Did you just land an entry level, sales position? If so, congratulations and welcome to one of the most challenging, creative and invigorating fields there is. I spent well over 10 years in hospitality sales and marketing, so I have a pretty good idea of what you’re in for. There will be high points, low points and copious amounts of sales presentations. If you have never given a sales presentation before, you’ll need to get familiar with the process immediately. Here’s a quick overview of the steps involved:
Pre-Approach
Most sales presentations start with a brief introduction that is followed up with a purpose statement and a bridge statement. An example of a hotel sales presentation opening would be, “Good Morning, I am Suzy Salesperson from the XYZ Hotel. I would like to talk to you about how the XYZ Hotel staff can simplify the tour planning process for you and leave your group singing your praises. Do you have a few moments to speak with me now or may I make an appointment with you for later this week?” Notice that my bridge statement gives the group leader an option with a definitive deadline. I have found that giving the group leader an option with a deadline is a great way to start. It helps to ensure that the group leader has the time necessary to actually listen to your sales presentation and indicates a degree of urgency.
Approach and Discovery
The next step in the sales process is to ask the group leader a series of open-ended and close-ended questions. The questions should be designed to do one of three things; gather facts, uncover feelings and discover problems. Based on my experience, I would recommend that you ask all of your initial questions up front but do it in a natural manner. The last thing that you’ll want to do is make the group leader feel like he or she is being interrogated. Examples of appropriate questions to ask would be, “What did you enjoy the most about your last group vacation?”, and, “If you could have changed one thing about the trip, what would it have been?” Once you have your initial answers, launch into the actual sales presentation using what you have learned during the Q &A; along the way.
Presentation
The presentation and the steps that follow are when intuitiveness and quick thinking on the part of the salesperson really comes into play. A successful salesperson has to go into every sales presentation with a solid understanding of his or her target market. He or she then takes that knowledge, along with the information gathered during the initial question and answer session, and uses it to immediately tailor and deliver their presentation to the group leader. Furthermore, the presentation must be effective, efficient and rooted in fact.
When I was working in hospitality sales and marketing, I developed a series of basic sales kits that were designed for different target markets. I used them during sales presentations. The sales kit included visuals and one sheets that listed features, advantages and benefits that matched an overall profile. I was able to use those sales kits as a stepping off point for each presentation. You may want to consider doing the same.
Objections
It is very rare that a salesperson will get a resounding, “Yes”, on the first go round. That is why he or she should be well equipped to minimize and handle objections. Even though much can be said on this subject, I’ll try to keep it brief. There are three main ways that an objection is handled. The first method is to clarify the objection and address it head on. The second method is to acknowledge the objection but avoid addressing it. The third method is to address it directly but offer an alternative.
In my opinion, the direct method is the best method. The next best method is to offer the alternative. I am not a big fan of using the avoidance method. I feel that it damages a salesperson’s credibility and rarely works. I would also caution a salesperson against arguing with the group leader or taking the objection personally. Neither of the two responses is particularly productive or wise.
Closing and Follow-Up
Some folks may separate the presentation’s closing and the follow-up into two separate steps but I prefer to think of them as one. The closing can be a short or lengthy process depending on the amount of objections that must be addressed. I would recommend trying a test close first to see if there are any other objections that must be handled. An example of a test close would be to ask, “What do you think about what XYZ Hotel has to offer you and your group?” If the group leader responds positively to the test close, I’d suggest asking for sale.
There are multiple ways to close the sale. Four of my favorite methods were the direct close, the assumptive close, the alternative close and the contingency close. The direct close and assumptive close are very similar in nature. The direct close asks permission to make the group reservation whereas the assumptive close doesn’t ask for permission. An example of an assumptive close would be, “I’ll go ahead and print out the contract so you can sign it.”
The contingency close, in my experience, works best if there is an objection that might still be lurking in the group leader’s mind. The reason why is it uses an “if-then” scenario. An example of a contingency close would be, “If I give you a complimentary suite, will you agree to reserve a block of 30 rooms with us for June 2, 2013?” If the group leader responds negatively, there is a good chance that he or she has additional objections that have not been uncovered or handled properly. In that case, the salesperson will need to ask more questions and get to the root of the real objection.
Once the sale is closed, make sure to follow through on everything that you promised during the sales process. Otherwise you could lose the sale down the road as well as damage your employer’s reputation.
Killeen Gonzalez has a degree in marketing as well as hotel and restaurant management. She spent many years working in the field and has since retired from the hospitality industry.
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