HOTEL MARKETING & SALES“TACTICS, TIPS & TECHNIQUES”

•Guerilla Marketing•Marketing Partnerships •Sales Tactics•Community Involvement •Hotel Competition

Hotel Marketing & Sales To be a successful hotel in your market you

must know 4 things……… Hotel Surroundings

Key Competitors: Hotels within a 3-5 mile radius Key Selling Points: Mall, Restaurants, Sporting Events

Hotel Needs What areas does your hotel need to work on? GOALS?

ADR, RevPar, Occupancy, Overall Revenue Corporate Clients, Group & Tour, Week or Weekend Leisure

Hotel Strengths What does your hotel offer that competition does NOT? How can you stand out from your competition?

Hotel ‘Weaknesses’ (Areas to Work On) You MUST understand what your hotel does not offer before

you can sell & market your product successfully Put yourself in the consumers position & point of viewS.W.O.T Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities &

Threats)

1. What is ‘Guerilla Marketing’?

The term guerrilla marketing was inspired by guerrilla warfare which is a form of irregular warfare and relates to the small tactic strategies used by armed civilians.

Many of these tactics includes ambushes, sabotage, raids and elements of surprise.

Much like guerrilla warfare, guerrilla marketing uses the same sort of tactics in the marketing industry.

Guerrilla marketing originally was a concept aimed towards small businesses with a small budget, but this didn’t stop big businesses from adopting the same ideology.

‘Guerilla Marketing’ Larger, More Expensive Examples

What is ‘Guerilla Marketing’? Guerrilla marketing is an unconventional, low-cost advertising strategy (

graffiti, sticker bombing) that are utilized, often in a localized fashion or large network of individual cells, to convey or promote a product or an idea.

The term guerrilla marketing is easily traced to guerrilla warfare which utilizes atypical tactics to achieve a goal in a competitive and unforgiving environment.

The concept of guerrilla marketing was invented as an unconventional system of promotions that relies on time, energy and imagination rather than a big marketing budget.

Typically, guerrilla marketing campaigns are unexpected and unconventional, potentially interactive, and consumers are targeted in unexpected places.

The objective of guerrilla marketing is to create a unique, engaging and thought-provoking concept to generate buzz.

Guerrilla marketing involves unusual approaches such as intercept encounters in public places, street giveaways of products, PR stunts, or any unconventional marketing intended to get maximum results from minimal resources.

Guerrilla marketing focuses on low cost creative strategies of marketing. Basic requirements are time, energy, and imagination and not money.

Sales do not compose of the primary static to measure business but is replaced by profit. Emphasis is on retaining existing customers then acquiring new ones.

‘Guerilla Marketing’ Examples

What is ‘Guerilla Marketing’? This alternative advertising style relies

heavily on unconventional marketing strategy, high energy and imagination.

Guerrilla Marketing is about taking the consumer by surprise, make an indelible impression and create copious amounts of social buzz. 

Guerrilla marketing is said to make a far more valuable impression with consumers in comparison to more traditional forms of advertising and marketing.

This is due to the fact that most guerrilla marketing campaigns aim to strike the consumer at a more personal and memorable level.

‘Guerilla Marketing’ Examples

What is ‘Guerilla Marketing’? Guerrilla marketing is often ideal for

small businesses that need to reach a large audience without breaking the bank. Must have a solid game plan in place

before launching any campaigns. Can be expensive (on any level). Be smart with your money & EXECUTE! Stick to a campaign & give it time to work

Individuals have also adopted this marketing style as a way to find a job.

Inexpensive Options www.vistaprint.com

Personal Billboards

Inexpensive Option: $15/Shirt on www.vistaprint.com

Inexpensive Options 1 Gorilla Costume from Walgreens:

$40 1 T-shirt from VistaPrint: $15 Attention Received: PRICELESS!!

Inexpensive Options: www.vistaprint.com

Personalized Business Cards

Employee Referral Card Unique Business Card

Good Incentive for FD Attendants • ‘Close’ more sales leads• ‘Close’ more call-ins & inquiries.

Give Each Employee 10-15 Cards

(Employee Name & Date)

Inexpensive Options: Handouts & Flyers Special Discounted RatesSpecific Times of the year ONLY: “Winter Weather Special”* Local Businesses near hotel (employees that travel)* Mall: Introduce yourself to the store manager to hand them out* Local Medical Facility (not too large) with Traveling Doctors/Nurses

Front: First thing they see! (Attention Grabber)

Inside: Unfold back with brief description of ‘special’ you’re offering!Map & Directions to your property with contact number important!

‘Sticker-BOMBS’• Public Places, Lots of Traffic & Views

• Random Placement: Golf Carts, Back of Seats, Doorknobs, Apparel

• WARNING: Nothing Explicit, Damaging or Offensive

• Simple, Non-Destructive & Removable (if necessary)

I received more comments from random people about this sticker on the McDonalds Drive-Through Pole in 2 Weeks than I ever could have imagined.

‘Marketing Placement’

Marketing Placement & Apparel

Be your own billboard

Mobile AdvertisingVehicle Magnets: $12-$15 on www.vistaprint.com

Hotel Examples: ‘Attention-Grabbers’

Hotel Virtual TourInexpensive option to promote your business on multiple social

media sites. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfQ4f6fxgLU&feature=g-upl Steps to creating your own “Virtual Tour”

Take 1-2 Hours to record all aspects of your hotel to show everyone. Exterior: Commons Area, Main Entrance, Parking Lot Interior: Main Lobby, Front Desk, Business & Fitness Center & Other

Amenities Room Types: Make sure to include each room type & all in-room amenities

Key Principles of Guerrilla Marketing Guerrilla Marketing is specifically geared for the small businesses. Instead of money, the primary investments of marketing should be time,

energy, and imagination. Find your ‘vistaprint’ or ‘face in hole’ to get creative & set yourself apart from the

rest! The marketer should also concentrate on how many new relationships

are made each month. Great way to ‘gage’ your campaign & ‘reach’. Who is seeing it & is it working in the way you intended it to?

Instead of concentrating on getting new customers, aim for more referrals, more transactions with existing customers, and larger transactions.

Guerrilla marketers should use a combination of marketing methods for a campaign. Examples: Flyers, Handouts, Coupons/Specials, Sticker Placement, Personal &

Mobile Billboards Use current technology as a tool to build your business.

Internet & Social Media Sites that generate attention & traffic Stay away from stale advertisement (print advertising, newspapers)

If you want to grab someone’s attention you have to know who & when it’s at work!

Messages are aimed at individuals or small groups, the smaller the better. This is why a ‘Marketing Game Plan’ is VITAL to success & seeing RESULTS! If you ‘put all of your eggs in 1 basket’ & throw out a ‘Hail Mary’ it’s

probably not going to land & if it does, you won’t be able to track it correctly. Commit to your campaign

Don’t try to change your ideas & plans every other week if you’re not seeing instant results.

You must give it time to develop & spread

2. Sales Tactics Area Prospecting

Parking Lot Sweeps Aware of what’s going on in your area!

IMPORTANT! Fishbowl Drawings

Generate New Corporate Leads & Contacts Guest Appreciation BBQ

Chance to reach out & meet guests Good ‘PR’ for guests arriving Post Pictures on Social Media Sites

On-line Seasonal Specials & Packages Utilize Partnerships

“Ultimate Hawkeye Package” “Super Summer Savings Special” “Fun without the Sun”

Sales Tactics: Handouts & Flyers

Sales Tactics: Handouts & Flyers

Sales Tactics: “Seasonal Specials”

“Bad Weather Special” (previous example)

Hand out coupons or flyers to surrounding businesses offering special weather rate.

Employees that travel may need a place to stay

Managers, Doctors, Nurses travel 30+ miles

“Weekend Warrior” What are the slower days of the week for

your hotel? Our hotel loses Occupancy during certain

times of the year during the weekend.

3. Marketing Partnerships

Marketing Partnerships*Others start to promote for YOU!

Marketing Partnerships

Marketing Partnerships“Hawkeye Sports Properties”

Marketing Partnerships“Hawkeye Sports Properties”

Marketing Partnership Examples“Hawkeye Sports Properties”

Marketing Partnership Examples

Marketing Partnership Examples

Marketing Partnership Examples

Suburban Game Sponsor Radio Interview.mp3

Hawkeye Game Sponsorship “Live Radio”

Interview

Marketing Partnerships=Great Relationships

4. Community Involvement “Jack of all Trades” • Versatile • Organized• Involved • Supporting Local

Groups/Events• Volunteering

Community InvolvementCVB

Volunteer

Community Involvement

Chamber/Ambassador

• ‘Ribbon Cutting’ Events• Ground Breaking Ceremonies• Weekly & Monthly

Roundtables

Community Involvement Chamber & Ambassadors Member (2009-

Present) Ambassador Executive Chair (2009-2011)

Speaker for multiple new businesses in the community North Liberty Committee Executive Chair (2010-Present)

Organized Annual Golf Outing & Fun Run past 2 years Attendance has increased by 20% each year

CVB Committee Member (2009-Present) Fry Fest Committee Member: Hotel Marketing Committee

EPIC “Empowered Professionals in the Community” Marketing Committee Member (2011-Present)

HAS Member “Hospitality Association” (2009-Present) Monthly Committee Meetings to discuss hotel & market trends

American Heart Association Member (2004-2009) Board Member & Volunteer for Annual Heart Walk every April

Community Involvement

Community Awards “2010 Ambassador of the Quarter &

Year” “2011 Employer of the Year” “40 Under Forty” 2011 & 2012 Finalist “2012 Corridor Best in Business” Award “2010 & 2011 Gold Award Recipient” “2012 Platinum Award” Finalist

Ranked #3 out of 57 Suburban Hotels in Country

Community InvolvementGolf Outings

5. CompetitionLead Sources: ‘A-B-C’: “Always Be Checking”• Parking Lot Sweeps • Local Projects (sub-

contractors)• Realty Companies• University Departments • Hospital Departments &

Patients • Insurance Companies • Government & Military • Reception Halls• Bus Companies & Tours• Sports Teams

Know Your Competition

Create Relationships with specific hotels• Referrals, Recommendations, Intel about events

going on

• ‘Sold Out’ Options to walk a guest or walk to us!

Competition ‘Intel’: Parking Lot Sweeps

Competition ‘Intel’: Sources

Hard Work + Dedication = Hotel Growth (Since Ottis Started)

BEFORE NOW 2008- June 2010 vs. July 2010-Present