ABSTRACT
Salespeople need to learn to listen more and speak less; they need to learn when and how to negotiate in the best interest of the property. An important part of effective negotiation is knowing when and how to make proper use of giveaways. By looking at lodging advertisements and direct-mail solicitations to meeting planners, one can easily see that hotel operators are playing into their hands. Many of these ads and mailings are price-oriented as well as a giveaway-oriented. Some are value-oriented. Knowledgeable meeting planners will always try to negotiate downward from any price offered by a hotel salesperson. Good negotiating techniques will almost always produce increases in profitable sales for property sales personnel. Entering into a negotiation session to close a sale need to be a planned event. Corporate executives planning meetings and travel incentives are always concerned with what is negotiables a lodging facility and to what extent they can negotiate a “better” deal.
