Chapter 3 Organizing for Convention Sales

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Chapter 3 Organizing for Convention Sales
Convention Management and ServiceSeventh
Edition (478CSB)
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Competencies forOrganizing for Convention Sales

1. Identify factors to consider when organizing for
   convention sales.
2. Describe typical sales and marketing staff
   positions, and outline the roles of regional and
   national sales offices and independent hotel
   representatives.

(continued)
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Competencies forOrganizing for Convention Sales
(continued)

1. Explain how to manage the efforts of the sales
   team in terms of establishing standard operating
   procedures, conducting sales meetings, assigning
   account responsibility, and evaluating the sales
   effort.
2. Explain the various records and filing systems
   maintained by a sales office.
3. Describe technological applications for a sales
   office.

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Factors to Considerin Organizing a Sales
Department

• Unity of command
• Authority commensurate with responsibility
• Span of control

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Sales and Marketing Staff

• Positions within Sales
• Director of Marketing
• Director of Sales
• Sales Managers
• Sales Staff
• Clerical Support
• Supplemental Sales Staff
• Regional Sales Offices
• Independent Representatives

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Regional Sales Offices

• Solicit business for any hotel in the chain
• One-stop shopping (similar meetings)
• Computer banks on clients and chain properties
• Intermediary between client and property

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Independent Hotel Representatives

• Used when in-house staff cannot cover all areas
• Services offered vary widely
• Represent more than one property (but rarely
  similar clients)
• Hired on a contract basis
• Must work within the scope of the property's
  marketing plan and familiarize themselves with
  the property

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Standard Operating Procedures

• Describe how recurring business actions should be
  handled
• Act as a reference that helps banquet and sales
  staff handle functions consistently
• Cover such things as function book control,
  booking policies, organizational chart, and
  reservation cut-off dates

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Assigning Account Responsibility

• Methods and Fairness
• Accounts could be assigned by markets or by
  organizations.
• The director of sales must ensure a fair
  distribution.
• Key Account Management
• Prioritizes accounts based on profits
• Helps identify the accounts with the highest
  profit potential

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Sales Filing Systems and Forms

• Elements of Sales Filing Systems
• Master card
• Account file
• Tickler file
• Sales Forms
• Function book
• Guestroom control book
• Tentative booking sheet
• Definite booking form
• Working file
• Change form
• Cancellation form
• Lost business form

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Master Card

• Summarizes sales efforts
• Serves as prospect database
• Often color-coded
• Trailer cards hold information ondivisions of
  large companies

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Account File

• Serves as the basic group business record
• Folder that includes all correspondence and
  related materials
• Started at initial contact
• Also color-coded with cross-reference to master
  card
• Information in the file includes tear sheets,
  past convention programs, and contracts

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Tickler File

• Also known as 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 August 15, 2002, a
  note to call a local PTA leader about annual
  holiday banquet

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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
  function book
• Prevents double-booking

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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 guestroom commitment
  by day

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Technical Componentsof the Virtual Office

• Laptop computer
• Email
• Cellular phone
• Voice mail services
• Pagers