As many businesses find themselves with shrinking revenues and in a challenging competitive marketplace, there is no more important time for organizations to think differently about their sales targets and revenue opportunities.

The key to being successful is to really understand the needs of a prospect before explaining what features and amenities are available.

At the Professional Convention Management Assn. conference, attendees were surprisingly positive about 2010. Will these positive feelings lead to business for your hotel?

Executives said their primary goal is to be sure customers are getting the best rate at their site, and they will no longer partner with companies who won't work under those terms. BY SENIOR EDITOR JASON Q. FREED

Expedia's invitation to individual hotels sparks "bold" letter from Choice.

The two companies had been negotiating for more than two years. As a result of the impasse, Expedia is no longer offering Choice properties through its web booking engine.

Kayak.com and Sidestep.com were launched in 2005 by co-founders of Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia.

Military reunions are an untapped market, with only 3 percent of hotels actively pursuing them.

A consultant is someone who provides professional or technical advice. Every hospitality sales person is really a consultant, but perhaps we are too intent on selling something that we forget to provide advice and counsel. One of the biggest complaints meeting planners have is that some sales people are so aggressive about making a sale they forget to find out if the meeting planner is really a prospect.

Build your biz: The next big meeting planner star; Construction companies can take advantage of stimulus; Winning strategy