As the holiday season approaches, it's so important to put a strong focus on sales techniques. Effectively communicating the holiday expectation with your team gets everyone on the same page. The National Retail Federation has reported there will be a continual and steady rise in consumer spending again this year. The best way for your business to take advantage of this increased spending is to be prepared. Here are three tips to improve your sales methods and make this holiday season the best ever. 

Qualifying is the blueprint of the sale and the foundation of the sales process, and yet what we find when sales people qualify is a hurried, non focused attempt. 

The act of qualifying the customer means you will ask questions to determine information about the customer's needs and expectations. 

Truth: Using a structured follow-up system is a guaranteed way to grow your business and revenue. And there’s more- great follow-up processes will give your business a huge advantage over less tenacious competitors. Now here's some sales and follow-up stats that will surprise and also guide you...

1. Ask
2. Ask
3. Ask

No matter how powerful your computer is, what the range of your cell phone is, or how clever your tracking system is, you still have just one way to get the order or close the deal: Ask whether your counterpart will agree to the current terms. If you have trouble asking for commitments, address that issue.  Being able to clearly state your need helps in every negotiation and in every other phase of life.

-Michael C. Donaldson, Negotiating for Dummies

You have heard it all before - to provide good customer service and make a sale, you need to understand needs, have good product knowledge, find the "fit," and so on.  All true, but it's no longer popular to be stiff and calculated in how you serve and sell.  You need to be MEMORABLE.  So what happens when you take those skills and throw in personality, fun, and genuine rapport and care when connecting with your customers?  I will tell you what you get- better relationships, increased loyalty, and more sales.  

Let me prove this to you. My family and I are getting ready to move, and one super fun task I have (insert sarcasm here) is getting quotes from movers.  So I am going to share two moving company experiences from the last couple of days, and I want you to pick which one you would choose to do business with. 

A little bit in customer service can go a very long way. Trust me- nowadays customers' expectations are not very high (sad, but true), and it's so easy to turn a standard interaction into one that is memorable.  As Nelson Boswell said, "Always give people more than they expect to get."  Why?  It's simple: one wow could be worth more than $10,000 in advertising. Now the examples and tips I am about to share with you are tailored to hotels, but think of these concepts in a grander scheme and how you could generally apply similar efforts into your business.  So here are our "Little 'Wows' Can Go a Long Way" for front desk agents and sales & catering managers...