Turning Potential Into Power

By Abigail A. Lorden, Editor-in-Chief
Knowledge is power; it’s an adage we’ve all heard. I’ll add one caveat: only if you use it. Having insight is certainly a better position than blissfully ignorant, but if that information sits in databases and isn’t turned into something actionable, then knowledge is potential, and unused potential is a wasted opportunity.

This month, we’re focusing on action. Not only in the cover story that profiles the actions of this year’s Visionary Award winning hotel companies, but also in a particularly insightful feature story, “Social Media Intelligence,” that discusses how to turn one of the most current and compelling sources of knowledge — your social networks — into actionable CRM data.

Last month I sat on a panel discussion at a tech vendor’s users’ conference. The panel addressed current trends in retail and foodservice markets. When the topic of social media came up, I asked the audience for a show of hands: ‘who has heard of Klout scores?’ One hand in a room of 50 went up.

Klout is a start-up company out of San Fran that’s tracking how much influence an individual user has via all of its social networks, combined. Seek out interactions with well-connected consumers and you can increase your reach. Did you hear about the guy who was passed over for a job because the other candidate had a higher Klout score? No joke.

The lesson is this: connecting with your guests on social channels is important. Take it a step further and compile knowledge about your guest via those channels. What you do with that knowledge will be what separates those with potential, from those with power.