September 25, 2013

Hospitality Asset Managers

Association

5 Tough Questions To Ask Your Group Sales Team

Reasons to ask the tough questions

Shorter lead time

Groups are cortical foundation

Room lists are flawed and diminish profitability

Today’s 5 Questions

1. What is the online booking % for groups arriving in the next 90 days

2. What is the decision process for creating special offers to group guests

3. What is being done to encourage longer stays for group guests

4. What is being done to move toward direct booking and away from room lists

5. What strategies are in place to maximize pickup

#1 What is the online booking % for groups arriving in the next 90 days

Did you know: Brand.com

fees exceed $4 per reservation

Typical online booking ratios are below 20%

Goal for online bookings should exceed 50%

#2 What is the decision process for creating special offers to group guests

Hold standing meetings

Start with the lounge or spa

Take chances and think of each group as a private channel

Success story: specialty cocktail promotion

Created specialty drink and promoted to attendees while in house.

Captured audience for the evening. Generated $900 in orders from the specialty drink

Sent recipe with bounce back offer. Planner thanked hotel for customized service

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Success story: marketing the spa

Promoted a free facial treatment when booked with an hour-long appointment

Attendees give a promo code when making appointment

Hotel gained over $150K incremental revenue

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#3 What is being done to encourage longer stays from group guests

Allocate inventory

Promote standing attractions

Market special events

Again, take chances. This is a private channel

#4 What is being done to avoid room lists

Obsolete process

Understand how room lists vary by market segment

Seek to understand why a list is being used

Set goal of 50% conversion

Success story: room list avoidance – small groups

Hotel recognized that planner type is often a personal assistant. Only reason for using a list is because of master billing

Hotel made planner look good with a personalized web page, less errors, less work. Guests able to indicate personal preferences

Hotel turned 50% of its short term room list groups into marketing opportunities

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Success story: room list avoidance – large groups

Individuals paying own but planner is holding all names until cutoff. There is zero forecasting and group is shut off after cutoff

Hotel speaks to planner integrating reservation process with planner’s own reg/hpusing system.

30% lift in pickup. Increased upselling. Less work. PCI compliance

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#5 What is being done to maximize pickup

30% of all pickup often happens within 30 days of arrival

Collaborate with planners

Early detection is king

Embrace attrition as an opportunity

Success story: planner collaboration

Hotel recognized poor pickup and reached out to planner

Facing attrition fees, planner agreed to let hotel market to potential attendees

Group went from 60% to 90% pickup in 30 daysPlanner grateful for hotel’s efforts

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Chris AveryVP, Business Development

cavery@passkey.com

Thank you and questions

Maximize online bookings

Create special offers

Drive longer stays Avoid room lists

Maximize pickup