85% of travellers only decide on offers and activities related to their stay after their arrival.* Wellness treatments, a special wine with dinner or a day trip, for example, are mostly booked at the hotel. Hoteliers should use this opportunity to increase their additional sales at the hotel through cross-selling and upselling. Our 7 tips reveal how you can sell your offers to men and women.
Tip 1: The right offer
The decisive factor: the offer must suit the guest! Analyse which products, offers and services are suitable for your guest. Where is there a need? And what interests the guest?
Example: If a guest books the honeymoon suite with you, it makes little sense to offer them a day trip for one person. Offers for a couple, such as a romantic candlelight dinner, a couple’s massage or an exclusive wedding package, are of course more suitable.
Tip 2: Use different paths
People only see what they want to see and block out many messages. Therefore, draw guests’ attention to your offers in various ways – without being intrusive, of course. Involve the back office, front office and other areas of your hotel in personal and digital communication.
Example: If a guest books a room, offer them additional services such as late check-out, catering packages or similar. At check-in, let them know about a favourable room upgrade and draw their attention to your own beauty line in the wellness area.
Tip 3: Digital support
How do you communicate with your guests? And how with your team? Be sure to integrate digital tools into your communication. Because one thing is certain: your guests use smartphones, tablets, laptops, Wi-Fi, digital newspaper kiosks and TVs – and they love it. So you too can communicate with your guests in real time, e.g. via the hotel’s digital guest directory or the hotel app, and generate additional revenue. On the one hand, you can advertise your offers more easily and more specifically to your target group, and on the other, you can interact much more effectively and quickly. Start when the willingness to buy is at its highest: during the stay!
Example: After a busy day, guests read your message about today’s wellness offer, which you sent via push to their smartphone, and books it directly via an online form. The enquiry is immediately forwarded to the relevant member of staff and processed straight away. It couldn’t be easier.
Tip 4: Sell themes, not products
Sell a theme rather than a single product by offering several products or services as a package.
Example: “Gourmet” or “Wellness” theme: The restaurant not only offers individual dishes, but also a themed evening menu with several courses. In the wellness area, your employees sell individual treatments as well as wellness packages that combine the thermal area, massages or beauty treatments.
Tip 5: Train employees
Your employees must stand behind the offer and know the advertised offers inside out. This is the only way they can actively recommend and sell it to guests. For example, organise regular tasting sessions for the team. Just as important are regular training sessions on the subject of “sales”, which will help your employees to overcome their fear of having to push something on guests. Practise, practise, practise – after all, no master has ever fallen from the sky.
Example: In which conversation situation would you be more likely to take up an offer: “We only have one appointment available in our spa today – I would like to offer you this space exclusively. How would that be?” Or: “Would you like to book a wellness treatment?” Right: in the first one.
Tip 6: Confirm your purchase decision and ask questions
People need confirmation. Your guests will also be pleased to receive positive reinforcement after making a purchase. In addition, people who are already in a buying mood are more willing to continue shopping – provided they are presented with convincing additional offers. So confirm the guest’s completed purchase decision and lead them straight to another useful additional sale.
Example: You have made an excellent choice of menu! Would you like to try our wine recommendation to go with it? We have a great wine on offer for you right now.
Tip 7: Taster offers
As a thank-you for purchasing a certain service, offer your guests additional things that usually have a price in the form of taster offers, samples or similar.
Example: When booking an evening meal, give the guest a drink at the bar to “whet their appetite” for the restaurant. In the best case scenario, they will order another drink or find it in their minibar. A free drink can be an inexpensive way to capitalise on further cross-selling opportunities.
Our conclusion: Guests want to consume
Many companies that want to increase their turnover focus on attracting new guests and neglect additional sales in the hotel. Of course, acquiring new customers is very important. However, the hurdle is higher to convince new guests of your accommodation than to convince existing guests who already trust you of additional services. In addition to higher turnover, additional sales even have a positive impact on the relationship between hotel and guest: great offers inspire the guest so that they feel well looked after and it strengthens both trust in the hotel and guest loyalty.
Increase turnover through additional sales in the hotel – utilise sales opportunities!
* Google/Ipsos MediaCT, The 2015 Travelers Road to Decision
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