Before we dive in, be sure to visit our ultimate guide to grow events and group business for an all-encompassing rundown of events, sales and catering tips, data points and best practices.
We all know everyone loves to win business. But there’s more to winning the deal outside of sweet talking and good relationships, the proposal plays a key role as well. With that in mind, what’s needed to write a hotel sales proposal that wins group business and make it part of your hotel’s winning formula?
Hotels are in one of the most competitive marketplaces in the world, so maintaining a cutting edge, proactive and seamless response is a given but there’s more to it than that.
1. Make your proposal stand out – remember, this proposal represents your hotel and your brand. It should reflect the brand you represent and the values you stand for. This in itself will make it unique and will help it stand out from the crowd.
2. Be prepared to respond quickly – we’ve seen at Cendyn that first responders win 70% of the business. In a fast-paced market like the hospitality industry, people don’t have the time or the patience to wait around for their proposal and 70% of the time, they will go with the first proposal to come through the door.
3. Use the power of comparison – Make it apparent how much better your event would be if the recipient chose your hotel. The power of comparison using every day metaphors is a great way to make this resonate with them and even shock them into making a decision.
4. Use case studies and quotes – your customers are your friends. Use their testimonial power to share their passion for your hotel’s staff and services and their successes using your property. A proposal is a great place to do this and can link in when justifying unique selling points (USPs).
5. Personalize the proposal – demonstrate how the event or activity at your hotel will satisfy their preferences and make it personal to their needs. Utilize any information on their role and interests to ensure it is relevant to them.
6. Answer the question – ‘why?’ – use your proposal as an opportunity to demonstrate why the customer should choose you. Don’t always focus on the ‘what’ you are selling, be mindful that everyone always wants to know why they should choose you over someone else.
7. Streamline your proposal process – we all know how time-consuming proposals can be, and if they’re coming in thick and fast, you need to be able to respond quickly. Use a proposal software platform that will enable you to respond fast and effectively to help win that business.
8. Align your team and work together – working together as a team is vital. If you’re not aligned on your objectives, strategies and tactics, this will become apparent to the customer so keep communication lines open and work together.
9. Keep the customer in mind at all times – when you’re writing the proposal and pulling together any accompanying materials, keep the customer in mind at all times. Put their needs at the forefront of your response and use the proposal as a means to pre-empt any questions or concerns they might have.
10. Use plain, positive language and, be you! – coherent, plain language is a must and will ensure that whoever your recipient is will be able to understand, share and respond to your communication. Positive language ties in with this as well so keep the content upbeat and confident. Above all else, be you!
A good proposal communicates to your potential client that you value their business enough to put the time and effort in for them. Make it count.
Guest post from Nicola Graham, Senior Marketing and Communications Manager at Cendyn.
