by Doug Kennedy
June 1, 2009
While many hotels have focused attention in recent years on
helping reservations agents increase their sales effectiveness, many
are still
overlooking the numerous other sales opportunities that front desk
sales
associates encounter everyday. One such
opportunity is the walk-in inquiry.
Depending on your market segment, brand, and especially your location,
walk-in sales can represent a significant source of additional revenue.
Unfortunately, the hotel industry overall does a less than
adequate job of selling to walk-ins.
Typically, the car pulls up out front and someone gets out; sometimes
it’s the mom, sometimes it’s the dad, sometimes it’s the 12 year old
kid. Regardless of who it is, they all ask the
same question: “How much are your
rooms?” All too often associates simply
say “$99 a night.” Nothing more is
mentioned other than price. And what’s
the worst mistake you can make in sales? Quoting a price without
demonstrating
value.
When you stop to consider it, the walk-in sales opportunity
provides the hotel with some significant advantages over other
distribution
channels. For one, the sales person can
visually evaluate the guests needs and wants.
Are they dressed as if on a business trip, or on vacation? What
is their age? Are they traveling alone
or with family? What is their level of
commitment; do they park the car and walk-in with luggage, or do they
just run
in to find out the price?
A second advantage is that the sales prospect can see the
product firsthand and is able to formulate a first impression. (This is
why it
is critical for hotels to maintain curb appeal.) Another
significant advantage in selling to
walk-ins is that it takes more effort for the prospect to shop
around. It’s harder to get back in the car and drive
down the road than it is to click on the next Internet link or to dial
the
phone number of the next property.
If you’re looking to capture and convert more walk-in
inquiries into bookings, here are some training tips to review at your
next
front office meeting:
- Connect
With The Customer. Fundamental guest service principles
will
help you gain a competitive edge.
Greeting the guest before they greet you, establishing eye contact,
smiling, and using positive body language will set you apart from
competitors.
- Offer
A Menu Of Options. Depending on your inventory of
rooms and
packages, you’ll want to offer two or three choices when possible,
versus only
quoting the lower rate. For example, offer
a traditional guest room and then an executive level room, or non-view
and view
rooms; or a room versus a suite. Or if
your hotel has a limited number of room categories, you might still be
able to
offer a menu of “rate” options such as a “room only” rate and a second
rate
option that includes other services (such as breakfast, parking, or
Internet.) Offering a menu of options
migrates guests into a “which should I choose?” versus “Should I choose
to stay
here?” decision making process.
- Describe
The Room And/Or Rate Option. Common industry terms like
“standard room”
and “continental breakfast” do little to convey value and to entice
guests. Instead, help them take
psychological possession by fully describing the furnishings, views,
concierge
level lounges, and/or continental breakfast presentations.
Remember to use the knowledge gained from
reading the guest to point out features that might provide a benefit;
instead
allure and entice them with visually and emotionally descriptive
language.
- Avoid
positioning last-sell or higher rated
options in the negative. When the
only rooms available to walk-ins are either the highest-priced or least
desirable, which is frequently the case in high-demand situations, it’s
important to make them sound as appealing as possible. Rather
than saying “Oh, we only have our
suites left” instead, create a sense of urgency with “Oh good, we still
have
some of our suites, which feature…”
Instead of saying “All we have left are our limited view rooms,”
reiterate value by saying “Although this room does have a limited view,
you
still have all the same amenities and services as with all our rooms,
and I
have to say this room really is a great value at this time.
In addition to training your front desk to utilize these and
other sales techniques, it’s also important to measure the results both
individually and on a department-wide basis.
If your property management system allows, assign a special source code
to walk-ins. Otherwise, create a form to manually record your
results. Of course, you’ll also want to challenge your
staff’s competitive spirit by posting the results on a “daily,” MTD,
and YTD
basis, and then to celebrate your
success via staff recognition and/or incentive programs.
By
employing the basic sales principles for capturing walk-ins, your front
desk
team can help your hotel maximize it’s market share even in a down
market
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Doug
Kennedy, President of
the Kennedy Training Network, has been a fixture on the hospitality and
tourism industry conference circuit since 1989, having presented over
1,000
conference keynote sessions, educational break-out seminars, or
customized,
on-premise training workshops for diverse audiences representing every
segment of the lodging industry. Ee-mail Doug at: [email protected] |
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