The past year has been one of the toughest ever for the hospitality sector as lockdowns and restrictions have badly impacted the sector.
Those measures are set to continue into 2021 but there are hopes that the spring could bring more hope for the industry.
Melanie Cash has spent more than 20 years in the sector, working with brands like Marriott, Hilton, Accor, and Alton Towers Resort.
She now offers support to hospitality businesses both large and small as a consultant and trainer.
Here she has put together a guide with seven top tips to help hotels boost trade in 2021.
1. Be focused, have a plan!
Create a business plan or revise your current business plan. Take account of the pandemic. Consider the likely impact over the next six to 12 months. Include key sales initiatives that will enable you to deliver against the revised plan.
2. Know your competitors
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What promotions are you offering and which markets are they targeting? Differentiate your business and offering from key competitors. What can give you the edge? If you cannot express why you are different, who can?
3. Get your colleagues involved
Ask colleagues for their ideas, make them feel involved. They can help you to identify new markets to target and/or new offerings, products, services, and promotions to drive new revenues. They know your business and engage with your customers every day, so ask them.
Then make sure your managers and colleagues understand your revised business strategy including any of their ideas you have included.
4. Engage with your customers
Identify your most loyal clients/customers. Write a simple sales plan to target them and offer them a reason to come back. Do not be afraid to ask their opinion and get their input to help you develop your business with the customer in mind.
5. Decide on relevant social media marketing
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Based on your business plan, decide on which social media platforms would be most appropriate to focus on to reach those key customers.
Work with a specialist who can help you with this if you are not an expert or find a colleague who is an active user of the key platforms, but someone who has the time and the motivation to focus on this, plan and deliver against targets and be able to review the successes with you.
6. Pick third-party channels to reach the right audiences
Identify which channels could provide you with a route to those customers and markets that you want to target. Many customers are researching online, using social media to get their ideas and options and it is imperative that you know how to reach them effectively – and it is easy to book via these channels.
7. Invest in training and development
Make sure that your team will be able to deliver the dream. In these extraordinary times, investment in training and developing your people will ensure that they have the skills and motivation to care for your customers and stand out from the crowd.
There is a lot of very average service to be found out there. Well-trained individuals who want to enhance the experience for your customers and make them feel valued will make all the difference to whether they choose to buy from you or not and return.
And finally, if you are not doing any of these then pick at least one and start doing that tomorrow.
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