Commercial Insights: The Confidence Cocktail
The Confidence Cocktail for 2027 Planning
Summer is the time for long weekends, refreshing cocktails, and… budget planning! Here’s a cocktail that will boost your confidence and improve your communication during the annual planning season, and no, it’s not a margarita. It’s The Confidence Cocktail made with three ingredients: credible, compelling and clear communication—and a splash of courage.
Consultant Karen Laos introduced The Confidence Cocktail at the HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference. Poor communication can sow doubt or distrust in the speaker, but practicing these three Cs can improve confidence in communication and avoid these challenges.
Let’s look at a relatable scenario: a hotel sales executive presenting her 2027 budget to leadership.
1. Establish Credibility
Going beyond her job title, the sales executive gains leadership’s trust through sharing a personal or unique story that weaves in her professional expertise. What sparked her passion for sales? What trend excites her for next year?
Positive, authentic energy keeps leaders engaged and makes her likeable. Being curious about other perspectives and expressing empathy with leaders’ challenges further builds trust and her credibility. Credibility is essential for gaining buy-in.
2. Make Your Communication Compelling
Did you know that the majority of communication is not in what is said, but how it is said? Compelling delivery appeals to the audience’s emotions through non-verbal cues and body language.
The sales executive connects with her audience when explaining complicated trends by speaking slowly, making eye contact with decision-makers, pausing to emphasize important details, and speaking in a declarative tone without upspeak at the end of sentences.
3. Keep the Message Clear
The sales executive may have a lot of information to share, but data overload can cloud the message and lose her audience. Instead, she breaks up information and presents key points simply using the bottom-line upfront, or BLUF, approach.
A clear BLUF statement may be: “Our sales goal is 5% growth over 2026, and there are 3 strategies to win business.”
Strong language reinforces her expertise, such as “Here’s the trend affecting our business” or “I recommend budgeting $x to achieve our growth goal,” rather than weak language that minimizes her credibility, such as “I think we could try” or “You probably know this already but.”
Put the Confidence Cocktail to Work
The Confidence Cocktail of great communication can support the success of any hospitality commercial professional, from a revenue leader making revenue forecasts to a marketing director presenting campaign plans.
It’s all in the blend of credible, compelling and clear communication. Cheers to your 2027 planning!