Chapter 7 Case Study:  Don’t Just Tell It – Sell It!  Turning Features into Benefits!

Sales at the 112 Goodsleep Inn have been down lately.  The number of room nights sold has dropped, and due to turnover, the sales staff is inexperienced.

The sales director, Sandra Savvy, calls a meeting of her new sales staff.  She tells them, “To be a successful salesperson, you must be able to identify the hotel features that can benefit your potential clients and satisfy their specific needs.

One of the new sales people asked, “What does that mean”?

Sandra replied, “How would you describe the Goodsleep Inn to someone who’s never been here before?

Sandra continued, you need to be able to describe the hotels features in a way that interests potential guests.  You could say,  “we are a 112 room inn, but what would be better to tell a client would be that we have a swimming pool, reasonable rates and a free continental breakfast”.   She continued, “we have on site laundry, we are near the interstate and there are a lot of family restaurants within walking distance”.  You could also mention, “we have recent updates to the hotel including $150,000 guest room renovations and that we offer free movies.  The key is to find out what your potential guests need, and then match the property’s features to your guest’s needs and show them how the property can benefit them.  We need to go beyond just telling someone that we have rooms available”.   “You would be amazed at how successful you can be by simply listening to what your prospects need, describing how your hotel can meet those needs, and using a little common courtesy”.

Sandra went on, “we have three potential new client meetings coming up and I would like for you to come up with a plan as to how to sell to each group”.

Group 1:  Long distance truck drivers.  The terminal manager for this group is looking for accommodations for their drivers.  They only need a room for 8 or 9 hours , just enough time to get some sleep and get back on the road.  They want time to unwind, but they don’t like to socialize.  They like to get to their rooms and watch tv.   They look for clean rooms, king size beds and easy check in / check out procedures.

 Group 2:  Soccer Tournament.  This is for a soccer tournament for 14 – 16 year old boys.  They need rooms for players, parents, and coaches.  They look for a safe property, affordable restaurants and good proximity to the soccer fields.  They also look for rooms with 2 double or queen size beds, on site laundry and activities to keep the kids busy when they are not playing soccer.

Group 3:  Religious couples retreat.  This is a twice a year couples retreat hosted by a local church.  They need a conference room, clean rooms with king size beds and a place to socialize.

You are tasked with coming up with a sales plan for each of these groups.  If you were one of the hotel’s sales people, what would you say to each group to explain the features of the hotel and how those would benefit each group.