5 Tips for a Successful Sales Career in the Hotel Industry

Within 6 months of joining Ananthara Hotels, Resorts and Spas, HIM alumna Niramol Gaehwiler was promoted to Sales Manager, responsible for the brand’s local and international clientele under the Leisure & Groups and Incentive Events segments. Through her education and work experience she has already learned a lot! Below are are her top tips for success:

1. Anticipate what your clients want
   One of the things I enjoy most about sales is visiting clients and presenting to them the brand I work for. Research and study your clientele’s expectations in advance and try to anticipate their requirements. The more informed you are, the more convincing you can be.

 

Hotel sales is more than just selling rooms and F&B - you’re trying to help people get what they want, at the right price for you.

2. Build relationships
   The best sales people are those that are able to establish relationships with their customers and not make it seem like they are selling anything. This is definitely an art and a skill that is hard to perfect!
   Something as simple as remembering your clients’ birthdays or anniversary and sending them an e-card or a small gift, can go a long way in distinguishing yourself from your competitors.
    
3. Motivate yourself
   A career in hotel sales is challenging. You’re working towards hitting your goals within a given budget, ensuring the brand you represent is always present in the marketplace and you’re constantly thinking about how to get new business and ensure your current clientele keep returning to you. For every one person who says ‘Yes’, there are nine who say ‘No’. Thus there’s a need to stay motivated and be prepared to put in extra effort to rise above the challenges that comes with a career in sales.
    
4. Be aware
   Hospitality business is diverse and always evolving because of new technology, new markets and so forth. You need to stay alert and aware of what’s happening, so you can implement strategies in your sales plans according to changing market conditions.

 

It is impossible to sell effectively if you don’t have strong knowledge about your property, your competitors, market trends and economic issues.

5. Work as a team
   You need to be a team player to succeed in hospitality sales. Not all experiences that you create for clients will be the same and each new enquiry will require communication between different departments to ensure great service for your clients. So even though you have personal KPIs and goals to hit, whether you succeed or not will also be dependent on the support you get from various departments of the hotel.

 

I’m in the early stages of building my career and there’s still so much more for me to learn and experience. I’m enjoying the ride and my goal in the next five years is to become a Director of Sales and Marketing.