Week 1 - Personal Selling and Promotional Skills in the Hospitality Industry

• Hospitality
• Further Education (Key Stage 5)

Introduction Lesson: 

Personal Selling and Promotional Skills in the Hospitality Industry

Week 1 

Amy Brown

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to 

• Explain and describe personal selling and promotional skills in the hospitality industry, with examples to set the context.

What do you already know about personal selling and promotional skills in the hospitality industry? Give examples of what you think this topic may be about.

Definitions

 Personal selling: Building relationships with customers through direct interaction.  

Promotional skills: Techniques used to market and advertise products/services.

1. Personal Selling

Personal selling is a dynamic interpersonal communication process where a salesperson (in the hospitality industry, this could be a hotel staff member, restaurant server, or event coordinator) interacts directly with potential or existing customers. The primary goal of personal selling is to persuade and guide customers towards making a purchase or taking a desired action. 

 Key elements and skills involved in personal selling

Product Knowledge: 

Salespeople must have an in-depth understanding of the services, amenities, and experiences offered by their hospitality establishment. They should be able to answer questions, provide recommendations, and highlight the unique features that set their business apart.

 Listening Skills

Product Knowledge: 

Effective personal selling begins with active listening. Salespeople should carefully listen to customers' needs, preferences, and concerns to tailor their recommendations and solutions accordingly.

 Communication Skills

Clear and concise communication is crucial. Salespeople should be able to convey information, benefits, and offers in a way that resonates with the customer. This includes using appropriate language, tone, and non-verbal cues.

Relationship Building

Building rapport and establishing a positive relationship with customers is essential. A good salesperson creates a welcoming and friendly atmosphere, making customers feel valued and appreciated.

Problem Solving

 Hospitality staff often encounter challenges or special requests from customers. Salespeople should be resourceful and proactive in finding solutions and ensuring customer satisfaction.

Closing Techniques

  Salespeople need to know how to guide the conversation towards a successful conclusion, such as booking a room, making a reservation, or upselling additional services.

2. Promotional Skills

Promotional skills involve marketing strategies and tactics aimed at promoting a hospitality business and its offerings to a wider audience. These skills are essential for attracting potential customers and retaining existing ones. 

Key elements of promotional skills include:

Marketing Strategy: Understanding the target market and developing a comprehensive marketing plan is crucial. This includes identifying customer demographics, preferences, and behaviours to tailor promotional efforts effectively.

Content Creation

Marketing Strategy: Understanding the target market and developing a comprehensive marketing plan is crucial. This includes identifying customer demographics, preferences, and behaviours to tailor promotional efforts effectively.

Digital Marketing

In today's digital age, knowing how to utilise online platforms, such as social media, websites, and email marketing, is vital for reaching a broad audience. Students should understand the basics of search engine optimization (SEO) and online advertising.

Customer Feedback

Gathering and analysing customer feedback is essential for continuous improvement. Hospitality personnel should know how to solicit and use feedback to enhance the customer experience and adjust marketing strategies accordingly.

Promotions and Discounts

Understanding when and how to offer promotions, discounts, and special packages can attract customers and drive sales. Hospitality personnel should learn how to create enticing offers that align with the business's goals.

Monitoring and Evaluation

The ability to track the effectiveness of promotional efforts using key performance indicators (KPIs) is critical. Hospitality personnel should know how to measure the success of marketing campaigns and make data-driven adjustments.

Importance of Personal Selling

- Builds customer trust and loyalty. 

- Enhances customer satisfaction. 

- Increases revenue through upselling and cross-selling.

Importance of Promotional Skills

- Raises brand awareness. 

- Attracts new customers. 

- Encourages customer engagement and repeat business.

 Interactive Activity (20minutes)

Feedback to class (10minutes)

Group discussion: In small groups, brainstorm and discuss personal selling and promotional skill examples specific to the hospitality industry. 

Choose a hospitality business and brainstorm how you have either been targeted as a customer or think the business would use personal selling & promotional technqiues.

Real-Life Case Study

Galgorm Collection

McDonalds 

Slide 8: Recap and Reflection

Summarise the key points discussed in the lesson and ask students to reflect on how they can apply personal selling and promotional skills in their future hospitality careers.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.