After a long drought, incoming sales leads for groups, events and functions are returning for most hotels. While some may be coming in by phone, chances are that most are arriving by direct email, by way of an app or via inbound requests for proposals forwarded from a hotel brand or source at a destination marketing organization or conventions and visitors bureau.

Some hotel salespeople may be out of practice as they are returning from furlough or from spending time helping cover hotel operations. On top of that, many hotel salespeople will have to embrace new and better sales habits, because before the pandemic so many markets had experienced 10-plus years of growth in demand, and sales came easier back then.

Here are some essential “best habits” to help everyone embrace new sales habitudes for a new sales habitat:

The first and most important habit for responding to inbound sales leads is to personalize the reply. Now I am sure many readers are thinking that number one should always be responding promptly.

The idea of being first has been oversold by too many hotel sales conference speakers and sales trainers to the point that it has become somewhat of an urban legend.

However, meeting planners themselves will tell you that too many salespeople do not pay attention to details carefully stated in requests for proposals. Instead, most simply reply with a generic PDF or a link to an online proposal.

Instead of rushing to be the very first, take a little more time to customize and contextualize.

Pick up the phone and/or send an email to further discover the needs. Most planners will play along when salespeople call to ask some intelligent questions.

Avoid “textbook” questions such as “Walk me through your ideal meeting.” Instead, ask questions that show you have actually read the request for proposal. For example: “I just had a couple of quick questions so that I can respond more precisely, such as about the theme for your closing reception.”

If no phone number is provided, ask these questions via email, but if they do not reply right away, proceed with the initial proposal knowing that you have at least stood out by making this effort.

After responding, reach out a day or two later to confirm receipt, rather than relying on app tracking and/or an Outlook delivery receipt. In a practical sense, this is necessary because many emails are accidentally deleted by recipients who read emails on multiple devices, but it also shows prospects you have an attention to detail and want their business bad enough to go after it.

Make it easy to meet and have a real conversation. Rather than saying “Call me if you have any questions” or “It would be great to set-up a call to go over all this,” send a link to an online scheduling app. Include an explanation such as: “It would be wonderful to connect for a brief conversation so I could learn more about your program and walk you through these options. Just click on my link to grab a time on my calendar.”

Respond even if you are sold out and the dates are “not flexible.” When I conduct KTN’s “sales process assessments,” I always look at actual responses. Oftentimes I see that there was no reply whatsoever. When I ask “Why not?” salespeople often say “Well, I didn’t replay because we are sold-out for their dates.”

Responding anyway shows good will and creates a positive first impression for future business. Secondly, it may turn out that other hotels are also sold out and therefore the prospect will have to become “date flexible.”

Similarly, another reason salespeople give me for not responding is that the planner indicated they are looking for rates well below the hotel’s range. Again, a personalized, prompt reply will create good will for future business. Secondly, it may turn out that the other hotels also are charging rates that are higher than what the request states, so the planner eventually realizes they will have to increase their budget.

Follow up at least two times beyond the initial response. The majority of hotel salespeople do not follow up more than once after their initial response to the inbound lead. One reason may be because they have not organized their sales “task list” or “lead stream” function. Another may be because they do not want to be “pushy.” Frankly, I believe that the main reason is because a decade sustained growth in demand created a seller’s market mentality.

Use a “tech for touch” approach and personalize following-up messaging. Vary your medium from voicemail to email, or really stand out by sending personalized video email messages. Regardless of what medium you use, always say something specific about the group or event and how much you’d love to host it, rather a generic “I’m just following up to see if you have any questions” statement.

As hotel salespeople emerge from the pandemic economy to find a new sales habit, this is a great time to embrace a new sales habitudes such as these. Those who do so will find that disruption has created opportunity.

Doug Kennedy is president of the Kennedy Training Network, Inc. Contact him at doug@kennedytrainingnetwork.com.

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