Effective communication is an essential skill no matter what industry you work in. In fact, business communication skills saw a 1,585 percent increase in demand last year. However, some lines of work put more emphasis on this attribute than others. The travel and hospitality industry depends on the impeccable communication skills of hotel managers and other staff members. It can enhance a guest’s experience, increase customer loyalty, generate more business, and bump up overall success.

Communicating well isn’t necessarily something that always comes naturally. Like other skills, however, it can be taught through training.

The Role of Effective Communication

To understand how communication affects any industry, it’s important to define the role of communication within that context first. The hospitality industry, for example, relies heavily on the correspondence between colleagues, guests, staff and partners. It’s these clear lines of communication that keeps a travel and hospitality business running well.

The communication skills of travel and hospitality staff are crucial, even when they’re not facing guests or clients. To meet tight schedules, various requirements and special requests, clear and precise communication skills are required. Both within the team and outwardly, this can result in a better understanding of instructions and proficiency in the latest technology used by the establishment. Staff with the right training will approach guests with more confidence, and good communication encourages a positive attitude in the workplace with more opportunities for collaboration.

How Female Leaders Can Improve Their Communication Skills

Having women in positions of leadership is particularly important in this industry as it offers a diverse perspective. This kind of representation helps travel and hospitality businesses create better offerings that resonate with more guests. Here are two ways that leaders can improve their company’s communication skills:

Listening to Staff

Effective communication starts by listening. In this case it’s the input of staff members who carry out daily operations. When management does all the talking without listening to valuable staff insights, employees tend to become less proactive. By listening to staff openly, there’s a better chance of having a productive dialogue on how to make operations and services better. It will be productive to conduct feedback sessions regularly so that there’s a systematic way to listen to and implement suggestions. This will keep employees engaged and more motivated to work.

Training on Communication

Formal training for communication skills is essential for leaders. It’s especially crucial that staff in this industry are taught a holistic approach to their management styles, especially when it comes to continuous learning. This is why many hotels arrange training sessions for their staff in order to improve their communication skills. The sessions will help them effectively interact with different guests and deal with difficult situations.

These training sessions will be run by a communications professional. They will take the modern principles taught in communication programs and teach diverse ways to recognize, analyze and respond to communication challenges and opportunities. For instance, a leader in hotel management may choose to hire a professional who can help train their staff in public relations, which involves writing media releases, managing social media, and even giving public interviews.

With the hospitality industry slowly getting back to normal there will be a greater emphasis on communication, especially if your area has any restrictions or protocols.