Category: Marketing

How to make your sales teams successful?

Amanda Baker
Winning Team

As hoteliers we understand the importance of customer service – all our front of house team members will have received lots of training on how to make our guests feel special whilst they are enjoying our hospitality. Have you thoroughly gone through customer service training with your sales teams? The teams who are the first port of call for our future guests, those who receive the telephone and email enquiries – the one’s who are back of house, but without their successes no-one would have a job to do! With Continue reading

Competitors – When did you last look at your hotel competitors?

Amanda Baker

In the hospitality sector, we are all fighting for the same clients …. or are we? One of my hotel clients’ asked if I would like to attend an appointment that a GM from a local hotel had requested. It made me think about competitors…. made me wonder why the new Hotel Manager had requested a meeting with us, to see the facilities that our hotel had to offer, when the two hotels are not part (in our eyes) of the competitor set. He brought along with him, his proactive Continue reading

Social Media – Stand Out from the Crowd

Amanda Baker

How do you stand out from the white noise when thinking about the content of your social media posts: Effective tools to encourage engagement, increase loyalty and connect with your clients. Using sites such as Linked In, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest and TripAdvisor will help you elevate your brand and reach. Communication needs to be directed at your ‘ideal’ hotel guest, ensuring the messages that you voice are aimed at them and are personalised. Tone of Voice Voice – Your brands personality think of it as a character Tone Continue reading

Successful show-round preparation. Flip the provisional to confirmation.

Amanda Baker
Show round preparation

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 Continue reading

Safety to Sparkle – What is your hospitality sales message?

Amanda Baker

Safety to Sparkle – What is your sales messages Keeping the balance going for your hospitality business Now we are nearing to over half the population is vaccinated, this is welcoming news, yet we still need to balance the ever-changing restrictions as we head towards a more positive Summer 2021. So what balance do you need in your marketing messages to communicate positively to customers from safety to the sparkle? What’s your latest safety news? Be clear to customers about how regulations particularly affect your buildings, staff and the guest Continue reading

Staycations – It is not just about the DBB Rate !

Amanda Baker

Building relationships in the visitor economy – a conversation with Chase Distillery Strong partnerships have been essential during the past difficult year. For independent hotels, working with established local visitor attractions that reflect your brand values can be one of those partnerships. Don’t just list places of interest in your welcome brochure – work with those businesses to bring unique experiences to your guests. In my consulting role at Tewkesbury Park Hotel, we have worked with Chase Distillery for more than four years. Based in Herefordshire – less than an Continue reading

Future staycations – hotels need to start marketing now!

Amanda Baker

Tell your story….. and keep telling it to secure future staycations. You may have days at the moment where you struggle to imagine a busy reception area full of suitcases or the buzz of your bar area offering welcome drinks. But then….. you take a breath and remind yourself that so many of those people restricted to their own four walls at the moment are all longing to get away. Longing to get away, travel and book a so long anticipated break…at your hotel. When the hospitality and hotel business Continue reading

5 ways to power up your testimonials

Amanda Baker
Power up your testimonials

Testimonials are a powerful marketing tool to use in a crowded market. Real stories and emotions to give potential guests more confidence in their decision to choose your hotel amongst others. So how do you make sure that positive email or review works hard to reach out to future guests? 1) Ensure all staff realise the value of a few kind words Not all comments come in conveniently on a customer feedback card. Maybe a ‘thank you’ email was sent to the reservations department or the spa manager. Make sure Continue reading

Don’t forget your staff in the welcome back!

Amanda Baker
Managing Staff beck into work

Now that the hospitality industry can open its doors, staff need to be welcomed back too – So how do you manage your team’s return to work? Returning to work is a big step. As owner or manager you’ve been living and breathing hotel life during lockdown to keep things going. Furloughed waiting staff, receptionists and breakfast teams have been solely stuck in frantic home-schooling or may have hardly seen a soul face-to-face. They’re making a big step change; relived to be back at work but work is not how Continue reading

‘Steps to secure your hotel’s cash flow’

Amanda Baker

With unprecedented times within the hospitality industry, many of our  accommodation providers have had to shut their doors to guests and regular income. With the ‘no vacancies’ sign still swinging, business owner’s now face the challenge to be prepared to hit the ground running when the lockdown ends, whenever that may be. Preparation is key and one area that will be of great concern is cash flow for all independent, country inns, guest houses and self – catering businesses. Below are a few suggestions that should assist with the challenges Continue reading