Chapter 3 Competencies for Organizing for Convention Sales

1. Identify factors to consider when organizing for convention sales.

2. Describe typical sales and marketing staff positions, and outline the roles of regional sales offices and independent hotel representatives.

3. Explain how to manage the efforts of the sales team in terms of establishing standard operating procedures, conducting sales meetings, assigning account responsibility, and evaluating the sales effort.

4. Explain the various filing systems and records maintained by a sales office.

5. Describe technological applications for a sales office.

Factors to Consider in Organizing a Sales Department

• Unity of command

• Authority commensurate with responsibility

• Span of control

Sales and Marketing StaffPositions within Sales:

• Director of Marketing

• Director of Sales

• Sales Managers

• Sales Staff

• Clerical Support

Supplemental Sales Staff

• Regional Sales Offices

• Independent Representatives

Regional Sales Offices

• Solicit business for any hotel in the chain

• One-stop shopping (similar meeting)

• Computer banks on clients and chain properties

• Intermediary between client and property

Independent Hotel Representatives

• Used when in-house staff cannot cover all areas

• Services offered vary widely

• Represent more than one property (but rarely similar clients)

• Hired on a contract basis

• Must work within the scope of the property’s marketing plan and familiarize themselves with the property

Standard Operating Procedures

• Describe how recurring business actions should be handled

• Act as a reference that helps banquet and sales staff handle functions consistently

• Cover such things as function book control, booking policies, organizational chart, and reservation cut-off dates

Assigning Account Responsibility

Methods and Fairness

• Accounts could be assigned by markets or by organizations.

• The directors of sales must ensure a fair distribution.

Key Account Management

• Prioritizes accounts based on profits

• Helps identify the accounts with the highest profit potential

Sales Filing Systems and Forms

Elements of Sales Filing Systems

• Master Card

• Account file

• Tickler file

Sales Forms

• Function book

• Guestroom control book

• Tentative booking sheet

• Definite booking form

• Working file

• Change form

• Cancellation form

• Lost business form

Master Card• Summarizes sales efforts

• Serves as prospect database

• Often color-coded

• Trailer cards hold information on divisions of large companies

Account File

• Serves as the basic group business record

• Folder that includes all correspondence and related materials

• Started at initial contact

• Also color-coded with cross-reference to master card

• Information in the file includes tear sheets, past convention programs, and contracts

Tickler File

• Also known as tracer file, bring-up file, follow-up file

• Helps ensure effective follow-up

• Filed by month.day in accordion-style files

• Entry in the pocket for the day or month you want to contact prospect

• Example : In the pocket for August 15,2002 a note to call a local PTA leader about annual holiday banquet

Function Book

• A page for every day of the year

• All function rooms represented on each page

• Entries under function rooms include name of organization, type of function, attendees, rates, etc.

• Bookings should be made in pencil

• One person should control and maintain the function book

• Prevents double-booking

Guestroom Control Book• Helps monitor guestroom allotments to groups

• Lists rooms available to groups

• Format consists of a monthly report sheet with space for group’s name and guestroom commitment by day

Technical Components of the Virtual Office

• Laptop computer

• Email

• Cellular phone

• Voice mail services

• Pagers