The document outlines effective strategies for managing hotel sales operations, emphasizing key components like revenue generation, account management, and customer satisfaction. It discusses the importance of understanding decision-making processes within organizations, identifying the roles of influencers and decision-makers, and stimulating sales through targeted communication. Additionally, it highlights the significance of negotiating corporate rates by aligning proposals with customer objectives and business results.

1. Managing the Hotel Sales Operation:What You Should Expect from Your Sales TeamDavid L Jones, Ph.D. Associate ProfessorHong Kong Polytechnic University1

2. What is Selling?

3. Responsibilities for Managing the Sales Operation Revenue Generation Business Development / Account Management Customer Satisfaction Sales Team Development Administration

4. How Do You Get More Business in a Competitive Environment?Right AccountRight PersonRight NeedRight Questions4

5. Right AccountIt’s About Priorities: Account Grid5

6. Account Grid100%Propensity/Inclination to Use You100%0%Potential Room Nights/Revenue

7. Account Grid Rating 100%Good Top Propensity/Inclination to Use YouTarget Marginal100%0%Potential Room Nights/Revenue

8. Account Grid Rating 100%Good Top Propensity/Inclination to Use YouTarget Marginal100%0%Potential Room Nights/Revenue

9. Right PersonKnowing the Decision Process9

10. Working Relationship Continuum TransactionalCollaborative[ Most of Our Accounts ]Bidding for Business

11. Price Sensitive

12. Responding to RFPs

13. Strategic Partners

14. Long-Term Relationships

15. GuanxiUnderstanding the Roles People Play in Decision ProcessMany People Who Influence the Decision Hierarchy of Organization Identify Roles RecommenderFinal Decision Approver Need to Sell All of Them

16. RecommenderGatekeepers Screen Out, As Well As Recommend Specifications are the Important Issue Not the One Who Can Give the Final “Yes”

17. Recommender: Job TitlesAdministrative/Executive AssistantPurchasing Manager/Director Corporate Business Travelers and Meeting Attendees Third Party Organizer – Travel Agent, PCO What is important to them is that the proposal meets the specifications for the meeting or corporate rate negotiation

18. Final Decision Approver Gives Final OK to Sign Contract Delegates the Specifications Releases the Control of the Dollars Can Say “Yes”, Even if Others Say “No”Insulated by Recommenders

19. Final Decision Approver: Job Titles Managing DirectorVice President of Sales/Group Director of Sales (Sales Meetings) Vice President of Human Resources /Group Director of Human Resources (Training Meeting) Chief Financial Officer (Volume Corporate Business Contracts)

20. What Does the Final Decision Approver Want? What the meeting or corporate rate contract is intended to accomplish and the resulting RETURN ON INVESTMENT

22. CoachesMust be Developed Inside the Organization Outside the Organization

23. CoachesCredibility (Guanxi) with the Other Persons in the Decision Process You have Credibility (Guanxi) with Them Willing to Support Only Your Proposal Helps You to Sell the Final Approver They support your proposal as the best solution to their needs and are willing to help you get the business booked

25. Right NeedsKnowing the Final Decision Approver’s Needs

26. Understanding Customer NeedsRates, Dates & Space

27. Specifications for the Corporate Rate Contract or the Meeting

28. Business Results

29. What They Want to Achieve/AccomplishBeyond Specifications: Business ResultsWhat They Want to Accomplish

30. Purpose of the Meeting or Corporate Rate Contract Negotiations

31. Their ObjectivesIncrease Profits/Revenues/Sales Reducing Costs/Expenses Improving Productivity

32. Key Factors with Volume Corporate Customer Who is the Guest?

33. Company Employees

34. Customers

35. Vendors

36. Where is the Final Approval Given? Right QuestionsDetermining Final Decision Approvers and Business Results25

37. Questions That Need to Be AskedRight Person

38. How Will the Decision Process Be Made?

39. Right Need

40. What Do You Want to Accomplish from this Meeting?

41. What is the Goal or Objective of Your Company’s Corporate Rate Negotiation?26

42. How Can a You Stimulate the Selling Process?

43. Stimulating Selling Knowing Top/Target Accounts

44. Create Dialog with Final Decision Approvers

45. Making Joint Calls with Your Team

46. Acting As The Account Grid Master

47. Integrating Front Office & Sales

48. Recognizing “Key Selling Time” Creating Dialog with FA- Social MediaLinkedin Discussion GroupsAssociationsStart Your OwnFacebook PagesSpecific to MICEBlogs & TwitterMainland China?

49. Linkedin Discussion Group

50. Using Linkedin for Dialog31

51. Look Who is On Facebook

52. No, Look Who is On Facebook - My Mom!

53. Marketing

54. Starwood CEO Blog

56. Which Social Media Option?37

57. The Possession of Facts is Knowledge, the Use of Them is Wisdom Thomas Jefferson

58. To Be Fond Of Learning Is Near To WisdomConfucius

59. Thank You40