[Free eBook] Group Sales Playbook 2017: 10 Ways to Optimize Group Revenue in a Seller’s Market

Download our latest guide for a deep dive into 10 methods, tools, and partnerships to target higher value clients, and boost group sales.

As hotels reinvest in their properties and bring more supply online, occupancy is staying healthy in most major markets. That’s in part attributed to growing demand for meetings and events. These days sales teams don’t have to do as much hunting, but that means they have to be smarter about the way they work with high-value clients.

Meeting and event professionals are some of the busiest people out there. Closing group business means finding ways to make their jobs (and lives) easier. That’s why the best sales reps are partners first and think transactionally second.  Download Social Tables’ Group Sales Playbook for 2017 to see why group business will drive revenue growth in hospitality over the next few years, and find out how you can prepare yourself and your sales team to take advantage of this trend. This guide goes in-depth on hotel sales tactics that can help your property stay laser-focused on the highest value group deals.

Analysts are cautiously optimistic about tourism and transient business travel in 2017. Some markets are still struggling to meet demand, while others are stabilizing. Where we see a real opportunity for steady growth is in group bookings. Businesses are increasingly relying on events as lead and revenue drivers.

Meetings are changing, they can be organized faster and more frequently. We wanted to help prepare hotel sales teams to book more meetings like this, and optimize revenue for traditional meetings. That’s why we created this guide.

– Dan Berger, CEO, Social Tables

 

 

Learn from 10 methods and tactics to drive hotel sales by optimizing for group revenue:

1. Bridge the Gap Between Revenue Managers and Sales

How can sales teams communicate with and learn from revenue managers? What are the steps a property can take to make data insights accessible to a sales team?

2. Apply the OTA Model to Function Space and Leverage Strategic Partners

We highlight a few ways hotels can partner with non-traditional spaces in their area to help close deals at a super short turnaround time. That way you’re not missing out on resulting guest room bookings.

3. Create New Opportunities for F&B and Catering! Your Secret Weapon to Optimizing Revenue

Catering and F&B is the highest margin service at a hotel. Especially for groups. This chapter suggests a few ways that sales folks can work with catering to identify new ways to sell catering and F&B services.

4. Sell by Experience and Shift the Mix

What group types should hotels be focused on given the current climate in our industry? We dive into the pros and cons of 4 common group types.

5. Understand the Procurement Process: Who are You Negotiating with Anyway?

How is negotiating with procurement different than with planners? Tips for sales folks to close group business by helping planners and procurement work together.

6. Empower Clients with Smarter Concessions

Meeting and event professionals don’t want fancy amenities. The want the tools and resources to get their jobs done and create memorable events. Here’s how hotels can start thinking in terms of partnerships instead of sales.

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The best sales reps are partners first and think transactionally second.
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7. Customize & Close: Make Site Visits More Impactful

We share 10 ways to offer a totally customized site visit experience and close the deal on site.

8. Think Outside the Ballroom: Add Supply Through Creative Thinking and Partnerships

Have you tried to sell the lobby? Here are ways that hotels can create new event spaces by using unconventional rooms at their property.

9. Work Closely with Your Local CVB

CVBs help place clients at hotels and venues that are perfect for their events. Properties that offer to be a partner to a CVB and share resources can stand out above the competition in the eyes of a CVB.

10. Show, Don’t Tell: Communicate Visually

The best way to communicate what your event space can offer is by showing prospects real examples of prior events, or working with them to design a diagram of their event in your floor plans. This chapter shows why interactive floor plans can make a huge difference in closing groups.

Click here to download the eBook.

Remember to join us on Twitter @SocialTables to share how you optimize group business at your property.

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