March 28, 2025 • 41 mins
Why Your First Impression Could Make or Break Guest Experience
In this episode of The Social Hotelier Show, Sam-Erik Ruttmann welcomes renowned keynote speaker and author Sylvie Di Giusto.
Together, they explore the psychology of first and lasting impressions in hospitality
and how unconscious biases shape guest experiences.
Sylvie breaks down her signature "ABCD-E" framework—Appearance, Behavior, Communication, Digital Footprint, and Environment—offering practical tools for hospitality leaders to influence perception and build trust from the first moment.
The conversation also dives into the often-overlooked impact of a leader’s digital presence and how virtual interactions can elevate—or damage—credibility. Whether you're a hotel executive, manager, or aspiring leader, this episode offers actionable insights on how to become more intentional, authentic, and effective in your role . Subscribe, listen, and learn how micro-choices can create macro impact in guest experience.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
But I have
always been,
somebody who likes to think out of the
outside of the box and to disrupt patterns.
And one day, I was at the Cirque
du Soleil show, and I saw, all of
a sudden, horses running from the left to
the right side.
(00:21):
And I wondered, were they real? Well, was
this an illusion? Where did they come from?
Where did they,
go to?
And I realized it was a holographic technology
that they use, but I always had this
vision of something three-dimensional.
Hi, everyone. Welcome back to the Social Hotelier
podcast with me, Sam Erik Roetman.
(00:41):
Today, welcome a powerhouse
of leadership,
decision making, and emotional intelligence, an award winning
keynote speaker who has captivated
audiences around the world. With twenty years of
corporate experiences
and groundbreaking approach to leadership and customer experience,
she has transformed the way professionals make impactful
choices.
(01:01):
My guest is Silvita Cioesto.
Stay with us until the end as we
uncover the secrets
behind her success
and how you too can harness the power
of choice to shape your future. So welcome,
Sylvia, and thanks you very much for joining
today.
Thank you very much, Sam Erik. It's always
an honor to be on great shows, but
(01:22):
it's an extra honor when I can be
back home in Europe. Thank you very much
for having me.
My pleasure.
Well, I think the things that, when you
say back home, is that mean Austria originally
in or how is it for you? It's
complicated. I always say it's complicated.
You hear a Spanish grandmother,
an Italian grandfather,
(01:43):
a French father, and an Austrian
mother,
but life brought me to The United States
where I'm currently located in beautiful
Florida in sunny Tampa.
Wonderful. Well,
I have to say, Helsinki,
is not the most sunniest place in the
world, but I think,
today was a good day because,
(02:05):
I think the weather power is new that
we're gonna have a podcast today. So the
sun has been bright and shining all day.
So it puts me also in a very
kind of cheerful mood where because sun makes
that to me.
Wonderful.
But just to perhaps to for the audience
to get an understanding,
if you could tell me about, your professional
experience and and the journey that that has
(02:27):
taken you that you now are known as
the international three d immersive holographic keynote speaker.
Mhmm. Mhmm.
Well, after a long corporate career in, Europe,
I decided to fulfill my lifelong dream to
live in The United States, left everything behind
literally overnight, and moved with a newborn on
(02:48):
my lap,
to The United States and decided to change,
the sides from booking speakers to becoming a
speaker.
And, you know, for around twelve years, I
did what every other speaker did.
Same old, same old. Opening conferences,
(03:09):
closing
conferences,
telling a few stories, clicking through my slide
decks, delivering
a few facts and figures.
But I have
always been,
somebody who likes to think out of the
outside of the box and to disrupt
(03:29):
patterns.
And one day I was at Cirque du
Soleil show, and I saw, all of a
sudden, horses running from the left to the
right side.
And I wondered, were they real? Was this
an illusion? Where did they come from? Where
did they,
go to?
And I realized it was holographic
technology that they used.
(03:51):
And I researched a little bit the three
d or the holographic
technology
and
quickly realized that holographic
technology, unfortunately,
is always just flat. It's two dimensional.
But I always had this vision of something
three-dimensional.
I wanted to go into a brain. I
wanted to take my audience members into a
(04:12):
brain.
So afterwards, it only took four years like
with many innovations,
a lot of ups and downs and failures
and strides and errors and,
three steps forward, two steps back
until I launched the world's three d or
the world's first three d immersive experience, which
(04:34):
means now my stage becomes
a three-dimensional
environment
where I have a brain surrounding me,
where I create environments
rather than just showing slide decks to my
audiences and where I take them on this
beautiful,
magical
(04:54):
memorizing
journey. I am so blessed,
to share with my audience members.
Well, I have to admit, my next question
is probably is too obvious. But when you
step to the stage and I meet your
audience for the first time, how do you
grab their attention
and ensure that they stay engaged without these
distractions
like mobile devices or looking at their,
(05:17):
SMSs and so on? But, I think that
you probably have answered the question, but tell
me anyway.
You know, I truly believe that speaking is
never about the speaker.
It's always about the audience. This is one
of my
core beliefs. And when I ask other speakers,
for example, a very common question in our
(05:39):
industry,
what do you speak about?
And nine out of 10 speakers respond to
me, I speak to audiences
about x y z. Then I already know
it's the wrong approach
because I always say I speak with audiences.
It's like a dance between me and the
(06:00):
audience. And,
for that,
I always want them to be part of
my keynotes, not just,
you know, participants
that are passive
listeners.
And so
I use technology
to do that, not just for the sake
of technology, but the technology allows me
(06:23):
to make them part of the experience.
I also use a lot of moments of
surprise
because the brain just loves novelty.
And I create this, wait, what just happened
moments in in in the same way that
I saw
horses running across the stage. Some things happen
(06:45):
on stage where they think,
wait. What just happened?
I changed my outfits, for example, magically, to
showcase to them how powerful,
somebody's visual appearance is. I eliminate my accent
on stage with the help of, technology.
I have an elephant crossing on my stage.
(07:08):
I break expectations from the very
first second.
I don't have an introduction.
How often did you go to a conference,
SM Eric, and we're really moved by a
speaker's introduction,
listening to all the credentials,
that the speaker has and all the books.
I just
(07:28):
break those patterns
and grab the attention
of the audience in different ways.
Wonderful.
I I I well, I was watching a
YouTube where you came on stage,
and you basically asked the audience immediately,
in one word, describe,
what you think of me or what is
(07:48):
your first impression. Yes. And people look kind
of puzzled that in this was something they
were really caught by surprise, and I think
this probably is one of the ways that
you are
get people alerted to what about to become
next.
Exactly. Exactly.
Yeah. You know, the the comfort zone, I
always say, is a very dangerous place.
(08:10):
It is where we don't grow and very
stagnant.
So I always take them also a little
bit to the edge of their comfort zone,
but still in a safe environment. And Yes.
People actually,
enjoy this. There is another part of that
that after I ask them what they think
(08:31):
of me,
I sent them around and let them label
each other,
which means,
they really physically walk through the room and
have to put labors on their back, what
they think of each other.
And the first moment I always hear them
gasp.
They are so fearful to go through this
(08:51):
physical experience of being labored.
And after five minutes, I'm telling you, they
have so much fun
because they feel so so
safe in this room that it's difficult for
me to get them back into their seats
because they want more labors, more labors.
Who doesn't wanna know who they are really
perceived by others? Who who wouldn't want to
have that information
(09:13):
from their back knowing what others really think
about you when they think about you? Of
course.
If you look back, about your career,
that you have had as a public speaker
and also you have booked other speakers,
have you always been confident on the stage
or was there a time that you you
had to overcome certain,
(09:34):
personal issues or or fear of being on
a stage? Or how did you go about
that? If if you had, can you just
share with the audience who are,
many, many of the people who are listening
to the audience, who are listening to this
podcast, they are,
they have they have reluctancy to be not
be on on the stage, but they have
reluctance to be in front of a camera.
Maybe we can share just your personal view
(09:55):
on this.
Yes. Absolutely.
Let me let me share a a personal
story.
Years ago, I lived in New York City
It was at the beginning of my speaking
career, and I was utterly,
concerned about my accent.
(10:15):
But one day, somebody from a TV show,
a producer from a TV show in New
York called me and asked me if I
would be willing to come into the studio
and,
be part of a TV show for that
evening and comment on the public persona of
a politician.
And being at the beginning of my career,
(10:35):
I didn't ask many questions. I said, sure.
Hoped into a cab, instantly drove into that
studio. I didn't know much about the politician,
quickly Googled his name,
And I found myself in that studio in
between all those well spoken political
experts
who all had this picture perfect
(10:55):
US American English. They used words so complicated,
so sophisticated,
so eloquent
that
when in the evening, I watched the show
and I heard myself
in between those vowels spoken politically experts. I
was so embarrassed
that I didn't even tell anybody that I
(11:15):
was on the show,
but then they invited me again and again
and again. And I somehow became a regular
guest on that show.
And every single time when I watched it,
I hated it.
So at the
holiday party,
over a glass of wine, I approached the
(11:38):
TV producer or the producer of this show,
and I shared this insecurity
with him.
And he looked at me and pointed at
my mouth and said,
that's the reason
why we invite you again and again.
Because first,
you sound like an international
(11:59):
expert.
And second,
you say things
so simple
that every single viewer in front of the
TV understands you,
while they don't understand the political experts.
So I came to realize that one of
my biggest insecurities
(12:20):
is actually
one of my biggest superpowers.
And nowadays,
I realized that my
accent is actually such a unique selling point
here living
in The United States because, first of all,
it's something
exotic.
And second,
(12:40):
most of the time, I find myself
in front of international audiences.
So I tracked a specific
market here
and a specific
client who is actually looking for somebody who
is not the cookie cutter, typically American speaker.
And maybe you too, if you're tuning in
(13:02):
and listening,
maybe you too have something you might be
insecure or worried about, and you can actually
turn it into your superpower.
That's a very nice,
story about your your life, and I think
this is a kind of a learning for
for everyone.
I incidentally had my own
(13:24):
similar experience being, for seven years in The
United States and and, as a trainee. And
they put me in front
via buffet to cut the roast beef for
the customers.
And, and I I never hardly had held
a knife. I'd never had kept had a
chef's uniform on. But the reason they had
me there was because of my accent and
(13:45):
not my skill, and that's why people enjoyed
it. So I can relate perfect to that
even though it's a little bit of absolutely
a different,
situation. But, I think that kind of touches
people when you you have some something unique
that that, grabs the audience and also attracts
people. So on. Mhmm. Yeah.
Is there a difference? I mean, I I
(14:06):
may talked earlier about,
the
that you have you have a presence on
a stage, but then when you are
meeting in the audience digitally, is there something
different that you in your approach that you
you take,
when you speak in on a digital,
you are in a studio in a studio
environment, but if you are Mhmm. Let's say
you're at TED talk TED talk or one
(14:28):
of those, how do you go anything differently
that you approach on that? Yeah. So
if you present virtually
or as a leader, you meet with your
team or you have a presentation online,
I always
want you to remember that the screen
takes away,
(14:48):
I would guess around 20 to 30%
of your energy level
and your enthusiasm
and your passion.
And even if it feels kind of weird
for you being alone in your office
or in some sort of studio or wherever
you are. You really need to tune up
(15:09):
your energy level. Because between you and the
recipient those 20 to 30%
just get lost.
Which means
you need to speak louder. You need to
speak faster.
You need to use your facial expressions more.
You need to use your hand gestures more.
Of course you don't wanna get crazy with
(15:29):
your
hands.
But everything that you
usually do in a room,
you need just to express
more and more intentionally
because through the screen otherwise,
it seems just less engaging.
Lean in more, sit up more, just to
(15:51):
show way more energy and enthusiasm
that you would do when you would be
one on one in a room because otherwise,
so the digital courts between you and I,
it gets lost.
Yeah. Very good. Those are some great tips.
And you just reminded me to sit more
straight, which I start to do now here
in front of you also.
(16:12):
So I was thinking about,
digital presence because
many of us are in front of, an
audience or we are
on Teams calls or Zoom calls,
where in in this world where this digital
presence is so crucial, how can how can,
in this case, hospitality leaders balance
(16:33):
their authenticity
with professionalism
in their online footprint? Meaning that so so
that there is an if you meet a
person, that's one thing, but now you're meeting,
digitally.
You mentioned already certain certain tips, but is
there anything else that, one should be aware
of when you're in those kind of maybe
important meetings, like on Zoom, for instance?
(16:55):
Yeah.
You know, Sam Eric, you're not gonna like
my answer
because when it comes to authenticity,
I always say
authenticity
is a lie.
And it is has become the most overused
word,
especially when it comes to leadership.
(17:17):
And the reason why is because it has
been misused
in so many instances.
Authenticity
here very often gets used as you just
do you. You just be you.
But as a leader
you have a specific role. You have a
specific
(17:38):
responsibility.
You represent yourself. You represent a team. You
represent a brand. You represent an organization.
You you no? You represent the hospitality
industry as an entity.
And I always say
hospitality
only exists
in these specific roles.
(18:00):
I can be authentic as a mother at
home. I can be authentic
as a wife to my husband. I can
be authentic
as a speaker on stage, but I'm very
differently
different authentic
as a leader to my team,
for example. So I believe that authenticity
exists in those different roles,
(18:22):
but there is no such thing that one
authenticity that I can just do in all
roles, whatever I want to do. Just imagine
I would speak with my husband the way
I speak with my audiences,
or I would speak with my children the
way I speak with my team and vice
versa.
Right?
So first, I would encourage you
(18:43):
to define what for yourself, what does authenticity
and professionalism
really mean for you as a leader in
hospitality
when it comes to your digital presence?
And who do you represent there? Yourself,
but you also represent
your team and the brand you work for.
(19:06):
And then beyond,
the virtual interaction you have in meetings,
think of your social media profiles. What do
we find there? Think of the emails that
you send out that can be forwarded and
forwarded.
And right now, somebody could read an email
that you sent as part of your digital
(19:28):
footprint that wasn't even meant for them because
somebody else forwarded it.
Think of what shows up about you on
page one on Google.
And not just in terms of links, but
also when I click on the tab with
the images, when I click on the tab
with, the videos.
So,
there is this,
(19:49):
digital footprint that you consciously left behind, And
then there is also this digital presence that
you unconsciously
leave behind in between the lines.
Things that we often notice about others, but
are very willing to ignore about ourselves.
How often are you online? How often do
(20:10):
you post?
We all have that one friend where we
think,
oh, wow. You are online a lot. Do
you even go to work? Right?
How outdated are your profiles?
Is that picture of you on LinkedIn
even
somehow still
accurate or do you totally look different,
in life when I meet you now twenty
(20:32):
years
later?
So keep in mind that your digital presence
has become
far and wide and nowadays,
unfortunately,
will determine
if you are ever
able to meet somebody in person. It has
become your first impression in terms of the
(20:53):
really
first first impression
because people usually check you out first online
and then decide if it's worth interacting
with you or not.
Wonderful. I mean, these are just, some
I call them golden nuggets that one has
to take care of. And I particularly like,
your your
(21:16):
points
about online presence digitally because we have,
many of us have a social media,
presence in Instagram and Facebook. And their Facebook
has the friends from their childhood, and we
are kidding around. We're showing goofy pictures. And
Then we go to LinkedIn, and we look
super professional, and we have a that, corporate
look. And then you go to Instagram,
(21:37):
where it's a little bit different. We we
show our pictures from the holidays. And, you're
so right. People will
determine pretty much who you are based on
those things, and and you have to so
be so careful.
There has to be somebody who is gonna
be help you to help one to to
kind of screen and even filter
what you put is there. So, I mean,
there's a very fine line these days, isn't
(21:59):
it? I mean, I really like that you
answered. Absolutely.
Your guests don't make that differentiation
when they search your name because let's say
they had an incident in your restaurant or
in your hotel. When they search your name
afterwards, they don't think, oh, that's the private
Instagram account, and they can be goofy there,
and that's the professional one. They just take
everything into consideration
(22:21):
to confirm
their opinion about you. So you need to
be very careful in coming back to your
authenticity and your role.
Out there on the Internet,
for everybody, you should be in the role
of a hospitality
leader
and showcase
exactly that with your digital footprint.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I remember
(22:42):
during the,
COVID epidemic, we had I had another
show with a friend of mine. It was
called hospitality talks.
And,
I was I would got frequently comments from
my, American guests who were top corporate leaders.
And I was told, I was always wearing
a suit and suit and bow tie. And
(23:03):
they start to make some kind of funny
remarks because they were in kind of their
country club, T shirt and so on. Well,
they asked me, why what are you why
are you wearing
in in the morning these kind of clothes?
I said, well, actually, it's out of respect
to you. It's not about me. It's about
you. So I just want to show up
my my best version of myself because it's
gonna be online and and for the world
(23:24):
to see it. So I think there's a
little bit something I have picked up over
the years on that.
Exactly. Exactly.
You mentioned you have written a book that
maybe touches hospitality leaders that you can pick
up some.
And in your book, you emphasize the importance
of first and lasting impressions.
What's some one surprising insight about human psychology
(23:45):
that most hospital
hospital hospitality leaders overlook that they should pay
attention to to?
Well, first,
if I may answer,
I'll give you two answers. The first Yes.
This book is based on what I call
the ABCDE
framework. To understand that, the a stands for
(24:05):
your appearance, the way you look, the b
for your behavior, the way you interact,
the c for your communication,
the way you communicate,
the D for your digital footprint,
the the
digital,
breadcrumbs you leave behind and the E for
your environment,
the living and the non living things that
(24:26):
you surround yourselves. And those are the five
factors we all,
create a presence or imprint on others
on a first impression.
The most surprising
insight
that most hospitality
leaders
overlook.
Same Eric, if I would give you a
(24:49):
list of 30 items
to memorize right now, 30 items on a
list. Okay?
And in
five minutes, I would ask you,
which of those 30 items would you most
likely
still remember? What do you think? Which one
(25:09):
would that be?
If it could be 30 items, I think
I would
I would memorize something that relates to myself
that I I think about myself most likely.
I will take that as a as a
cue.
But, if it would be
random items, none of them would be related
to you? Random
(25:30):
words?
Then it would be something,
considering my my personality, I would looking at
as a what are some positive attributes of
something that I would think about? Yes. Yes.
Usually,
it in terms of the order,
(25:50):
it would be something at the beginning and
the end.
Right? Usually, if we have a long list
of things to memorize
and if we don't focus on on on
the content or of the purpose of the
list,
people remember from a long list the words
at the beginning and at the end. Would
(26:10):
you agree? Yes. I would think so. Yes.
Yeah. It's,
a psychological
effect,
that we know that the brain
puts energy
at, at the beginning
and at the end into a process and
in the middle just saves energy.
(26:32):
And I don't wanna say goes to sleep,
but goes to rest. And why is this
important,
for hospitality leaders?
The first and the lasting impression
of a stay in your restaurant
or in your hotel
is what guests will remember the most.
So how do you welcome them? For example,
(26:55):
sets the tone for the entire
experience and this is a huge opportunity,
for you. I talk a lot about in
my book, The Image of Leadership for Hospitality,
about how
unconscious biases
in a guest's brain look for confirmation
because they want it to be right.
(27:17):
And,
the same is true for that last impression
at the very end. The things that the
brain remembers the most is how you let
them go
will determine if they come back.
And I think that part of human psychology
is incredibly important for hospitality leaders because those
beginning
hospitality leaders because those
(27:40):
beginning moments and those ending
moments
are processes
where they have a lot of control during
the check-in and the check out moment, more
control that they possibly have also in the
middle when guests are
just in, for example, the guest room.
Yeah. Yeah.
(28:02):
You you have highlighted how environments plays a
major role in shaping perceptions.
What's the most overlooked aspect of creating a
positive physical
environment in hotels? Because you must be traveling
to hotels on on speaker engagements and so
on, but just as a as a frequent
traveler, could you maybe share your views on
that?
Yeah. Well, as I, just said,
(28:25):
the beginning of the experience, I think that
most, let's say, hotels,
do a great job focusing
on the lobby design and front desk interactions,
which is important
because it sets
a tone. I'm almost
surprised
how few hotels
(28:45):
realize that the guest experience
actually
already begins before we step
to your hotel.
You know?
The parking lots,
the drop off zones,
all those
outside
impressions that I make before I enter.
And I've often feel that those areas feel
(29:08):
incredibly
cold and transactional and and and purely functional,
like dead zones, like they don't belong to
the hotel.
And there would be so many
opportunities for those, you know, those moments of
surprise or those moments of delight that I
use in my presentations.
Just imagine
(29:29):
we would park in front,
of a hotel and there are all
signs over the parking,
spot that says something like,
park your worries here, and we will take
care of the rest.
Or the greenery,
there would be
(29:50):
signs like something. I don't know.
These flowers bloom just for you.
You know? Little
things outside already. Or imagine
I I drive my car
into the valet and the ticket is not
just an old or cheap ticket with a
(30:10):
number that they give me.
It says something nice and welcoming to me.
I think there are a lot of small
opportunities
outside
of your property
that feel
or a lot of opportunities
that you could use to make
(30:31):
to start the guest experience
already before they step into your property.
Because for me,
as I said, they always feel very functional
and very transactional,
And I think there are a lot of
chances that you can make them feel more
welcoming and more human
(30:52):
and more delightful.
Absolutely. I mean, you're you're so right. I
mean, the,
if we take take these,
how hotel
chains and their their standardization
has evolved over the years, it has been
sort of,
mechanical
because we want to make sure that no
surprise is the best surprise. And then, basically,
(31:13):
then you lose
the sense
of, the warm welcome
and also in the sense of
designing the hotels.
It you're so right. It's it's amazing if
you can create the,
a surprise effect when you're arriving. You drive
through,
a forest and so on, then you arrive
and there's something inspiring.
And and it starts with a maybe a
(31:34):
warm smile, even the people who who greet
you in the beginning. And and,
and I I love to see the time
when we are able to know the name
of the guest before they arrive and not
just by looking at the computer, but we
used to do in the analog age. We
used to look at the luggage
tags when they were existing still, but those
are the small moments that that definitely makes
(31:55):
a huge difference in in people's mind. At
least they they get at ease at all.
Oh, they have no then they recognize me,
and they make me feel welcome. That's a
terrific thing. And then, obviously, the the lasting
impression is so important, and I,
that's where
actually, the whole event whole experience can get
terrific or can be an ice cold shower
(32:16):
when you're you're dealing with somebody somebody who
has been working,
all night as a cashier. And then they
are have one hour left before they leave
the shift tired, And then you come then
the guest is coming on their way to
to pay for the bill, and there's a
small argument
evolving because did you really drink that Coca
Cola or didn't you? Yep.
(32:38):
So those are
and that's a real life of of every
day, but I think,
kind of a delightment of of guest. I
mean, that makes
a huge difference, and it actually
will
solve many problems in fact,
which could become bigger. But I think there's
much more work needed and things the way
you are looking at out of the box.
(32:59):
And I I love the way you are
looking at well and what you can do
before the arrival and or during the arrival
that makes it
extra special.
That's nice. I I remember one hotel in
in Colorado.
Two things
that I remember.
First, there was a bench
in I I had a view on that
(33:19):
bench from my hotel room, and I was
always wondering why are people sitting on that
bench.
Right? But I only saw the back of
that bench. It was just a bench in
the middle of nowhere, and I could look
down until the next day when I walked
to the conference, I walked to the bench,
along the bench, and the bench said something.
It was printed,
(33:41):
on the bench, some something like sit here
or pause here. You
are exactly
where you are supposed to be
or where you need to be.
And people just sat down there, and I
found that beautiful.
Yeah. Yeah. That's nice. And then I remember
when I checked out,
I got, a little chocolate, and I don't
(34:03):
remember exactly what the chocolate said, but it
was something
it was printed on, like, it's it's a
sweet sweet but sorrow,
goodbye,
but not forever. Please come back or something
like that. Right? So it was those small
details that
made me feel like
(34:25):
this property really cared. It had so many
human small
touches.
And I will always go back because I
wanna experience that again.
Yeah.
I read about that you are involved with
the National Speakers Association.
And what is the biggest lesson hospitality leaders
or maybe an important lessons
(34:46):
hospitality leaders can learn from effective public speakers?
Because in these that's a
platform of the top professionals.
Mhmm. Mhmm.
May I share another story with you? Please.
Please.
You know, I find that speaking is such
(35:06):
a privilege. It's such a responsibility,
and I feel that in particular
after
one incident that, that I had,
I don't have a TV in my home.
For for no particular reason, we just moved
into this house and never installed the TV
on. And then after a few months, we
realized, oh my god. We forgot to install
(35:28):
the TV and then realized maybe we don't
even need a TV.
So when I watch a movie, it is
a very intentional choice. We I download something
or I rent something, but we never have
a TV
on here just running.
And one day, I
decided to watch a movie.
(35:49):
And I'm not sure if you ever had
this, but
after downloading it or renting it, after five
minutes,
I already
thought to myself, oh, I I think this
is gonna be bad.
And after fifteen minutes, I knew it.
It was a wrong choice. It's gonna be
a bad movie.
(36:09):
And after thirty minutes in Warsaw, I knew,
oh god. It's gonna be such a bad
movie. But at one point, I was so
far in that I thought, oh, well, now
I'm just gonna watch it to the end.
And, you know, as a mimic, after ninety
minutes watching this movie,
I was
(36:30):
so angry at myself.
I was
so disappointed
in myself
because
I just lost ninety minutes
of my lifetime
that I will never get back. I just
wasted ninety minutes of my entire lifetime, and
I will never get it back.
(36:50):
And every single time
I step on stage now,
I remind myself of that movie and those
ninety minutes, and I do the math.
I calculate there are 1,000
people out there, and I have forty five
minutes of time.
I'm stealing forty five minutes out of 1,000
(37:11):
people's life.
That is quite a responsibility.
Yes. I better
make it worth
their while every single minute.
And I feel hospitality
leaders
should think in a similar way. You are
also borrowing
lifetime.
Your guests are coming for different reasons
(37:34):
to your hotel and your properties or into
your restaurants or wherever,
but they are spending
time in there.
And time is the most valuable gift somebody
can give you. It's it's not the money
actually I find.
It's every single
(37:54):
minute that they gift you with. And I
hope that
you and your team, your staff, and your
Aetna leadership
feels the responsibility
and the privilege
to take care of that time that they
bring to your properties.
(38:14):
That's a very insightful way of speaking. I
I really love how you put it because
this is,
we have the we have only one chance.
That cliche is about we have only one
chance to make that,
first impression. And many many guests are coming
to a hotel for the first time, and
they will,
they
will they will decide, is this the place
I want to come back again?
(38:34):
Was it is it it wasn't the money,
but it was was it did I have
a time where I,
where
it it makes it it made a bit
difference in my life that I stayed there,
and I would like to make that have
that experience again. So, and that, that is
something that, we have to remind ourselves continuously
as,
as professionals,
whether it's in a, in a situation where
(38:55):
we are serving breakfast,
as, as one of the staff and, and,
or we are, how can we delight them
just for that moment? And if you remember
a little bit about the guests when they
come the next day for breakfast, that we,
that we can actually give them something that
they feel, feel pampered. That makes a huge
difference for people when they're spending their time.
And, yeah, time is of is the most,
(39:17):
I'm glad I I know another person now
besides myself who don't have a TV.
I I think it's a very good thing.
And then we have to make wise choices
when you choose movies now. Yes. A wise
choice. And it's very protective to not hear
the news
every single day and
intentionally
choose what you want to know, what is
going on out there.
(39:39):
Yes, Sylvia.
Well, Sylvia, it has been a a really
a great pleasure for that you have joined
me
today. And,
if people are interested to find more about
your activities
and how can they do so, do you
have a list where your where your speaking
engagements are? Where can they find a book
if they they would like to,
start to read more in detail of about
(40:00):
your very excellent tips that you already talked
about in our in our episode?
Oh, thank you very much for asking, sir,
Erica. I appreciate that. Well, you've find me
on my website, silviedejuster.com.
Just try to put in my rather complicated
name into Google, and it might pop up.
You find me everywhere on social media on
(40:22):
all platforms.
Please connect. And if you do so, then
send me a private message that you come
from this fantastic show.
And I, friend of Sam Eric, and you
find,
all of my books on Amazon
in The United States, but also in Europe.
And,
if I made and I
recommend you to check out the image of
(40:44):
leadership for hospitality.
It is a special edition that I dedicated
to all the wonderful
leaders and professionals.
I had the pleasure of serving throughout the
past fifteen
years in the hospitality
industry.
And, I would love to hear what you
think about it.
(41:05):
Wonderful. That's a very good ending to this.
And so thank you very much, Julia, for
joining today. I appreciate you you joined. This
has been a highlight for me to have
you and an honor to have you as
my guest.
Thank you very much for having me, sir,
Erica. What a pleasure
to be with you.
Thank you for tuning in to The Social
Hotelier. If you enjoyed this episode, please take
(41:27):
a moment to leave us a review. Give
it a thumbs up, and don't forget to
hit that subscribe button to stay updated. We
have incredible lineup of guests coming your way
in the future, so stay tuned for more
thought provoking conversations.
Until next time, take care and keep exploring.
But I have
always been,
somebody who likes to think out of the
outside of the box and to disrupt patterns.
And one day, I was at the Cirque
du Soleil show, and I saw, all of
a sudden, horses running from the left to
the right side.
(00:21):
And I wondered, were they real? Well, was
this an illusion? Where did they come from?
Where did they,
go to?
And I realized it was a holographic technology
that they use, but I always had this
vision of something three-dimensional.
Hi, everyone. Welcome back to the Social Hotelier
podcast with me, Sam Erik Roetman.
(00:41):
Today, welcome a powerhouse
of leadership,
decision making, and emotional intelligence, an award winning
keynote speaker who has captivated
audiences around the world. With twenty years of
corporate experiences
and groundbreaking approach to leadership and customer experience,
she has transformed the way professionals make impactful
choices.
(01:01):
My guest is Silvita Cioesto.
Stay with us until the end as we
uncover the secrets
behind her success
and how you too can harness the power
of choice to shape your future. So welcome,
Sylvia, and thanks you very much for joining
today.
Thank you very much, Sam Erik. It's always
an honor to be on great shows, but
(01:22):
it's an extra honor when I can be
back home in Europe. Thank you very much
for having me.
My pleasure.
Well, I think the things that, when you
say back home, is that mean Austria originally
in or how is it for you? It's
complicated. I always say it's complicated.
You hear a Spanish grandmother,
an Italian grandfather,
(01:43):
a French father, and an Austrian
mother,
but life brought me to The United States
where I'm currently located in beautiful
Florida in sunny Tampa.
Wonderful. Well,
I have to say, Helsinki,
is not the most sunniest place in the
world, but I think,
today was a good day because,
(02:05):
I think the weather power is new that
we're gonna have a podcast today. So the
sun has been bright and shining all day.
So it puts me also in a very
kind of cheerful mood where because sun makes
that to me.
Wonderful.
But just to perhaps to for the audience
to get an understanding,
if you could tell me about, your professional
experience and and the journey that that has
(02:27):
taken you that you now are known as
the international three d immersive holographic keynote speaker.
Mhmm. Mhmm.
Well, after a long corporate career in, Europe,
I decided to fulfill my lifelong dream to
live in The United States, left everything behind
literally overnight, and moved with a newborn on
(02:48):
my lap,
to The United States and decided to change,
the sides from booking speakers to becoming a
speaker.
And, you know, for around twelve years, I
did what every other speaker did.
Same old, same old. Opening conferences,
(03:09):
closing
conferences,
telling a few stories, clicking through my slide
decks, delivering
a few facts and figures.
But I have
always been,
somebody who likes to think out of the
outside of the box and to disrupt
(03:29):
patterns.
And one day I was at Cirque du
Soleil show, and I saw, all of a
sudden, horses running from the left to the
right side.
And I wondered, were they real? Was this
an illusion? Where did they come from? Where
did they,
go to?
And I realized it was holographic
technology that they used.
(03:51):
And I researched a little bit the three
d or the holographic
technology
and
quickly realized that holographic
technology, unfortunately,
is always just flat. It's two dimensional.
But I always had this vision of something
three-dimensional.
I wanted to go into a brain. I
wanted to take my audience members into a
(04:12):
brain.
So afterwards, it only took four years like
with many innovations,
a lot of ups and downs and failures
and strides and errors and,
three steps forward, two steps back
until I launched the world's three d or
the world's first three d immersive experience, which
(04:34):
means now my stage becomes
a three-dimensional
environment
where I have a brain surrounding me,
where I create environments
rather than just showing slide decks to my
audiences and where I take them on this
beautiful,
magical
(04:54):
memorizing
journey. I am so blessed,
to share with my audience members.
Well, I have to admit, my next question
is probably is too obvious. But when you
step to the stage and I meet your
audience for the first time, how do you
grab their attention
and ensure that they stay engaged without these
distractions
like mobile devices or looking at their,
(05:17):
SMSs and so on? But, I think that
you probably have answered the question, but tell
me anyway.
You know, I truly believe that speaking is
never about the speaker.
It's always about the audience. This is one
of my
core beliefs. And when I ask other speakers,
for example, a very common question in our
(05:39):
industry,
what do you speak about?
And nine out of 10 speakers respond to
me, I speak to audiences
about x y z. Then I already know
it's the wrong approach
because I always say I speak with audiences.
It's like a dance between me and the
(06:00):
audience. And,
for that,
I always want them to be part of
my keynotes, not just,
you know, participants
that are passive
listeners.
And so
I use technology
to do that, not just for the sake
of technology, but the technology allows me
(06:23):
to make them part of the experience.
I also use a lot of moments of
surprise
because the brain just loves novelty.
And I create this, wait, what just happened
moments in in in the same way that
I saw
horses running across the stage. Some things happen
(06:45):
on stage where they think,
wait. What just happened?
I changed my outfits, for example, magically, to
showcase to them how powerful,
somebody's visual appearance is. I eliminate my accent
on stage with the help of, technology.
I have an elephant crossing on my stage.
(07:08):
I break expectations from the very
first second.
I don't have an introduction.
How often did you go to a conference,
SM Eric, and we're really moved by a
speaker's introduction,
listening to all the credentials,
that the speaker has and all the books.
I just
(07:28):
break those patterns
and grab the attention
of the audience in different ways.
Wonderful.
I I I well, I was watching a
YouTube where you came on stage,
and you basically asked the audience immediately,
in one word, describe,
what you think of me or what is
(07:48):
your first impression. Yes. And people look kind
of puzzled that in this was something they
were really caught by surprise, and I think
this probably is one of the ways that
you are
get people alerted to what about to become
next.
Exactly. Exactly.
Yeah. You know, the the comfort zone, I
always say, is a very dangerous place.
(08:10):
It is where we don't grow and very
stagnant.
So I always take them also a little
bit to the edge of their comfort zone,
but still in a safe environment. And Yes.
People actually,
enjoy this. There is another part of that
that after I ask them what they think
(08:31):
of me,
I sent them around and let them label
each other,
which means,
they really physically walk through the room and
have to put labors on their back, what
they think of each other.
And the first moment I always hear them
gasp.
They are so fearful to go through this
(08:51):
physical experience of being labored.
And after five minutes, I'm telling you, they
have so much fun
because they feel so so
safe in this room that it's difficult for
me to get them back into their seats
because they want more labors, more labors.
Who doesn't wanna know who they are really
perceived by others? Who who wouldn't want to
have that information
(09:13):
from their back knowing what others really think
about you when they think about you? Of
course.
If you look back, about your career,
that you have had as a public speaker
and also you have booked other speakers,
have you always been confident on the stage
or was there a time that you you
had to overcome certain,
(09:34):
personal issues or or fear of being on
a stage? Or how did you go about
that? If if you had, can you just
share with the audience who are,
many, many of the people who are listening
to the audience, who are listening to this
podcast, they are,
they have they have reluctancy to be not
be on on the stage, but they have
reluctance to be in front of a camera.
Maybe we can share just your personal view
(09:55):
on this.
Yes. Absolutely.
Let me let me share a a personal
story.
Years ago, I lived in New York City
It was at the beginning of my speaking
career, and I was utterly,
concerned about my accent.
(10:15):
But one day, somebody from a TV show,
a producer from a TV show in New
York called me and asked me if I
would be willing to come into the studio
and,
be part of a TV show for that
evening and comment on the public persona of
a politician.
And being at the beginning of my career,
(10:35):
I didn't ask many questions. I said, sure.
Hoped into a cab, instantly drove into that
studio. I didn't know much about the politician,
quickly Googled his name,
And I found myself in that studio in
between all those well spoken political
experts
who all had this picture perfect
(10:55):
US American English. They used words so complicated,
so sophisticated,
so eloquent
that
when in the evening, I watched the show
and I heard myself
in between those vowels spoken politically experts. I
was so embarrassed
that I didn't even tell anybody that I
(11:15):
was on the show,
but then they invited me again and again
and again. And I somehow became a regular
guest on that show.
And every single time when I watched it,
I hated it.
So at the
holiday party,
over a glass of wine, I approached the
(11:38):
TV producer or the producer of this show,
and I shared this insecurity
with him.
And he looked at me and pointed at
my mouth and said,
that's the reason
why we invite you again and again.
Because first,
you sound like an international
(11:59):
expert.
And second,
you say things
so simple
that every single viewer in front of the
TV understands you,
while they don't understand the political experts.
So I came to realize that one of
my biggest insecurities
(12:20):
is actually
one of my biggest superpowers.
And nowadays,
I realized that my
accent is actually such a unique selling point
here living
in The United States because, first of all,
it's something
exotic.
And second,
(12:40):
most of the time, I find myself
in front of international audiences.
So I tracked a specific
market here
and a specific
client who is actually looking for somebody who
is not the cookie cutter, typically American speaker.
And maybe you too, if you're tuning in
(13:02):
and listening,
maybe you too have something you might be
insecure or worried about, and you can actually
turn it into your superpower.
That's a very nice,
story about your your life, and I think
this is a kind of a learning for
for everyone.
I incidentally had my own
(13:24):
similar experience being, for seven years in The
United States and and, as a trainee. And
they put me in front
via buffet to cut the roast beef for
the customers.
And, and I I never hardly had held
a knife. I'd never had kept had a
chef's uniform on. But the reason they had
me there was because of my accent and
(13:45):
not my skill, and that's why people enjoyed
it. So I can relate perfect to that
even though it's a little bit of absolutely
a different,
situation. But, I think that kind of touches
people when you you have some something unique
that that, grabs the audience and also attracts
people. So on. Mhmm. Yeah.
Is there a difference? I mean, I I
(14:06):
may talked earlier about,
the
that you have you have a presence on
a stage, but then when you are
meeting in the audience digitally, is there something
different that you in your approach that you
you take,
when you speak in on a digital,
you are in a studio in a studio
environment, but if you are Mhmm. Let's say
you're at TED talk TED talk or one
(14:28):
of those, how do you go anything differently
that you approach on that? Yeah. So
if you present virtually
or as a leader, you meet with your
team or you have a presentation online,
I always
want you to remember that the screen
takes away,
(14:48):
I would guess around 20 to 30%
of your energy level
and your enthusiasm
and your passion.
And even if it feels kind of weird
for you being alone in your office
or in some sort of studio or wherever
you are. You really need to tune up
(15:09):
your energy level. Because between you and the
recipient those 20 to 30%
just get lost.
Which means
you need to speak louder. You need to
speak faster.
You need to use your facial expressions more.
You need to use your hand gestures more.
Of course you don't wanna get crazy with
(15:29):
your
hands.
But everything that you
usually do in a room,
you need just to express
more and more intentionally
because through the screen otherwise,
it seems just less engaging.
Lean in more, sit up more, just to
(15:51):
show way more energy and enthusiasm
that you would do when you would be
one on one in a room because otherwise,
so the digital courts between you and I,
it gets lost.
Yeah. Very good. Those are some great tips.
And you just reminded me to sit more
straight, which I start to do now here
in front of you also.
(16:12):
So I was thinking about,
digital presence because
many of us are in front of, an
audience or we are
on Teams calls or Zoom calls,
where in in this world where this digital
presence is so crucial, how can how can,
in this case, hospitality leaders balance
(16:33):
their authenticity
with professionalism
in their online footprint? Meaning that so so
that there is an if you meet a
person, that's one thing, but now you're meeting,
digitally.
You mentioned already certain certain tips, but is
there anything else that, one should be aware
of when you're in those kind of maybe
important meetings, like on Zoom, for instance?
(16:55):
Yeah.
You know, Sam Eric, you're not gonna like
my answer
because when it comes to authenticity,
I always say
authenticity
is a lie.
And it is has become the most overused
word,
especially when it comes to leadership.
(17:17):
And the reason why is because it has
been misused
in so many instances.
Authenticity
here very often gets used as you just
do you. You just be you.
But as a leader
you have a specific role. You have a
specific
(17:38):
responsibility.
You represent yourself. You represent a team. You
represent a brand. You represent an organization.
You you no? You represent the hospitality
industry as an entity.
And I always say
hospitality
only exists
in these specific roles.
(18:00):
I can be authentic as a mother at
home. I can be authentic
as a wife to my husband. I can
be authentic
as a speaker on stage, but I'm very
differently
different authentic
as a leader to my team,
for example. So I believe that authenticity
exists in those different roles,
(18:22):
but there is no such thing that one
authenticity that I can just do in all
roles, whatever I want to do. Just imagine
I would speak with my husband the way
I speak with my audiences,
or I would speak with my children the
way I speak with my team and vice
versa.
Right?
So first, I would encourage you
(18:43):
to define what for yourself, what does authenticity
and professionalism
really mean for you as a leader in
hospitality
when it comes to your digital presence?
And who do you represent there? Yourself,
but you also represent
your team and the brand you work for.
(19:06):
And then beyond,
the virtual interaction you have in meetings,
think of your social media profiles. What do
we find there? Think of the emails that
you send out that can be forwarded and
forwarded.
And right now, somebody could read an email
that you sent as part of your digital
(19:28):
footprint that wasn't even meant for them because
somebody else forwarded it.
Think of what shows up about you on
page one on Google.
And not just in terms of links, but
also when I click on the tab with
the images, when I click on the tab
with, the videos.
So,
there is this,
(19:49):
digital footprint that you consciously left behind, And
then there is also this digital presence that
you unconsciously
leave behind in between the lines.
Things that we often notice about others, but
are very willing to ignore about ourselves.
How often are you online? How often do
(20:10):
you post?
We all have that one friend where we
think,
oh, wow. You are online a lot. Do
you even go to work? Right?
How outdated are your profiles?
Is that picture of you on LinkedIn
even
somehow still
accurate or do you totally look different,
in life when I meet you now twenty
(20:32):
years
later?
So keep in mind that your digital presence
has become
far and wide and nowadays,
unfortunately,
will determine
if you are ever
able to meet somebody in person. It has
become your first impression in terms of the
(20:53):
really
first first impression
because people usually check you out first online
and then decide if it's worth interacting
with you or not.
Wonderful. I mean, these are just, some
I call them golden nuggets that one has
to take care of. And I particularly like,
your your
(21:16):
points
about online presence digitally because we have,
many of us have a social media,
presence in Instagram and Facebook. And their Facebook
has the friends from their childhood, and we
are kidding around. We're showing goofy pictures. And
Then we go to LinkedIn, and we look
super professional, and we have a that, corporate
look. And then you go to Instagram,
(21:37):
where it's a little bit different. We we
show our pictures from the holidays. And, you're
so right. People will
determine pretty much who you are based on
those things, and and you have to so
be so careful.
There has to be somebody who is gonna
be help you to help one to to
kind of screen and even filter
what you put is there. So, I mean,
there's a very fine line these days, isn't
(21:59):
it? I mean, I really like that you
answered. Absolutely.
Your guests don't make that differentiation
when they search your name because let's say
they had an incident in your restaurant or
in your hotel. When they search your name
afterwards, they don't think, oh, that's the private
Instagram account, and they can be goofy there,
and that's the professional one. They just take
everything into consideration
(22:21):
to confirm
their opinion about you. So you need to
be very careful in coming back to your
authenticity and your role.
Out there on the Internet,
for everybody, you should be in the role
of a hospitality
leader
and showcase
exactly that with your digital footprint.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I remember
(22:42):
during the,
COVID epidemic, we had I had another
show with a friend of mine. It was
called hospitality talks.
And,
I was I would got frequently comments from
my, American guests who were top corporate leaders.
And I was told, I was always wearing
a suit and suit and bow tie. And
(23:03):
they start to make some kind of funny
remarks because they were in kind of their
country club, T shirt and so on. Well,
they asked me, why what are you why
are you wearing
in in the morning these kind of clothes?
I said, well, actually, it's out of respect
to you. It's not about me. It's about
you. So I just want to show up
my my best version of myself because it's
gonna be online and and for the world
(23:24):
to see it. So I think there's a
little bit something I have picked up over
the years on that.
Exactly. Exactly.
You mentioned you have written a book that
maybe touches hospitality leaders that you can pick
up some.
And in your book, you emphasize the importance
of first and lasting impressions.
What's some one surprising insight about human psychology
(23:45):
that most hospital
hospital hospitality leaders overlook that they should pay
attention to to?
Well, first,
if I may answer,
I'll give you two answers. The first Yes.
This book is based on what I call
the ABCDE
framework. To understand that, the a stands for
(24:05):
your appearance, the way you look, the b
for your behavior, the way you interact,
the c for your communication,
the way you communicate,
the D for your digital footprint,
the the
digital,
breadcrumbs you leave behind and the E for
your environment,
the living and the non living things that
(24:26):
you surround yourselves. And those are the five
factors we all,
create a presence or imprint on others
on a first impression.
The most surprising
insight
that most hospitality
leaders
overlook.
Same Eric, if I would give you a
(24:49):
list of 30 items
to memorize right now, 30 items on a
list. Okay?
And in
five minutes, I would ask you,
which of those 30 items would you most
likely
still remember? What do you think? Which one
(25:09):
would that be?
If it could be 30 items, I think
I would
I would memorize something that relates to myself
that I I think about myself most likely.
I will take that as a as a
cue.
But, if it would be
random items, none of them would be related
to you? Random
(25:30):
words?
Then it would be something,
considering my my personality, I would looking at
as a what are some positive attributes of
something that I would think about? Yes. Yes.
Usually,
it in terms of the order,
(25:50):
it would be something at the beginning and
the end.
Right? Usually, if we have a long list
of things to memorize
and if we don't focus on on on
the content or of the purpose of the
list,
people remember from a long list the words
at the beginning and at the end. Would
(26:10):
you agree? Yes. I would think so. Yes.
Yeah. It's,
a psychological
effect,
that we know that the brain
puts energy
at, at the beginning
and at the end into a process and
in the middle just saves energy.
(26:32):
And I don't wanna say goes to sleep,
but goes to rest. And why is this
important,
for hospitality leaders?
The first and the lasting impression
of a stay in your restaurant
or in your hotel
is what guests will remember the most.
So how do you welcome them? For example,
(26:55):
sets the tone for the entire
experience and this is a huge opportunity,
for you. I talk a lot about in
my book, The Image of Leadership for Hospitality,
about how
unconscious biases
in a guest's brain look for confirmation
because they want it to be right.
(27:17):
And,
the same is true for that last impression
at the very end. The things that the
brain remembers the most is how you let
them go
will determine if they come back.
And I think that part of human psychology
is incredibly important for hospitality leaders because those
beginning
hospitality leaders because those
(27:40):
beginning moments and those ending
moments
are processes
where they have a lot of control during
the check-in and the check out moment, more
control that they possibly have also in the
middle when guests are
just in, for example, the guest room.
Yeah. Yeah.
(28:02):
You you have highlighted how environments plays a
major role in shaping perceptions.
What's the most overlooked aspect of creating a
positive physical
environment in hotels? Because you must be traveling
to hotels on on speaker engagements and so
on, but just as a as a frequent
traveler, could you maybe share your views on
that?
Yeah. Well, as I, just said,
(28:25):
the beginning of the experience, I think that
most, let's say, hotels,
do a great job focusing
on the lobby design and front desk interactions,
which is important
because it sets
a tone. I'm almost
surprised
how few hotels
(28:45):
realize that the guest experience
actually
already begins before we step
to your hotel.
You know?
The parking lots,
the drop off zones,
all those
outside
impressions that I make before I enter.
And I've often feel that those areas feel
(29:08):
incredibly
cold and transactional and and and purely functional,
like dead zones, like they don't belong to
the hotel.
And there would be so many
opportunities for those, you know, those moments of
surprise or those moments of delight that I
use in my presentations.
Just imagine
(29:29):
we would park in front,
of a hotel and there are all
signs over the parking,
spot that says something like,
park your worries here, and we will take
care of the rest.
Or the greenery,
there would be
(29:50):
signs like something. I don't know.
These flowers bloom just for you.
You know? Little
things outside already. Or imagine
I I drive my car
into the valet and the ticket is not
just an old or cheap ticket with a
(30:10):
number that they give me.
It says something nice and welcoming to me.
I think there are a lot of small
opportunities
outside
of your property
that feel
or a lot of opportunities
that you could use to make
(30:31):
to start the guest experience
already before they step into your property.
Because for me,
as I said, they always feel very functional
and very transactional,
And I think there are a lot of
chances that you can make them feel more
welcoming and more human
(30:52):
and more delightful.
Absolutely. I mean, you're you're so right. I
mean, the,
if we take take these,
how hotel
chains and their their standardization
has evolved over the years, it has been
sort of,
mechanical
because we want to make sure that no
surprise is the best surprise. And then, basically,
(31:13):
then you lose
the sense
of, the warm welcome
and also in the sense of
designing the hotels.
It you're so right. It's it's amazing if
you can create the,
a surprise effect when you're arriving. You drive
through,
a forest and so on, then you arrive
and there's something inspiring.
And and it starts with a maybe a
(31:34):
warm smile, even the people who who greet
you in the beginning. And and,
and I I love to see the time
when we are able to know the name
of the guest before they arrive and not
just by looking at the computer, but we
used to do in the analog age. We
used to look at the luggage
tags when they were existing still, but those
are the small moments that that definitely makes
(31:55):
a huge difference in in people's mind. At
least they they get at ease at all.
Oh, they have no then they recognize me,
and they make me feel welcome. That's a
terrific thing. And then, obviously, the the lasting
impression is so important, and I,
that's where
actually, the whole event whole experience can get
terrific or can be an ice cold shower
(32:16):
when you're you're dealing with somebody somebody who
has been working,
all night as a cashier. And then they
are have one hour left before they leave
the shift tired, And then you come then
the guest is coming on their way to
to pay for the bill, and there's a
small argument
evolving because did you really drink that Coca
Cola or didn't you? Yep.
(32:38):
So those are
and that's a real life of of every
day, but I think,
kind of a delightment of of guest. I
mean, that makes
a huge difference, and it actually
will
solve many problems in fact,
which could become bigger. But I think there's
much more work needed and things the way
you are looking at out of the box.
(32:59):
And I I love the way you are
looking at well and what you can do
before the arrival and or during the arrival
that makes it
extra special.
That's nice. I I remember one hotel in
in Colorado.
Two things
that I remember.
First, there was a bench
in I I had a view on that
(33:19):
bench from my hotel room, and I was
always wondering why are people sitting on that
bench.
Right? But I only saw the back of
that bench. It was just a bench in
the middle of nowhere, and I could look
down until the next day when I walked
to the conference, I walked to the bench,
along the bench, and the bench said something.
It was printed,
(33:41):
on the bench, some something like sit here
or pause here. You
are exactly
where you are supposed to be
or where you need to be.
And people just sat down there, and I
found that beautiful.
Yeah. Yeah. That's nice. And then I remember
when I checked out,
I got, a little chocolate, and I don't
(34:03):
remember exactly what the chocolate said, but it
was something
it was printed on, like, it's it's a
sweet sweet but sorrow,
goodbye,
but not forever. Please come back or something
like that. Right? So it was those small
details that
made me feel like
(34:25):
this property really cared. It had so many
human small
touches.
And I will always go back because I
wanna experience that again.
Yeah.
I read about that you are involved with
the National Speakers Association.
And what is the biggest lesson hospitality leaders
or maybe an important lessons
(34:46):
hospitality leaders can learn from effective public speakers?
Because in these that's a
platform of the top professionals.
Mhmm. Mhmm.
May I share another story with you? Please.
Please.
You know, I find that speaking is such
(35:06):
a privilege. It's such a responsibility,
and I feel that in particular
after
one incident that, that I had,
I don't have a TV in my home.
For for no particular reason, we just moved
into this house and never installed the TV
on. And then after a few months, we
realized, oh my god. We forgot to install
(35:28):
the TV and then realized maybe we don't
even need a TV.
So when I watch a movie, it is
a very intentional choice. We I download something
or I rent something, but we never have
a TV
on here just running.
And one day, I
decided to watch a movie.
(35:49):
And I'm not sure if you ever had
this, but
after downloading it or renting it, after five
minutes,
I already
thought to myself, oh, I I think this
is gonna be bad.
And after fifteen minutes, I knew it.
It was a wrong choice. It's gonna be
a bad movie.
(36:09):
And after thirty minutes in Warsaw, I knew,
oh god. It's gonna be such a bad
movie. But at one point, I was so
far in that I thought, oh, well, now
I'm just gonna watch it to the end.
And, you know, as a mimic, after ninety
minutes watching this movie,
I was
(36:30):
so angry at myself.
I was
so disappointed
in myself
because
I just lost ninety minutes
of my lifetime
that I will never get back. I just
wasted ninety minutes of my entire lifetime, and
I will never get it back.
(36:50):
And every single time
I step on stage now,
I remind myself of that movie and those
ninety minutes, and I do the math.
I calculate there are 1,000
people out there, and I have forty five
minutes of time.
I'm stealing forty five minutes out of 1,000
(37:11):
people's life.
That is quite a responsibility.
Yes. I better
make it worth
their while every single minute.
And I feel hospitality
leaders
should think in a similar way. You are
also borrowing
lifetime.
Your guests are coming for different reasons
(37:34):
to your hotel and your properties or into
your restaurants or wherever,
but they are spending
time in there.
And time is the most valuable gift somebody
can give you. It's it's not the money
actually I find.
It's every single
(37:54):
minute that they gift you with. And I
hope that
you and your team, your staff, and your
Aetna leadership
feels the responsibility
and the privilege
to take care of that time that they
bring to your properties.
(38:14):
That's a very insightful way of speaking. I
I really love how you put it because
this is,
we have the we have only one chance.
That cliche is about we have only one
chance to make that,
first impression. And many many guests are coming
to a hotel for the first time, and
they will,
they
will they will decide, is this the place
I want to come back again?
(38:34):
Was it is it it wasn't the money,
but it was was it did I have
a time where I,
where
it it makes it it made a bit
difference in my life that I stayed there,
and I would like to make that have
that experience again. So, and that, that is
something that, we have to remind ourselves continuously
as,
as professionals,
whether it's in a, in a situation where
(38:55):
we are serving breakfast,
as, as one of the staff and, and,
or we are, how can we delight them
just for that moment? And if you remember
a little bit about the guests when they
come the next day for breakfast, that we,
that we can actually give them something that
they feel, feel pampered. That makes a huge
difference for people when they're spending their time.
And, yeah, time is of is the most,
(39:17):
I'm glad I I know another person now
besides myself who don't have a TV.
I I think it's a very good thing.
And then we have to make wise choices
when you choose movies now. Yes. A wise
choice. And it's very protective to not hear
the news
every single day and
intentionally
choose what you want to know, what is
going on out there.
(39:39):
Yes, Sylvia.
Well, Sylvia, it has been a a really
a great pleasure for that you have joined
me
today. And,
if people are interested to find more about
your activities
and how can they do so, do you
have a list where your where your speaking
engagements are? Where can they find a book
if they they would like to,
start to read more in detail of about
(40:00):
your very excellent tips that you already talked
about in our in our episode?
Oh, thank you very much for asking, sir,
Erica. I appreciate that. Well, you've find me
on my website, silviedejuster.com.
Just try to put in my rather complicated
name into Google, and it might pop up.
You find me everywhere on social media on
(40:22):
all platforms.
Please connect. And if you do so, then
send me a private message that you come
from this fantastic show.
And I, friend of Sam Eric, and you
find,
all of my books on Amazon
in The United States, but also in Europe.
And,
if I made and I
recommend you to check out the image of
(40:44):
leadership for hospitality.
It is a special edition that I dedicated
to all the wonderful
leaders and professionals.
I had the pleasure of serving throughout the
past fifteen
years in the hospitality
industry.
And, I would love to hear what you
think about it.
(41:05):
Wonderful. That's a very good ending to this.
And so thank you very much, Julia, for
joining today. I appreciate you you joined. This
has been a highlight for me to have
you and an honor to have you as
my guest.
Thank you very much for having me, sir,
Erica. What a pleasure
to be with you.
Thank you for tuning in to The Social
Hotelier. If you enjoyed this episode, please take
(41:27):
a moment to leave us a review. Give
it a thumbs up, and don't forget to
hit that subscribe button to stay updated. We
have incredible lineup of guests coming your way
in the future, so stay tuned for more
thought provoking conversations.
Until next time, take care and keep exploring.
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.