As with any other industry, it’s crucial for players in the hospitality sales industry to be on their toes at all times because maintaining a competitive edge is a must.
This goes for event planners and the hotels who host them as well.
Strategy and innovation are the names of the game and we’ve got just the advice you need to master both. Read on for more.
SWOT is an age-old strategy and a foundation for any operator in the field.
This acronym stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Because it’s not based on hard data, a SWOT analysis is considered a soft metric.
However, it’s still very important to a well-rounded sales team. For instance, it enables you to see which members excel at specific skills (strengths), determine what tactics your competitors are using (threats), etc.
It’s important to put your current sales team through a SWOT analysis to get a better understanding of your strengths and weaknesses before you move forward.
- Train Frontline Employees
Frontline employees are the face of the company because they interface with customers more, and they include event service staff and desk employees.
Get online hotel sales training for these people and make sure that they’re knowledgeable about your events and hotel as well as the surrounding location.
That way, when guests start asking questions, they’ll be able to provide relevant and accurate answers, including data about special deals and promotions.
Never underestimate the value of making a good first impression and your frontline employees will help you to do just that. They’ll help you to build goodwill and positive rapport with consumers.
- Get on Social Media Platforms
Every business is on social media nowadays, from plumbers to hotels. Likewise, you should post regularly on your social media channels, which could include Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and LinkedIn, to name but a few.
Look at what your competitors are doing to get a good idea of where you should focus your efforts. Are they using Twitter or Facebook more?
Which platforms are they thriving in? Be sure to look out for relevant LinkedIn and Facebook groups in your area because these are the new networking mixers, with the only difference being that they’re done virtually online.
Local and seasonal events invariably translate to huge profit potential as they offer the potential for large gatherings of people at the same place.
Make use of your location and the seasons by making friends with people such as cruise line operators, festivals, concerts and cultural event organizers.
Striking up these partnerships can contribute a great deal to your long-term success in ensuring that your hotel establishment is booked turning a profit.
- Concentrate on Customer Loyalty
In business, it’s much cheaper to retain customers instead of seeking new ones. That’s why customer loyalty is so important.
You can confer such loyalty through offering perks to repeat customers, or have incentive campaigns and loyalty programs.
Use social media paid advertisements and email campaigns to market these incentives and you’ve got a winning formula to retain your customers.