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10 No-Fail Qualifying Questions for Closing the Sale
by Carol Verret, Sales and Customer Service Consulting and Training I always learn something from the participants of every seminar that I conduct. The participants of a recent seminar ranged in experience from years to two weeks but all of them wanted to know the questions to ask to get the information they needed to sell to the prospect and close the account. Then it happened at the next seminar and it is now a permanent part my Scorched Earth Total Penetration seminars. Here they are for all to share: - Location. Have you definitely decided on this city (area, etc.) for this meeting ¡V where else are you looking? The answer to this one will tell you if your competition is another city or area within the city. You may have to sell the location before you can sell the hotel. - Parameters. I understand that your meeting is for (x) people, (x) style and you will require fifty sleeping rooms. I believe that you also need a continental breakfast every day, am and pm breaks, lunch and dinner on the last evening? Is this correct? ` Verify that you have understood exactly what they require and give them an opportunity to make changes. - References. Have you held this meeting before and if so, where? The answer to this will tell you if you are in ballpark in terms of location and type of property used. It will also give you an indication of the rate range that they are looking for. - Preferences. Were there the things at your last meeting that went very well and how did the hotel assist you in providing a quality experience for your attendees? This will give you an indication of their expectations for the meeting and from the hotel. - Negatives. Did the hotel serve you well and if not, did they handle problems to your satisfaction? This gives you a "heads up" on their flash points how to handle them when something goes wrong. Are they a high maintenance group or relatively easy going? - Budget. What is your budget for this meeting in terms of sleeping rooms and food and beverage? This should tell give you clues as to how to present your pricing. - Method of payment. Will this be on a master account or will individuals pay their own rooms? The sale is never closed until the bill is paid. Find out up front what their payment parameters are. - Familiarity with your product. Are you familiar with this (city, area, etc.,) and my hotel or other (franchises, brand affiliates, etc.)? This is your opportunity to understand how much they know about your property. If they say yes, ask when the last time was that they were in your hotel. This is critical. I was making calls with a sales manager once and the contact indicated that she knew the hotel from a Mother¡¦s Day Brunch four years before. The hotel had been extensively renovated since them. - Decision-making process. Are you the person who will be making the decision for this meeting or are there others involved? If there is a committee or if the person to whom you are speaking is simply an "information gatherer" don't waste anymore time. Find out what the decision making process is and who, a committee or another individual, will be making the final decision. You will want to present your property and proposal to the people or person who have or has the authority to decide. Remember, you are the person who is paid to sell the hotel, not the person who needs to present your information to the decision maker(s). - Close - close on something. There are variations on this theme. When do you expect to make that decision - if I don't hear from you before then, do you mind if I give you a call? When can you (or the committee, or the decision maker) come for a tour and lunch at the hotel? Close on making the next contact before you let them off of the phone or before you end the meeting. Bonus Question: - What would it take to get your meeting at this hotel? You can hold this in reserve or as the trump card after you have presented the hotel and your package to the decision makers. I think that I have the best job in the world. When I walk out of a seminar, I can say to myself that there is nothing else I would have rather been doing that day. I hope that these assist you in the qualifying process and I welcome your feedback and suggestions. Carol Verret, Owner of Carol Verret Consulting & Training, is a twenty-year veteran of the hotel industry. She arrived in Denver in the midst of an economic downturn and quickly established herself as an expert in sales and marketing in hotel turn-around situations, applying her formula for revenue improvement. Join Carol each month for her Live WebCast and get your property sales on track. Free Newsletter: ResultsWoW Sales and Customer Service Visit her web site at http://www.carolverret.com Send email to carol@carolverret.com
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