Few hoteliers use front desk upselling to the max. Not only do the front desk employees need to stay up to speed with all the upselling deals, but they also need to be comfortable using essential communication skills and marketing techniques. In short, to get it right, you need to read each situation correctly and change your language accordingly.
In this piece, you’ll learn which four communication skills you need to hone and the valuable contribution these interpersonal skills can make.
Why do You Need Front Desk Upselling?
Not only can front desk upselling improve your revenue, RevPAR, and overall guest experience. In other words, it benefits both parties: you and your guests.
The check-in stage can be even more lucrative for upselling than pre-arrival. By highlighting deals that guests will find relevant at the beginning of their stay, you can ensure that the rest of their experience will be memorable. Plus, front desk employees are in the perfect position to do this. They have the reservation card with key data and can read the guests to narrow down the deals that will address their unique needs best.
Top 4 Communication Skills You Need to Excel At Front Desk Upselling
Below you will find four communication skills tour front desk staff needs to Upsell effectively.
1. Read the Situation
Hotel staff, even front desk employees, should know how to analyze guests and identify their unique needs. To do this, they should use the details from their reservation card and read the current situation.
When reading the actual situation, focus on the who and the why. Who are the guest and the rest of their party? Why are they staying at the hotel?
You can, for example, create a list of offers for each traveler segment to streamline this task. This is where upselling automation software such as Oaky can be extremely useful, as it empowers you to sell the right deal to the right guest.
2. Practice Active Listening
Anyone who needs to sell a service or product should employ active listening. In short, you should ensure that you’re entirely present. To show guests that you’re truly listening to what they’re saying, you need to:
- Maintain good eye contact
- Pay attention to nonverbal signals
- Don’t think about your reply but rather try to understand your guest truly
- Paraphrase their requests and use open-ended, follow-up questions
When hotel employees interact with their guests in this manner, guests will feel more comfortable sharing other details, making it easier to suggest relevant offers.
3. Study body language and Learn How to Control Yours
You can tell a lot just by reading a person’s body language. Knowing how to distinguish between positive and negative body language will make a difference.
For example, crossed arms and a reluctance to make eye contact indicate that now is not the right time to market your upselling deals. You will probably add more to their irritation if you go ahead with front desk upselling at this stage.
In addition, you should also learn how to ensure that your body language is positive and inviting. When welcoming guests, front desk staff should, for example:
- Stand or sit up straight
- Smile when greeting guests
- Maintain good eye contact
It’s key that staff carry themselves confidently, but without coming across like, they know it all. They still need to be engaged in every conversation (in other words, practice active listening). Not only will it make guests feel more at home, but staff will also learn valuable takeaways from their guests’ needs.
4. Be Confident and Friendly
Greet arriving guests with the same friendly, hospitable demeanor as you always would. Smiling and establishing eye contact is essential.
In addition to positive body language, you should also ensure that your communication conveys the same warmth. To do this, ask open-ended questions when guests check-in. These questions will help you demonstrate that you recognize them as unique individuals.
You can prioritize the right things when you’re confident about your ability to do your job well and close enough deals to hit your goals. This is why it’s essential to know all the current hotel deals and available room upgrades. You should also practice upselling skills as much as possible to grow your confidence.
Free Front Desk Upselling Checklist
Front desk upselling can bring 2/3 of upsell revenue. This Front desk Upselling Checklist will help you and your team learn the ropes of front desk upselling easily and quickly.
Click here to download the “Front Desk Upselling Checklist”.
The secret to front desk upselling is never to let guests feel as if making money is the goal. Instead, guests should feel that staff are highlighting these specific deals and bundles so that they can have the best time.
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