In the age of computers and Internet, it's easy to lose touch with guests. Quick, easy and up-to-date information is no longer available. In order to find the information they are looking for, clients may have to go to a corporate web site or independent web site and access e-mails, attachments, word documents, links, web programs and PDF brochures or resort to faxes, phone calls and snail-mail. What happened to one-on-one personal attention to help a client decide on services? The Internet has taken away the personal edge that hospitality sales once had before web site development.

Studies have shown that 85% of those who respond first to an inquiry with complete sales information and provide personal attention to the client will win the business.

Web sites are good marketing tools but they do not provide hotel and event planning sales professionals with the resources and education needed to streamline the service sales process to each sales and inquiry call. The service sales industry has lost track of the basic fundamentals of selling.

Sales 101 tells us the importance of building rapport, education, communicating accurate information quickly and providing special personal attention above and beyond the competition. This practice no longer exists with online resources. Web sites often are built to reflect a web designer's technical goals and restrictions instead of the goals and needs of the sales Industry.

In today's competitive sales environment, time is money. Distribution and presentation of your sales material quickly and professionally - while providing personal attention to the client - can make the difference between the sale and lost business. Web sites should be a tangible sales tool, providing hotel sales professionals all the necessary items needed to present and close the sale efficiently. Combining old-school selling techniques with today's technology will allow you to outsell your competitors.

Hotel Internet Marketing and Hotel On Line Advertising industries must organize its virtual sales procedures and material and begin distributing and presenting sales information to include traditional sales standards to ensure an increase in profits and a decrease in annual marketing budgets.

Web Sites should provide your sales staff with virtual sales tools to close the sale faster and more efficiently, saving you time and money. Incorporating sales 101 into your virtual sales programs helps you sell above and beyond your competitors, while providing you with the tools to streamline your sales process and create a paperless sales environment.

Consumers are still looking for personal attention and outstanding customer service in the event planning sales process. Simply having a web site is not enough to bring attention to event planning sales services anymore.

Distribution and presentation of your sales material instantly and professionally - while providing personal attention to the client - can make the difference between the sale and lost business. Web sites should be a tangible sales tool, providing sales professionals all the necessary items needed to present and close the sale efficiently in one phone call.