Upselling and cross-selling: how to boost your hotel's turnover

📈 You are looking for a way to increase the turnover of your hotel establishment, but you do not want to change the price of overnight stays. The solution? Adopting a strategy ofUpselling and Cross-selling. These additional selling techniques are relentless in increasing your revenue per room. In this article, learn best practices for marketing extras and get started now!

Identify extras that will surprise customers

Obviously, if your hotel is Family friendly, you are not relying on the income from renting a seminar room. Surely you prefer to bet on a childcare service or stroller rental.

However, just like restaurants that advertise an endless list of dishes, some hoteliers offer a plethora of options to satisfy all audiences.

🚫 This is a mistake, customers tend to associate quantity with the absence of quality.

So show that you know them by offering only the extras they need, such as:

• the services of the best caterer in your city if your establishment hosts many family events (weddings, baptisms, birthdays, etc.);
• a shuttle from the train station or airport if your hotel is poorly served by public transport;
• one Breakfast Box or an express dry cleaning service if you receive business customers who are in a hurry;
• The option Late Check-In if you have a wellness area with a spa, steam room or jacuzzi;
• menus adapted for athletes if your structure is located near a training center;
• A kit Pet-friendly composed of kibble, bowls, rugs and toys... if you accept pets.

💡 Differentiate yourself from the competition. Don't be afraid to be original.

Also, keep in mind that additional sales have a real “snowball effect”.

Beyond increasing your RevPAR:

• you contribute to the satisfaction of customers who will be more likely to write good reviews about your hotel establishment;
• you promote loyalty, especially if the reservation of extras allows them to accumulate points on their loyalty account;
• you go up the ladder and check boxes to get an additional star on your ranking;
• you enrich your PMS database: a gold mine to personalize your offers!

Never miss an upsell or cross-sell opportunity

Do someUpselling And of Cross-selling isn't just about identifying the best services for your customers and displaying them at the front desk. It is also necessary to talk about it. From reservations to loyalty, numerous opportunities exist.

Before the stay

Paid options are key choice criteria for travelers. So, no doubt, post them very clearly on all your communication media: websites, social networks, booking engines and even your brochures.

Travelers are used to paying extra for choosing a seat away from the bathroom or for taking more luggage on a plane. For a night in a tourist accommodation, they also expect different price proposals to benefit from better comfort or more flexibility.

👉 Take the example of the Rayz Eiffel hotel in Paris. An offer “marriage proposal” always appears on the reservation page!

In the pre-stay phase, also take advantage of:

• the reservation confirmation email, whose opening rates are generally higher than the average;
• The useful and effective pre-stay email if you apply our 4 tips 💡

During the stay

The Check-in may be a good time for additional sales, but not always. Listen to your customers, stay on your reserve if people have travelled a long way and seem tired.

In the rooms, provide a welcome booklet. If you opt for a digital version, slide a flyer inviting you to download it on your phone.

During meals, and especially at breakfast, ask your staff to reach out or engage in conversation to suggest products or services from your catalog.

Throughout your stay, offer discounts for hotel services that sell less well than expected. Communicate through your Room directory, your displays in the lift and in the lobby, etc.📣

After the stay

If you thank your customers for staying in your hotel, take the opportunity to find out what they think about these additional services.

These purchases are valuable information. Keep them in your PMS to personalize future exchanges or share exclusive benefits.

• During the holiday season, send a special offer to all your customers who have booked a treatment in your space Wellness.
• Announce the opening of a space coworking to your business customers.
• Upgrade to Early Booking.

Adopt an effective additional sales method

As we said before, all means are good to sell your extras: website, social networks, booking engines, display, Room directory, etc. Don't just distribute a catalog on these media. Refine your arguments and rely on your teams and partners. 👩👨

Talk about experience rather than product

The implementation of complementary products and services contributes to providing a unique experience to the people staying in your establishment. Make them understand it via your communication media by playing on emotions. For example, focus on:

• the pride of contributing to the preservation of the planet by renting a bike rather than by borrowing your car;
• the pleasure of sharing a “luxury” room with your spouse;
• the surprise of tasting local products while dining around a “local” packed lunch;
• the serenity of buying a museum ticket at the hotel rather than queuing up for hours on site.

Train all its staff

Involve your entire team in valuing your extras: from the receptionist to the room staff, including bartenders, baggage handlers, etc.

All contribute to the customer experience within your establishment.

Our advice:

• write a sales manual and present it to them
• allow them to talk to customers to promote these services;
• Show them your Room directory, the Guest app or the paper welcome booklet.

Partnering with local partners

Limiting yourself to services that only you can provide would be a shame. Meet local businesses that already market offers that may be of interest to your travelers.

Talk with them to imagine tailor-made and original products:

• a gift box with local products;
• VIP access to a festival;
• a pass to discover your city, etc.

🔑 The key to the success of a good strategy ofUpselling And of Cross-selling is to offer the right service at the right time and with the right support. This is why, at GetWelcom, we have developed for you a solution for digitizing your Room Directory directly linked to your PMS.

⏩ Our customers are the ones who talk about it best, Discover the video testimony of Chiara Mirante, marketing manager ofHotel Villa Saxe Eiffel who uses our Room Directory solution to makeUpselling And of Cross-selling.

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