With IAAPA Expo 2022 in the books, our sights shift toward the holiday season and the end of the year.  However, after hosting “AttractionPros LIVE!” at this year’s conference, there are still many thoughtful questions left on the plate from our audience. In this episode, Matt and Josh devour these leftover questions and discuss selling yourself, overcoming imposter syndrome, keeping your team engaged during the slower season, and eliminating gossip in the workplace.

How to “Sell Yourself” and Promote Your Marketable Skills

When it comes to selling yourself, you have to make yourself in demand. Networking is an upstream battle and can seem difficult, but by looking at it from the long term, you can reverse the flow of the river. Every year, you build more connections and gradually get more people coming to you rather than having to reach out. Capitalize on this idea and market yourself in light of that concept.

To start playing the inbound, consider speaking at events like IAAPA expos. By serving the industry, people will begin to see your presence and put a name to the face. Starting out is hard, so don’t be discouraged if session proposals are not accepted immediately. Get back up and try again by strengthening your online presence and increasing your marketability by trying to develop the 3 important words; Know, Trust, and Like.

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is when you are passionate and proficient about a certain topic, but there are a number of other people who are more successful and knowledgeable than you, therefore making you feel scared to put your ideas forward. It’s a common situation, and many people think that with the amount of success surrounding them, they haven’t accomplished anything when they truly have. 

Sometimes you have to have to drown out Imposter Syndrome to start the battle. Put your message forward and back it up. By getting uncomfortable, you’ll begin to realize that people do care about your ideas and what you have to say. Even if it’s a common topic, getting people’s gears to turn a different direction can make a massive impact. 

Keeping Your Team Engaged During the Slower Season

Employees are often engaged when they get to personalize the guest experience rather than only focus on efficiency and numbers. By training your employees to take on the slower season by creating a more interactive and unique guest experience, they will be more engaged and excited to come to work. 

Personalizing the experience for guests can be as flexible as you need to be, like an accordion-style approach, and you can train your team to handle the busy moments when the line is long and also to handle the slower hours. By extending the accordion, you can give more liberty to your team to interact with guests, and when the time comes, you can shorten the accordion as well. 

In addition, the slow season is a great time to take on new projects and include your team in them. Not only can you engage your team and let them have an impact in your operation, but you can also check off the items on your list that you couldn’t get to during the busy season. 

Eliminating (or Minimizing) Gossip in the Workplace

Previous podcast guest Brad Collins often talks about how his company declared war on gossip. When seen, it was immediately taken care of, therefore significantly reducing the amount of negativity shared throughout the workplace. By drawing a line in the sand, people will know limits and the employee experience will not falter.

Additionally, having the tools to share information that could lead to gossip can be very beneficial and stop the issue at its source. However, having open communication is even more critical. Even if it’s a difficult conversation to have, if people realize the intent is positive, they’ll take your side. By being honest and being a bridge to the river, you can fight the game of telephone and encourage healthy, positive communication. Overall, being proactive is the best way to fight gossip in the workplace. 

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• Summary by Mason Nichols