ScreaminSalesManager

Follow up plays a very important role to every Sales Manager in every industry.  You follow up on inquires.  You follow up on generated leads.  You follow up on plans that your bosses are asking you to do.  You follow up on your kids school work.  Everything requires follow up. 

Many Sales People fail to provide the proper follow up thus possibly losing the sale.  Remember, a Sales Person is to build relationships.  Sales People that establish the relationship, wins the sale.  If the Sales Person does not “follow up” they will lose the sale. 

Follow up consists of client traces - potential, repeat or referred, collecting contracts and deposits, rooming list, inquiries and maintenance calls and more.  I find that I am on the phone a lot and I do miss some of my incoming calls.  They leave a message, I am to call right back.  If you make the client wait too long, they will assume that their business is not important to you and THEY WILL CALL SOMEONE ELSE.

This is why it is very important for you to keep a close eye on your incoming calls, no matter who they are, and to call the right back.  It’s bad enough that they couldn’t reach you and now they have to wait.

Most hotel sales offices consists of a sales software program to enter in client data and set the client traces.  Take advantage of this system, learn it’s features and do it.   This is a very efficient way to increase your calls and the more you get out, the more you will get back. 

Remember the old “index card trace cards”, pulling files and papercuts?  Well, if your property is not using a sales software program then get with your owners and purchase one.  It is best to purchase a sales software program that interfaces with PMS (Property Management System) however that could be costly.  Instead take a look at Goldmine, Hotel Sales Pro and other programs. 

As I make my trace calls throughout the day, handle inquires and do things, I put it all in my sales software program which currently is Hotel Sales Pro.  When I’m done with my call, I put in my notes, then I trace it.  Although the client may not have needs currently, as you qualify you may identify something that you would want to follow up on.  Any leads for 2010 I trace at least 3 other times to keep in touch with the client.  When a need arises, I want them to call me first. 

The beauty of email - these days you don’t even need to call the client.  You can email.  I will email them simply to say hello and let them know that I was thinking of them and here if they need anything.  With the super highway accessible to everyone there is simply no excuse not to follow up.  Your 30 second email can turn into revenue. 

When you get an inquiry these days be very grateful and make sure that you thank the potential client for taking the time out of THEIR busy day to call you. 

Be sure to take the time to trace your clients appropriately and be sure to make your calls and follow up!

Good Luck

Pure Energy

This year as a Hotel Sales Manager you should be prepared to be more creative, more focused and master your time management.

Hotel Owners, Franchisers and Management Companies are going to expect more from their Hotel Sales Managers.  They expect you to meet your goals and to continue to increase revenue.  There are simply no excuses.  You have a “revenue producing position”.  If you keep focused, get more aggressive and creative, then you will make it through these hard times.

Take a look at your LNR’s (local negotiated rates), last year’s annual group and meetings and start to contact them.  Don’t wait for them to call you.  If you do you are taking a chance and another Hotel Sales Person will find them and take from you.  Make appointments with them to re-qualify and get in their face.

Someone told me once “the early bird gets the worm”.  It has stuck with me for years and it’s true.  When you get RFP’s (group, meeting planners, LRN’s, etc.) do it right away.  Then contact them to make sure that they received it and when they will be making a decision.

If the RFP requestor wants “no meeting room rental” see if you can do it.  If they want upgrades take a look at it.  Comp rooms?  Can you afford it?  Add up the figures, take a look at your occupancy and occupancy history, check out any special events that may fall over the sames dates…..you may want to get this booked if you can show profit.

Can’t get through to an account or having trouble with a meeting planner or RFP?  Ask you Director of Sales, Regional S & M or even your General Manager to help.  Don’t wait!!  A lot of General Manager’s have Sales experience.  There is nothing more impressive to a potential client if they get a call from someone in that position.  It will increase your chances of closing the deal.  Put the pride aside!

Are you familiar with your market, competition and rate strategy?  If your not then learn it and if you have problem with your rates then get with your Director or GM.  Express your concern and understand why?

Knowledge is power.

Good luck and go get them!

Pure Energy

Good bye Holidays, Welcome 2009!

What do we face as Hotel Sales Managers in 2009?  Will we have to drop rates to gain new clients?   Will we take crappy business because we have to?  Do you look twice at business opportunities that you wouldn’t of thought about before you turn them away?   Are you offering more concessions to make your RFP more attractive and a better value?

What is your plan of action?  It’s time to take a fresh tour of your competition.  What are their features?  What is their pricing structure?  What type of business do they have?   WHAT CAN YOU TAKE?

Get the edge, work your game plan and take this week to check out the area hotels.  I’m sure most of you have completed a monthly action plan for the 2009 budget.  Take a look at your plan, put it in action.

What are all of the other hotels doing?  Is there something your missing?  Remember the more you learn about your competition the better you are at being able to sell your hotel.

I do not recommend or suggest EVER to trash your competition to a new client.  You will instantly lose the respect of many, many clients.  There are ways of going about discussing a competitors weakness to a prospect without sounding like a jerk.  You may mention “our property has recently completed a multi-million dollar renovation plan, or we have recently upgrading our internet services” rather then “their property is a dump and their service is terrible”.  You can even mention that you have recently toured the area hotels and you find that your property has much to offer and even at a possible savings.

Make appointments this week to tour your competition, do a rate analysis and educate yourself.

Good luck!

Pure Energy

In the past it is common for Hotel Sales Manager to get Holiday Bonuses.  With this economy if you get one this year be thankful.

It is more important that you have a job and put food on the table.  So don’t be upset or bash your hotel management if you do not get a bonus this year.  Times are tough all around.

This is the time that you as a Hotel Sales Manager try to close on any pending business by years end.  The more that you have on the books the better you look.  Most of your budget and goals are done for next year so you know what you are facing.  And, as like most all hotel companies - independent or corporate - they will expect an increase in revenues from you.  Be prepared and work hard.

Remember, you are replaceable and there are a lot of people who are in need of jobs…..with more to come with layoffs in 2009.  Let’s hope that our new President can turn this economy around.

Good luck!

Pure Energy

Just want to wish every Hotel Sales Manager and all the staff in the Hotel Industry a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving Day!

For those who are off today, enjoy your family and friends!  To those who are working, spread the Holiday Cheer to everyone!

Pure Energy

Thanksgiving Day is this Thursday.  A day to enjoy your families, overeat and some of us have the day off work.  I remind the Hotel Sales Manager of this Holiday and all the others because of one reason.

This is bonding time…..time to call you special clients and personally wish them a good holiday.  Not a time to email or fax.  A time to pick up the phone and wish them well.

Hotel Sales People, you have two days left to call your clients.   Bond with your clients ~ even if they are jerks ~ still call them.

Get your Christmas Card list together now.  Don’t wait until a week before Christmas.  You don’t need to send one to every single client.

Need help?  Ask the Front Desk to help in writing the envelopes.  Maybe they know special guest’s that should receive a card.  I bet they would enjoy a small project like that.

Ask the other Manager’s if there are vendors that you should send a card out to.

It is best to pick a Christmas Card that simply notes “Happy Holiday’s”.  I don’t recommend choosing ones, no matter how cute they are, with Christmas Trees, Jesus or the Manger, or anything Religious.  You don’t want to offend your client.

Don’t be stressing out.  Get your stuff ready now,

Good Luck!

Pure Energy

As all of us Sales People know, it’s a tough market.  We are overlooking the plans, rates and objectives that we put together last year at this time in our Marketing Plan.  Who could of forecasted the economy being so bad?  Sure we knew the Real Estate Market would take a dump ~ nothing lasts forever.  And the Mortgage Companies and CEO’s stealing from their own Company.  Come on, did they really think that they were going to get away with it?  

The United States business practices have veered way off track.  It just isn’t like it was in the older days….when people respected each other and took their jobs seriously.  Customer Service in every industry has falling to the waistside.  Most people can’t get a cheeseburger at any of these fast food joints without getting an attitude from an employee ~ rolling their eyes when you ask for no onions - and don’t think your order will be right when you get home.  What’s going on here?  Try K-Mart or Walmart lately?  You get the same treatment.  Once in a great while you get someone who actually is genuine and I praise them.

It’s a tough year ending and most of us Sales People are running around trying to get all they can on the books for 2009.  The new attitude is “do what it takes” and my least favorite quote ”put heads in beds”. 

The bottom line is - since we are almost all equally competitive, is the relationship that is developed between the Sales Person and the client.  It is extremely important that the Sales People bond with their clients and take great care of them.  People are going to book with the Sales Person primarily because of them - but also due to the properties benefits and features and of course the price. 

These “New Millennium Customers” are smarter and they know that when they call in or when we stop in that we not only WANT but NEED their business.  They are educated, witty and will negotiate hard because they know if you won’t meet their - lets say demands - that someone else will.  There is always some other Sales Person that will grab the business up no matter how crappy we think it is.

Treat EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF BUSINESS like it is your last.  Wow them and shine like you dreamed you would - be the #1 Sales Person.

Good Luck in all your tasks!

Pure Energy

Local Catering Halls that that free stand are constantly asked “where they should house their guests”.  As a Hotel Sales Person you will need to identify who they are referring and find out how they can refer you.

Most Catering Halls will want more than one hotel to refer.  It only makes sense since each hotel is a bit different and has a variance in room rates and property features.  The bottom line depends on what the clients needs are.  And the key is to be sure that your property and name is mentioned as an option.

The Catering Halls are busy and most of them doesn’t really care where their client stays.  Of course if they get complaints well you might as well forget about being referred.  They don’t have the time to deal with that.

As a Hotel Sales Person you will need to figure out how to be the “go to” Sales Rep.  Stay in their face by cold calling, dropping off treats and keeping in touch with them.  If you start the ball rolling and do not keep at them, then they will not consider you as the “go to” person.  You will need to develop a relationship and they will need to learn to trust you.  Make sure that the groups that they refer are “Wowed” and this will increase your chance in being the first referred and recommended hotel.

For the out-of-town wedding guests, take some time to develop a relationship with local transportation companies.  You will be asked about transportation to and from the catering hall.  The client will appreciate your referral.

Find out who the owners are and meet with them.  They will have the authority to insist that your property is referred if you are not getting the support from their team.

Make a flyer that they can hand out to their clients with your information on it.  Make it as easy for them as you can.  Don’t put rates on your flyer since your rates may increase based upon demand.

I’m taking the time to review this subject because I have won over a local catering hall and I can barely keep up with the inquiries.  Now I am working on the others to establish the same relationship.

So Good Luck in your venture!  Don’t forget to stay consistent and don’t give up.  It takes time for the partnership to become true.  Be patient and persistent.

Pure Energy

When a new Sales Person is hired, it is almost mandatory for them to schedule an appointment with another Sales Person to tour a competitor hotel.  It is smart to tour every hotel that is listed on your Star Report.

As a Sales Person myself, I welcome them and give them a full tour and explain about our hotel without giving away confidential information.

Sales is based on networking and relationships.  The more people you connect with the better.  Why not establish a relationship with the Competitor for referrals and a partnership?

If I don’t have space, why wouldn’t I refer a hotel that I toured and liked and why not assist the inquiry with as much information as possible?  From there make a trace and trace them out.  The inquiry will appreciate the referral and possibly book business with you in the future.  You never know.

In return, based on my relationship with the Competitor, they will refer me.

Also after I have toured the competition I am better educated with what they have to offer and I can use this information to my advantage.  Clients like Sales People that are educated.

Along with property information, you will be more comfortable quoting rates to Groups and Corporate clients if you know what your competition is offering.

So if a new Sales Person reaches out to you for a tour of your hotel, make the time for them as like a client.  It will be rewarding to you in the end.

Good luck and BE NICE!

Pure Energy

Four months ago the Property installed the Opera PMS & Sales & Catering Program.  At first I found it very hard to learn and it was a true struggle.  But now as a Sales Person I can’t do without it.

Similar to many other programs, it is window’s based and I’m finding that it is a great tool for yielding our rates and inventory.  But lets talk about inventory and rates for a moment.

The initial training of the Opera System was terrible.  These fellows should not of been trainers.  The Sales & Catering Training one month later was much better.

We found many problems with interfacing with Wyndham.  Rates were incorrect on their end and they were selling our parking packages and other rates at $35.00?  Although we figured it out quickly, many reservations had already been processed.  The complaints started coming through.  What are people thinking?  A $35.00 rate?  We sent all of these complaints to Wyndham to handle.

Still we have issues with rates and interfacing.  Finally through the insistance of my Director, we have a Wyndham Representative and an Opera Representative this week.  They are working on the issues.

Our rooms inventory hasn’t been interfacing since we switched over from MSI.  During the room demand that the MLB created with the Phillies winning, it was our chance to capture additional revenue and sell out.  But our inventory did not jive with Wyndham and the CRS was overselling….to what we believed.  Then we found out that we weren’t sold out at all and the rates that they were selling at were wrong too.  It was extremely stressful and it seemed like we had no control on our own rooms inventory and rates.

So much time was wasted and this problem effected every department.  So how good is Opera?  How did this happen?

The old MSI PMS system was not efficient for yielding rates or room inventory.  The system crashed on us a dozen times a month.  People were complaining and we were loosing precious accounts.  We were in need of a reliable system and my Management chose Opera.

It is nice as a Sales Person to have our S&M program connected with the PMS.  I’m finding it very helpful for my traces - our property used the old file card trace system before Opera - can you believe it?  I’m getting more familiar with it every day.

So if you have Opera or if you are getting Opera and you need some help send a comment.

Good luck!

Pure Energy