It’s not selling the right product to the right person at the right time at the right price.
That’s marketing.
It’s not building fancy reports or dashboards.
That’s BI.
It’s not clicking buttons in your RMS to adjust BAR.
That’s admin.
So… what is revenue management???
Let’s break it down.
1. It’s Pattern Recognition, Not Price Tinkering
Old-school RM was about reacting. In reality RM is about recognizing patterns before they form. It’s lead times, pace shifts, conversion drop-offs, compression windows: seen early and acted on faster than the guy next door.
The best revenue managers? They’re less Excel. More chess.
2. It’s System Navigation, Not System Obedience
We’ve got AI tools. Forecasting engines. Pricing models.
But here’s the trick: A revenue manager knows when to trust the system… And when to say: “Nice try, Ide. But this market shift needs human override.”
You’re not a button pusher. You’re the flight controller. ACT LIKE ONE!!!
3. It’s Influence, Not Just Insight
The data? The forecast? The rate plan?
Useless! Unless you can communicate them in a way the GM, the sales director, and the owner understand and act on.
RMs are translators. Turning “pickup pace lagging” into “Here’s the cost of doing nothing and what we’ll do instead.”
You don’t report. You drive.
4. It’s Commercial Orchestration
You’re no longer in the corner with your RMS and coffee.
You’re in the middle of it all aligning sales, marketing, distribution, tech.
You ask:
- Where’s the next upsell?
- Which market are we not targeting?
- What’s our profitability per segment, not just RevPAR?
- How do I make demand, not chase it?
You don’t chase bookings. You design your business mix.
5. It’s Knowing Your Value
The old mindset: “I set prices.”
What it should be: “I build revenue fly-wheels. I reduce inefficiencies. I increase profit. I’m a commercial weapon. I built the Go To Market”
So, What’s Revenue Management for me?
It’s not a role. It’s a function of leadership.
You don’t just set prices. You set direction.
You don’t just find demand. You build desire.
You’re not just a revenue manager. You’re a legend.
So… Legend, what do you think it is???
Love,
Fabi
Bit about me: I’m Fabian Bartnick aka. Fabi – The Commercial Growth Leader. I’ve built and exited hospitality tech companies, trained thousands of leaders worldwide in sales, marketing and revenue management, and helped businesses in multiple industries align their commercial teams for measurable growth. TLDR: I make you more money by making you better!!
