| One of the goals of a Hotel Sales Manager is to get | | | | inspect my rooms. If I don't like them, I pick more |
| clients to come for Site Inspections and tour the | | | | and keep checking until I find what I am looking for. |
| hotel with you. Once you get the commitment, get | | | | On a good day it may only take me 15 minutes to |
| ready to do some work. When I get a commitment | | | | find a good room, and I always find something that I |
| to come for a tour - with a date and time, the first | | | | don't like that must be taken care of. On a bad day I |
| thing I do is make a list of questions and decide on | | | | have taken over an hour to find the perfect room |
| what I want to get out of the appointment. | | | | and the perfect walk through path. Based on |
| From there I Google their organization and surf | | | | occupancy the night before, I don't always get the |
| through their pages to get an idea who they are. | | | | best pickings of the rooms. |
| This knowledge is also good to get for when they | | | | I recommend getting show rooms if possible. A show |
| do come so you have something to talk about that | | | | room should look perfect. As perfect as the room |
| is in their interest. What are they coming for? Some | | | | looked when it first opened. It should smell good too. |
| will come to tour before they sign a booking | | | | I must say that if I'm not happy with the show |
| agreement. Others for future business. | | | | rooms that my Management Team picks out, I |
| When I get an inquiry, lets just say for a wedding | | | | always bring it up at the next Staff Meeting. |
| block, I always invite them out and I make time for | | | | We put the show rooms in an out of order status |
| them. Most hotel sales people won't just ask them to | | | | but we sell them if we have to. We try to keep our |
| come and meet with them. They would rather quote | | | | show rooms out of order but with the past |
| a rate, hang up, then shoot out an email. This is not | | | | hurricanes and bad weather, we are running pretty |
| "WOWING" the caller. | | | | good on occupancy so they have to use them. We |
| When you are sincere and welcome them to your | | | | are an Airport Property with many "distressed |
| "home" you will have a much better chance to book | | | | passengers" and airline crews. |
| them. Always invite them to take a site inspection of | | | | If you do have show rooms, don't add a bunch of |
| your hotel. Not to mention that your General | | | | extra items, flowers etc., that are not in all of the |
| Manager will keep seeing you on tours. This looks | | | | guestrooms. Show them a clean, clean smelling and |
| good for you. | | | | fresh room. Don't fudge too much. During the site |
| From there I route a Site Inspection Form noting | | | | inspection, I have a list ready for the client with my |
| their information and how much I feel the client is | | | | questions and I tell the client that I have questions |
| worth. The day before I always call to confirm the | | | | for them. Then I ask approval to take notes. |
| appointment. I do not email them, I call. This shows | | | | Once they leave, I make it a priority to get the |
| that yes, I do have time for you. I think the clients | | | | proposal or contract done to get it to them as fast |
| like it better. | | | | as possible. Clients are impressed when they get their |
| On inspection day, I will then choose the rooms that | | | | paperwork shortly after they left the property. It |
| I want to show. To be sure I don't have any | | | | shows that YOU the Hotel Sales Manager is |
| surprises, I walk the route that I am going to take | | | | interested in a partnership and that you will be |
| with them to pick up any trash or to get something | | | | committed to them and hopefully them to you. |
| done before they arrive. And I take the time to | | | | |