Automate to Dominate: Increasing Hotel Sales with Technology

By Lauren Hall , CEO and Founder, iVvy

Automating repetitive tasks is one of the biggest trends in the global economy. In fact, according to McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), around one-third of sales and sales operations tasks can be easily automated with today's technology. This makes sales one of the most exciting industries for automation potential.?

Using automation throughout your sales process can bring about a tonne of positive benefits for your hotel, including greater revenue from your venue spaces. This includes more time saved, greater productivity, and freedom for your sales team to focus on developing positive client relationships.

How Automation Can Increase Hotel Venue Sales

Greater Personalisation Opportunities

Personalisation runs deeper than a ‘Hello (First Name)’ email. To make your communication truly stand out, you need to think beyond the basic cycle of opt-ins and promotional emails. Instead, imagine a sales automation process that evolves and improves, the more data it consumes. Every bit of data you collect about a lead’s preferences and behaviours gradually shapes a uniquely personalised customer experience.

By analysing key metrics found in your hotel venue software like email open times, engagement with content, and past purchase details, you can enhance the customer profile of each venue lead. This data isn't just sitting idly; it actively enhances how customers interact with your venue.

(For more information, check out 6 Types of Reports to Improve Venue Sales Conversion Rates).

Getting personal with your hotel leads doesn't just encourage an initial sale; it builds a foundation for ongoing engagement and upselling through intelligent sales automation. Over time, this significantly boosts the lifetime value of each client, turning single venue sales into lasting relationships.

Smarter Pricing Strategies

Pricing is often the 'make or break' factor in clinching a deal. However, manually adjusting the rates to reflect market demand, competitor pricing, and other external factors can be a daunting task (not to mention time-consuming). This is where automation tools come in handy.?

By leveraging dynamic pricing tools found in iVvy venue management software, you can automatically adjust venue rates based on real-time performance data, helping to keep pricing competitive and maximise revenue during both peak and quieter seasons.?

Automated systems can also segment your market by analysing the booking patterns and price sensitivity of different customer groups. This allows you to offer tailored promotions to specific groups, such as returning event clients who might receive special rebooking rates to encourage loyalty and repeat business. With these smarter pricing strategies, your hotel can stay on track with venue budgeting goals, attracting a broader clientele base while optimising profitability.

Faster Quote to Contract Times

When interacting with customers, they seek instant gratification. Over 70% of customers expect immediate service. Automation streamlines this process, enabling your sales team to generate personalised venue quotes at lightning speed using pre-designed templates. This means your hotel's venue proposals can be customised and sent out with just a few clicks, dramatically decreasing turnaround times, particularly when paired with a digital signature.

This efficiency reduces waiting periods while allowing your team to handle more enquiries without additional stress. Faster contract times also often lead to higher conversion rates, as potential clients are more likely to book your hotel's venue space when the process is quick and hassle-free.

Smoother Internal Communication

Securing hotel venue sales requires communicating with other departments to verify information like room availability, food and beverage catering,?

Automation tools can help you achieve this by providing a centralised platform for sharing information, assisting departments to coordinate better. These tools can help by providing updated information like room availability, catering, staff schedules, and coordinating event details, including last-minute changes. Automated alerts and reminders ensure everyone is on the same page, reducing the risk of double-booking venue spaces or manual input errors. By improving information flow and reducing the chances of miscommunication, your team can provide a more cohesive and efficient service, leading to better event experiences and improved sales outcomes.

Better Sales Strategy and Planning

Finally, automation provides powerful analytics that can transform your sales strategy and planning. By collecting and analysing data from various touchpoints, you can identify trends, forecast demand, and adjust venue sales tactics accordingly. This insight allows you to be proactive rather than reactive, planning marketing promotions, events, and improvements based on actual data. You can plan promotions, events, and improvements based on actual data, which makes your sales tactics more effective.?

Long term, automation can also help track the effectiveness of different sales strategies, giving you a clearer idea of what works and what doesn’t. This optimisation leads to smarter decision-making, more effective marketing campaigns, and increased hotel venue sales.

Elevating Hotel Sales with Smart Automation

Automation offers more than just a tech upgrade; it's a transformative tool that can improve efficiency and result in substantial growth for your hotel - and your sales. Embracing these smart tools improves the way your team works and enriches every sales interaction, ensuring each moment with a potential client is memorable and impactful.?

The automation journey is an exciting venture that future-proofs your business, keeping your hotel competitive. Embrace its many benefits and let it drive your hotel's sales to new heights.