Reservations sales QUEST 2025

Recently a prospective new client said “We actually don’t get many phone reservations anymore, but we do get a lot of questions.” Because they record their incoming 800 calls, our KTN team was then able to audit actual conversations their reservations agents were having every day. Sure enough, just as they said, most callers were only asking questions about things like amenities, bedding configurations, fees, and services. Then we pointed out the obvious: there is a reason why people ask these questions, and it’s not that they are just curious!

Next, we simply trained their agents that, once they answered these questions, to then ask “Do you have a reservation yet?” When callers say “No,” to say “Allow me to double check those rates for you right now to make sure you are looking at the best options. What website are you looking at?”

Today’s reservations in inquiries are disguised as “quick questions” which untrained staffs simply answer, causing direct booking opportunities to be lost,  along with the chance to “own the guest relationship” and to cut down on third-party fees.

Having noticed this and other recent trends, I decided it was time to update KTN’s Reservations Sales QUEST training program for 2025. Here are some highlights from our on-site training workshops and webcam training programs to share with your team.

• Update and evolve your Investigative QUESTions©. For example, replace:
• “Have you stayed with us before?” with “Have you stayed with us before, or did anything online catch your eye?”
• May I ask the purpose of your visit?” with “Is there anything special you are planning that I can assist you with?” 
• To truly listen and connect with callers, use our Loop-it-Back© technique to encourage them to share the full story behind their plans.
• Use a Storified Selling Style© to personalize conversations and help them imagine what they are going to experience.
• Help your team create Snappy Taglines that can easily become part of their working vocabulary for describing core features, services, amenities, and accommodations.
• Having listened interactively, use needs-based recommendations and suggestions to help them overcome the feeling of “choice overload” that results from shopping online for an important trip.
• Make sure your staff is truly comfortable with quoting rates that may be far beyond what they themselves would normally spend.
• Clearly convey and differentiate the concepts of “rate optimization,” which is discounting only when necessary to secure bookings, from upselling by accommodation type or add-on service. Make sure they can convey the added value received to various guest scenarios.
• Secure the sale. Train them on the proper phrasing to convey a desire to help the caller finalize plans as opposed to trying to “sell” them. For example, replace:
• “Do you want to book that?” with “May I secure that for you now while it’s still available?”
• Follow-up proactively, especially for high-revenue bookings such as longer stays, multiple accommodations, and higher-rated options. For example: 
• “Allow me to get your email address so that I can send you a link to this option and our contact information here at (onsite, in-house, or direct) reservations…?”

Doug Kennedy is President of the Kennedy Training Network, Inc. a leading provider of hotel sales, guest service, reservations, and front desk training programs and telephone mystery shopping services for the lodging and hospitality industry. Doug continues to be a fixture on the industry’s conference circuit for hotel companies, brands and associations, as he been for over two decades. Since 1996, Doug’s monthly training articles have been published worldwide, making him one of the most widely read hospitality industry authorities. Visit KTN at www.kennedytrainingnetwork.com or email him directly doug@kennedytrainingnetwork.com

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