Every business is about selling. An anonymous word of mouth book states, ‘A company grows if all departments work towards a common goal: Selling.’ For hotels, selling means advertising their rooms, amenities, and services to guests so they will stay there.
Note: The U.S. hospitality market is projected to reach approximately $235.96 billion by 2025 and is expected to grow to $299.29 billion by 2029.
These numbers are proof that this is an evergreen business, but can the traditional methods guarantee your success? Latest tech has brought the whole world to our fingertips and online matters more than offline things. Being a guest, one searches online and reads ratings and reviews, so that they can get an idea of how good the hotel is. Hence, implementing latest hotel sales strategies will lead to a better operational efficiency.
Online presence is the new market where you can attract more guests that can increase your revenues. And, CRM software is the fuel you need. It will drive your operations smoothly. From lead generation to marketing techniques, CRM can take your hotel business to the next level. It can also automate routine tasks and design your website. So, the question is which sales strategies to implement?
Top 10 Hotel Sale Strategies to Increase ROI and Revenue Are:
1. Direct hotel sales strategies
Direct hotel sales strategies aim to boost revenue. They do this by encouraging guests to make group bookings directly through the hotel’s website or app. This lets guests avoid the commission fees associated with online travel agencies.
You must optimize the hotel website for user-friendliness and booking. It should promote direct bookings with exclusive offers and loyalty programs. Most importantly, use social media and email marketing. To improve the guest experience, hotels can use content marketing. This includes blogs and SEO-driven web pages on their websites. These all combined make your online presence significant.
2. Cross- promotional hotel sales strategies
This cross promotional sales strategy involves brands working together to promote each other’s products. It benefits them both. It enhances brand visibility, reduces marketing costs, and creates added value for customers.
By sharing marketing resources, both brands can cut costs. Each can also increase its reach. Their collaboration can provide greater value to customers.
Real-Time Example: Airbnb and Lonely Planet
A notable example of cross-promotion is the partnership between Airbnb and Lonely Planet. In this collaboration, Airbnb offered unique places to stay. Lonely Planet provided travel tips and destination ideas. This partnership let Airbnb reach Lonely Planet’s travel-loving audience. Lonely Planet gained exposure to potential customers seeking places to stay.
3. Revenue Management
Revenue management is simply increasing and decreasing the prices of your hotel rooms based on the traffic. Software like CrmOne gives you a detailed report. It shows your hotel revenue, for the last month and year. It also shows when traffic was highest, by week and month. This gives you an idea of performance.
Once you are done analyzing the report, the pricing of your hotel rooms can be made flexible. For example, raise the price at peak times. When fewer guests arrive, lower it to attract more guests. This is a simple strategy that has been followed for ages. It has helped businesses and one of the most effective hotels sales strategies.
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4. Online Reviews
As said earlier, the online market is the new medium to increase hotel sales and advertise your products. Using CRM will boost your online presence. Good reviews will increase a hotel’s visibility on various platforms.
Note: Research shows that 70% of users read reviews before booking hotels. A rating below 3.5 discourages 60% from booking. So, hotels with better reviews are more likely to be chosen over competitors.
Trust is a critical factor in customer decision-making. Hotels with many positive reviews boost potential guests’ confidence. They are more likely to book a stay. Effective management of negative reviews can help improve hotel sales, too. Prompt, structured responses can enhance their impact.
Using CRM for review management helps hotels improve their online reputation and guest satisfaction. By analyzing guest data, hotels can tailor marketing to specific customer segments.
Automated review requests align feedback collection, while efficient response management fosters guest loyalty. Analyzing reviews also helps identify areas for improvement and inform marketing campaigns. Hotels that use CRM for review management can gain an edge. They can attract more guests, increase hotel revenue and boost revenue.
5. Offers and incentives to attract guests.
Offer is just another name for offering discounts to your services! A good CRM will take your leads’ data. It will then create personalized marketing tactics. This will increase the chances of turning them into loyal guests.
Offering incentives in the form of additional products or services may just be the thing that gets your guests to confirm a booking. Think of added-value items like a free massage or a local tour. This is most implemented hotel strategies.
6. Easy navigation on your website.
User interface is one of the most important aspects for any user to get engaged with your brand and feel good. It’s like the interior of your house; one must feel welcomed. The website pages and menus should be created and placed in a way that lets your guests navigate easily, so that they can get to know the basic things first.
What kind of rooms do you offer? What services will they get? How much will they have to pay including taxes? Everything should be clear and concise. As guests, we ourselves don’t want to go here and there for basic information.
If someone wants to apply a coupon code, then it should be on the billing page only. This is just one example. There are many things that you have to consider while designing UX of your website.
So, what to do? Take the help of CrmOne tools. Use the templates to design your website. They will help you create an interactive site that meets your guests’ needs and boosts your revenue.
7. Partner with Local Businesses – Hotel sales strategy
Partnering with local businesses is beneficial for everyone. The hotel owners can take advantage of the locality, the local businesses can benefit selling hotel rooms, and the guests can get better and improved services.
Hotel owners should partner with restaurants and transport services. This will create mutually beneficial partnerships. One must offer exclusive deals for hotel guests who visit partner businesses. This will enhance their stay and drive more revenue.
The strategy has benefits. It enhances the guest experience. It lets you run cost-effective operations. It supports local economies, among others.
Real-Time Example: The Silo Hotel, Cape Town
The Silo Hotel in Cape Town exemplifies successful local partnerships. It incorporates local art into its décor, showcasing and selling works from nearby artists. This initiative beautifies the every hotel room. It also gives artists exposure and sales opportunities.
The hotel’s commitment to local artisans and local events has helped create a vibrant cultural hub, attracting both tourists and locals.
The Silo Hotel’s revenue is undisclosed. But its local art and culture boost guest satisfaction. This leads to good reviews and repeat business. Such initiatives can significantly influence booking rates and overall profitability of hotel industry. This proved out to be the best hotel sales strategies for them.
8. Create a hotel tour—virtually!
Everyone uses Maps, right? And the street view has changed the dynamics of Maps. They are interactive and make us feel as if we are already at that place. The same goes for hotels.
Offer a virtual tour of your lobby, rooms, and living and dining areas. This will show guests that your online claims are true and match reality.
AI-driven dynamic pricing strategies can lead to a 40% increase in profits for hotels. Using tech has become mandatory for hotel owners. AI and tech have revolutionized hospitality. They have enabled virtual tours and reception desks.
9. Stay Active on Social Media
Note: A survey by Expedia found that 30% of Americans are influenced by social media when booking a trip. Furthermore, 40% of Gen Z travelers prefer to conduct research on non-Google platforms.
Social media has now become a major part of online marketing tactics and creating your brand values. If you don’t have an account on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube, then create one right now. If you have an account, then how often are you posting? When was the last time you checked on the number of followers?
Every comment on your social media post matters, and it creates a feeling of trust among your followers. Create engaging reels and shorts to upload and get connected with your audience. CRM tools can help you pre-plan your social media management so that you stay ahead of the competition.
Use tools to gather data. Create personas of your ideal guests. Then, understand your target audience’s demographics and tailor your content.
Create a diverse content strategy. It should showcase your hotel’s offerings and keep a consistent posting schedule. Actively encourage guests to engage with your community by responding to comments and encouraging user-generated content.
10. Collaborate with online travel agencies!
Hotels that use OTAs well can see a 30% rise in bookings. This is better than those that rely only on direct sales.
Working with Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) is key for hotel owners. It boosts their visibility and increases bookings. OTAs like Booking.com, Expedia, and Airbnb connect hotels with a global audience. Their platforms help properties reach potential guests who might not find them directly.
Listing on multiple OTAs can benefit hotels. These platforms offer extensive marketing resources. Their promotional campaigns and customer reviews can boost credibility and attract more guests.
Hotel owners must manage their pricing strategies carefully. They should avoid conflicts between direct bookings and OTA listings. This will help them stay profitable while maximizing exposure.
Conclusion:
If you are looking for a full solution to manage your hotel room sales strategies, then CrmOne is the best hotel CRM for you. With features designed for the hospitality industry.
Effective hotel sales strategies are key to maximizing occupancy and revenue in a competitive market. This requires a destination marketing sales strategy using OTAs for visibility, direct bookings to cut costs, and data analytics to refine marketing and pricing.
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