[Matt Landau]

Over the years I've watched the vacation rental industry become very corporate...

From private equity in suits to property management companies scaling and going public to regulatory battles with lawmakers driven by billion dollar behemoths, to simple pursuits for standardization overriding the soul...

Does becoming corporate just kinda come with the territory of a cottage industry going mainstream?

Or for certain kinds of purpose-driven companies, is becoming corporate a dangerous trap?

Many homerunners, caught up in the race to scale and optimize, get swept up in this trend and lose sight of their biggest differentiator -- being anti-corporate, personal and human.

Ever since I started in the industry back in 2006 I hear the same objection:

"Matt, I don't want to share my name, my face, my family's story, my interests, my background, my phone number...etc. that stuff is PERSONAL!"

And I get it: most of us (when we entered this industry) weren't aware of the intimacy required...the deeply personal human realms we automatically enter when offering a hospitality as a service.

But pretty quickly we find this work is not cookie cutter 9-5...

Answering the phone late at night to make sure a guest gets into her home because the lock isn't working, seeing toddlers grow into teenagers and then young adults as they stay with us year after year, driving a guest to the hospital because she was robbed at knifepoint and shaking, trembling as a solo traveler in her 70s...

This work is deeply personal.

And yet, across the board, vacation rentals brands tend to avoid anything branding that appears too imperfect, quirky, "mom and pop," familial, individualized..because promoting deeply personal aspects in a business just feels weird!

For many, the awkward nature of developing a personal voice is scary!

A good example is what I call talking head video (You can read about examples here and here) -- easily one of the best ways to convey authentic personality and trust to homeowners and guests (and neighbors and lawmakers) and yet something the vast majority of operators won't do because it feels uncomfortable.

OR equally slippery, trying to read a script on camera...something not even the most public figures in the world can pull off naturally.

And here's the main point of this post: as business around the world goes fully digital, the personal brand is the future. And to develop the personalized business brand we must develop a deeper connection with ourselves.

The companies breaking free from the commodity market and truly distinguishing themselves are doing work with personal, human, authentic marketing.

Check out TomG and his new podcast for the Love of Gatlinburg: Tom has been leading the way with "personal branding" as the CEO of Mt. Laurel Chalets for years with his interactive Facebook live sessions.

Or Robin and his Sea to Summit video series introducing themselves and their story in deeply personal ways.

Who else has examples?

The personal brand IS the professional brand when developed with the right alignment, when it conveys the ideas you genuinely believe, the problems you deal with and the solutions you invent, the real-life discoveries you're making, the controversial perspectives on things you hold dear...the personal brand is no longer something that can sit in the background...it's something we need to excavate now more than ever before.

Personal, human, one-of-a-kind brands hold all the power in commodity markets...this is how we stand out from the crowd.

Recognizing that this may be uncomfortable new territory, Some Questions For Discussion...

- What personal branding efforts have worked for you? Where do you question this logic?
- How have personal brand initiatives impacted your relationships with customers?
- Is there a line we should draw between business and personal in order to preserve some balance?
- What would it take for your business to become 10x more personal?

 

[Sallie]

Our property was in a small beach village on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. My hosting philosophy was our guests were under our care and protection. I wanted them to feel seen, respected, appreciated, delighted and taken care of.

Before Arrival
Despite dreading talking on the phone, I'd call guests who’d just booked. Assuming I’d get a voice mail message, I honed my upbeat-voice message: “Hi, this is Sallie from Casa Mar Azul in San Pancho. I’d love to hear about what you’re looking forward to for your San Pancho vacation, and if you’re celebrating anything special. My number is XXX-XXX-XXXX.”

I’d also send an email, referencing my voice mail and stating the message I’d left, and invited them to call or email.

I was surprised by how many replied with enthusiasm. If they were celebrating a milestone birthday or an anniversary, I’d arrange for a cake (I’d ask about favorite cakes within our capability to source), a massage on the ocean-view terrace, or some other treat.

All guests also received a series of cheery emails before they arrived—my Anticipation Campaign—with attachments, such as Before You Leave Home, Packing List for Her/Packing List for Him, driving directions from the airport (super detailed with landmark photos since I get lost easily), and so on. Many guests commented on how helpful these were, and told me no other host had ever been so thoughtful with useful information.

After Arrival
We lived on our property six months of the year, which coincided with tourism season. For our guests’ first wakeup morning, we’d knock on their door at 9:00 a.m.

We introduced ourselves and our goofball, affectionate golden retriever Brando, and present them with fresh croissants. We encouraged them to preheat the oven, then heat the croissants for 3 minutes for maximum goodness.

If they were dog people, they LOVED meeting Brando (some repeat guests brought him a toy). I suspect their meeting our dog resulted in no one complaining about the few times he’d use his I’M A BIG, SCARY DOG bark when a strange car drove by on our dead-end street.

On guests' fourth morning, I emailed that they must feel like locals by now, and asked for how we can improve. I encouraged them to be completely candid about what’s missing, not working, or confusing (“If we don’t know, we can’t improve!”).

This is how I learned to provide a broom and dustpan for guest use, install a foot shower outside the entrance, buy a wood salad bowl (some guests were afraid they’d chip the large ceramic bowl), and a cocktail muddling thingy.

After Departure
Two days after departure, I’d email with hopes that their journey home was uneventful, and they hold fond memories of their time in San Pancho.

I wrote they earned the status of Our Favorite Guests, and were welcome to return and not pay any damage deposit. I added hosting quality guests like them is a joy and pleasure, and that reviews are the best way to attract guests like them.

Would they do us the favor of writing a review for our website (I left review solicitations to Vrbo for those bookings)? Then, as a kickstart for their brains, I included some of their comments from email exchanges during their stay, or conversations we’d have.

Less than half provided reviews, yet we enjoyed a good rate of repeat bookings.

Extra Touches
A few guests who drove to our village from the airport got lost (despite my super thorough directions, grrr!). When they’d call/text me in desperation, I directed them to the gas station at the entrance to our village and met them there. Then they’d follow my car to our property.

When I saw arrival flights were significantly delayed and that guests would arrive after 7:00 pm, I’d go to our local market and buy a few eggs, fresh oranges, cheese, a ripe avocado, and small bottle of milk for coffee (which we provided). They could prepare a simple late dinner, or have breakfast on hand. This was deeply appreciated.

When we dealt with next-door or nearby construction, I’d caution guests well before their arrival. I’d include the work hours, and that some days would be quiet, others would include rumbles from a cement mixer, and some days would be best spent at the beach. We bought season passes to a very swanky beach club with an infinity pool, terrific restaurant, beach chaise lounges beneath palm trees with bar service, and WiFi. Guests greatly appreciated my honest candor, and the beach club access. We only lost one booking—a couple who worked in construction.

Our guest book was a three-ring binder with tabs for different sections. I know, so not digital and modern! But when there are frequent power outages, words on paper are appreciated. Some of the sections covered:

• “What time is it?” as our time zone wasn’t recognized by cell phones/iWatches
• The oven temperature settings are C not F
• Tipping in Mexico
• Things to do in 2 hours; Things to do for half a day
• Where to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner
• What to do for medical emergencies
• What to do when the power goes out

And so on. A few guests declared their absolute love of this house manual (as they clutched it to their chest—really).

Finally, Quality Essentials

• Our beds were extraordinarily comfy—high-end mattresses topped with 3” of natural latex foam.
• Bathrooms had great lighting, abundant towel bars and wall hooks, magnifying mirrors; double sinks with plenty of counter space and drawers lined with that white bumpy rubbery liner material
• Quick-drying cotton waffle weave bathrobes and bathroom towels
• Quick-drying, flat weave, turquoise pool/beach towels that didn’t hold onto sand. A few guests used them as evening wraps!
• 24 coat hangers in each closet
• Quality kitchen tools in drawer organizers and cookware that earned raves from guests who were chefs
• Whole-house water purification system
• Saline pool heated to 86F so your stomach doesn’t clench when you wade in
• Since we designed and built our rental casa, I made sure there were plenty of electric outlets so guests could charge devices wherever they were hanging out.

Thank you for reading this. My intent isn’t to brag, but share what I’ve learned over decades of working in the hospitality industry and six years of hosting.

 

[RuthM]

STOP what you are doing right now and watch the inspiring 4 videos about Moving Mountains and its new Ocean division. Robin exemplifies personal branding and hospitality. My favorite quote? "Luxury = connection". It is obvious that Robin and Heather care deeply about creating incredible vacations for their guests (on land and on water) AND realize that the best way to do that is by fostering the right team AND creating the right environments. So incredibly aspirational, as a business owner AND someday I hope as a guest! Bravo Robin.