Closing the Sale
Ask most sales people what the most difficult part of sales is, and they
are likely to say "Closing the sale!" This is the art of going from having
a conversation with a client about their needs (not just your product!) to
getting a commitment that they will book their group with you.
Sometimes you may be requested to send a proposal, so that they can
see in writing what you are offering, and possibly compare it to other
hotels. Sometimes you may be asked to send a contract (yay!) -- but
regardless, the most important thing you can do is ask for the
business!
Closing the sale is not difficult, but it may take practice for you to get
comfortable doing it. Below are some suggested ways of moving a
conversation toward a booking. But first -- please keep in mind the
golden rule of hotel bookings, whether sales offices or front desks:
Present your hotel's features before giving the rate!
This is actually a little harder than it sounds, but the more you practice
it, the more naturally it will come to you.
"Let me see what our rate for July will be. Did I tell you that all of our
rooms were renovated last year and feature pillow-top mattresses, and
we have free high-speed Internet for all of our meeting groups? Also,
we have a really nice indoor pool and fitness center. Okay, here we go
-- the special rate I have for you in July is $129 per night."
As you can see, buying a little time gives you a chance to promote your
property once more.
Once you give the price, listen for the client's reaction. Does she seem
to think it's fair? If so, then ask for the business -- "Would you like me
to confirm this for you?" Can you hear the hesitation in her voice over
rate? Provide some added value: "Of course, we give one comp room
for every 50 booked, so yours will probably be provided at no charge,
and if you book at least 75 rooms per night, I can upgrade that to a
suite."
If your rates are just completely out of the ballpark, let it go for now.
There is nothing worse than businesses who don't give their best
price first. Your hotel is worth the rate you quoted, and you have
explained why. It's okay to negotiate in some cases ("Let me see if I
can get a free meeting break included one day for you.") but
immediately coming down on rate is not wise - the client may not trust
you next time. Instead, hang up, weigh the pros and cons of the group,
and give the client time to call you back. If she doesn't, you can follow
up with another offer ("My general manager said that, although we don't
normally do this, we will knock $10 off the room rate, because we
really want to reintroduce you to our hotel and let you see all of the
changes we've made" or "... We understand that you are on a specific
budget, and because we really value your business, my General
Manager said we can discount your rates by $10 a night, if you book
by the end of this month.") You can also negotiate based on days --
"Keep in mind that if you can arrive on Tuesday instead of Thursday,
we can provide a much better rate!"
The key is win-win -- you want your clients happy that they selected
your hotel, and your manager happy that you got a fair price. It's a
balancing act, and that is part of what makes hotel sales exciting, and
you an excellent sales person!
Ask most sales people what the most difficult part of sales is, and they
are likely to say "Closing the sale!" This is the art of going from having
a conversation with a client about their needs (not just your product!) to
getting a commitment that they will book their group with you.
Sometimes you may be requested to send a proposal, so that they can
see in writing what you are offering, and possibly compare it to other
hotels. Sometimes you may be asked to send a contract (yay!) -- but
regardless, the most important thing you can do is ask for the
business!
Closing the sale is not difficult, but it may take practice for you to get
comfortable doing it. Below are some suggested ways of moving a
conversation toward a booking. But first -- please keep in mind the
golden rule of hotel bookings, whether sales offices or front desks:
Present your hotel's features before giving the rate!
This is actually a little harder than it sounds, but the more you practice
it, the more naturally it will come to you.
"Let me see what our rate for July will be. Did I tell you that all of our
rooms were renovated last year and feature pillow-top mattresses, and
we have free high-speed Internet for all of our meeting groups? Also,
we have a really nice indoor pool and fitness center. Okay, here we go
-- the special rate I have for you in July is $129 per night."
As you can see, buying a little time gives you a chance to promote your
property once more.
Once you give the price, listen for the client's reaction. Does she seem
to think it's fair? If so, then ask for the business -- "Would you like me
to confirm this for you?" Can you hear the hesitation in her voice over
rate? Provide some added value: "Of course, we give one comp room
for every 50 booked, so yours will probably be provided at no charge,
and if you book at least 75 rooms per night, I can upgrade that to a
suite."
If your rates are just completely out of the ballpark, let it go for now.
There is nothing worse than businesses who don't give their best
price first. Your hotel is worth the rate you quoted, and you have
explained why. It's okay to negotiate in some cases ("Let me see if I
can get a free meeting break included one day for you.") but
immediately coming down on rate is not wise - the client may not trust
you next time. Instead, hang up, weigh the pros and cons of the group,
and give the client time to call you back. If she doesn't, you can follow
up with another offer ("My general manager said that, although we don't
normally do this, we will knock $10 off the room rate, because we
really want to reintroduce you to our hotel and let you see all of the
changes we've made" or "... We understand that you are on a specific
budget, and because we really value your business, my General
Manager said we can discount your rates by $10 a night, if you book
by the end of this month.") You can also negotiate based on days --
"Keep in mind that if you can arrive on Tuesday instead of Thursday,
we can provide a much better rate!"
The key is win-win -- you want your clients happy that they selected
your hotel, and your manager happy that you got a fair price. It's a
balancing act, and that is part of what makes hotel sales exciting, and
you an excellent sales person!
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The Online Hotel Sales Director
| Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Mark 12:30 (NIV) |
Friday, 12-Mar-10 09:37:50 PST
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