Reader Question: Who should I reach out to?

I love when readers reach out to me after they read a blog post and ask a question. It always makes my day and I learn as much from the question as they do from my answers. Last week this email dropped into my inbox:

Sally, quick question. I am working on this itinerary for 2023 and a test run this summer and have a few hotels in each city in mind to get proposals from. Is it better for me to deal with national sales managers for the brand or is it better to call the local group sales person at the specific hotel? I want to do whatever is going to give me the best service when our group arrives on property.

He included a great draft itinerary of a 7 day/6 night tour of the Midwest.

My answer? It Depends!

It depends because the world is a different place. Tour operators used to call the same people at the same hotel and get pricing and make a decision pretty quickly. There have been so many changes in the last two years – short staffed sales offices at hotels, new people at DMOs/CVBs ( Destination Marketing Organizations or Convention & Visitors Bureaus) that don’t know their partners very well, and changes in pricing that are requiring operators to look for new hotel properties altogether.

Relationships are key

I told the tour operator that it is all about relationships right now. If he knows a national brand sales rep, he should call them because they can help nudge the local hotel sales office along. If you have contacts at the DMO region you are heading to, reach out to them and ask for help. And if you have met a Sales person from a hotel at a tradeshow and have their business card, start with them. Having a relationship with a contact will put your call or email at the top of their to-do list. Let’s explore each type of contact a bit more.

National Sales Reps

These people represent an entire brand: Think Hilton, Marriott, Best Western, Drury Hotels as well as regional hotel chains and management companies which can represent several brands. The sales reps are very familiar with their properties and can get you contacts at all of them. They are helpful in assisting you with finding properties you weren’t aware of, and reaching out directly for you to get pricing. They can’t get you better pricing, and they naturally put more time and effort into helping operators that use their brand consistently throughout the year.

DMO’s and CVBs

DMO’s and CVBs are an often overlooked source of help for getting connected with a hotel in an area. DMOs typically have someone who handles the group market (along with other markets these days) and knows all the group-friendly hotels in their destination. They have probably been to them and can help you decide which one might work best for your group.

If you know this person well, they will usually give you some insider information about the properties too. Your DMO contact can give you ideas about hidden gems, cool spots to stop, and the best views for group photos. Make sure to let them know you are bringing a group. Many DMOs will create welcome bags with coupons and small gifts and leave them at your hotel for check-in.

DMO’s – take note. I offered to deliver welcome bags because it was an easy way for me to track groups. It’s a bit of an investment of time and money, but the data you can gather is very helpful.

Sales managers at hotels.

If you read the recent blog post interviews with two salespeople I know well ( Part 1 here and Part 2 here) you will know my daughter Kate is a Director of Sales at a large convention hotel. So I know firsthand how overworked and short-staffed her sales office is. With only 3 salespeople instead of the 5 they used to have, it is tough to keep up.

If you don’t have an existing relationship with someone at a specific property, it will be hard to get a call back for a piece of business in 2023. That is the reality, unfortunately.

But if you do know the salesperson, that is the best place to start. They can lookup dates, rates and let you know if they can provide baggage handling, breakfast, and any other amenities you might need.

Your Network is Your Net Worth

As the saying goes – its’ not what you know, but who you know. And Fred’s question really reinforced that for me. The more contacts you have in the industry, the easier it will be to do your job. Knowing who to call can save you time, and make sure you are using locations your customers will rave about. That makes everyone more money!

Have you checked out my online course Your Network is your Net worth? It’s only $39 and has articles, downloadable checklists and more! Click here to learn more and purchase! Start growing your network today and you will be amazed at how much easier your job becomes!

Other ways to become a better TourismPro:

DMOs/Tourism Organizations:

Are you looking for a cost-effective way to provide training opportunities for your partners? Then check out my Online Tourism Training Program with this link. I can help you provide monthly virtual training for you to offer to your partners/members.

My team will take care of registration, reminders, and even a post-webinar survey! Let me know what topics your partners need help with and we will develop impactful training. We are currently booking new clients for September 2022 and beyond. Prices start at just $1995 for each training.

Are you looking for a Speaker for your State Tourism Conference? I would love to join you! I am most often hired for Group tour topics, Sales training for TourismPros and Best Practices for Tourism Businesses. Reply to this email and we will set up a time to talk about your goals.

Looking to increase your Tourism knowledge and skills?

Then check out Tourism Pro Academy. This platform is a one-stop-shop. You can check out free resources, courses, and other ways to work with me. I created this platform in 2019 as a way to help our industry be the best it can be. Click here to see what’s available.

May I ask a favor?

Could you share this post with at least 2 people who might benefit from reading it? And then they can sign up here to receive my posts directly to their inbox every week. I thank you – and I bet they will too!