Course Description
This course deals with the personal sales, media advertising, publicity and communication mix in a hospitality organization. Material will center on personal sales strategies, managing a sales office in a large hospitality business and deploying the sales force to attract group markets. As well advertising strategies will be covered including the relationship between advertising agencies and the hospitality firm and the selection of the appropriate creative, medium or vehicle to communicate the message to the target audiences.
Course Content
- Hospitality Direct Sales techniques including:
- Partnering and building professional relationships;
- Communication styles;
- Buyer behaviour;
- Prospecting and pre approaching;
- Translating features into benefits. planning and executing the presentation;
- Handling objections;
- Closing the sale;
- Servicing the sale;
- Selling ethics;
- Management of self and employing of technology for increased effectiveness;
- Recruiting Sales Professionals;
- Hard vs. Soft selling;
- Staffing and operating a sales office in a large hotel, resort or other hospitality business;
- Developing an effective advertising and public relations plan for a hospitality business;
- Selecting advertising agencies;
- Differentiating advertising medium and vehicles to target markets;
- Using public relations as an effective part of an advertising plan;
- Creating print ads for target markets.
Methods Of Instruction
The course will be delivered through lectures, readings, case analysis, role-play, guest speakers and industry study. Delphi Sales Management Software will be introduced and used where appropriate.
Means of Assessment
| Participation |
10% |
| Interactive Presentations |
30% - 40% |
| Group Assignments |
20% - 30% |
| Examination(s) |
20% - 40% |
| Total |
100% |
STUDENTS MUST COMPLETE ALL COMPONENTS OF THE COURSE TO OBTAIN CREDIT FOR THE COURSE.
STUDENTS MUST OBTAIN 50% OR BETTER ON THE EXAMINATION COMPONENET OF THE ASSESSMENTS TO RECEIVE A PASSING GRADE.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course the successful student should be able to:
- Demonstrate effective personal sales techniques including: developing and qualifying sales leads; developing and delivering an effective sales presentations; anticipating and dealing with objections to advance the sale; closing the sale; and having a plan to follow-up and service the sale;
- Design and staff a sales office and develop a sales force deployment strategy for a large hospitality business, hotel or resort;
- Design an effective advertising and public relations plan for a hospitality business;
- Create an effective press release;
- Select an advertising and PR agency;
- Create a print ad template;
- Communicate the relationship between the advertising plan and the overall marketing plan.
Textbook Materials
Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students will be selected from:
A selection will be made from the following:
Hospitality Sales Selling Smarter Siguaw, J.A., D.C. Bojanic, Latest Edition. Thomson Delmar
and/or
Heads in Beds, Hospitality and Tourism Marketing, Ivo, R., Latest Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall