The "sell me this pen" scene in The Wolf of Wall Street highlights the importance of a salesperson's pitch over the product itself in generating sales. But what if you don’t even have the pen to sell? How can you be expected to sell something that isn’t even a reality yet?
Sales leaders for a new hotel are responsible to do exactly that: fill rooms before construction is even complete. With competition fierce and deadlines tight, a well-thought-out pre-opening checklist helps ensure success. Based on insights from over 9,000 locations that have used Pacer for their critical path tool, here are the top things hotel sales leaders need in their pre-opening checklist.
One of the first steps is knowing your competition. Sales leaders need up-to-date information on the competitive set (comp set), including room pricing, amenities, and promotions. Understanding how your pricing stacks up allows you to position your hotel's offering strategically and ensures you are competitive in the market from day one.
Even during construction, sales teams need tools to sell future guests on the vision of the hotel. High-quality room renderings and floor plans can help clients visualize their stay or event in your hotel. Make sure these visuals are readily available to the team and can be easily shared in proposals and marketing materials.
Leverage CRM or lead management software to gather, track, and organize potential group bookings or event inquiries. This ensures nothing falls through the cracks and helps the team focus on prospects that align with your sales goals. Whether you're using industry-standard software or customized platforms, make sure it integrates easily with your sales team's workflows.
Sales leaders shouldn’t have to worry about back-and-forth with legal once a deal is close. Having pre-approved, customizable contract templates ready is crucial. These contracts need to cover everything from event spaces to room blocks, with the flexibility to adjust based on group size and special requests.
Ensure your team has the right marketing materials prepared, whether it’s brochures, virtual tours, or email templates. The sales team must be armed with assets that showcase the property’s unique features and help convey value to potential clients, especially when it comes to group bookings or event spaces.
Just like GMs, hotel sales leaders need visuals to track progress. The pre-opening checklist should provide a clear view of how many rooms are booked, which groups have signed contracts, and which leads need follow-ups. This way, unnecessary meetings are avoided, and the sales team can focus on removing blockers to close more deals.
Sales teams may need different tools and approaches depending on the specific property’s location and market. Ensure the checklist is adaptable so that it only includes tasks that apply to the specific hotel, eliminating wasted time on irrelevant steps and ensuring full focus on the tasks that matter most.
No sales leader wants to deal with scattered information across multiple departments. A centralized checklist that integrates inputs from Marketing, Finance, and Operations ensures everyone is on the same page. When all relevant information is in one place, it's easier to streamline efforts and avoid overlap.
Ensure that your team benefits from lessons learned in past openings by using a system that automatically updates the checklist with new best practices. This ensures that everyone is working with the most up-to-date strategies and isn’t bogged down by outdated tasks.
The best pre-opening systems automatically generate reports to share progress with corporate and leadership teams. When updates are automatically sent in advance, meetings can focus on resolving issues rather than going through general status updates.
The pre-opening phase is critical for the success of a new hotel, especially when it comes to sales. By having a well-organized checklist that includes competitive analysis, visually appealing marketing materials, lead generation tools, and legally vetted contracts, sales leaders can focus on filling rooms and event spaces, driving revenue before the doors even open. Pacer is here to consult and support your hotel’s opening and ensure a smooth process from start to finish. Reach out to us to learn more.