Hayfield Manor Hotel
I was at a recent Chamber event in Cork and they had their usual “soap box” slot whereby a few members are given the opportunity to speak in front of the attendees and briefly tell everyone about their business.
This is quite an awkward moment for those invited to talk – they have about two minutes to inform and impress the listeners and generally try to make an impact with a combination of information, some humour and maybe a “catchy” phrase to finish their mini speech.
At the recent event Ettienne van Verde, General Manager of Hayfield Manor confidently took to the podium and started his speech by informing all of the attendees that they were the best hotel in the area. At first there were a few quiet sniggers, some glances around the room because “saying you are the best” is generally not something that we say. It might be considered to be a little bit arrogant ..even if you believe it do you say it publically?
Not only did Ettienne state that they were the best hotel but he went on to explain why they were the best. He mentioned the friendly welcome, the free parking, the convenient location, the free wifi, the state of the art function room, the individually designed bedrooms and also the two award winning restaurants.
At the end of his confident two minute talk he was met with a big round of warm applause.For those who have experienced the hotel they would have to agree that Hayfield Manor is pretty good but I suspect the warm round of applause was for someone who proudly and confidently represented their business and wasn’t afraid to say “we are the best”.
If you believe you are best maybe you should start saying it
Greg Canty is a partner of Fuzion
Tags: Customer Care, Ettienne van Verde, Fuzion, Fuzion PR, Hayfield Manor, Marketing, Positive Thinking
Greg Canty Fuzion Blog 
September 26, 2011 at 10:42 am |
Whistle growing up I was often told self praise was no praise, boy where those people wrong. If you lack confidence but believe in yourself, your business and what ever else it is you do continue to tell yourself how good you are. Positive attitude = Positive outcome
September 26, 2011 at 2:04 pm |
Interesting view Dermot – I think in particular the Irish can suffer from underselling? Ettienne is not from Ireland – I wonder does this make him more comfortable with standing up and proudly saying it.
September 26, 2011 at 11:24 am |
When you are the best of course you should say it but you should also back it up with some proof of why you are the best similar to when you are asked a question at a competency based interview and you demonstrate your skills with an example or two. I can see Etienne did this well but I hope he finished his speech with an invite to all attendees to visit the hotel for a free cup of coffee and tour of the facilities so he could prove to the audience that Hayfield is the best hotel in the hope of guaranteeing some business from the event.
September 26, 2011 at 2:02 pm |
Lets ask him !
September 26, 2011 at 1:17 pm |
Interesting thread — it’s a hell of a lot easier to say that a business is the best when it can be backed up, but rather difficult to say ‘I am the best’.
September 26, 2011 at 2:01 pm |
I know what you mean Mary – but …. is every business made up of a lot of people doing there thing? Maybe sole traders might have to say it?
September 26, 2011 at 5:02 pm |
I guess this really goes back to how, or indeed if, you can successfully differentiate your offering from that of your competitors. Too often one hears the hackneyed self-congratulatory “corporate” statements being trotted out with little or no substance behind them.
If your product or service is in no way different from the competition, as is so often the case nowadays, the business’s unique selling proposition has to be……you! You must be the reason why customers will prefer to deal with your company. It’s a lot easier to sell yourself than your employer/business.
People buy people – so go ahead and make yourself appealing by promoting your own qualities. But be sure to deliver on your words!
Given the dismally low levels of interest in customer service in many areas of business life, there is plenty of scope for those stakeholders to “up their game” for the benefit of those who are their real paymasters….
September 26, 2011 at 5:21 pm |
so the advice Martin is – be different, say you are the best and make sure you live up to it.
September 26, 2011 at 6:27 pm |
Beautiful, Greg, many thanks!
And hey, you’re the best!
Regards,
September 26, 2011 at 6:57 pm |
thanks Maria as always ..
September 26, 2011 at 8:44 pm |
How about individuals saying “I am the best”, I am! 🙂
September 26, 2011 at 8:49 pm |
Trich – I know you are !
September 27, 2011 at 9:56 am |
Greg, great posting, its always a dilemma how to get across what it is thats makes us or our business unique and possibly the best without sounding arrogant, and maybe the answer is just have the confidence to say it and then consistently prove it.
Patrick
September 27, 2011 at 6:58 pm |
You have hit it on the nail – be confident to day it and then consistently prove it
September 27, 2011 at 4:01 pm |
Saying it and backing it up is the real challenge. My mother said I was an Angel – and mother’s don’t lie, do they? I have a feeling she meant a ‘fallen’ angel though – either way it was tough backing it up. 🙂
September 27, 2011 at 6:58 pm |
that mother has a lot to answer for Terence!
September 27, 2011 at 5:53 pm |
If you believe it say it.
Hayfield have obviously perfected their product over 15 years,it helps to be a long time in business.
September 27, 2011 at 6:59 pm |
I just loved Ettienne’s delivery and the audience really seemed to get that he was so proud and confident of his own product.
September 27, 2011 at 6:58 pm |
It’s great that he had hard evidence to support his claim. He is not self-promoting, but instead he is promoting the value he is adding to his business and above all his customers.
September 27, 2011 at 7:01 pm |
his confidence was refreshing Marion and I think everyone listening to him learnt something, cheers
September 27, 2011 at 9:07 pm |
Greg,
I love your Positivity.
The world needs more folk like you.
Keep going.
🙂
September 29, 2011 at 6:26 pm |
thanks Trich – I think positivity is the only way to get people mobilised and confident again – this will push that mountain along slowly but surely
September 30, 2011 at 11:23 am |
Greg,
Great post, I firmly believe that we all should absolutely claim to be the best.
We have been surrounded by an enviroment that says sit back and do not say much,
I love when people stand up and realise the potential within themselves and to have the belief that they are and can always be the best.
If the intention is coming from the right place then we are the best
We will be judged by our intention not by our actions.
Encourage everybody to actually go out today and everyday and BE the best they can BE and do not accept anything else from anyone else.
BEhave everyday how you would if you were the best you could BE
And then yes you will always BE the BEST.
Have an Outstanding Day 🙂
Pat
p.s check out this event if it interests you, I believe it will
http://successindoing.ie
Take care
October 2, 2011 at 12:37 am |
Good luck with the event, sounds great Pat
October 10, 2011 at 1:18 pm |
Dear All,
Thank you very much for all your positive comments. I am overwhelmed by the level of response that my statement provoked.
I can see how my statement may have been perceived in some quarters as overzealous, but my comments came from the heart.
A fellow countryman of mine, the great Gary Player, once remarked on the suggestion that he may have been lucky after winning a golf tournament, “I find the harder I practice the luckier I get”!
So here at Hayfield Manor we will keep on practicing!
Thank you again for all your continued support!
Ettienne van Vrede
General Manager
Hayfield Manor Hotel
October 11, 2011 at 2:44 pm |
you got us all talking Ettienne – I hope if you stood up tomorrow you would say exactly the same again – well done!
December 4, 2012 at 7:36 pm |
10 years ago I was seated in front of the interview panel; one of 32 other candidates short-listed for the job interview. When I first saw the job adv with all specifications I could tick all the required criteria and I wanted the job!
After the customary “firing” drill, the last panel member asked the intriguing question: Why should we give You the job? It took me just few seconds to breath in and then to let out: Because I deserve it!
I couldn’t hear any noises made but I could see the impact of that sentence in some (unpleasantly-like) raised brows…
I got the job and still carry on of what I knew I can do better than the other 31!
Moral of the story:
For companies-Write a good job description
For job’s candidate-The title of the Blog applies: trust your gut, trust me (and Greg)!
Regards,
Sorina
December 5, 2012 at 11:37 pm |
Great story Sorina – thanks for sharing & well done for “going for it”