During these uncertain times when it seems a little like the sky is falling, cancellations are coming in fast and furious and revenue goals seem to be slipping further away, there are still a lot of proactive, low cost sales activities to be checking off of your to do list. I have compiled a list of the top 10 ideas.
1 – Prospect. Making prospecting calls and sending prospecting emails is probably the single best use of your time right now. All of those people who have cancelled trips are now in their offices. They know this current state won’t last forever so it’s a great time to introduce them to your property. They may not be able to book a meeting next week, but you can get on their radar.
2 – Virtual site inspections. Get out your phone and go live on Facebook and deliver an amazing site inspection. Plan it out, script it out to a large extent – just because it is live doesn’t mean it needs to be spontaneous! Get your team to help and do an entertaining tour around your property.
3 – Update your sales proposals. Now is a great time to update the language and look of your sales proposals. Are they visually appealing? Do you have your best photos showcased? Are they clear and compelling? Do you list the features your hotel offers along with the value they bring to your clients or are they just a bullet list of amenities?
4 – Create some videos for your specific segments. If your target audience is family reunions, do you have a video that makes it clear how perfect your hotel is for family reunions? Videos are a great way to showcase what you have to offer but no one ever has the time to make them. Now is a great time.
5 – Update your social profiles. Take a look at LinkedIn – is your profile set up to appeal to your target audience? Have you attached media that sells you and your property? Is your about me written as if you are looking for a job, or for customers? How about your hotel profile pages on Instagram and Facebook. Are your photos current? Are your packages showcased?
6 – Audit your own, and your competitors’ websites. How easy is it for your prospects to get the answers to the questions they need? Do you have great information on your website around your destination? Is there a lot to do nearby – and would your prospects who have never been to your hotel know that from the website?
7 – Learn something new. Every day. This is a little self serving as I teach two programs that have a lot of value for sales and marketing people. I offer a 28 day sales bootcamp that would be perfect right now. Every day, you spend 15-20 minutes learning a new relevant sales skill. Then once a week, you jump on a Zoom meeting and participate in a workshop where we get some work done. The second program I teach is a six week virtual classroom around hotel digital marketing essentials. It’s a great time to learn an area that will only become more important to sales professionals. Both classes can be done from your home or office. The next bootcamp begins on March 16. The next digital marketing class begins April 6.
8. Check your files. Look back during SARS (2003) and see what business came when everyone else was cancelling. Those are the industries that have to travel no matter what. Make sure to add them to your prospecting list.
9. Show gratitude. Take a little time to write some notes to your best clients and let them know how much you appreciate them. They are likely in a stressful time, just as you are and they will appreciate a kind note.
10. Wash your hands. It’s just a good idea.
This current crazy state will come to an end sometime and we will go back to our hectic lives. Until it does, try to stay positive and make sure to use this time as wisely and productively as you can. Do you have other ideas? Please feel free to share in the comments.