So You Want To Go Into Hotel Sales

The Salesperson

Appearance
Alert, Motivated, Confident (not cocky), Hair, Nails,
Shirt Ironed, Suit Pressed, and Shoes Shined. Suit
proper size, shirts proper size. Jewelry simple, not
gaudy!
Personality
Friendly, talkative, assertive (not passive or
aggressive, trustworthy, responsible, punctual.

Dress (Men)
Type of Suit
a)
Single Breasted
b)
Double Breasted

Colors (Navy Blue, Black, Charcoal Grey)

Ties Not too flashy. Do not wear loud design ties with cartoons printed on them.
Shirts Button Down, Pinpoint Collar with either barrel cuffs, or
French cuff sleeves. Preferred colors, white, light blue.
Socks Wear dark colored socks
Shoes Lace, Slip-ons. Shoes must be polished. Depending on your
financial situation try to own several pairs of dress shoes; if possible in Black, Brown,
Burgundy.
Belt Please be aware that your belt color should match the color of your shoes.
Jewelry Watch, ring. Try to refrain from wearing several rings on you ringers.
Under no circumstances shall a man wear earings.

Dress (Women)
A womans approach is the same as that for men.
Below is a list of a basic wardrobe for almost any woman:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
j)

Three piece suit: Jacket, Trousers and an interchangeable skirt. Suggested

colors are Navy Blue, Black, Charcoal, Grey. Different suit styles are single
and double breasted.
White or cream colored blouse.
Sweater sweat.
Status silky scarf. Standard size 34 inches.
Microfiber all weather coat.
Good quality handbag.
Pair of 11/2 heel black leather pumps.
Pair of good quality loafer style shoes.
Tights and/or stockings.
Umbrella

In addition, there are certain rules to consider:

a) Keep it understated. Allowing your clothes to
speak without shouting.
b) Represent your company Whenever you
interact with people from the outside your
clothes reflect on our company or organization.
c) Keep it neat and clean A blouse with a ripped
seam, or pants with a grease stain should
remain in the closet until they are cleaned.
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d)

Do not reveal too much Clothes that are to revealing

are unacceptable in any workplace. Low cut blouses, see
through fabrics, tight pants give off a sexual message. A smart
dresser knows what the key look is for you to come across as
authoritative, highly competent, and as if she knows what she
is doing and can be relied on.
e)
Dress for the time of the day - Going to work in clothes
that appear more suitable for the evening is bad judgment.
f)
Dont be a fashion victim Do not let what is hot or
trendy be your guide, because the clothes may not be
appropriate.

Dress for Success!

Look successful in sales, even if you are starting out.
It gives off the impression that you are successful at
what you do.

Energy
Do not come across as low energy, or very high
energy. You can inadvertently turn people off. Get
the required necessary rest. Try never to meet with a
potential customer, especially after having been out
all night.

Motivation
Always be up or positive.
Listen to your favorite Pep-up music in the
morning, or while driving to meet with the client.

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Organized
Personal Organizer
PDA (Personal Digital Assistant)
Outlook

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Communication Skills
Good Communication skills are a necessity
Speak Clearly
Control Conversation Speed
Speak with Confidence and Authority
Listen and Observe
Ask questions
Give complete explanations

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Communication Skills
Good Communication skills are a necessity
Speak Clearly
Control Conversation Speed
Speak with Confidence and Authority
Listen and Observe
Ask questions
Give complete explanations

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Listening Skills
Listen to the client. Do not interrupt
Look attentive
Do not look un-interested

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Handling Rejection
At some point in our lives we are going to
experience rejection. Definitely, in sales you are
guaranteed to have them. The key is to never to
doubt your ability, never take a NO in a personal
manner. It is natural to question your skills and

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Body Language
Maintain eye contact.
Sit upright. Do not slouch.
Be aware of idiosyncrasies such as muscle
twitching, humming, playing with hands, fingers,
tapping feet.
Walk straight with your head up-not looking at the
ground.

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Follow-up Skills
Use a Daily Planner. There are several manufacturers of
planners, Day Timers, Franklin Covet, Day Runner.
Planners come in various sizes from pocket size to desk
size. Additionally they come in different formats.
PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) These tend to be popular
mini computers. Some also double as cell phones. PDAs
enable the user to not only serve as a calendar, but also
enable the user to maintain and update their contact
telephone numbers, Keep track of

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Follow-up Skills
To Do Lists, Receive e-mail, have Internet capability. Some
come equipped with software applications such as Microsoft
Word and Excel, which are powerful software business
applications. One of the advantages of using a PDA is that
allows the user to synchronize his PDA with his computer
system and vice a versa.
Outlook Is a powerful software application owned by
Microsoft Software. It allows users to keep track of their
schedules and appointments, maintain an update their
telephone contact list, and keep To Do Lists.

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Professional Behavior
Be cognizant of your mannerisms
Shake hands.
Be watchful of your language. Dont
even think about using slang or foul
language, or you will never close a sale.

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Call Reports Act 2000, Act 5

Prepare Call Reports during and after the meeting.
Document items, prices, services discussed. Call Reports
become part of a clients folder. They are extremely
valuable especially when a Sales Representative is away
from the office, and a client calls asking questions. The
person now handling the call is able to get the clients
folder review the Call Report(s) and be able to assist the
client.

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Contracts- Attention To Details

When preparing working contract to be finalized,
proofread it for proper punctuation and grammatical
errors.
You must insure that everything that was promised
to the client is clearly indicated on the contract.

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Tenacious/Persistent
Sales people should be built of the fabric that does not
give up easily. They must develop a strategy and
employ the necessary skills and tactics in an attempt to
make a sale. In doing so they must exercise common
sense. After exhausting all possibilities then they must
know when to walk away, and put their energies on the
next potential client.

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Meeting With Prospective Client

Preparing Yourself Mentally (Psychologically to

meet with the client) Practice your present the
night before. Do this a couple of times without
overdoing it. Watch the news or your favorite
television program, listen to your favorite music.
Most importantly make sure you get plenty of rest.

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Meeting With Prospective Client

Presentation Skills (Benefits and Features)
Be able to differentiate between Benefits and Features.
Sometimes individuals get in the habit of confusing one
with the other. The easiest way of attempting to explain the
differences would be:
Benefits How the individual, or company benefits from
the purchase of the item or service.
Features On the other hand, are the features that
directly reflect the actual product or service.
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Meeting With Prospective Client

Handling Objections
If a client throws an obstacle at you. Now what do
you do? Prior to meeting with a client you should
identify and prepare for certain key obstacles, and
be prepared how to respond to them.

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Meeting With Prospective Client

Negotiations
Sometimes business is black and white. However, in most
cases individuals will negotiate back and forth. This back
and forth tends to be what I call the grey area. This is the
battleground where individuals will go back and forth to
determine a common ground before closing the deal.
If both individuals achieve common ground then they
should be pleased, because they both feel they got
something back in return.
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Meeting With Prospective Client

Offer Suggestions
If the client is undecided the salesperson should
offer suggestions to guide things along the way. Not
offering a suggestion could mean the difference
between getting the sale and not getting the sale.
Closing the Deal Simply put, it means going into
contract. Preparing the contract and having it
signed. Or as I sometimes put it, Putting the ink
onto the paper and letting it dry.
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The Soft or Hard Sell

Sales people need to be able to read the person
they are selling to. They must exercise sound
judgment and common sense. By trying to
aggressively sell to the client you may possibly
lose that clients interest.
Maybe they are not ready to purchase, or are just
thinking before making decision.

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The Soft or Hard Sell

Others sales people may begin with a Soft
Sell Process. Meaning indirectly letting that
potential client know you exist and that you
sell a particular type of product(s).
You maintain a relationship with the client.
However, not in a pushy or aggressive
nature.
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Asking The Right Questions. Qualifying the Prospective Client.

Name, Title of Person, Company, Address, City, State, Postal Code,

Telephone, Fax, E-mail Address?
What are you looking for?
What is your budget?
What is the decision making process?
Who is the decision maker?
Who are your competitors?
What have been your past practices?
What will it take to close the sale?
Are you shopping around?

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Asking The Right Questions. Qualifying the Prospective Client.

What are you looking for when shopping around?

Do you own other companies? If so, where are they located? Who would the
contact be there?
Do you have other locations? If so, where are they located?
When qualifying an individual it becomes important to ask the right
questions, and to attempt to obtain as much information as possible, without
being a nuisance.

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Office Environment
Filing System
Is the filing system in the office well organized and
updated on a daily basis. Does your office have numerical
or alphabetic filing system? Do you have a Trace System
in place.
A trace system is a system devised to inform you when it is
time to follow-up on clients. Some individuals today
continue using the old system using index cards; others are
using PDAs, Outlook, or ACT Software.

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Office Environment
Database How do you track our clients
information? Where is the information stored?
Excel, Access, ACT, or other type of database. Is
the data being stored secured?
Organized Is the office organized? Files should
be easily located. When files are ready to be refiled are they stacked on a shelf or the top of a file
cabinet for days at a time? Are they filed on a
daily basis?
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Office Environment
Professional Environment
Does the office exuberate a professional
atmosphere? Is the atmosphere in the office loud?
Does the staff use foul language? What about the
overall appearance and behavior of the staff? Are
the telephones answered promptly, with attention
being paid to their communication skills?

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Office Environment
Contracts Contracts should be professionally typed
written, and proofread for spelling, grammatical and
spacing errors. After the contracts and letters are typed and
proofread by your assistant, you should also take it upon
yourself to review the letter and/or contract once more to
insure perfection.
One letter or contract mailed with errors quickly questions
your offices sense of professionalism, and causes you to
instantly lose credibility among your clients.
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Office Environment
Computers (Hardware)
Computer Hardware Systems are comprised of the
following: CPU (Central Processing Unit), Monitor,
Keyboard, and Mouse. You will also require a printer. The
printer maybe a DeskJet, Inkjet, or Laser. Todays
computer systems are also able to handle a multitude of
multi-media formats.
They are also equipped with CD ROMs, CD-RW (meaning
Read-Write), and Speakers. You should insure that your
office is using equipment that is somewhat reasonable in
comparison with todays technology. You do not want to
be using an antiquated system otherwise you might find
yourself confined as to what you can do, and what you
cannot do with your current system.
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Office Environment
Software
These are the various software applications that are used in
the completion of work. For example, for typing letters and
business documents you would use a word processing
program. One of the most popular programs available in
the market today is Microsoft Word.
Another program also available is Corels WordPerfect.
Both programs have similar capabilities. Which one you
use depends on your office.

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Office Environment
Trace System
Earlier I mentioned what type of Trace System
is in place? ACT, Outlook, Index Card System?
Who is responsible for making sure the Sales
Person gets the files to be traced for follow-up?
This system is so important.

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Office Environment
Call Reports When a salesperson meets with someone,
or has a conversation on the telephone. Now what? Does
he/she store the information in their head? Or do they
document the meeting or conversation using a call report,
which is then placed in the clients folder. Are the Call
Reports generated on printed call report forms; with copies
of all Call Reports and Call Report Cover Sheets presented
to the Sales Manager or Director of Sales.
For those not to familiar with a Call Report Coversheet, it
encompasses sales and revenues for the week, any
potentials for new business, any lost business, matching
your forecasted actual sales to your forecasted budgeted
sales.
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Office Environment
Strategic Action Plans
This is a plan developed by the salesperson, which
indicates an individuals strategy for obtaining
new business, and the tactics to be implemented to
achieve the desired results. How often are these
plans created? Are the tasks achieved? How often
are the plans evaluated? How often are they
revised?
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Office Environment
Sales Forecasting
The ability to foresee how much revenue
you expect to generate, for example in one
week, three months, six months, one year
from now.

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The Psychology of Selling

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Building Trust

Make sure you understand your customer

Tell stories
Say something negative
Tell stories
Say something negative
Be vulnerable first
Be consistent over time
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Building Trust

Offer Proof
Sell Reality
Establish a common ground
Dont overdress
Call when there is no sale to be made
Dont be afraid to say, I dont know, but Ill find
out.
It is sometimes what you do, not what you say
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Building Relationships

Sell from the inside out

Develop business empathy
Practice The Art of Connecting
Understanding begins with preparation
You need to develop an understanding of how
client want to be sold?
a) Some clients like to be sold and others like to
buy.
b) Some clients are best sold through a logical
approach; some need an emotional approach.
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Building Relationships

c)

Some clients buy through people and

some buy through specs.
Put relationships before transactions
Put logic first, then emotion
Earn their respect first, and then add enthusiasm
Friendship at last
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Share A Vision
Construct A Vision Story
Ask if you client is preparing for the future, and if so,
how?
Start with the commonplace, and then move to the future.
Talk about their business, not your products.
Understand their business today before you predict
tomorrow.
Address how they can protect current investments.
Focus on meaningful change.
Make the Vision Story Stick.
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Sharing And Building Knowledge

Use homegrown information to build customer knowledge.
View every transaction as a learning experience.
Ask yourself, How sophisticated is my client about
information?
Target a knowledge area and learn it.
a)
Offer a perspective of your average customer
b)
Spot trends
c)
Help customers understand your category better.
d)
Spot success patterns.
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Package Information For Learning

Simplify
Use Picture Words
Make Information Visual.
Get clients in the habit of learning.

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Sell Value
Help your client see your product(s)/services in a new and
exciting way.
a) Customers get excited about products/services for their
own reasons, not yours.
b) Customers get enthusiastic about products/services for
what they can do, not or what they are.
c) Build excitement by helping customers see your
products/services in a new way.

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Sell Value
d) Translate value into the customers
environment.
e)

Educate customers about quality.

f)

Be prepare to sell your total product/service.

g) Get out of your mind and into theirs.

h) Look beyond immediate needs.
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Networking
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Target a customers networked friends.

Sponsor a networking event.
Identify the network you want to penetrate.
Target your networking activity carefully.
Act the part (Fit in learn their language,
understand their problems, find ways to fit
in.)

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Networking
f) Dont expect an immediate return.
g) Be prepared to think long term.
h) Ask yourself what you can do for other
people.
i) Position yourself, so clients will think of you.
j) Identify other networks
k) Network through referrals.
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Developing Your Own Style

As a salesperson you need to ask yourself a very serious question. I say
serious because sales is your livelihood. It is your livelihood because that
is how you earn your living. You need to ask yourself, Do I like my
selling style, or do I like someone elses style? We are all individuals with
different personalities and character traits. Attempting to sell or be like
someone else could be an erroneous judgment on your part.
Everything that I have written about or exhibited in this presentation, or
others are merely tools for you to identify, digest and use. You may not
use all of them; sometimes you will only use some of the and that is all
right.
The key is to develop your own style. If in the future your style is not
working for you, you may need to evaluate yourself, and see what you
can change in order to self improve.

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