Site Inspection WOW # 2
Welcome to the second installment of Site Inspection WOWs! This week's site inspection WOW is actually one of my own (not being one to boast!)
Actually it’s not so much a site inspection WOW, but more a sales 101!
So this site inspection occurred when I was working as a Business Development Manager at an airport hotel. I had been focusing on finding new SMERF business for our summer as the numbers were a little off. I had managed to develop a good relationship over the phone with a SMERF group that we had lost on rate 4 years prior. I convinced them to come back and meet with us and do a site inspection.
The clients, four retired ladies, arrived on property the day prior to the site inspection and we took them to dinner. Over dinner (and drinks) the ladies mentioned a number of times how their group was looking for a hotel to call 'home'. It was subtle but I could sense how important this was to them.
So, after dessert I left the ladies with the Sales Manager while I ran back to my office. I found an image on the internet of a 'Home Sweet Home' sign blew it up and made 4 color copies. I went and taped a copy of each of the signs on the outside of each of the four ladies guestroom doors.
The next day when we started the site inspection all 4 ladies told me how cute it was. But they got an even bigger surprise when we finished our site inspection, as I had arranged to have the entire management team waiting in the lobby each holding a large letter that when held up spelt 'Welcome Home'.
I know it sounds really corny - but it worked! The concept of finding a 'home' for their group was very important to the ladies - but they also loved the fact that our’s was a hotel that had listened to their needs.
They resigned with us - 2 separate programs for 2 consecutive years.
Actually it’s not so much a site inspection WOW, but more a sales 101!
So this site inspection occurred when I was working as a Business Development Manager at an airport hotel. I had been focusing on finding new SMERF business for our summer as the numbers were a little off. I had managed to develop a good relationship over the phone with a SMERF group that we had lost on rate 4 years prior. I convinced them to come back and meet with us and do a site inspection.
The clients, four retired ladies, arrived on property the day prior to the site inspection and we took them to dinner. Over dinner (and drinks) the ladies mentioned a number of times how their group was looking for a hotel to call 'home'. It was subtle but I could sense how important this was to them.
So, after dessert I left the ladies with the Sales Manager while I ran back to my office. I found an image on the internet of a 'Home Sweet Home' sign blew it up and made 4 color copies. I went and taped a copy of each of the signs on the outside of each of the four ladies guestroom doors.
The next day when we started the site inspection all 4 ladies told me how cute it was. But they got an even bigger surprise when we finished our site inspection, as I had arranged to have the entire management team waiting in the lobby each holding a large letter that when held up spelt 'Welcome Home'.
I know it sounds really corny - but it worked! The concept of finding a 'home' for their group was very important to the ladies - but they also loved the fact that our’s was a hotel that had listened to their needs.
They resigned with us - 2 separate programs for 2 consecutive years.
RSS Feed