italiano
english
MENTOR, between listening and technique: MASSIMO DIODATO
Interview of December 21, 2020
In December 2020, I was interviewed by a colleague who wanted to know more about my working method and approach with the entrepreneurs who rely on me.
Finding this file among my notes by chance and rereading every single line made me realize that there is a special magic in retracing the steps of the past and rediscovering, after years, the same approach, ideas that I felt back then.
Confirming today what I believed almost 5 years ago means recognizing my growth, without ever losing the essence of who I am.
Here is my interview:
We interviewed Massimo, who comes from Calabria, a suffering yet beautiful land, and who, since he was a child, chose to follow this path, revenue management, initially spontaneously, then gradually, in a more mature and conscious way.
The floor is his.
How did you start this job? What made you choose it?
I must admit that I was attracted to this world because, among other things, I am fascinated by the idea of the generational handover.
I come from a humble family with high values, a family that has always worked hard in the world of work, that was not afraid to cross the borders of southern Italy – or rather Calabria, my region of origin, which I care deeply about and for which I am trying to give a lot, working with many entrepreneurs in the area, arriving in one of the most touristy destinations of the time, the Romagna coast.
And perhaps it was precisely growing up in such a responsible and sacrifice-rich environment that I chose what is now my world, the hospitality sector.
Having a father who is a chef, I started from a young age to “taste” the beauty of this job, first opening a path in the food and beverage world, then moving on to the actual operations of the hotel world, until I completed the step that led me to feed daily on bread and Revenue Management.
Certainly, after years of theoretical studies, useful for knowledge, and practical studies, very useful for professional growth, the lessons I received from my own mistakes, the perseverance and the hunger to always give my best have pushed me to always believe in it.
PS: update of 02.04.2025
When I started collaborating with one of the leading companies in the Revenue Management sector in Italy, I had already lived a past working life, even though at the time I was only 25 years old, I had been dealing for a while with quality control and Revenue Management for a Tour Operator after having worked in all those sectors that characterize restaurants and hotels, a work experience perhaps never too valued in the company, one of the reasons why after 12 years of collaboration I decided to believe even more in Massimo Diodato, leveraging all my qualities to work alongside the entrepreneurs who rely on me.
What does revenue management mean to you?
I would be quicker to say what Revenue Management is not!
Revenue Management is passion, study, analysis, intelligence, life.
Yes, life, because I strongly believe that our entire destiny is already written and printed in our being, even before we manage to understand it, and that has been the case for me until today.
I often think about the past and say “Revenue Management has always been my adventure companion, but perhaps I never realized it because I didn’t know what it was, I didn’t know of its existence”.
I remember that as a child, I checked the bills and every time I told my mother how much we had spent and how we could contain costs; I wasn’t even 12 years old at the time, but Revenue was already there, in my mind.
I approached the world of work when I was practically a kid (never abandoning my studies, which are still a fundamental part of my journey today), not out of family need, but to have the opportunity to manage my Revenue, a sort of responsible independence.
Initially, I did seasonal jobs and even before they ended, I would lay out my annual budget for managing my income, writing in my notes, for example, how much to allocate for new sweatshirts, new jeans for school, or the monthly cost for the gym, putting the essential things at the top of the list, finishing with the less important ones.
How do you approach clients?
Clients are important to me; if I am here writing today, it is only thanks to them.
I like to listen to them, understand them, and always try to find the best solution for them, growing and rejoicing together for the results achieved.
It happens that with some of them I get “angry”: it only happens because I care for them to understand that some choices, even if they may seem uncomfortable, in the medium and long term will prove effective for their and our success.
It is part of our job to bring change, dynamism, revisiting some operational steps that perhaps they have been following for years.
I like to make them feel important because they really are to me, and when we achieve great results, I want them to understand that most of the credit goes to them, not only because they had the strength to believe in me, changing their operational habits and overcoming the psychological threshold of change, but also because they are always the ones on the front line.
What is your “secret weapon”, the characteristic or talent that distinguishes you from other revenue managers?
The most powerful weapon is listening. I do not define myself as a consultant, even though on paper they call me that, but my approach is different, which is why for some years I have been studying coaching, obtaining various certifications. I empathize with the entrepreneur, I listen to them, I put myself in their shoes, I sit in their chair looking at things from a broader perspective, that is, with the clothes of the entrepreneur and the eyes of the consumer/client. We reason together, analyze the objective, make it SMART, and together we achieve it.
“I consider myself a fairly understanding person, who can always or almost always speak the same language as those in front of me, trying to put myself in their shoes, whatever they may be.”
Certainly, the experience I have had in the field in the past and perhaps also my origins, of which I am proud, help me a lot.
What improvements do you think should be made in the hotel world?
Alas, I must admit that I often notice that for some hoteliers time seems to have stopped, and I ask myself “why?”.
There are hoteliers who often struggle to understand that the world is changing, that the market has changed, that trends have changed, and think that what was done in the 80s can still be done today, 40 years later.
Unfortunately, who among us has not heard the fateful phrase “well, my parents did it this way, and I do it this way!”?
Yes, exactly, your parents did it this way, back then, when it was enough to open the hotel door without any pricing or marketing strategy, to find the lobby full of people with trolleys and flip-flops, already ready to enter the room and then go to the beach…
Now it is no longer like that.
The market is in constant evolution, and constant study is the basis of our knowledge.
In this historical moment, when demand is constantly changing, we cannot imagine not taking into account new commercial strategies, not trying to find the right balance between supply and demand.
However, on the other hand, I am also hopeful; I see many young entrepreneurs who are trying to take the reins, opening themselves to training and change.
And I say this also with a hint of pride, aware of being biased, but thanks to these young entrepreneurs I am seeing my Calabria bloom again, perhaps becoming an important destination not only for local tourism but especially for foreign tourism, and this gratifies me a lot.
PS: Let’s remember that I answered this question in December 2020 :-)
What do you wish for clients and colleagues to overcome this very difficult year?
Answering this question at this moment is complex, as the hotel sector, like the restaurant sector and many other small realities, is coming out with significant wounds.
Many perhaps will not make it, but my message is an invitation to hold on, not to give up, because I am sure that soon we will take our revenge!
We had a clear demonstration of this last summer; those who decided to fight by opening the doors of their hotel, being found with a well-studied commercial strategy, achieved exceptional results, never seen before.
This has been a strong message of encouragement from the market for us.
Living abroad, I often read in various Facebook groups and see that many can’t wait to leave, to go to Italy, considered by all to be the most beautiful country in the world for its culture, history, beauty, and good food.
What I would like to tell you is not to be caught unprepared; I assure you that the starting line is ready and is just waiting for the green light of the traffic light.
Finding this file among my notes by chance and rereading every single line made me realize that there is a special magic in retracing the steps of the past and rediscovering, after years, the same approach, ideas that I felt back then.
Confirming today what I believed almost 5 years ago means recognizing my growth, without ever losing the essence of who I am.
Here is my interview:
We interviewed Massimo, who comes from Calabria, a suffering yet beautiful land, and who, since he was a child, chose to follow this path, revenue management, initially spontaneously, then gradually, in a more mature and conscious way.
The floor is his.
How did you start this job? What made you choose it?
I must admit that I was attracted to this world because, among other things, I am fascinated by the idea of the generational handover.
I come from a humble family with high values, a family that has always worked hard in the world of work, that was not afraid to cross the borders of southern Italy – or rather Calabria, my region of origin, which I care deeply about and for which I am trying to give a lot, working with many entrepreneurs in the area, arriving in one of the most touristy destinations of the time, the Romagna coast.
And perhaps it was precisely growing up in such a responsible and sacrifice-rich environment that I chose what is now my world, the hospitality sector.
Having a father who is a chef, I started from a young age to “taste” the beauty of this job, first opening a path in the food and beverage world, then moving on to the actual operations of the hotel world, until I completed the step that led me to feed daily on bread and Revenue Management.
Certainly, after years of theoretical studies, useful for knowledge, and practical studies, very useful for professional growth, the lessons I received from my own mistakes, the perseverance and the hunger to always give my best have pushed me to always believe in it.
PS: update of 02.04.2025
When I started collaborating with one of the leading companies in the Revenue Management sector in Italy, I had already lived a past working life, even though at the time I was only 25 years old, I had been dealing for a while with quality control and Revenue Management for a Tour Operator after having worked in all those sectors that characterize restaurants and hotels, a work experience perhaps never too valued in the company, one of the reasons why after 12 years of collaboration I decided to believe even more in Massimo Diodato, leveraging all my qualities to work alongside the entrepreneurs who rely on me.
What does revenue management mean to you?
I would be quicker to say what Revenue Management is not!
Revenue Management is passion, study, analysis, intelligence, life.
Yes, life, because I strongly believe that our entire destiny is already written and printed in our being, even before we manage to understand it, and that has been the case for me until today.
I often think about the past and say “Revenue Management has always been my adventure companion, but perhaps I never realized it because I didn’t know what it was, I didn’t know of its existence”.
I remember that as a child, I checked the bills and every time I told my mother how much we had spent and how we could contain costs; I wasn’t even 12 years old at the time, but Revenue was already there, in my mind.
I approached the world of work when I was practically a kid (never abandoning my studies, which are still a fundamental part of my journey today), not out of family need, but to have the opportunity to manage my Revenue, a sort of responsible independence.
Initially, I did seasonal jobs and even before they ended, I would lay out my annual budget for managing my income, writing in my notes, for example, how much to allocate for new sweatshirts, new jeans for school, or the monthly cost for the gym, putting the essential things at the top of the list, finishing with the less important ones.
How do you approach clients?
Clients are important to me; if I am here writing today, it is only thanks to them.
I like to listen to them, understand them, and always try to find the best solution for them, growing and rejoicing together for the results achieved.
It happens that with some of them I get “angry”: it only happens because I care for them to understand that some choices, even if they may seem uncomfortable, in the medium and long term will prove effective for their and our success.
It is part of our job to bring change, dynamism, revisiting some operational steps that perhaps they have been following for years.
I like to make them feel important because they really are to me, and when we achieve great results, I want them to understand that most of the credit goes to them, not only because they had the strength to believe in me, changing their operational habits and overcoming the psychological threshold of change, but also because they are always the ones on the front line.
What is your “secret weapon”, the characteristic or talent that distinguishes you from other revenue managers?
The most powerful weapon is listening. I do not define myself as a consultant, even though on paper they call me that, but my approach is different, which is why for some years I have been studying coaching, obtaining various certifications. I empathize with the entrepreneur, I listen to them, I put myself in their shoes, I sit in their chair looking at things from a broader perspective, that is, with the clothes of the entrepreneur and the eyes of the consumer/client. We reason together, analyze the objective, make it SMART, and together we achieve it.
“I consider myself a fairly understanding person, who can always or almost always speak the same language as those in front of me, trying to put myself in their shoes, whatever they may be.”
Certainly, the experience I have had in the field in the past and perhaps also my origins, of which I am proud, help me a lot.
What improvements do you think should be made in the hotel world?
Alas, I must admit that I often notice that for some hoteliers time seems to have stopped, and I ask myself “why?”.
There are hoteliers who often struggle to understand that the world is changing, that the market has changed, that trends have changed, and think that what was done in the 80s can still be done today, 40 years later.
Unfortunately, who among us has not heard the fateful phrase “well, my parents did it this way, and I do it this way!”?
Yes, exactly, your parents did it this way, back then, when it was enough to open the hotel door without any pricing or marketing strategy, to find the lobby full of people with trolleys and flip-flops, already ready to enter the room and then go to the beach…
Now it is no longer like that.
The market is in constant evolution, and constant study is the basis of our knowledge.
In this historical moment, when demand is constantly changing, we cannot imagine not taking into account new commercial strategies, not trying to find the right balance between supply and demand.
However, on the other hand, I am also hopeful; I see many young entrepreneurs who are trying to take the reins, opening themselves to training and change.
And I say this also with a hint of pride, aware of being biased, but thanks to these young entrepreneurs I am seeing my Calabria bloom again, perhaps becoming an important destination not only for local tourism but especially for foreign tourism, and this gratifies me a lot.
PS: Let’s remember that I answered this question in December 2020 :-)
What do you wish for clients and colleagues to overcome this very difficult year?
Answering this question at this moment is complex, as the hotel sector, like the restaurant sector and many other small realities, is coming out with significant wounds.
Many perhaps will not make it, but my message is an invitation to hold on, not to give up, because I am sure that soon we will take our revenge!
We had a clear demonstration of this last summer; those who decided to fight by opening the doors of their hotel, being found with a well-studied commercial strategy, achieved exceptional results, never seen before.
This has been a strong message of encouragement from the market for us.
Living abroad, I often read in various Facebook groups and see that many can’t wait to leave, to go to Italy, considered by all to be the most beautiful country in the world for its culture, history, beauty, and good food.
What I would like to tell you is not to be caught unprepared; I assure you that the starting line is ready and is just waiting for the green light of the traffic light.