Tailored Sales Training for Hospitality Professionals
Elevate Your Sales Strategy with Industry-Specific Expertise
Unlock the potential of your sales team with programs designed by hospitality experts. Our training is customised to fit your operational needs, ensuring minimal disruption while maximising results.
Introduction to Sales Training
Hospitality Associates transcends typical sales programs with years of hands-on experience and consulting across a diverse range of accommodation providers—from serviced apartments and caravan parks to luxury boutique retreats and various tourism venues. We tailor our approach to fit all sizes, brands, and locations.
Unmatched Experience
Our hands on experience in these industry sectors and continuous development of relationships help us 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.
Why Choose Our Training Programs?
Sales Foundations & Strategy:
Master the role of a successful salesperson, from high payoff activities and goal setting to developing a robust sales funnel and process within your venue.
Advanced Sales Techniques:
Learn essential skills for preparing meetings, site inspections, negotiating contracts, and handling objections to effectively close deals.
Data-Driven Sales & Market Understanding:
Leverage internal reports and market segmentation to tailor your sales approach, utilising data to track success and refine targeting strategies.
CRM & Account Management:
Utilise CRM to its fullest potential, develop qualifying questions, and understand the nuances of account management to maintain and grow client relationships.
Customised Training Solutions
Face to Face Training
(2 days training in person)
Optimise your team’s performance with our flexible face-to-face sales training, tailored to your property’s specific needs. Choose from two full days, one day per fortnight, or four half-days to best fit your schedule and allow for practical application of skills.
Starting with a pre-training consultation and skill assessment, we ensure the training meets all levels. Post-training, we equip your team with the tools needed to build a sustainable sales structure and culture for ongoing success.
Live Virtual Training
(1 day training in person, with virtual coaching and modules delivered)
Enhance your team’s skills with our hybrid training, combining a full day of in-person sessions with subsequent virtual coaching.
Tailor this flexible format to include introductory modules and steps 1 to 5 in person, followed by steps 6 to 10 in 2-hour virtual blocks every fortnight. This approach ensures effective implementation and drives a culture shift towards achieving measurable business outcomes.
What We Cover
Core Sales Skills & Strategies:
Equip your team with the skills to proactively secure corporate bookings and maximise occupancy rates.
Data Utilisation & Market Engagement:
Utilise internal reports and data for revenue tracking, understand different market segments, and master the use of sales collateral and activity plans to target these segments effectively.
Advanced Negotiation & CRM Mastery:
Enhance your sales process with CRM optimisation, develop targeted qualifying questions, and employ sophisticated research and negotiation tactics to prepare for and excel in meetings, site inspections, and the proposal stages.
Account Management & Closing Deals:
Learn the intricacies of account management, from identifying the necessary level of engagement for each client to mastering objection handling, closing contracts, and the subsequent loading process.
Our Training Process
Hospitality Associates is committed to shaping future sales leaders, not just through one-off sessions but by fostering a lasting sales culture shift that drives long-term business growth.
We’ve crafted a flexible 6-12 month program designed for ongoing implementation and revenue growth, ensuring that our training delivers continuous impact before and after each session.
About Your Trainer Sandra Swatton
Sandra brings over 20 years of passion and expertise to the hospitality and tourism industry, dedicated to revolutionising business approaches and fostering the next generation of hoteliers. Her extensive experience in sales, marketing, and revenue management has made her a transformative leader, renowned for her open, transparent, and impactful interactions at national conferences.
Under her guidance, Sandra cultivates a culture of continuous learning and generous knowledge sharing. Her mission is clear: to transform sales and customer service processes across hotels, conference venues, and tourism operators in Australia. Sandra’s strategic handling of customer challenges and her mastery in upselling and cross-selling have significantly boosted revenue while enhancing guest experiences.
Sandra’s career is more than a job; it’s a lifelong dedication to driving excellence and innovation in the industry.
“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 Visitor Centre
“Thanks to Hospitality Associates, our sales have increased by 30% in just two months!”
Maria Lopez
Director of Sales, Oceanview Resort
“The tailored approach made all the difference. Our team is now equipped with skills that truly matter.”
James Carter
General Manager, Cityscape Inn
10 Steps to Finding, Attracting and Converting Business
STEP 1: COLLECT ENDLESS LISTS
- Owning your mountain (local area leads, networking etc)
- Building a sales funnel
- Explore the difference between Suspects, Prospects and Clients
- Internal reports & how to analyze the data & use it for the sales process
- Lists from Community Involvement, Associations, Referral sites
- Lists from Networking & Trade shows
STEP 2: SALES PROCESS ANALYSIS
- Developing a sales process within the team or at your hotels
- Explore Proactive v’s Reactive Sales
- Set daily, weekly and monthly KPI’s (Set with Management or as a team)
- Sales Reports & tracking revenue
- Different types of market segments
- WIP Session Property USP’s (develop best practice for the property’s 30 second elevator spiel)
- Sales Collateral
STEP 3: 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
- Communication methods Pros & Cons
- Telephone techniques
- Developing the Qualifying Sheet (Reactive & Proactive)
STEP 4: PHONE & QUALIFY
- Research techniques on your customers and market segments
- Four step sales call process (Intro, Empower, Purpose, Thank you)
- Dodge the Gatekeeper
- Influence the Gatekeeper
- WIP session – create a purpose for the call
- Questioning (budget, Room nights etc & how to get decision
maker information) - Using different sales techniques to build more rapport with the
customer - Role Play Scenario 1, 2, 3 & 4
Ready to Transform Your Sales Team?
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.