There are people in our lives who make an enormous impact on us. Some of these are personal and some professional, and if we are fortunate, we have some who have an impact on both of those parts of our lives.
Howard Feiertag authored the very well received Sales Clinic column for more than three decades for Hotel Management magazine. He died March 3 at the age of 94, and I already miss him.
I had the privilege of knowing Howard for more than 35 years. The Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association used to sponsor and provide many professional seminars and workshops for brands and management companies. We found ourselves presenting to more than several dozen management company and brand programs in the late 1980s into the mid-1990s. Howard would discuss sales and marketing, and I would frequently cover operations, customer service and industry certifications.
From a professional perspective, I had the opportunity to retain Howard for an annual convention for one of the world's largest hotel brands. He was one of four optional educational programs offered that were repeated three times in a given day for the brand annual convention. Each of those rooms was set for 100 people and we had to bring in 100 more chairs for Howard's first program. The two final sessions were set for 300, and still wound up being standing room only. That kind of attention says something about the kind of person he was and the positive, constructive messages that Howard consistently delivered.
Howard approached his programs not as a lecturer, but as a friend, a mentor and as one who took a serious topic and made it understandable. Many people today still shy away from sales because they think of sales as the stereotype of the used car salesman. Howard took the topic of sales and he made it real. He made it something that could and should be providing a needed service to customers for a fair price. He showed that sales should not be something to fear.
Who was Howard? He was a professional who enjoyed people and never used his credentials and name recognition to impress people. Howard enjoyed cruises and interacting with everyone. He loved being with family and friends, and often flirted (in an endearing, non-threatening way) with people to make everyone feel at ease and welcome.
I appreciated a number of things that Howard shared over the years. One was that he regularly said he never looked for a job. He performed his duties well and people came looking for him. He was asked to give teaching at Virginia Tech a five-year run in the late 1980s and the last time I checked, I believe he was there for 30+ years.
Did he have an impact? Look at this listing of the best hospitality programs in the world. Virginia Tech ranks No. 12 and also note the name of the department—the Howard Feiertag Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management. Yes, Howard had an impact, as Virginia Tech's official recognition demonstrates.
I have conducted more than 6,000 classes, workshops, seminars, certification programs and keynote speeches in my career. One learns how to effectively communicate in your own style, and Howard had a very special way of doing it. In every class he presented, his opening comments were: “Hello, Howard.” This often-brought people confusion because he was Howard, but it broke the ice regardless of the size of the class or the sophistication of the attendees. He made people feel appreciated and valued.
What I would like to say to you, Howard is: Thank you, Howard. You made a difference. We will miss you.
John J. Hogan is co-founder and CEO of HospitalityEducators.com and the principal of Hogan Hospitality.