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Chapter 3 1

Organizing for

Convention Sales

Chapter 3

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Chapter 3 2

Competencies

• Identify factors to consider when organizing for

convention sales.

• Describe typical sales and marketing staff positions, and

outline the roles of regional sales offices and

independent hotel representatives.

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Chapter 3 3

Competencies

• Explain how to manage the efforts of the sales teamin terms of establishing standard operatingprocedures, conducting sales meetings, assigning

account responsibility, and evaluating the saleseffort.

• Explain the various filing systems and recordsmaintained by a sales office.

• Describe technological applications for a salesoffice.

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Chapter 3 4

Sales Structures

Trends that have impacted sales

1. Consolidated sales departments

2. Revenue management

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Chapter 3 5

Structuring a Sales Department

• Unity of command

• Authoritycommensurate with

responsibility

• Span of control

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Chapter 3 6

The Sales Office

• Function

• Layout

• Interaction with other departments– Convention Service Manager

– Banquet/Catering Department

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Chapter 3 7

Sales and Marketing Staff

Positions within Sales

• Director of Marketing

• Director of Sales

• Director of Revenue Mgmt

• Sales Managers

• Sales Staff

• Clerical Support

Supplemental Staff

• Regional Sales Offices

• IndependentRepresentatives

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Chapter 3 8

Regional Sales Offices

• Solicit business for any hotel in the chain

• One-stop shopping

• Computer banks on clients and chain

properties

• Intermediary between client and property

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Chapter 3 9

Independent Hotel Representatives

• Used when in-house staff cannot cover all areas

• Wide variety of services offered

• Represent more than one property (but rarelysimilar clients)

• Hired on a contract basis

• Must work within the scope of the property’smarketing plan and familiarize themselves with theproperty

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Chapter 3 10

Standard Operating Procedures

• Describe how recurring business actionsshould be handled

• Act as a reference that helps banquet andsales staff handle functions consistently

• Cover such things as function book control,

booking policies, organizational chart, andreservation cut-off dates

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Chapter 3 11

Assigning Account Responsibility

• Methods and Fairness

• Accounts assigned by markets or by

organizations.

• The directors of sales must ensure fair

distribution.

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Chapter 3 12

Key Account Management

Rank accounts on 5 levels1. New and established accounts with a high

potential for business2. High potential accounts that are providing

much business3. New accounts with medium potential

4. Medium potential accounts that provideacceptable business5. Low potential new and established accounts

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Chapter 3 13

Sales Filing Systems and Forms

• Elements of Sales Filing Systems

• Master Card

• Account file

• Tickler file

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Chapter 3 14

Master Card

• Summarizes sales efforts

• Serves as prospect database

• Often color-coded

• Trailer cards hold information on divisions

of large companies

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Chapter 3 15

Account File

• Serves as the basic group business record

• Folder includes all correspondence & related materials

• Started at initial contact

• Also color-coded with cross-reference to master card

• Information in the file includes tear sheets, pastconvention programs, and contracts

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Chapter 3 16

Tickler File

• AKA tracer file, bring-up file, follow-up file

• Helps ensure effective follow-up

• Filed by month/day in accordion-style files

• Entry in the pocket for the day or month you want

to contact prospect

• Example: In the pocket for 12/15/04, a note to call

a local PTA leader about annual holiday banquet

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Chapter 3 17

Function Book

• A page for every day of the year

• All function rooms represented on each page

• Entries under function rooms include name of

organization, type of function, attendees, rates, etc.

• Bookings should be made in pencil

• One person should control and maintain the book

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Chapter 3 18

Guestroom Control Book

• Helps monitor guestroom allotments to

groups

• Lists rooms available to groups

• Format consists of a monthly report sheet

 with space for group’s name and guestroomcommitment by day

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Chapter 3 19

Technical Components of the

Virtual Office• Laptop computer

• PDAs• E-mail

• Cell phone

• Voice mail services

• Pagers