All hotels are faced with looking for ways to increase their sales.
Hotel sales are, by nature, very seasonal with a sometimes volatile market. To prevent stress in dealing with the ups and downs of seasons, it’s helpful to think long-term. To do so, you need to be proactive.
It’s not enough to passively wait for guests to come to you. Having a plan to bring in guests will help bring in regular cash flow, increase returns on capital investment, and assure your staff and facilities are all being utilized to their fullest potential.
Event Temple has written numerous blogs on ways to increase hotel sales so click the header links below to view full articles for more detail.
Hotel sales are, by nature, very seasonal with a sometimes volatile market. To prevent stress in dealing with the ups and downs of seasons, it’s helpful to think long-term. To do so, you need to be proactive.
It’s not enough to passively wait for guests to come to you. Having a plan to bring in guests will help bring in regular cash flow, increase returns on capital investment, and assure your staff and facilities are all being utilized to their fullest potential.
Event Temple has written numerous blogs on ways to increase hotel sales so click the header links below to view full articles for more detail.
1 – Optimize Your Sales CRM
Sales and CRM technology provide a complete overview of your hotel’s relationship with its customers and potential prospects.
There are a few tactics you can do to optimize this technology.
You can check in to make sure your team fully adopts the software. If people aren’t using it, there’s no point in having it in the first place.
You can learn from your analytics. The reports and metrics from your sales CRM are good at guiding your sales strategy and getting insight into your team’s performance.
Perhaps prospects are getting stuck at one particular part of the sales cycle. Having a CRM that shows you data from different stages of the sales cycle can help you and your team narrow down what the problem is and adjust accordingly.
Sales and CRM technology provide a complete overview of your hotel’s relationship with its customers and potential prospects.
There are a few tactics you can do to optimize this technology.
You can check in to make sure your team fully adopts the software. If people aren’t using it, there’s no point in having it in the first place.
You can learn from your analytics. The reports and metrics from your sales CRM are good at guiding your sales strategy and getting insight into your team’s performance.
Perhaps prospects are getting stuck at one particular part of the sales cycle. Having a CRM that shows you data from different stages of the sales cycle can help you and your team narrow down what the problem is and adjust accordingly.
2 – Look At Group Bookings
Hotel group bookings are a cost-effective way to increase sales because they can fill multiple rooms with a single booking. They can sometimes be an overlooked source of revenue but are not short of benefits. They provide opportunities to upsell, guests are less likely to cancel if they’re at a sponsored event group booking, and they can help promote repeat business.
Fortunately, there are techniques your hotel can use to help attract more group bookings.
Things like understanding your guests, automating tasks, and reviewing your lead generation strategy can all promote your hotel’s group booking sales.
Hotel group bookings are a cost-effective way to increase sales because they can fill multiple rooms with a single booking. They can sometimes be an overlooked source of revenue but are not short of benefits. They provide opportunities to upsell, guests are less likely to cancel if they’re at a sponsored event group booking, and they can help promote repeat business.
Fortunately, there are techniques your hotel can use to help attract more group bookings.
Things like understanding your guests, automating tasks, and reviewing your lead generation strategy can all promote your hotel’s group booking sales.
3 – Modernize Loyalty Programs
Loyalty programs are a great way to create recurring revenue.
In an interview we did with Mr. Ulrich Pillau, who is the founder and CEO of Apaleo, we discussed insight into what makes a modern hotel loyalty program. Things like point systems are now outdated ways to gain customer loyalty.
Younger guests now have an acquired taste for a modern experience. For instance, offering first and rewards for guests book rooms through your website or rooms at discounts or at the same price initially with options to upgrade later.
Loyalty programs are a great way to create recurring revenue.
In an interview we did with Mr. Ulrich Pillau, who is the founder and CEO of Apaleo, we discussed insight into what makes a modern hotel loyalty program. Things like point systems are now outdated ways to gain customer loyalty.
Younger guests now have an acquired taste for a modern experience. For instance, offering first and rewards for guests book rooms through your website or rooms at discounts or at the same price initially with options to upgrade later.
4 – Utilize Pipeline Metrics
Hotel CRM and sales pipeline technology come with a lot of functions that, when keeping up with day-to-day hotel operations, can sometimes go underutilized.
The value of pipeline metrics is that they can help your team track progress and make projections.
Leveraging data can help your team in prospecting, opportunity analysis, and overall streamline your sales process.
Hotel CRM and sales pipeline technology come with a lot of functions that, when keeping up with day-to-day hotel operations, can sometimes go underutilized.
The value of pipeline metrics is that they can help your team track progress and make projections.
Leveraging data can help your team in prospecting, opportunity analysis, and overall streamline your sales process.
5 – Define Your Sales Process
Has your sales team looked at the big picture lately? Sometimes it can be easy to get caught in the weeds but taking a look at the entire sales process can increase efficiency and results.
Things like onboarding new hires and tracking results are easier if you have a solid process in place. The key is to be consistent and make sure everyone on your team is all aligned. CRM and Sales Pipeline tools can help in this instance. When everyone is looking at the same pipeline and data, they can understand their process and results so your hotel can better reach its goals.
Has your sales team looked at the big picture lately? Sometimes it can be easy to get caught in the weeds but taking a look at the entire sales process can increase efficiency and results.
Things like onboarding new hires and tracking results are easier if you have a solid process in place. The key is to be consistent and make sure everyone on your team is all aligned. CRM and Sales Pipeline tools can help in this instance. When everyone is looking at the same pipeline and data, they can understand their process and results so your hotel can better reach its goals.
6 – Refine Your Outbound Sales Process
Outbound hotels sales entail the process of reaching out to potential guests who have not yet expressed interest in your hotel.
Putting thought into the outbound process can help increase your overall hotel sales.
Tactics that can make a difference include researching your prospects before you contact them, personalizing your messages, and keeping your introductions brief and short.
Sometimes small differences can have a big impact.
Outbound hotels sales entail the process of reaching out to potential guests who have not yet expressed interest in your hotel.
Putting thought into the outbound process can help increase your overall hotel sales.
Tactics that can make a difference include researching your prospects before you contact them, personalizing your messages, and keeping your introductions brief and short.
Sometimes small differences can have a big impact.
7 – Personalize Your Guest Experience
Over the past 10 years, guests have become more and more accustomed to personalized customer service. Having the right tech stack and leveraging your software can help create a more efficient and seamless for your team and guest experience.
Whether it’s an online chatbot, gaining insights from guest data, or setting up automated pre-arrival emails, technology can empower your hotel and optimize your guest experience.
Over the past 10 years, guests have become more and more accustomed to personalized customer service. Having the right tech stack and leveraging your software can help create a more efficient and seamless for your team and guest experience.
Whether it’s an online chatbot, gaining insights from guest data, or setting up automated pre-arrival emails, technology can empower your hotel and optimize your guest experience.
8 – Learn From The Pros
Interested in hearing more about what the leading industry experts have to say about hotel sales? Check out our interviews below:
Hospitality Sales: An Interview With Rupesh Patel, Zenique Hotels
Hotel Revenue Management Today and into the Future with Klaus Kohlmayr of IDeaS
Improving the Bottom Line at Your Hotel with Technology from Jos Schaap
Insights into Hotel PMS with Steven Hopkinson
Interested in hearing more about what the leading industry experts have to say about hotel sales? Check out our interviews below:
Hospitality Sales: An Interview With Rupesh Patel, Zenique Hotels
Hotel Revenue Management Today and into the Future with Klaus Kohlmayr of IDeaS
Improving the Bottom Line at Your Hotel with Technology from Jos Schaap
Insights into Hotel PMS with Steven Hopkinson
9 – Optimize Your Hotel Check-In Process
Examining your check-in process and empathizing with your guests’ experience can be an underrated way to improve your revenue.
Modernizing and simplifying the traditional check-in process can have a positive impact on your brand, set your hotel apart from competitors, and increase customer satisfaction. In short, looking at the small details can be great for improving the overall big-picture of your hotel revenue.
Examining your check-in process and empathizing with your guests’ experience can be an underrated way to improve your revenue.
Modernizing and simplifying the traditional check-in process can have a positive impact on your brand, set your hotel apart from competitors, and increase customer satisfaction. In short, looking at the small details can be great for improving the overall big-picture of your hotel revenue.
10 – Build The A Great Sales Team
Part of getting results is having the right people and setting them up for success. Reviewing your onboarding process, reviewing your standard operating procedures (SOPs), and making sure your team stays engaged are all factors that contribute to a successful sales team.
Part of getting results is having the right people and setting them up for success. Reviewing your onboarding process, reviewing your standard operating procedures (SOPs), and making sure your team stays engaged are all factors that contribute to a successful sales team.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to growing your hotel sales, there are many angles you can take to improve your results. Hopefully, we’ve given you some inspiration from our article and resources!
Don’t be afraid to test out new ideas and figure out what works for your hotel. Improving hotel sales can be daunting but we’re here to support you.
When it comes to growing your hotel sales, there are many angles you can take to improve your results. Hopefully, we’ve given you some inspiration from our article and resources!
Don’t be afraid to test out new ideas and figure out what works for your hotel. Improving hotel sales can be daunting but we’re here to support you.