Every hotel wants to grow revenue, we spend significant funds to OTA’s and to marketing agencies to help us. However, we often overlook the part our team plays in hospitality beyond a warm smile and a how may I help you…
During a trip to Costa Rica, I noticed a sales strategy that I believe every restaurant and hotel should be utilizing. To provide better hospitality, you must have a team behind you that truly knows how to upsell and share information.
Making recommendations is natural for people in Costa Rica because from a young age they learn that providing referrals to other businesses will earn them a percentage of profit and those recommendations often circle back.
An example of the sales strategy I noticed occurred when a surf guide we met in Tamarindo effortlessly recommended us to one of several catamaran tours in the area. He told us, “you should go on “Toms” Catamaran Tour; tell him I sent you. You should choose this tour over others because there will be premium drinks, better food, and a nicer boat”. He even went so far as to take us outside his shop and give us directions, and lead us to the tour desk office for the catamaran tours. From there, it didn’t matter what the price was or that there were other catamarans because he convinced us that this one would be the best. He took the effort of searching for a boat tour away from me, and he earned a profit for himself and his friend by passing along information. And we felt like he did us a favor. In reality, he was earning a commission.
The Costa Rican sales technique isn’t just about making a profit through suggestions. It’s about creating a sustainable and hospitable environment for tourists that makes their experiences great. They create an environment that encourages visitors to explore more services, bringing them back to sing the country’s praises.
Cultivating a community with better hospitality will bring profit because people actually want to be sold. They want to know where they should go, and most importantly, they want to know why they should go there.
Tourists want to know why a place is better than others and what it has to offer that they’ll miss out on if they choose to go elsewhere. We have concierge desks for a reason. In Costa Rica, everyone takes on this role, and at your hotel, your team should too.
Your staff should be trained to ask people if they’ve explored their amenities or suggest they check out the restaurant with the award-winning chef down the street. Your team should encourage a guest to book an appointment at your spa by telling them about the relaxing treatments offered by your professional massage therapists and aestheticians.
Hospitality is all about upselling. If you create a business with a team that sells like Costa Ricans do, you’ll have better hospitality and happier guests.