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Strategy to Increase Groups and Meetings Sales of Your Hotel

By Terrance Palmer posted 01-20-2021 19:35

  

The hotel industry moves at a break-neck pace and has always been highly competitive, even before the increase in virtual meetings and decrease in global and local travel. In light of this economic climate, group sales offer the prospect of a large influx of revenue and the potential for long-term gains if a good relationship is built with these new clients. 

 

It follows that a marketing strategy that targets group sales could provide the much-needed edge and revenue for your hotel. These considerations should be observed in developing a group-orientated sales approach. 

 

Ensure that staff and salespeople are adequately trained 

 

A better product brings in more revenue. As a hotel’s product is largely dependent on the people working in the hotel, salespeople, and staff alike, a little training can go a long way. Upskilling your staff does not have to interrupt productivity as online hotel sales training here from Jacaruso can be done virtually and at any time. 

 

Outsourcing training can provide your staff with the needed skills and knowledge to provide the best possible product. These skills could include updated health and safety protocol training, learning what makes for lasting experiences in your hotel as well as how to optimize the sales. 

 

Knowing when to offer a discount

 

Group booking tends to come with the allure of a discount. Dropping the price for a bulk booking could help enticing customers choose your hotel, but this should not be done to the detriment of your bottom-line. 

 

It is not uncommon for salespeople to fall into a pattern of bending too far backwards to lockdown a customer. A line needs to be drawn between offering a good deal that suits both parties and handing your product over for less than it is worth. Discounts should be treated as perks rather than hail-Mary passes.

 

Showcase your value

 

Instead of simply promising to give the best price for a group booking, a lot can be gained from showcasing the value of the hotel to the meeting planner. People can be persuaded to pay a bit more if they feel like they are getting more value for their money. 

 

Achieving this can be as simple as finding out what the priorities of the client are and indicating how the hotel ticks these boxes. In the end, it should not turn out to be an unfulfilled promise. The hotel administration must ensure that every part of the deal has been taken care of.

 

Don’t be persuaded by the numbers you are given

 

The customer is not always as informed as they think. A new client may present your sales staff with a number they think is market-related. This number is almost certainly going to be somewhat misguided. 

 

The solution here would not be to openly contradict these figures but would rather be to enquire where the number has been sourced. Once this information is on hand, a salesperson will be better equipped to point out how things are actually priced and what value is being offered from such pricing.

 

Consider when and how to offer upgrades

 

Discounts and upgrades are grouped together and should be treated as such. Offering an upgrade for large bookings can aid in sweetening the deal but your sales staff needs to handle this with care. 

 

Customers may be inclined to ask for these value add-ons without taking into account the sum cost. These numbers should be known to the salesperson before any negotiations take place. 

 

If the client offers a bottom-line, then it should be within the salesperson’s power to either hand the matter over to a superior or to offer a bottom-line of their own. 

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