Line-By-Line Self-Training

STEP 1: OPENING

PROPER GREETING-Name Clearly Offered: Sales Agent offers an opening greeting, the name of the hotel and the Agent's name as determined by the individual hotel. Sales Agent is encouraged to take a deep breath BEFORE answering the telephone so speech is clear, distinct, and not rushed.

TONE/Attitude Overall Positive: Sales Agent will be measured on a positive, well-paced, conversational tone of voice. If Sales Agent goes above and beyond:

COURTEOUS AND FRIENDLY: Courteous means the Sales Agent handles the telephone properly when it is necessary to place the caller on hold, transfers in a courteous manner, etc./friendly -- a natural, self-confident approach to the caller usually with a smile in the voice.

HELPFUL AND ENTHUSIASTIC: Helpful means the Sales Agent offered a strong attempt to match the right room type and price by working the 4 steps of sales aggressively – 65+ points earns “helpful”; enthusiastic has an energy to it -- usually the Sales Agent is standing and has taken a deep breath of oxygen to convey this energy level. Enthusiasm will also have a smile.

SMILE IN VOICE: A smile in the voice can be "heard." Make this an exercise in a Sales Agents' meeting. Have one member turn his/her back to the rest of the group. Ask the Sales Agent to perform your hotel's greeting -- once without a smile and once with a smile -- not letting the participants know in what order these will be done. Let the audience pick the greeting that included a smile.


STEP 2: PROBING

Sales Agent to STAY IN THIS STEP TO COMPLETION (Tendency is to want to skip to Step 3, Supporting Quickly)

OBTAINS BASIC ROOMING NEEDS: To begin checking the inventory for this caller, the Sales Agent must discover the caller's arrival/departure patterns, number of people, smoking/non. This will begin the "match up" of caller to room/suite.

NAME: MAY I ASK YOUR NAME? While checking inventory, in a chatty manner, the Sales Agent asks in Step 2 the caller's name and then uses the name 2-3 times during the call. This begins rapport building. If caller says Debbie Smith, the Sales Agent refers to the caller as "Ms. Smith."

REASON FOR TRAVEL: This question will result in an answer of business of leisure. (John/Jane Corporate or John/Jane Leisure). With this information, the Sales Agent can begin "picturing" the caller. The business profile and leisure profile have been researched DEEPLY by the hospitality industry in order to build our hotels with two distinctly different buyer profile in mind. Knowing the profile allows the Agent to TARGET the features and benefits.

FAMILIARITY WITH HOTEL: Finding out the caller's familiarity with the hotel will tell the Sales Agent if they have a "new" user on the telephone or a "regular" user on the telephone. This information, again, will help the Sales Agent "picture" the caller and TARGET the rooming type and features of the hotel.

REFERRAL: How Did You Hear About Us? If the Sales Agent has a "new" user on the telephone, this information will give the hotel Sales Agents and Manager good information on how the advertising is working. This will also, again, help the Sales Agent "picture" the caller and TARGET the rooming type and features of the hotel.

STEP 3: SUPPORTING

3 FEATURES B4 ASKED & B4 RATE QUOTES: Following the probing step, the Agent will enter Step 3, Supporting with either (new caller), "Let me tell you a little about our hotel and rooms," or (regular customer) "Then you are familiar with our hotel's features of . . . " It is recommended A GREAT DEAL OF thought go into a listing of three items for John/Jane Corporate and three items for John/Jane Leisure as shown below:

John/Jane Corporate
1. Deluxe, 40 Item Complimentary Continental Breakfast
2. Free USA Today
3. Fully equipped, 24 hour business center

John/Jane Leisure
1. Deluxe, 40 Item Complimentary Continental Breakfast
2. Beautifully appointed indoor atrium with swimming pool and sauna
3. Easy, one block access to our 80 store shopping mall

This TARGETS the features to Corporate or Leisure profiles and adds DESCRIPTION with the adjectives that bring the features to life with color and proximity. Remember: We have five senses -- seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching. The telephone caller brings only one sense, hearing, to the transaction. Our job is to enlarge the picture to take in as many of the other four senses as we can with our selection of words.

RATES: From Caller's Needs, Offers One+

Top Down (2+ Room Types with Different Rates): This is the strongest method of presenting product and price in a short amount of time. This allows the caller to hear two products and two prices (or more). Example: (To John/Jane Corporate) "We can offer you our Business Suite which includes a working desk with lamp and modem for $119 or our Standard King which offers the standard coffee/tea, irons and boards in the room for $99." This demonstrates offering the more expensive room type first and the next expensive room type second. A third can be added depending on the inventory of the hotel.

Up Sell (Up Room Type or Offer Pkg): Once again, a minimum of two room types and rates are offered the caller so the caller can have a CHOICE. In this instance, the Sales Agent, from the Probing Step, is able to sell a Jacuzzi Suite (EX) or a Golf Package (EX) to the caller.

Down Sell (Lower Rate/Room Type or Pkg): Again, a minimum of two room types and rates are offered the caller so the caller can have a CHOICE. In this instance, the Sales Agent, from the Probing Step or through additional dialogue with the caller, offers a lower room type or package and thus a lower rate. This is usually because of "price sensitivity" that was uncovered during the probing step or added by the caller during the call.


Step 4: CLOSING

ASKS FOR SALE-To Solicit 'Yes' Response: Sales Agent, following thorough Probing and Supporting steps, asks, "May I hold this room/suite for you?" "May I go ahead and offer you a confirmation number?" "May I confirm this reservation for you?" Be sure to ask the question so the caller must answer, "Yes!" If the caller responds with, "Let me think about this," or "Let me call you back," or "I want to call around a little," your NEXT STEP is the Objection Statement.

OBJECTION STATEMENT (1+ From Below): NOTE: Not every caller will offer an objection. Our objective is to CLOSE AS MUCH REVENUE AS POSSIBLE WITH EVERY PHONE CALL. If an objection occurs, do not stop!

States LIMITED Availability Status: "We are almost full on that particular Tuesday. May I hold this for you while you look around?" "We are almost full on that night. Is there something I failed to tell you about the hotel and the area that would help you in your rooming decision?"

-and/or-

If Rate, Offers Different Rate: "Since our rate is a little higher than you are wanting to pay, Mr/Ms _____, I can offer you our AAA or AARP rate of $_____."

-and/or-

Offers Additional Features to Caller's Needs: "For your rooming decision, Mr/Ms ______, let me add, this offer includes the deluxe, 40 item, complimentary continental breakfast, free US Today, complimentary, 24 hour-office center PLUS a 24 hour fitness center, indoor, Olympic sized swimming pool, complimentary shuttle within a five mile radius of the hotel, and complimentary airport pickup and delivery." Or tell the caller you can hold the room without a credit card, on a courtesy hold, until the caller has made a final decision. This removes all RISK and leaves the caller with no other option EXCEPT to make a reservation.

"Can I Tell You Anything Else About the Hotel/Area?" This statement can serve as an objection statement when worded, “Is there anything I failed to tell you about the hotel or area that would help you in your rooming decision?”

Asks AGAIN for the Sale, SECOND Time: Following the "Objection Statement" above (which not every call will encounter), the Sales Agent asks again for the sale using the sales wording, "May I go ahead and hold this suite/room for you?" "May I offer you a confirmation number at this time?" "May I confirm this reservation for you?"

REPEAT Arrangements: ALWAYS repeat the arrival/departure patterns, the number of people, room type and pricing -- so the caller is confirming WITH you the correct arrangements are reserved. This lowers mistakes AND gives the caller a confidence all is in order.

CLOSES Clearly Using Caller's Name: "Thank you. We look forward to your visit to our hotel and our city, Ms. Smith."