How To Book More Events in Tough Times

Filling Your Venue with Functions, Events and Weddings to beat an Economic Slow Down

Function & Event Sales are a survival priority for Venues – you’ll need to manage your calendar dates carefully in an Economic Slow Down.

This Blog is ideal for Venues and Sales Teams making a Focussed Sales Effort to Fill an Events Venue

If you want to ENERGISE the Venue Sales Department after the downturn or sales slump, here are the BEST strategies to grow your Function, Event & Wedding sales FAST.

Start with Clear EVENTS OUTCOMES and an agreed VENUE STRATEGY PLAN

Get everyone’s agreement on a basic plan for Event Sales in the Venue – Organise a meeting with the owner or manager and sales team to get alignment and agreement on the desired Events Outcomes.

Clarify Venue Goals & Targets and find out the KPIs – Key Performance indicators
Review and Measure your Sales Statistics – Enquiry Count, Conversion rates etc
Learn about the Venue Marketplace, Key Competitors and Know your own Venue.

See this Blog for the things you need for your Venue Strategy Plan

Get the 5 VENUE SALES BASICS Right FAST

These 5 tips are useful for the “First 90 Days”

Assess and make the most of what you already have – your Venue Features, CRM (Diary or database), your website, online reviews and your referrers
Have a good look at your current and past Venue Bookings. Identify the seasonal variations – busy & quiet times and potential clients
Review your current Marketing Collateral – videos & photos and Events Packages
Create a Venue Calendar on the wall and start an Annual Marketing Calendar
Ask past customers and prospects for their Feedback on what they liked and would have improved. Find out what could prevent others from booking your venue and fix it!

What REALLY Works To Boost Functions & Event Sales and beat the slump

Many Venue business owners focus on getting more leads and enquiries to grow. But new leads and venue marketing can cost a LOT of money & take a LOT of marketing time & effort.

Clearly, if you are paying for event enquiries but are NOT ready or able to convert them – then that is very costly and wasteful. You need to be READY to handle more Event Enquiries.

Make sure that you are doing “everything you can with what you already have” by following these 5 Business Growth Strategies – in this priority order.

Increase Venue Average Spend $$
Convert More Enquiries into Sales
Aim to protect and increase your Margins
Get more Repeat Clients and Referrals
Do More Marketing and Get more Event Enquiries

A Detailed VENUE ACTION PLAN to Fill Your Venue with Profitable Events and beat the slump

1. INCREASE VENUE AVERAGE SPEND ASAP

You can make more money right now from every event by offering the right pricing and selling more extras & addons

Review Your Functions & Event Pricing – Volume Up=Prices Up, Supply and Demand pricing
Sell more Extras and Add Ons – ASK upcoming customers
Create a “Extras Menu” with pictures
Read this BLOG on offering more extras and addons

2. CONVERT MORE ENQUIRIES INTO SALES

You probably already have some event enquiries coming in. Learn how to convert more of them into a sale before seeking LOTS more enquiries. Improve Your Conversion Rate.

Your conversion rate will vary depending on the quality and source of the enquiry. For example repeat past clients are far more likely to book than enquiries from a Facebook Ad campaign.

Study Function Sales Techniques – Train your Staff to spot and help with incoming enquiries
Upskill Venue Front of House Team in sales they are 1^st point of contact for enquiries
Quicker Response to Enquiries – 1^st responder is much more likely to get the booking
Asking Better Questions & Listening – learn which questions to ask
For every enquiry – Always get their Contact Number & Name so you can follow up
Provide your Direct Contact Number and hand out business cards to everyone
Improve Your Offer – Functions Pack, Photos, Videos and Testimonials
Use more Photos – Links to photos website with Hero photos
Follow-up call next day after enquiry – always establish the next step
Always Offer multiple Date Options – “By the way have you considered (options)?”
Use Automated Responses and best Email Signatures
Calls to Action – always offer the “Next Step” in the sales journey
Know and Promote your Venue Key Points of Difference
Prepare and Use Email Templates for faster better quality responses
Use/Add testimonials, quotes and reviews – where possible – Ask for reviews

3. AIM TO PROTECT and INCREASE YOUR MARGINS (Don’t sell Cheap Functions)

Many Venues and function salespeople will discount prices when desperate for sales. This is just lazy selling. Aim to avoid discounting and selling cheap events to boost your sales. Make sure you focus on explaining the VALUE before stating the price.

The final result of discounting, selling low price events and cheap functions is a usually spike in Wage Costs and Food Costs and a rapid DECLINE in Venue Profit. Avoid selling volumes of “profitless events” that just wear out the venue for little return.

Avoid desperate selling and discounting your events
Watch your COGS and Expenses closely
Find out High & Low Margin Food & Drinks
Promote High margin Products and Extras
Learn to Buy Better and Cut Costs

4. GET MORE REPEAT CLIENTS & REFERRALS

Your Venue will grow if you can get past clients to “come back and tell others”.

Deliver an Awesome Customer Experience – If NOT, find out what the biggest client “OUCH factors” are and rectify them if possible
Be friendly and grateful – Have a Positive Attitude – Fond farewells
Acknowledge the Event Organiser (Make them look good at event)
Seek more feedback after the event
Maintain past client relationships and follow up
Follow up previous Functions and Clients for Referrals and Repeats
Target repeat business FIRST

5. DO MORE MARKETING DURING THE SLUMP & GET MORE EVENT ENQUIRIES

Use a CRM and really work it – Send E-News to past clients
Get a Great Website – Content & SEO
Add More Content – Videos>Pictures>Words
Improve your Google My Business listing – GMB
More Online & Webmarketing effort
List on Function & Event Directories
Use more Function Signage in the venue
External Event Signage
Build your Online Reputation and Reviews
Facebook /Instagram & Social Media Posting of Clients, Couples and Events
Attend Expos / Run Open Days
More Calls – Pick up the phone
Make Cold Emails to local big business groups
Join Local Networking Groups
Create an Annual Marketing Calendar with Special Events
Target EA/PA Buyers & Hotel Concierges
improve Your Venue Branding efforts

HOW TO CREATE AND USE BETTER VENUE MARKETING COLLATERAL FAST

Develop Better Information Packs, FAQs, Questionnaire
Market your Function Packages
Use Great Photos & Video – e.g. Google 360 video

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR FUNCTIONS AND EVENTS OFFER FAST

Functions Package Offer
Tailor and Customise packages
Presentation of Venue
Provide more OPTIONS and EXTRAS
Cocktail Platters & Signature Dishes
Offer Deals, Specials, Upgrades

ABOUT Kevin Kosky & BIG HAT Training

Big Hat Professional Services provides Hospitality Workshops, Webinars and Training on Sales, Service & Strategy using Experienced Trainers like Kevin.

Kevin Kosky is a skilled business communications trainer. He is a specialist on inbound phone skills, presentation skills and delivering sales presentations. Kevin is an expert teacher of face-to-face communication skills like sales, supervision and presentation skills.

BIG HAT offers ….

Hospitality Training Workshops & Public Training Workshops
Sales Training & Customer Service Training Programs (In House)
Conference Speaking & Breakouts

Read what BIG HAT clients have to say (Client Testimonials)

NEXT STEPS WITH KEVIN

Would you like to discuss Sales Training or Business Growth possibilities ?
Would you like to discuss plans for an upcoming Workshop or Conference?
Maybe an Online Consultation to discuss a challenging Business issue or review your website?

SUGGESTED ACTIONS TO TAKE

Book a “1 on 1” Session for an Online Meeting about your Business or upcoming Conference

TRAINING WORKSHOPS

Book Evolve3 Function Sales Workshops here

If you would just like a chat or have any suggestions for this website please contact us

David Staughton

David Staughton is one of Australia's most popular business consultants. His award winning strategies have helped many hospitality businesses and small business owners grow their sales income and profits.