As a Sales person within the events and hospitality sector, successful show-round preparation will convert the business.
We all know that if your client is willing to site visit, they are nearly there to confirm their event. They have given up their valuable time to view your space/ service and now its about ensuring they love what they see, and confirm the event with you.
The success starts with the preparation.
BUILD a relationship before your client even arrives. Introduce yourself to your client on Linked In. This will ensure you know what they look like and you can have a look at their profile. It will make them feel comfortable when they meet you as they too know what you look like.
CONFIRM & CONFIDENCE do this by confirming the show-round 24 hours prior. Send details of how to find you, inform them of any traffic issues/ roadworks and best journey to take. Building their confidence in you. Detail in the confirmation the best place to park, and directions to Reception. Confirm all who will be attending the appointment so you are not on the back foot when you arrive to a sea of a dozen eyes !
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE Confirm prior to the show-round how much time your client has to view your property, manage their expectation and have a floor plan in place based on the time they have. If they only have 45mins, they may not have the time to see all categories of bedrooms, manage the show-round ensuring they see the relevant parts of the venue, if they are short of time, they probably do not need to see the indoor pool !
EXPERIENCE ask your client prior to their arrival if you can arrange for them to have lunch / afternoon dinner / stay overnight? Give your client the opportunity to experience your service and facilities. Offer this complimentary, they will be more likely to confirm or speak positively of your facilities and offering if they have experienced it first hand. Don’t forget to inform all department of the importance of the client visit, so they too can play a positive part in your clients experience.
WELCOME your guest in person by waiting in the reception for their arrival, better still at the carpark or at the door. As you have LinkedIn with them, this will help you identifying your client. Your client should be made to feel important so don’t wait in the office to be called. It does without saying, have all the details of their enquiry to hand, and ensure you have familiarised yourself with the details of what your client is looking for.