SALES SUPERSTARS

Erica Carey from #195 Chicago Naperville

Take a page out of Erica’s book!  Erica has been putting together recaps of her sales efforts and sharing these with her RDSM and RVPO.  Her recaps include new leads, new prospects, and developing opportunities.  Erica discusses how she reached out to each company, the details of their lodging needs, and what her next steps are before submitting the account as a lead to her RDSM.  Keep up the great work Erica!

EXAMPLE:

Hi Cara,

I hope you're doing well! Here’s a quick recap of the sales activities and follow-ups for this past week, including a few new developments:

NEW: IIS Materials Handling Inc. (Gurnee, IL)They’re scheduled to stay on the property for next month, initially booked through Priceline. They’re now in discussions with the property to establish a better long-term rate.

NEW: UMT Global Logistics (Naperville, IL 60563)A trucking company that is awaiting a return call—this week marked our second follow-up attempt.

NEW: Gran Corporation (Naperville, IL)Another trucking company we’ve reached out to. They had a recent stay on-site, and we’re currently waiting for a callback.

KTL (901 Frontenac Road, Naperville)I completed a successful site visit with Mindy Edwards this week. We were able to discuss several potential opportunities and the next steps, which I believe will move things forward positively.

Next Steps:

• Continue follow-ups with GSI Express, CTL Logistics, and Paws 4 A Cause

• Keep engaging with IIS, UMT, and Gran

• Follow up on the action items from the KTL site visit

A Two-For-One Deal in Laredo

In January, the team in Laredo noticed some truck drivers that were coming via OTA reservations.  With a little mild prospecting, they found that Gateway Express had regular needs in the area.

The General Manager was in touch with the team at Gateway Express and found that they have a sister company with similar needs and they would be willing to use Red Roof if they could get a good rate.  By converting them into an account, we have earned their loyalty for all stays in town and we avoid paying all those commission fees. 

Gateway Express and F&A Express now both use our hotel daily and have generated nearly $46,000 in revenue in just 4.5 months. 

If they can do it, so can you! Your leads matter.

Sales Update

Secure the Business

Sometimes, crews or groups are inquiring about our hotels at the last minute and will be checking in today or tomorrow. Your RDSM team is always happy to help, but if you can secure the business right then and there, make it happen! This is especially important if the inquiry comes during peak season. If we wait 4 hours, will the rooms be available?

• Make an offer

• Reserve the rooms

• Share the information with your RDSM

We can always prospect the company fully after your conversation and attach a VP to existing reservations. If you offer the crew a conservative rate for the week, we can discuss our findings and let you decide if we can do better moving forward.

Contracts

Did you know that the Groups Department DOES NOT manage contracts?

Don’t miss out on last minute bookings that require a contract, such as Military or School based groups.

Attached are two simple contracts for you to keep on hand. Fill in as much of the blank contract with hotel specific information NOW. This will save you time later and allow you to ask us any questions you may have about preparation. Generally, your RDSM will assist with future bookings, but we want you prepared should we be out of the office for the day/week.

Be sure to cc your RDSM on the contract communications so we are already in the loop and can follow up accordingly.

Q1 Sales Leads

Have you met your quarterly sales goal yet?

There’s still time to do so!  A total of 6 qualified leads are required each quarter.

Qualified Lead Reminder:

*A qualified lead needs to have at least the company name, contact name and phone number.  Any additional information will be appreciated, such as address, reason they are in the area, name of person who handles travel, where they travel, etc.   You should have a conversation with, or some type of exchange with the potential new client, inquiring about their lodging needs. 

Shout out to Terry Fitch at our St. Clairsville, OH Red Roof!   Terry has his staff helping with the legwork.  Housekeepers and maintenance are making an effort by taking pictures of company trucks and even company sweatshirts in the guest rooms that they come across during their housekeeping duties!  Do your employees help you with finding leads?  Empower them to do so!