FUNCTIONS & EVENTS SALES TEAM TRAINING
Does your hotel sales team need upskilling and regular coaching on how to maintain momentum to achieve their targets?
Give your sales team the practical tools to reach their full potential with effective hotel sales & venue sales training that is specific to the product they are representing and their role within the organisation. Whether you are hiring new salespeople or looking to advance your existing sales team, a good sales training program can address areas of weakness, improve effectiveness and boost confidence.
Introduction to Functions & Events Sales Training
HA goes beyond the cookie cutter sales programs delivered by training providers. We have spent years working and consulting in a variety of accommodation providers from serviced apartments, caravan parks, motels, hotels right through to luxury boutique retreats, venues and tourism operators of all sizes, brands and locations.
Unmatched Experience
With over 20 years experience in working in hotels and venues around Australia HA has the hands on experience to continuously keep training content relevant to the industry. We gather insights into what influences a travel and events booker and how sales people need to be aware of the multi layered booking process into our hotels and venues.
Tailored to Your Goals
We run sales training for both your reactive sales team and proactive business development teams and we tailor the program to your business structure, process and desired outcomes.
Builds Culture
Our approach minimises disruption to daily operations, fosters a fun and informative sales culture, and helps achieve KPIs and targets. Your team will have the chance to apply new skills and receive ongoing support through coaching sessions between modules.
The Outcomes The Attendee Will Receive
- A tool box of tips, tricks, templates and sales process that will ensure you hit targets
- Increased confidence in your sales ability to qualify a corporate decision maker over the phone
- How to build a sales funnel full of prospects
- The questions to use to get the answers you need from a gate keeper or influencer
- An ability to quote the right rate and room types for the customer and agent
- How to focus your time on High Performance Activities to hit your KPI’s
- What data and reports to use to gain leads from
- New found skills on getting the contract signed and “closing the deal”
- The ability to adapt your personality style to the type of client and agent
- How to sell the benefits not features of your product to ensure a win
- The tools to handle objections at any stage of the sales process
- And so much more…
Topics Covered In Your Training
Training is available for half-day (3-4 topics) or full-day (8-10 topics) sessions.
BUILDING YOUR DATA BASE
- Owning your mountain (local area leads, networking etc)
- Building a sales funnel
- Difference between Suspects, Prospects and Clients
- Analysing Internal & External reports for leads – WIP session
- Lists from Community Involvement, Associations, Referral sites, Networking & Trade shows
- Creating your target list
DEVELOPING THE SALES PROCESS
- Developing a sales process within the team or at your hotel
- Explore Proactive v’s Reactive Sales
- Set daily, weekly and monthly KPI’s (Set with Management or as a team)
- Sales Reports & tracking revenue
- How to navigate through corporate companies
- WIP Session Property USP’s (develop best practice for the property’s 30 second elevator spiel)
- Sales Collateral
COLLECTING DATA IN YOUR CRM
- Using the CRM and the importance of collecting data, what kind of data on your prospects and customers should be gathered to assist conversion
- Cleaning your data base & how often
- Examples of the “perfect CRM”
- Communication methods Sales people use
- Telephone techniques
- Introduction to developing the Qualifying Sheet (Reactive & Proactive)
QUALIFYING FOR RESULTS
- Research techniques on your customers and market segments
- Five step sales call process
- How to Dodge the Gatekeeper
- How to Influence the Decision maker
- Questions hotel sales people forget to ask – WIP session create a purpose for the call
- Using different sales techniques to build more rapport with the customer
- Role Play Scenario 1, 2, 3 & 4
MEETINGS & SITE INSPECTIONS
- Site inspection & client meeting sales process – Planning, Prepare, Present
- Tools to use during the site inspection
- Tools to use during a meeting
- On the day of site inspection
- Post site inspection procedures
- Presenting one on one or in a group – WIP session
QUOTING TO WIN THE BUSINESS
- Quoting the right corporate rate for the right company
- Room categories to match the company needs
- Upselling into higher room categories
- Using value adds within your hotel to build rapport & grow revenue
- Opportunity to forecast expected nights monetary value (tracking in your CRM)
- Using templates & scripting
- WIP Session – Develop a tool box of upsell, value adds and cross sell to offer a company
- Forecast expected monetary value
SENDING THE PROPOSAL
- The Importance of the proposal
- Email templates & Communication
- Client to TMC and vice versa communication
- Using research to support the proposal
- Follow up process (review current procedure or implement one)
- Tracking in CRM and next steps
HANDLING OBJECTIONS
- Common mistakes in loosing the contract
- Accommodation objections – What do they mean in the sales/buying process
- Functions objections
- Objections from the TMC
- Using different communication styles
- WIP session – Techniques to overcome them
WINNING THE CONTRACT
- Why don’t hotel sales people close
- Discus various closing methods
- Follow up strategies to close process
- Strategies on how to influence the TMC to get the win
- Using industry or local data/testimonials to support the win
EVALUATE SALES PROCESS & ACTIVATING THE ACCOUNT
- Communicating loading process
- Getting the first booking
- Working with the TMC to influence bookings
- Managing decision maker expectations
- Implementing a New Client Account Management Plan / Sales Plan
- Updating the PMS and FO team
Training Delivery Options
Face to Face Training
(2 days training in person)
The face to face course program is a more detailed program and can be adapted to suit your hotel or property’s operational structure and team skill set. It is delivered in either 2 full days concurrently, or 1 day per fortnight or 4 half days so teams have the chance to implement lessons learned and table the challenges in the next session which we overcome and set goals to work on.
In addition to the face-to-face program, we have a consultation with the team manager prior to the day and run through some skill set profiling so the course outline can be adapted to suit all levels. Post-training we provide tools and tips to help you set up some sales structure, reporting and build a sales culture for the long-term success of the hotel.
Live Virtual Training
(1 day training in person, with virtual coaching and modules delivered)
The training is recommended to be either 2 days in person concurrently or for best adaptability to your teams skill sets and business needs it is recommended to split up the 10 steps and additional modules on offer into face to face and virtual training.
An example of this could be 1 full day in person for the introduction modules and steps 1 to 5 then broken up over 2 hour blocks are fortnightly coaching sessions and steps 6 to 10. This holds a higher chance of the teams implementation of the training plus a culture shift into the direction the business needs to see real results.
Sandra’s personalised guidance not only facilitated my smooth integration into event sales but also instilled in me a sense of confidence and preparedness in various aspects of the sales process…Her mentorship was instrumental in setting me up for success in my new role, and I am truly grateful for her expertise and support.
Jack O’Neill
Functions and Events Manager, The Bower Tree
I am beyond grateful for the incredible support and expertise Sandra Swatton from Hospitality Associates Australia has provided me. Stepping into the Business Development Executive role without prior experience in hotel sales was daunting, but Sandra’s guidance made all the difference. Her deep knowledge of the hospitality industry, coupled with her ability to deliver information in a clear, digestible way, has been nothing short of fantastic.
Anita Fuentes
Resort Manager, Business Development Executive, Metro Hospitality Group
After customer service training with HA we’ve received fantastic feedback from visitors, and our team is more motivated than ever. This training has been an invaluable investment, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to elevate their customer service standards.
Sally Scott
General Manager, Tweed Tourism
Working with Sandra and the Hospitality Associates has been game changer, Sandra is exceptionally professional and desires the best outcome for you as the business manager and the team she is training, Sandra took the time with me prior to conducting the training to understand where the business needs support and tailored her training package focusing on our business needs.
Giorgio Romein
General Manager, The Constance Hotel
Sandra’s training was exactly what our team needed! She connected with our staff across Front Office, F&B, and Housekeeping, giving them the skills and confidence to deliver exceptional guest experiences. The sessions were engaging, practical, and truly made a difference—we’ve already seen improvements in guest feedback and team morale. Thank you, Sandra, for bringing your expertise and energy to Mercure Cairns!
Matthew S Fryar
General Manager, Mercure Cairns
Ready to
Unlock Your
Team’s Potential?
Contact us now to schedule a consultation and discover how our specialised training can boost your team’s performance.
Don’t miss the opportunity to enhance your sales strategy with Hospitality Associates.