Chapter 7

Selling to the Meetings Markets

Convention Management and Service

Seventh Edition
(478CSB)

© 2006, Educational Institute

 Competencies for
Selling to the Meetings Markets
1. Explain the steps in making a personal sales call.
2. Explain how to conduct telephone selling
effectively in meeting and convention sales.
3. Describe the convention and meeting sales
techniques of sales blitz selling, trade show
selling, selling with convention bureaus, site
inspection selling, and familiarization tours.

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 The Six Steps of a Sales Call
1. Pre-call Planning
2. Opening the Sales Call
3. Getting Prospect Involvement
4. Presenting Your Property
5. Handling Objections
6. Closing and Follow-up

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 Pre-call Planning

1. Know Your Property

• Property fact book
2. Know Your Competition
• Emphasize the strengths of your
property, especially in areas
where the competition is weak

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 Pre-call Planning
(continued)

3. Know Your Prospect

• Cold calls: fact-finding calls
• Use sales prospect cards to summarize what
you know
• Tailor your presentation to the planner’s needs
and desires
4. Assemble a Sales Kit
• Include all information the prospect will need
about your property and services

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 Opening the Sales Call
Build Rapport
• State your purpose
• Give the main reason(s) the prospect
should consider your property
Bridge Statement
• Ask for permission to continue with
the presentation

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 Getting Prospect Involvement
Purpose
• Involve the prospect to understand his or her needs
• Ask all questions before you give your presentation
• Tailor your presentation according to what you
learned about the prospect
Use both types of questions:
• Close-ended questions
• Open-ended questions

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 Presenting Your Property
Be a Problem Solver
• Sell benefits, not features
• Use visual aids to help the
planner envision the hotel
• Tailor your presentation to
the prospect’s needs

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 Handling Objections
Plan your answers to the most common objections:
Price objections
• Point out all that’s included in the price
Product objections
• Turn negative aspects into positive ones
• Example: An older property may have a more experienced
staff
Lack-of-interest objections
• Point out how your property’s benefits are comparable to
or better than the competition’s

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 Closing and Follow-Up
Guidelines
• Prospects expect to be asked for a sale
• Follow up whether you made the sale or not
Trial Close
• Used to elicit responses during presentation
• Build excitement about your property
Major Close
• Ask for sale directly
• Leave immediately after your presentation

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 Telephone Sales Techniques

• Requires proficiency; telephone can be impersonal

• Have your presentation and backup information ready
• Prevent interruptions
• Speak slowly and distinctly
• Be cheerful yet professional

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 Screening Prospects

• Qualify prospects before making an appointment

• Use tip sheets to analyze information about planners
before you call for an appointment
• Enter information from an interview onto a call report

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 Setting Appointments for
Personal Sales Calls by Phone
Intermediaries (Receptionists)
• Build rapport with them
• Get through them to the decision maker
Three Steps in Setting Appointments by Phone
1. Open the call
2. Present (don’t try to sell)
3. Set the appointment

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 Telemarketing
Tips
• Use scripts that draw attention
• Staff must be well-trained
• Telemarketing needs clear goals
Two Kinds of Telemarketing
• Qualifying prospects
• Market research

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 Sales Blitz Selling
Definition
• Contacting potential clients in a concentrated area over a
brief period of time
• Used for both reaching and qualifying new prospects
Characteristics
• Purpose: Demonstrate the hotel’s ability to host meetings
• 75 to 90 calls over a three-day period
• Sales letters sent in advance to create “warm calls”
• Use city directories to select target area
• External staff may be used
• Sales blitz survey sheets

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 Trade Show Selling
Advantages
• Deal directly with prospects who buy
• Low cost—Average of $185 per client
• Share space with local convention and visitors bureau
Disadvantages
• Initial cost of transportation, setup, and display
• Competitors present, targeting same markets
• Attendees may have no interest in your property

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 Trade Show Selling
(continued)

Trade Show Selling Techniques

• Create action plan before show: identify
prospects, set sales and follow-up strategies
• Target the businesses with the most potential
• Solicit before and after show
• Qualify prospects quickly

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 Selling with Convention and
Visitors Bureaus
Characteristics
• Often referred to as “CVBs”
• Extension of hotel’s sales staff
• Organized/funded in various ways
• Convention lead forms
• Housing bureau
• Many CVBs are members of IACVB
Sales Tools They May Share with Properties
• Encyclopedia of Associations
• Directory of Corporate Meeting Planners

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 Site Inspections and
Familiarization Tours
Site Inspections
• For individual prospects
• Choose busy times
• Take time to conduct tour
• Show only areas of interest
• Train staff as tour guides
Familiarization Tours (Fam Tours)
• For groups of prospects
• Qualify prospects in advance
• Tell prospects what is included, the duration, and
who is invited
• Try to close sale before prospect leaves

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