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Doug Kennedy Announces Next Topic In His Webcast Training Series: Reservations Sales: Remember, Ring-Ring Means Cha-Ching!
Complimentary Registration Sponsored by Travel Outlook, Better Talent, and Track Hospitality Software
Kennedy Training Network Inc. (KTN) announced today the topic for Doug Kennedy’s next training webcast: Reservations Sales: Remember, Ring-Ring Means Cha-Ching!, scheduled for Friday, August 18 from Noon – 12:40pm. REGISTER HERE
According to Doug, “Smart revenue and marketing leaders know that the voice reservations channel is alive and thriving. Of course, resorts, luxury properties, vacation rental agencies, and boutique hotels all know this. Even at branded, select-service hotels, front desk associates regularly field calls from people who want to speak with someone onsite.”
This KTN training webcast will remind your team that phone calls are revenue opportunities, not interruptions.
“Today’s reservations staff are often bogged down doing admin-type work, such as checking online bookings, entering rooming lists, answering in-app messages (in OTA’s), or researching payment issues,” Kennedy said, “so incoming calls might feel like interruptions. Yet they represent the hottest leads possible.”
This webcast also covers:
- Recognizing that hot leads are often disguised as “Hi, I just have a quick question about…”
- Four reasons why today’s pre-informed guests call before booking online.
- Key questions for starting conversations that end the conversation with a confirmation number. (Versus losing the sale to an OTA or another company.)
- Using a storytelling selling approach to sell the experience and not just rent beds.
- Securing the sale: primary and secondary closing techniques.
Doug’s monthly series of live webcast training events focuses on topics related to hospitality excellence, reservations, and hotel group/event sales. In creating this series, Doug is drawing on content from his on-site training programs and conference keynote presentations, while also featuring the latest training tactics from his monthly lodging industry training articles.
Those who register but cannot attend will receive a link to view the recordings. The target audience is anyone who is interested in upskilling themselves or others, and the topic areas are broad enough to be relevant for all sectors of the lodging industry.
“We are grateful to the generosity of our sponsors who have allowed us to offer complimentary admission,” said Kennedy. “It takes a lot of time to design, promote, and deliver these events, and so we would normally charge at least $99 registration per person, but this series is now completely free to all.”
Sponsors include: Travel Outlook, the only KTN Certified call center, Better Talent, a subscription-based talent acquisition company serving the lodging sector, and Track Hospitality Software, a TravelNet Solution, whose products include a PMS and CRM.
Complimentary registration can be accessed at www.KTNwebcast.com Below are the dates for additional topics scheduled so far.
Train Your Team To Use The Language of Hospitality
Monday, September 11 (Noon EDT)
Certainly, the intended service “style” is a bit different according to each hotel’s classification. For example, “lifestyle” and some “boutique” hotels might be striving for a more authentic, genuine, and perhaps even “hip” or “edgy” guest experience, whereas ultra-luxury hotels might reach for a more traditional, formalized guest communications style. No matter what your brand’s standards are, replacing these common phrases with words that better convey the spirit of hospitality will help create positive emotional reactions, increase guest satisfaction, and encourage positive online reviews. In this webcast, Doug will review commonly heard phrases along with better, more heartfelt alternatives. A few of the many examples include replacing:
- Checking in?
- Just one?
- I’ll have to check on that for you.
- No problem.
- All we have left is…
- How to say “no, we can’t” in a more positive way.
- Presenting rate fences in a way that minimizes objections.
Proactive Prospecting: Sales Habits For Transitioning From Sales “Fishing” to “Sales Hunting”
Friday, October 20 (Noon EDT)
If all we as salespeople do is close incoming leads, we are “sales fishing.” Our “fishing pole” is connected to a line holding a hook. On the hook is the digital “bait,” which is our website presence, listing on CVENT or Wedding Wire, and/or the “brand.com flag.” Once a prospect “bites,” sales fishers simply reel in the business. With increasingly smart AI and ChatGPT, the role of sales fishing will soon be replaced by automation, but Sales Hunters will surely always be in demand. However, sales requires a proactive approach to embracing new, daily sales habits. In this webcast, Doug covers highlights from KTN’s on-site hotel sales training and his numerous sales training articles and conference presentations including:
- How to make proactive prospecting a daily habit.
- Embracing your CRM’s “lead stream” today to create prospecting leads for tomorrow.
- Retargeting lost business from previous inquiries.
- Reaching out for referrals.
- Research: The key to evolving from “cold calling” to “warm calling.”
- How to say “no, we can’t” in a more positive way.
- Tips for personalized prospecting on LinkedIn.
- Using a “tech for touch” approach when prospecting.
- How to be persistent but not pushy!
Hotel Reservations and Group/Event Sales:
Use a Storytelling Approach To Narrate The Pictures They Already Viewed Online
Monday, November 20 (Noon EDT)
Years ago, all that guests researching options had as resources were hotel brochures or rudimentary hotel websites consisting of a few pictures displayed on a fuzzy, low-resolution monitor.
Now, prior to calling or emailing your staff about booking an event or important stay, those who inquire directly have visited websites featuring extensive photo galleries, including dozens of pictures of even the most basic room types. What they don’t want to hear in conversations or read in emails is the same list of features they have already seen online as bullet points. This webcast shows participants how to use a storytelling approach that focuses on placing the guest and/or their event attendees at the heart of the story, helping them imagine themselves enjoying the features, amenities, and services located at the hotel and/or in the destination or location.
- Using the “just for you” approach to engage multi-tasking callers and help them visualize the experience.
- Expand your working vocabulary of visually and emotionally descriptive words so they can be used naturally and not sound scripted.
- Offering needs-based recommendations, suggestions, and endorsements.
- Using these and other techniques both in writing as well as during verbal conversations.
- Storytelling selling techniques for creating urgency when callers hesitate to commit.
For additional details, contact KTN at info@kennedytrainingnetwork.com or by phone (01) 954.533.9130 www.kennedytrainingnetwork.com