A hotel's sales department plays a crucial role in increasing revenue and ensuring the sustainability of the business. However, this department often lacks sufficient support, leading to inevitable missed opportunities.
While hotel owners look for ways to improve occupancy rates, they sometimes overlook a major internal issue—inefficient systems. Why does the sales team struggle? Is it a lack of skill, or are there invisible obstacles holding them back? Let’s take a closer look.
Too Few People, Too Much Work: The Burden of Sales Teams
In many hotels, the sales team is small. Some operate with just a sales manager and a director trying to manage the entire sales process. Imagine receiving dozens of leads daily and having only two people to handle them all. It’s impossible to keep up!
What happens as a result?
Delayed Responses to Leads: Potential clients turn to other hotels.
Missed Opportunities: In peak demand periods, some leads go unnoticed.
Overlooking Speed as a Competitive Edge: Last-minute events favor hotels that respond quickly.
Lately, event planning has become more last-minute. Event organizers often reach out to multiple hotels, and the one that responds first usually secures the booking. Unfortunately, understaffed sales teams struggle to keep up, leading to delays and lost revenue.
New Hires: “Figure It Out as You Go” Approach
Another common issue in hotel sales is inadequate training for new employees. In many cases, new hires are left to learn the system on their own.
The result?
Lack of standardization.
Reduced efficiency as employees take longer to adapt.
Poor customer interactions, leading to dissatisfaction.
The solution is simple: structured training programs. A few days of intensive training can help new employees understand hotel sales processes and adapt more quickly.
Phone Calls and Voice Mails: The Hidden Goldmine
A hotel sales director once told me, “Voicemails left at the hotel are more valuable than you think.”
And it’s true! Many event planners prefer calling over emailing. If they can’t reach someone, they leave a voicemail detailing their needs—room requirements, event spaces, dates, and more.
Yet, in many hotels, voicemails go unchecked or are only listened to after it’s too late.
A common sight: the phone screen flashing “15 voicemails.” Each one represents lost revenue. The solution? Assigning responsibility for checking and responding to voicemails promptly. Studies show that hotels responding late to leads risk losing up to 50% of potential business.
The Cost of Delayed Responses
This isn’t just a theory. According to the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, if a sales team takes more than 24 hours to respond to a lead, the chance of losing that business jumps to 50%.
For a hotel with an annual sales target of $1 million, delayed responses could mean a loss of $100,000–$150,000.
On the flip side, studies indicate that hotels with faster response times secure 30–40% more leads. The biggest mistake hotels make is assuming “the client will wait.” They won’t! There are too many options, and speed is a decisive factor.
Conclusion: Small Changes, Big Gains
In summary:
Sales teams need more staffing support.
Comprehensive training programs should be implemented for new hires.
Phone calls and voicemails should be taken seriously.
Response times must be improved to secure more business.
Hotel sales isn’t just about filling rooms. With the right strategies, revenue can increase, and customer satisfaction can be enhanced. Small improvements can lead to significant results!
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