the OTAs we use our photo and names (our being my husband and me).

While this may not be "fun" to everyone, the personalization aspect of hosting is what makes this fun for me. We leave personalized gifts for the occasion along with a hand-written card for every guest. For instance, we had someone stay because they were in town to adopt and we bought a Willie Nelson lullaby CD for them; people staying because they're moving to Nashville and we get them a Nashville tea towel as their first "house warming" gift." This has been harder to scale as we now have 5 homes so we're looking at other ideas that still feel personal/ fun but are easier to manage. We also always have the radio and essential oil diffuser on when guests arrive so they feel the upbeat atmosphere immediately.

One thing that we have had good success with is showcasing this all via our social media as well. Unfortunately, due to some family circumstances I've been slacking a bit lately but in normal circumstances on our stories and posts on Instagram I show the "behind the scenes" of setting up before guests (as well as featuring our own escapades around town and things to do around town). Guests absolutely love this and interact before, during and even after their stays. One of our most popular posts to-date is one where I posted a pic of all of our mini shampoos that spilled out of the car while setting up and made fun of my husband a bit for the way he set it in there. Clearly it was all in jest but our guests/ followers picked up on that and really enjoyed it.

 

[Mary Owlhaven]

I couldn't agree more with you, Matt Landau essential oil diffuser on

Megan, How is the diffuser received? I love one in my own home, but am concerned that tastes vary so much, and people are sensitive to smells, that it might not be a good option in our rental.... thoughts??

 

[MeganM]

Megan, How is the diffuser received? I love one in my own home, but am concerned that tastes vary so much, and people are sensitive to smells, that it might not be a good option in our rental.... thoughts??

Very well. Only do VERY LIGHT drops of lemon and lavender for the whole house (I also position in the bedroom or back of the studio so its not the first thing that hits them when they walk in. Everything else I use is unscented, though so its really there to add that fresh/ clean smell. I also leave a homemade essential oil linen spray out that they can use if they choose- I don't spray it on there.