As frequent readers of my month-to-month coaching articles know, I’ve been an enormous advocate of utilizing a “tech for contact” method for a few years. In coaching articles, webcasts, and in my on-site resort gross sales coaching workshops, I’ve offered strategies for utilizing video e mail apps to place the “folks components” again into resort gross sales. Whereas most gross sales conversations nowadays occur in e mail and in-app message exchanges, customized video emails permit salespeople to face out.
Sadly, though everybody will get enthusiastic about once I first share this idea, too many fail to include it as an everyday gross sales behavior. Thankfully, I’ve gross sales coaching shoppers who’ve utterly embraced video e mail and skilled the large influence it could actually have on lead dialog charges and fostering robust connections.
As soon as such consumer is Chris Hardy, Vice President of Industrial Technique, and his gross sales crew at Parks Hospitality Group, which manages a various portfolio of branded inns within the Southeast USA area. I first met Chris when he learn considered one of my articles about video e mail, after which a few 12 months in the past he engaged me to conduct a full day of coaching as a part of his annual Gross sales Summit. I just lately caught up with Chris for this interview, and he shared pattern movies despatched by his gross sales crew.
Why did you resolve to encourage your salespeople to start out utilizing video e mail?
Again when Covid was impacting us and we weren’t capable of have face-to-face gross sales conversations, I keep in mind stumbling on considered one of your articles suggesting the video e mail. So, I began checking it out and straight away I acknowledged it was a singular approach of connecting with clients and prospects. Now, even within the post-Coved world, it’s nonetheless not simple to get shoppers to satisfy in particular person, so it’s nonetheless a really efficient approach to stand out. It’s way more customized.
How has using video e mail helped your gross sales groups?
General, I believe the primary factor is that it has helped us break by the “digital wall” that basically all salespeople face nowadays, the place conversations are in any other case principally some type of written message exchanges. Most of our inns are in very aggressive areas and it has actually helped us stand out.
What are a number of the methods during which your crew has used video e mail?
Oh gosh, there are such a lot of examples. First, it has confirmed to be an amazing device for prospecting and has helped our salespeople get extra responses that result in discovery conferences. Secondly, it’s been good for follow-ups on proposals and to spotlight a selected space or function that was necessary. It’s additionally been a terrific approach to present appreciation for our current shoppers by sending a thanks, introducing a brand new crew member, or to spotlight a brand new renovation or amenity. However total, it’s simply nice as one of many ongoing touchpoints for our cadence of follow-ups so we don’t simply carry on emailing and emailing.
Chris, are you able to give any particular examples?
Oh for certain! Jenna Mild did a video walk-through of the occasion area as a part of an preliminary proposal and the consumer responded instantly by asking for a contract. Hyperlink to video Jenna additionally continuously makes use of video messages to comply with up after occasions with a view to encourage referrals. Hyperlink to video
By the best way, this video resulted in an instantaneous referral to a different mom of a bride!
Star Robertson had a dialog with a prospect throughout which it got here up that they each cherished their canine. Later, Star shot a brief video at residence throughout which she launched her canine. The consumer replied nearly instantly about how a lot she cherished assembly Bumi and ultimately Star booked the deal. Hyperlink to video
How have your shoppers reacted?
You recognize, everybody will get a ton of emails nowadays, so it’s simply so arduous to get a response in any respect and while you do it’s normally fairly quick. However when shoppers see a video come by they’re much extra more likely to reply, and the responses are extra in-depth as effectively. We see a number of feedback coming again saying issues like “I completely cherished the video!” or “How cool!” or messages reacting to what was despatched similar to “Wow, the brand new rooms actually look superior.” Hyperlink to video a few renovation
What strategies do you could have for gross sales leaders to encourage their groups to make use of this medium?
The very first thing most likely is simply to create an consciousness of video e mail as being a “factor.” I’d must say that having you (Doug Kennedy) practice our crew on the Gross sales Summit final 12 months actually helped us increase the methods during which we use video e mail.
Passing round examples of how our varied salespeople are utilizing the device, in addition to sharing success tales and outcomes has positively been a key. We’ve even put collectively contests to make it enjoyable, however I’ve additionally made it a part of our Gross sales Exercise Scorecard. In the end, I believe it’s necessary to remind everybody that we’re hospitality salespeople, so we should always leap on any likelihood to make eye contact and share a heat smile.
I can’t say I don’t nonetheless get pushback, however sharing the successes actually helps to display how efficient movies may be as a part of the gross sales course of and helps the crew grow to be extra proactive versus reactive So far as I’m involved, we’re sticking with this device for the long run!
The career of resort gross sales is experiencing a “fork within the highway second.” Most salespeople appear content material to dwell off of inbound demand, cherry-picking the most well liked leads, and responding solely by the use of digital means similar to an in-app reply in CVENT or The Knot, then ready for the patrons to say “Okay, I’ll take it.” This “gross sales fishing” method can definitely work in intervals of excessive demand similar to most inns are experiencing proper now. However the smartest salespeople acknowledge this as a possibility to embrace a “gross sales hunter” philosophy, and to make use of a “tech for contact” method similar to video e mail to face out in a crowded discipline of in any other case generic gross sales responses. It’s these salespeople who’re setting themselves up for an extended and affluent profession. They acknowledge that when “product ” and “value” are the identical, the “Folks components” actually do make all of the distinction. Congratulations to Chris Hardy and his wonderful crew.
