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Doug Kennedy Announces Next Topic In His Webcast Training Series: Proactive Prospecting: Meet Your Hotel's 2024 Sales Goals By Transitioning to 'Sales Hunting'
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: Proactive Prospecting: Meet Your Hotel’s 2024 Sales Goals By Transitioning to “Sales Hunting” scheduled for Friday, October 20 from Noon – 12:40pm EDT. REGISTER HERE
Is netting “fair share” going to be enough to meet your hotel’s 2024 sales goal? Given an uncertain economic climate, is your sales team being challenged to do more prospecting? KTN’s next webcast covers realistic, actionable, daily sales habits that help you and your sales team hunt down more business.
“Success in sales prospecting is as much about habits as it is about techniques, so we’re going to cover both, Kennedy says, “First, you have to block-out time, be disciplined, and truly embrace your CRM’s lead stream process, even if you think it is clunky. But you also have to outthink and outsell the competition. Automated email drip campaigns and generic DM’s on LinkedIn are not going to win market share. What’s old is new again, that means putting the people parts back into the process.”
This KTN training webcast will discuss the rapid emergence of platforms for booking small to medium meetings and events online, and with increasingly smart AI and ChatGPT, the role of sales fishing will soon be a relic of the past. Yet Sales Hunters who embrace proactive habits for sales prospecting will see their careers soar. This webcast covers:
- How to make proactive prospecting a daily habit.
- Embracing your CRM’s “lead stream” today to create prospecting leads for tomorrow.
- Farming in your own backyard; Retargeting lost & declined business from previous inquiries, reaching out for referrals, cross-penetrating existing clients.
- Research: The key to evolving from “cold calling” to “warm calling.”
- Tips for personalized prospecting on LinkedIn.
- Using a “tech for touch” approach when prospecting.
- Cadence of follow-up: How to be persistent but not pushy!
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 draws on content from his on-site training programs, conference keynote presentations, and his monthly training articles.
Everyone who registers receives a link to the recording, even if they cannot attend. The 40-minute format is perfect for “lunch and learn” or staff meetings. 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 Here are the additional topics and dates scheduled so far.
Hotel Reservations and Group/Event Sales:
Use a Storytelling Approach To Narrate The Pictures They Already Viewed Online
Monday, November 13 (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.
12 Steps to Reclaiming Your Spirit of Hospitality From The Grasp Of Cynicism
Monday, December 18 (Noon EDT)
As we look to the start of a new year and reflect on a string of several of the most stressful years in the history of the lodging industry, Doug offers us reminders of why we do what we do in this sometimes crazy business called the “hospitality industry.” Join in as Doug delivers a presentation that - while witty and fun - also provides some badly needed coping tools for all guest service and operations staff. As they say in virtually all 12-step programs, admitting you have a problem is the first step taken toward overcoming it. So if you have recognized that you may have become a bit more cynical about the traveling public in recent years, register now and come prepared to grab your white chip!
- It’s okay to vent but do so in a way that does not disrespect guests. Avoid ruminating.
- Accept that guest complaints are a numbers game; the vast majority of guests come and go without incident, leaving satisfied and happy.
- Understand that you work in a “memory factory.”
- Use your “5G Positivity” to overpower the weak, analog signal of the negative personalities you will surely encounter.
- Empathize before you apologize to defuse potentially explosive guest complaints.
- Use your “power of release” to break the chain of negativity.
- Gratitude is a superpower!
Contemporary Approaches for Upselling at Registration
Friday, January 26 (Noon EDT)
Too often hotels rely solely on pre-arrival upsell drip campaigns, but with similar offers from airlines, rental cars, and other hotels flooding their inboxes, most guests ignore them, if they even make it through spam. Upselling can best be accomplished when welcoming front desk colleagues to have authentic, human conversations. Also, whereas drip campaigns market accommodation types, human receptionists sell specific locations and views. Human conversations take place upon arrival, a time during which guests are likely to feel more spontaneous and indulgent after a long day of stressful travel and at a time when they are only looking at the incremental “gap amount” to treat themselves. Upselling tactics covered include:
- Re-assuring them that the room they already “bought” is still a great option (and if applicable, that loyalty membership has already been considered with the preassigned room.)
- Opening the door to a conversation by asking if they are aware of, or interested in, available upgraded options.
- Presenting availability as a special, timely opportunity.
- Using “Rate Framing” to create value.
- Using an incremental quoting approach.
- Conveying the value received with the upgrade, including specifics of the actual room location or view.
- Using recommendations and/or endorsements.
For additional details, contact KTN at info@kennedytrainingnetwork.com or by phone (01) 954.533.9130 www.kennedytrainingnetwork.com