Sales Shop Report Writing

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Sheraton Westport 1/8/2013 435_010813_jf Beverly Pruett
Overview of “The Sales Process” and How the Inquiry was Handled
Manager determined the reason for the event and asked if Caller's parents live in the area. Manager determined
Caller's level of familiarity with the hotel and how Caller learned of the property. Manager described the hotel's
location as being in an entertainment complex. Manager stated that they were centrally located and off a major
interstate, so they were easy to get to. Caller learned the hotel was 32 minutes exactly from the airport. Caller
learned of the two separate Sheraton hotels and was offered to view the space online with Manager. Manager
confirmed availability at the Lakeside Cabin in the Madison Room and described this room as having three walls
of windows overlooking the river. Manager said that in between the two hotels was a plaza with bars and
restaurants. Manager mentioned that the room would hold up to 140 with a dance floor, allowing for plenty of
space for Caller's group. Manager informed Caller that the room had tall vaulted ceilings and was right off the
entrance of the hotel on the lobby level, so it was easy to get too. Manager said that they had a variety of menu
options and determined Caller's food and beverage needs. Manager told Caller that the plated dinners run
around $90.00 per person. Caller learned that the plated entrees offered a three course meal with a salad,
starch, vegetables, entrée, dessert and coffee, tea and water. Manager said that Caller could host trays of fruits
and vegetables and passed finger foods such as quiche and spring rolls and that the reception would cost about
$8.00 to $12.00 per person. Manager suggested she host a bar based on consumption. Manager uncovered
Caller's guest room needs and offered a $99.00 room rate. Manager stated that the hotel's complimentary town
car ran to and from the airport every half an hour, so the guests would not have to worry about having someone
pick them up. Manager determined the decision making process and uncovered her competition to be the Hilton
and the Courtyard. Manager said that while pricing would be comparable, the Courtyard would not have banquet
space with windows and that the Hilton was not as large as Manager's hotel. Manager said that her ballrooms
offer a better view with the lake. Manager determined Caller's flexibility and said that she could offer 20% off,
should Caller host the event on a Friday. Caller said that the menu price of $90.00 per person was higher than
anticipated. Manager inquired into the budget and learned Caller hoped to be at $85.00 plus service charges.
Manager suggested Caller host less hors d'oeuvres or a smaller portion dessert, helping to bring the price closer
to Caller's budget. Manager said that the entrée portions were a nice size, so the guests are going to be getting
plenty to eat. Manager offered to put together a customized menu proposal, explained the service charges and
gratuities and the deposit policy. Manager offered meatballs or pizza for the kids at half the cost. Manager set a
time to follow up and ended the call. Caller received a proposal with a menu price of $85.00 per person and
Manager phoned to seek a decision within three days. Caller left a message cancelling the event. The test call
was closed out.
Observations of Strengths and Areas Needing Improvement
Manager did well to when qualifying the call, learning the basic needs of the event along with the decision
process. Her use of open ended questions allowed her to offer a customer focused presentation of the hotel and
surrounding area. The manager offered a descriptive and interesting presentation of her hotel's features,
allowing her to communicate the value associated with the pricing quoted and helping Caller to envision her
event at Manager's hotel. Manager went on to pair most of her features offered with their corresponding
benefits. This helped convince the caller that the hotel was well equipped to handle Caller's event. Manager
offered her upbeat presentation prior to quoting any pricing. This enabled Caller to attach a value to the hotel
before hearing any pricing and sold Caller on that perceived value. Manager uncovered her competition and did
very well making direct comparisons between her hotel and her competitors, helping to highlight the reasons why
her hotel was clearly the better choice. Manager successfully overcame Caller's menu pricing objection by
offering a feature and benefit that helps contribute to the pricing and then suggesting to put together an alternate
menu that was within Caller's budget. This allowed Manager to maintain the hotel's pricing integrity. Manager
sent the correspondence within a timely manner and followed up to pursue the business promptly.
Manager was very personable and offered a nice flow to the sales process. To help make the presentation as
effective as possible, we recommend that the manager uncover Caller's buy factors. This important information
will aid the manager in addressing Caller's specific needs, further conveying to Caller that the hotel is the right
choice for Caller's event. We suggest Manager inquire into Caller's budget prior to offering the pricing
information. If Caller is working with a strict budget to adhere too, Manager has the opportunity to spend
additional time speaking on behalf of the hotel's features and benefits. We suggest Manager incorporate trial
closing questions within her presentation to help her test Caller's readiness to move forward with the booking.