Chapter 10: Sales & Marketing
Dec 16, 2015
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e ©2004 Pearson Education Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
The Front Office
Identify and cultivate clients
Manage hotel’s marketing efforts
Set rates to maximize RevParNegotiate sales contracts on behalf of hotel
Serve as a leader to hotel’s sales & marketing team
Roles of Sales & Marketing
SalesActivities related directly to servicing consumer demand & booking clients
Roles of Director of Sales & Marketing
MarketingActivities designed to increase consumer awareness & demand by promoting & advertising hotel
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e ©2004 Pearson Education Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Planning hotel’s sales and marketing strategyPreparing and issuing sales contracts in timely mannerMaintaining accurate sales records, forecast and historiesCoordinating and communicating special client requests with affected hotel departments
Hosting clients during their stayConducting site tours
Front office
Sales & Marketing
Roles of Sales & Marketing: In the Hotel
Transient roomsInfluence
Group saleInfluence
Tasks of Sales & Marketing staff with their group sales focus
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e ©2004 Pearson Education Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Roles of Sales & Marketing: In the Community
Two sales opportunities
Promotion opportunities
When DOSM and Sales team are active members of the business community (e.g., local Chamber of Commerce), disseminating info about hotel’s products and services is allowed.
Networking opportunities
Development of personal relationships for business-related purposes will result in increased numbers of sales calls.- Convention and Visitors Bureau
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e ©2004 Pearson Education Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Segmentation of the Sales & Marketing Dept.
product designations becoming sales specialty areas
Segmentation based on:
By product(s) sold
By market (market segment)
By distribution network
type of guests (clients) who buy the product
“how” the hotel’s sales (products) are made (distributed)
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e ©2004 Pearson Education Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
By product sold
Segmentation of the Sales & Marketing Dept.
Group guest rooms Conferences
Catered event
MeetingsConventions
Weddings and special events
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e ©2004 Pearson Education Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Guaranteed occupancy, ease of cleaning their rooms, relatively uncomplicated billingRooms often sold at very low daily rates
Vacations, weddings, visits by friends and family, or non-work related reasonsHeavy reliance on travel agents’ advice
Social, military, educational, religious, or fraternal organizations
Business travelers (who pay highest room rates)
Corporate
SMERF & Others
By market (market
segmentation)Long-term stay
Leisure
Segmentation of the Sales & Marketing Dept.
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e ©2004 Pearson Education Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Potential guest who arrives at hotel without an appointment
Fastest growing distribution channel Creating homepages and linking them to other sites
Largest customers of many hotelsNegotiated rate / blackout dates / pick-up
Retailers, wholesalers or both Using Global Distribution System Receiving commission (5 – 20 %) from hotel
Representative of corporations, groups and organizations
Using comparison-shopping techniques Influence on hotel’s reputation
Meeting planners
Internet
By distribution networkingConsortia
Travel agents
Segmentation of the Sales & Marketing Dept.
Drop-ins
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e ©2004 Pearson Education Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Maintain record (e.g., demographic data) of hotel’s past, current and prospective clients
Help department maintain its sales records, meet deadlines, and plan future activities
Harmonizes efforts across department lines
Engages in long-term planning
Ensures cooperation of all in sales and marketing process
Sales & Marketing Activities: Sales Efforts
Sales & marketing committee
Trace systems
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e ©2004 Pearson Education Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
The sales cycle
Pre-sale phase
Sales & Marketing Activities: Sales Efforts
Invite client to a site tour
Submit a bid
Post sale phase
Complete “Request for Proposal” and submit on timeEstablish room ratesPrepare group contract (attrition and cancellation policy)Forward Direct Bill application to GroupEstablish group blockDetail client’s contracted requirementsMonitor client’s blockAttend pre-event sales meeting of hotel staff
Write thank you note to each groupReview the final billInclude that group in the hotel’s preferred client databaseFile all written reports
Sales phase
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e ©2004 Pearson Education Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Make a sales visit / presentation to potential client without having previously set an appointment to do so
Visit / call quality prospective clients for hotel’s rooms / services
New leads uncovered since last meeting
Realistic sales potential of these leads
Who in the department is following up on leads
How leads will be pursued
What, if anything, G.M. can do to help cultivate prospect
Any sales resulting from leads discussed previously
Sales & Marketing Activities: Sales EffortsSales lead – effective DOSM should discuss the followings:
Reserve adequate time for cold calling!
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e ©2004 Pearson Education Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Gala client appreciation event
Golfing, sporting events, concerts, theater tickets
Gift giving
Solidify business relationship with current clients (allow hotel to express gratitude to clients for current business)
Communicate to potential clients the seriousness with which the hotel views the hotel / client relationship
Sales & Marketing Activities: Sales Efforts
Goals Examples
Client appreciation activities
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e ©2004 Pearson Education Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
A review of market competition
Occupancy trends /ADR trends / performance of own hotel
Marketing plan development: format of marketing plan
Sales & Marketing Activities: Sales Efforts
Competitive analysis of your competitor
Strengths / weaknesses / price structure
Competitive analysis of your own hotel
Strengths / weaknesses / price structure
Forecast of future market conditions
Estimated market growth or contraction / performance goals and objectives for own hotel / timeline for achieving these goals and objectives
Determination of specific marketing strategies & activities
Advertising / public relations / promotions
Preparation of a marketing budget
Development of measurement & evaluation tools
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e ©2004 Pearson Education Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Eye or ear catching
Memorable
Sell the hotel’s features
Cost effective
Does not become quickly outdated
Reflect positively on hotel’s image
Can be easily directed to the hotel’s core client groups
Exterior signage
In-hotel and in-room signage and materials
Radio or television commercials
Direct mailing
Internet banners
E-mail message
Yellow pages
Franchiser-supplied advertising vehicles (directories, co-ops, etc.)
Billboards
Personal contact
Sales & Marketing Activities: Sales Efforts
Types of advertising Effective advertising
Advertising
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e ©2004 Pearson Education Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Promotion
Sales & Marketing Activities: Sales Efforts
“Special” packaging of products or services Promoted and disseminated by advertising and publicity
Publicity
Information about hotel, media-distributed free of chargeCosts the hotel nothingMay be either good or bad
Public Relations
(PR)
Activities ensuring hotel has a positive public image (good citizen of the community)Hosting charity events, contributing cash or in-kind services, donation of hotel staff time for worthy cause
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e ©2004 Pearson Education Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Teaming of GDS with Internet
Internet Sales & Marketing
Online reservation system
Impact
Travel agents: check availability, compare prices and book hotel on-line
Online booking sites are fastest growing source of reservations in hotel industry
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e ©2004 Pearson Education Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Effective hotel websites should:
Sales & Marketing Activities: Websites
be easy to navigate.have some level of interactivity.be linked to appropriate companion sites (demand generator).allow for online booking.balance guest privacy needs with hotel’s desire to build a customer base.update and revise room rates easily on the website.include a virtual tour of the property.complement other marketing efforts.be in language(s) of potential clients.have website address easy to remember.
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e ©2004 Pearson Education Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
The Front Office
Inexpensive to send to many current and potential clients.
Has attachment feature function to move documents quickly.
Automatically updates user database
Can disseminate special rate, promotion, new hotel feature to its client list
Internet Sales & Marketing : E-mail Systems
Traditional communication methods
Direct mailing, telephone, fax
Emerging communication methods
E-mail system
Advantages of e-mail systems
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e ©2004 Pearson Education Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Pace report
Evaluating Sales & Marketing Department: Pace Report
Is a document summarizing confirmed (group) sales made by Sales and Marketing dept.
Can be prepared based on number of rooms sold, value (in dollars) of sales made, or both
Can also include any period of time in the future
Tells hotel’s owner and management the potential sales volume generated by Sales and Marketing department
However, does not indicate what actual sales volume should be (STAR report does!)
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e ©2004 Pearson Education Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Evaluating Sales & Marketing Department: Sample Pace Report
Sold this month Total sold YTDSold same month
last yearTotal sold last
YTDJan 25 150Feb 450 750 250 550Mar 550 1,550 330 1,250Apr 650 1,550 550 1,350May 875 1,175 650 1,050June 1,100 1,400 800 1,700July 1,350 2,250 1,100 2,150Aug 1,700 2,900 1,500 1,900Sept 500 700 750 1,750Oct 300 800 550 1,050Nov 850 1,150 300 600Dec 200 550 125 225
Total 8,550 14,775 7,055 13,575
Waldo Hotel Group Rooms Pace Report for January, 200x
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e ©2004 Pearson Education Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Hotel voluntarily submits financial data to SmithSmith maintains confidentiality of all individual hotel dataCombine operating data submitted by selected competitorsAn individual hotel’s operating performance is compared to that of its competitive set (understanding the competitive set is key component of understanding STAR!)
STAR working process and preparation
Evaluating Sales & Marketing Department: The Smith Travel Accommodations Report (STAR)
Hotel owners, management companies, property management, franchisers, appraisers, financial community
Who are the STAR interest groups?
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e ©2004 Pearson Education Hayes/Ninemeier Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Operating comparison criteria
Evaluating Sales & Marketing Department: The Smith Travel Accommodations Report (STAR)
Goals
Occupancy, ADR, RevPar, market share, historical trends, to-date performance, state or region
Assess performance of Sales & Marketing department as well as the entire property
Know the strength of hotel and Sales and Marketing staff’s sales results, in comparison with selected competitors.