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Recently,
I have had relatively new sales people express concern that they don't want to
sound or act like 'solicitors'. When I ask them what they mean, they refer to
those telephone solicitors who call you at home at 6:00pm, just in time for
dinner or 'used car salesmen' (saleswomen too, presumably).
First of all, I think that sales or
solicitation has gotten a tarnished reputation due to telephone solicitors, junk
email purveyors and the caricature of 'used car salesmen.'
Sales is a noble calling - nothing in this economy happens until a sale is made!
Secondly, I think a distinction needs to be
made between 'mass market' solicitation and business to business or B2B. In B2B,
we are calling on people who may already need and use what we have to offer. Our
product, in this case, our hotel, is a benefit to those businesses that require
hotel rooms. They either need the product or they don't -- we can't persuade
them to buy hotel rooms if they never have a need for them.
If telephone solicitors never made a sale
and no one ever bought a used car, these people wouldn't have jobs. Obviously,
someone buys these products from these sales people or they would quit doing
business in this manner.
Hotel sales is about developing
relationships with our clients and every relationship starts with that initial
contact. Here are a few tips to get you going and out the door or on the
phone:
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Cold
calls are INFORMATION CALLS. The purpose of a cold call on the
phone or in person is to find out if they have business for your hotel or not.
It is just as important to know who doesn't as it is to know who does.
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Approach
the call with confidence! If you are not convinced that your
hotel is a good value for the product and rate, you may need to go find another
job. Know your competition so that you can believe you have the best deal in
town. |
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Lighten
up and SMILE! If you are tense about making the call your
prospects can either see it in your face or hear it in your voice. You can hear
a smile. Keep a mirror next to your phone to remind you to smile.
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Assume
that they are glad to see or hear from you! You may be
pleasantly surprised. |
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Use
a little finesse to win the assistant over to your side - sell
them first. |
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Don't
expect to see the decision-maker without an appointment! Don't
expect to be put through to their direct line on the first try. |
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Cold calls or information
calls are largely a numbers game. The more you make, the better you be e at it
and the better you be e, the more prospects you will uncover.
No one ever died from hearing
"NO" and I have never known a sales person to go out on the road to
make cold calls who didn't return in one piece. If you keep on doing it, you
will find new business. Tom Letourneau, a friend and mentor, once said to me,
"Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then."
Make no mistake. It is sales
people who are capable of making calls and generating revenue that will not only
survive in this economy - they will be able to command larger salaries and earn
bigger bonuses than the sales person who sits at their desk and takes orders. |
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