I have discussions almost weekly now with hotels that are in a “situation”.  The call usually comes from a place of desperation and panic.  The hotel has fallen behind their revenue targets and they are struggling.  Big time.  They need a quick fix.

I love a good challenge.  I’m not really sure where it comes from, but somehow I’m wired to want to solve tough problems.  So, these conversations really energize me!  On the other hand, I’m really intrigued by this.  As I was traveling this week and shaming myself for not posting on this blog in quite some time, I came up with a pretty good analogy.

You see, I have really bad dry spells with this blog.  There will be weeks or months with nothing posted.  I have a really hard time keeping up with this and every other important task on my list from day-to-day.  As much as I believe in keeping up this blog with good industry content, it takes a lot of time and focus.  Time and focus that I also have to give to other places.  Sound a little familiar?

I don’t sit and write and create a pipeline of blog posts.  I write when an idea comes to me, or there is a need to get some content up.  I know…bad bad bad.  This is what happens in sales.  I see hotel sales professionals that will focus on prospecting when it is necessary, but it’s not done consistently in bite-size chunks.  This is ultimately the main reason I get the call from panicked hotel sales leadership needing a “quick fix.”

I have bad news.  There is no quick fix.  I know…depressing, isn’t it?  The reality is that buying decisions are not made quickly.  It is so critical to get out in front of the decision process.  One tool for doing this is the good ole “prospecting call.”

When we wait to prospect until it is absolutely necessary, then it just doesn’t work as well.  There is pressure, desperation and a sense of urgency that just cannot be met with this tactic.

So, the question is how to get a sales team to commit to prospecting consistently.  A couple options here:

1. Take away the pacifier.  No more inbound inquiries allowed.  Anything inbound goes to a designated inside sales rep that handles responses.  A little harsh?  Not feasible for your team set-up?  Not able to find quality sales professionals that are willing to build their own pipeline from scratch?  I understand.  In that case…
2. Give your team prospecting goals and follow-through with them.  Reward consistently full business       pipelines.  Remain engaged with the team on the tools they use for prospecting, how they are building their list of target suspects, and what happens once they uncover the best opportunities.  Maybe you don’t have the bandwidth on your team to consistently prospect?  Maybe you’ve tried and STILL the team gets caught in a feast and famine cycle?  Maybe you’re committed to starting this process, but just need a little “shot in the arm” to get started on the right foot.  In that case…
3. Try outsourcing the process of prospecting.  Just find a reputable company that focuses on quality over quantity and truly works to understand your needs and what will fit.  There are a million ways to get inbound leads, but creating “busy work” by receiving leads that don’t truly fit is a counter-productive approach.  The ultimate goal is to get your team to work on viable business, not administrative work turning down leads that aren’t a good fit.  And of course, you want to find a service that will partner with your team and not duplicate efforts.  As well, affordability is key.  Crunch the numbers and make sure it makes sense to outsource.  Our partners typically see a 20/1 ROI and our cost is a fraction of the cost of having a salaried sales manager at a minimum salary of $35K spending time to make those prospecting calls.

Check out this evaluation form for setting prospecting goals Evaluation For Setting Prospecting Goals with your team.  It’s always good to have a place to start and this form gets us to a place where we can be honest about what makes sense for the individual.  I’ve worked in hotels where it is just standard that all managers make 25 prospecting calls a day, and I’ve worked for hotels that have made the goals more individualized.  The individualized goals were hands-down more successful, as the goal adjusts with the current situation and eventual growth of the particular sales manager.

Whether going it alone 100% or working hand-in-hand with a prospecting company like ours to supplement enhance your prospecting efforts…you need benchmarks and roadmaps to be successful.

Nobody wants to make that panicked call during a dry spell.  Plan ahead to outsource or set your team up for success with a solid prospecting plan and goals.  Or better yet…do both!  As much as my team enjoys a challenge, we love it even more when we can help a hotel sales team go from good to great instead of panicked to stable.

What are some other ways your team has overcome a pipeline drought or avoided one in the first place?