Is your hotel in need of an increase in revenue from B2B business? We’re guessing yes.
Especially if your hotel’s revenue mostly comes from B2B, this isn’t true of all hotels, but it’s safe to say that B2B revenue typically makes up a large chunk of the revenue pie.
The question remains – how? Of course all hotels desire more B2B revenue, but how do they get it? Through a variety of methods, including, but not limited to, the following.
B2B Business Tips for Hotels
Be a Resource For Planners
What do planners wish venues would do more than anything else? Be helpful. Let planners know and feel that your event team will be there helping, answering questions and meeting with them every step of the way. It’s surprising how many planners do not feel supported by venues, and therefore do not become return customers or recommend said venue to others. The best way to attract B2B clients and retain for the future is to simply be helpful and supportive.
Let Them In On The Local Attractions
Event planners want to know what there is to do in and around the hotel. Especially if the event is far away from the participants home town, the planners will wish to be armed with useful lists of where to sightsee, eat, shop, exercise and more. You have the insider knowledge so it’s your job to display it on the hotels website in an engaging and easily readable format. You’ll get bonus points for really including insider knowledge – where are the cool spots that tourists don’t usually know about? What are the best methods to get everywhere? Are there fun local events happening soon? This is an opportunity to showcase your immense knowledge, and if you do an excellent job, the benefits will be reaped.
Word of Mouth is Stronger Than Anything Else
Has your hotel received stellar reviews from past event clients? Use them! Event planners are much more likely to believe other event planners instead of your sales team. Showcase your praises and past events beautifully on the hotel website. Provide clear, high resolution photos with big, bold testimonials. You can show off the logos of the companies who’ve held events at your venue, if the company allows. The point is – don’t be too humble to sing your praises because your praises will help attract more business.
Offer Unique Amenities
When planners are searching for venues online, they’re likely to encounter an overwhelming amount of the same information. How can your hotel stand out? Offer amenities that other hotels don’t. We’re not talking about a complete, or expensive, renovation here, there are plenty of smaller details that might just seal the deal. Some obvious ones include having exceptional wifi and bandwidth, but even that is becoming outdated – everyone has this now. Having 24/7 tech support is an excellent amenity, especially for business event clients. Well-maintained restrooms is huge – when planners are scoping out venues, a major turn off is an outdated and unkempt restroom.
Let planners know how many items you provide – tables, chairs, podiums, signage, etc. Offer onsite coordination so the event planner has a go-to person for all of their on-site needs. Have plenty of charging stations for everyone’s devices.
Take note of past reviews – did any of the planners, or participants/guests, have comments on amenities they would have liked to have? Read those, take them to heart, and add the amenities when applicable.
Be Simple
Last, but not least, just make it easy for them. Make the RFP process easy. Don’t require dozens of pages to be filled out. Get the ball rolling with simple, easy-to-answer questions. Trust us, the simpler the process, the more business your hotel will receive. Event planners are limited on time and deal with tons of paperwork, don’t add to their burden, find a way to relieve it. Do that, and your business will flourish.
This fall take your B2B business to the next level. This can be the season your hotel brings in more revenue than any other. Holiday parties, winter weddings, and plenty of other events are already in the works for the coming months most likely, and it’s time to do all you can to ready your hotel. If any management assistance is needed on this front, don’t hesitate to contact HMG Hospitality. The HMG team are experts in hotel management and will propel your property to reach it’s highest level of efficiency.