As hotels face escalating guest acquisition costs, it’s becoming increasingly important to find cost-effective ways to attract fresh leads.

For hoteliers, this means developing “smart marketing” tactics and being resourceful in connecting with and converting new customers. When deployed effectively, smart marketing is about targeting customers with specific offers and a personalized approach that appeals to their unique preferences and requirements.

Analyzing online data and website browsing behavior of potential guests is one approach, but when a person calls to inquire about rates, it presents a golden opportunity to learn more about their needs and to entice them with a tailored sales approach such as the Kennedy Training Network’s multi-step sales system.

Naturally, you don’t want to put caller off with a heavy sales pitch. But information gleaned during a call can help to gently reel in a mildly interested client. This is where a good central reservations office (CRO) can help, by turning a lukewarm voice lead into a confirmed booking and a customer for life.

By discovering the specific requirements of a customer, an effective call center agent can build desire by describing the specific amenities and features a guest is likely to find most appealing. This might involve asking whether a person wants a carefree break or an action-packed vacation, and, based on the answer, the agent could sell the alluring qualities of the spa or describe the hotel’s proximity to top local attractions.

Or if the potential guest is traveling on a late-night flight, mentioning the hotel’s “plush king size beds” along with room rates might just sway their booking decision in the right direction.

Instead of simply giving the customer the information they’re looking for, a good call center can stimulate interest in your property by learning about a potential guest’s needs and describing an experience that moves them one step closer to booking and enjoying a stay with you.

This is one in a series of short essays by John Smallwood, CEO of Travel Outlook Premium Reservations Call Center about voice reservations, the second most profitable revenue channel. Travel Outlook is a hospitality company that takes voice reservations calls for its clients.

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