How to Stop Getting Ghosted and Start Getting Respect
“Happy Monday,” Celeste Berke-Knisely says, smiling through the chaos. It sounds like a casual greeting—except it’s not.
Not in hospitality.
Not when you’re trying to sell to hotel general managers.
If you’re still sending cold emails like it’s 2015, I’ve got news for you: they’re not ignoring you because they’re rude. They’re ignoring you because you’re irrelevant.
I recently sat down with Celeste—former Regional Director of Sales with 19 hotels under her belt, and married to a current General Manager—and let’s just say, she didn’t hold back.
If you want to avoid becoming that hospitality vendor, keep reading.
Hospitality Vendor Sales Tips
Spam Isn’t a Sales Strategy
“General managers are completely inundated,” Celeste told me. “Most sellers don’t have a clue what a GM’s day actually looks like.”
Let me translate: if you’re pitching tech, spa robes, or scented candles without realizing your prospect is mid-crisis with an overbooked wedding and a broken HVAC… you’re just adding to their problems.
Every “just checking in” email? That’s one more reason your name’s headed for the block sender list.
And Celeste’s real talk hit hard:“If your product doesn’t improve guest satisfaction, and it actually distracts from it—you’re stealing their time.”
Oof. You’re not just selling at the wrong time. You’re selling the wrong way.
Common Hotel GM Complaints About Vendor Emails
Above: A word cloud visualizing common complaints from hotel General Managers about vendor emails. It reflects themes from hospitality forums, expert interviews, and survey data.
Source Links:
- Cornell Hospitality Research on Email Overload
- HubSpot Cold Email Benchmarks
- Reddit: Sales is a Nightmare
- LinkedIn: The Fastest Way to Lose a Hotel GM's Trust
Hospitality Vendors are Not Listening — And It’s Costing You
Hotel GMs? They talk. Especially about bad vendors.
Celeste shared a story about her husband—also a GM—telling a persistent vendor that unless they’re Hilton-approved, the convo’s over.
Guess what the vendor did?
Kept emailing.
“Even if they become Hilton-approved,” Celeste said, “my husband still won’t use them. They didn’t listen.”
Take note: if you’re not learning the procurement path or understanding who can actually say yes—you might already be blacklisted. You just don’t know it yet.
Don’t “Break Through.” Be Useful.
Forget the PDFs, promo codes, and “AI-powered” fluff.
What actually works? “I gave them something that helped,” Celeste said. “No strings attached.”
Imagine that. No ask. Just value.
If your product truly solves a problem, prove it … without pitching it like a buzzword salad. And if you’re still not clear on the actual problem you solve? Ask your team. If you get 20 different answers, that’s your red flag.
Reframe or Flame Out
Buyers don’t care about your features. They care about their lives.
Celeste gave me a killer example, “I used to spend every Sunday night making a report. The product that saved me that time? That changed my life with a newborn.”
The real value? Isn’t saving time. It’s giving someone their Sunday nights back.
If you’re not connecting to outcomes that matter personally, you’re selling a tool not a solution.
Can’t Get in the Inbox? Get in the Inner Circle
Let’s be honest. Your email might not even land.
So what did Celeste do?
She built a referral army.
“Who do I know that can get me an in?”
Referrals always beat cold emails. Always.
And if you’re not active on LinkedIn or YouTube? You’re not even in the game. Celeste racked up over 2 million impressions on LinkedIn in a year, solo. No social media team. Just consistent presence.
Outbound Is Not Optional
Hotel sales teams still living off inbound RFPs? Enjoy it while it lasts.
Because vendors? We’re in the outbound trenches now. And it’s tough.
“Hospitality sellers have been so well fed,” I said to Celeste. “But the buffet’s closing. And people are going to get let go.”
Build your pipeline. Or get left behind.
Your Personal Brand = Your 401(k)
Posting isn’t about going viral. It’s about being findable.
“If you’re not investing in your personal brand, don’t expect anything back,” Celeste said.
Buyers will Google you before responding. And if your digital footprint is empty? That five-figure deal might walk.
You don’t need fireworks. You need credibility.
Want a Meeting? Earn It.
Hospitality GMs are short on time, short on patience, and drowning in bad pitches.
If you’re trying to reach them with the same tired tactics, you’re not persistent … you’re a pest.
Celeste says, “You can’t take a deposit out of a bank you’ve never invested in.”
So stop pitching. Start helping. Learn what matters to GMs. Build your credibility before you ever ask for 15 minutes because you may not get a second chance.
Here are 7 Action Items to Earn Respect (Not the Black List)
If you’re serious about selling to hotel GMs, it’s time to back up the vibe with real action.
Start here:
- Audit Your Outreach: Pull your last 10 emails. Be honest … are they about you, or about them? Rewrite with empathy, not ego.
- Research the Property First: Check TripAdvisor reviews, social posts, and recent news. Know if the hotel just had a renovation, bad PR, or a sold-out wedding weekend before you hit send.
- Find the Procurement Path: Not every GM can say yes, but most can say no. Map the org chart and tailor your message to the true decision maker.
- Give, Don’t Grab: Share something that helps their day (a staffing tip, revenue stat, or relevant trend). No ask. Just value.
- Personalize Your Presence: Update your LinkedIn profile. Post weekly. Be someone buyers recognize before you pitch.
- Build a Referral Pipeline: Ask current clients, “Who else do you think would benefit from this?” Warm intros beat cold emails. Every time.
- Stop Hiding Behind Features: Translate your product into real-life outcomes: saved hours, fewer headaches, better guest reviews. That’s what gets you meetings.
We are at a time when hotel GMs are dodging pitches like dodgeballs, the ones who win aren’t louder … they’re smarter. They show up informed, helpful, and human.
So if you’re tired of being ghosted, blacklisted, or politely ignored, remember this:
You don’t earn respect by demanding time; you earn it by delivering value.
Start there. Stay consistent. And the next time you hit send, make sure it’s something worth opening.
