Sales are for everyone
This Sales are for everyone Info Guide explains why selling is the responsibility of everyone in a tourism business.
Everybody, from top to bottom, is responsible for sales and selling in your business. Whether you are a sales executive, surf school owner, B&B onwer, bar tender or housekeeper, you interact with customers and are in a sales function. It is your duty to respond to a customer’s needs. This may not always mean selling a product - it can often mean selling a feeling. For example, painting a picture of the best beach for surfing. It might mean selling an attitude. For example, ‘Our customers love how motivated, enthusiatic and experienced our instructors are’. Finally, it might mean selling a message such as – ‘You have come to the right place if you need to get away from it all'.
Remember!
A tourism business is like a theatre. Every night, when the lights go down, the show is over and another day is done. The next day, no matter what has gone before it, the show will have a new audience, often a first time audience, and today’s show must, at the very least, be better than the day before. The actors who will deliver the show are your people. If you do not invest in them in many ways, you will have an average show. After all, what is the point of a beautiful, comfortable and cosy theatre with great sets, great seats and great lighting if the guys on stage have no idea what they are doing?
Conor Kenny
Marketing Consultant
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A sales culture is led from the top. Followers imitate leaders and leaders determine the culture. A successful sales ethos means leading by example. If there is no support for the sales function from the leader there can be no successful sales culture.
The sales function belongs to everyone. When people are buying they need a ‘response’. Each one of us has the ‘ability’ to respond – it’s our responsibility.
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The function of good sales management is similar to that of a great coach. They must guide, support, educate and encourage. The business of sales is full of rejection and apparent failure. It is important to encourage a culture of 'Let’s try' where it is safe to fail and safe to try. It will take an average of four prospects to deliver one win. Success lies on the far side of failure.
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Confidence is a key asset of any sales professional. Encourage people to be themselves. Encourage their input, suggestions and ideas. Give anyone who is in sales permission to handle a complaint, use their initiative and make decisions.
Confidence comes from seeing results. If you encourage confidence you will grow your staff and increase sales.
Remember!
Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish.
Sam Walton
American Retail Executive and Founder of Wal-Mart Stores
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