Watch a great salesman at work, and you’ll notice that success boils down to two things – customer knowledge and timing. It’s not enough to have a compelling product or service; the ability to ‘read’ the customer is just as essential. In hospitality, face-to-face interactions are key to successful upsells and cross-sells; but when you have thousands of guests staying with you, in-depth conversations are a big ask.  

That explains why hotels are turning to technology to boost guest interaction and ancillary revenues. From gathering leads to closing sales, hospitality tech is augmenting the capabilities of the hotel’s sales team and staff. What it lacks in human experience and charisma, technology makes up for with its ability to predict buying and behavior patterns while continuously improving its techniques and results.  

Technology doesn’t just provide the tools for generating revenue – such as data analytics, IoT and AI – but also the channels through which hotels can engage with guests, from emails and smart rooms to guest experience apps. The focus should be on connecting these technologies with each other and hotel management systems to create a cohesive, synergistic network. Once that’s achieved, the sales team can leverage tech to perfect the marketing mix and offer guests exactly what they’re looking for.  

Whom to sell to: Understanding the customer  
A business traveler is more likely to purchase a package with early check-in and late check-out options, while leisure travelers would veer towards extra room nights. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to sales, even when it’s for a common service or product. For example, a PwC study revealed that while older guests prefer using their loyalty points to extend their stay, millennials would rather use them for a room upgrade. So, how do you streamline your advertising to appeal to the right customer?  

Digital interactions produce vast amounts of data, which can be harnessed using advanced data analytics tools to create detailed guest profiles and improve targeted promotions. Predictive behavior analysis can forecast a guest’s future behavior based on past actions, using data mining, algorithm clustering and neural networking.  

Hotels are even personalizing offers to better appeal to potential guests, which the latter welcomes. A study by Skift and Oracle found that 74% of the hotel guests expect AI-led personalization, which lets them pick and choose services, and the unbundled pricing that goes with it.  

When to sell: Perfecting the timing  
AI-powered sales tools can deftly move leads through the marketing funnel, persuading the customer about the hotel’s merits. Meanwhile, machine learning algorithms can adapt the pricing based on historical data, seasonality and demand, enabling hotels to maximize earnings. Dynamic pricing is the first of many time-sensitive sales strategies that technology is mastering.  

A timely email or WhatsApp reminder can also boost upselling opportunities. A few days prior to arrival, it’s a good idea to mail or message the guest relevant add-ons that will make their stay more comfortable and enjoyable – an airport shuttle, early check-in and late check-out or an upgrade to a premium room are good starting points, though these can become more specific depending on the guest’s profile. 

Even once the guest has checked-in, hospitality apps like Hudini can suggest add-ons by analyzing guest behavior in real time. If the guest has flown in on a long-haul flight, for example, the app’s chatbot might suggest a spa session to relieve jet lag. Data-driven personalization isn’t just focussed on what to offer, but also on putting it across to guests at the right time. 

Where to sell: Leveraging every touchpoint 
Let’s say a visitor to your website would like to know if your hotel offers airport shuttles. Instead of contacting your customer support team, she engages with the AI-powered chatbot. The chatbot answers all of her queries immediately, helping her make up her mind about booking a room. Hotels that have deployed conversational AI are reporting a surge in conversions and upsells, not just because chatbots provide round-the-clock assistance and raise customer satisfaction; they’re also using progressive learning algorithms to continuously adapt their sales strategies based on success rates.  

AI is deployed in the chatbots of Hudini’s hotel guest experience apps as well. This enables the chatbot to make relevant suggestions at various stages of the guest journey and promote add-ons for everything from food orders to special requests. Hotels that connect with guests via mobile phone enjoy more opportunities to suggest upsells through the hotel app’s push notifications and messaging platforms. According to mobile data and analytics firm App Annie, most people spend up to 4.8 hours daily on their mobiles. Isn’t the platform on which guests spend nearly one-third of their day the best place to engage with them?  

How to sell: Showcasing the product  
Hotels are all about the experience, but how do you show off a suite’s serene view or the bar’s renovated interiors to a guest who’s on another continent? Hotels are utilizing virtual reality to create immersive visuals that guests can preview prior to making a booking. With the online, 360° tour of the lobby, bars and restaurants, signature attractions and premium suites, hotels can make a strong case for why they’re the better choice.   

Additionally, the guest experience app is a palm-sized digital billboard that can play rich multimedia content. Apps designed by Hudini can be regularly updated with stunning visuals of restaurants and amenities along with guest reviews, making any offering more inviting.  

While I’ve listed several advantages here, this is just a broad overview of what tech can offer. The hospitality industry is seeing a post-pandemic resurgence, but competition is fierce and guest expectations are high. Hotel operators must now make the most of every tool in their sales kit, paying equal attention to primary and ancillary revenue streams. With its capacity to ensure precision, predictability and personalization, technology could well be their sharpest tool yet.