Because You Know I’m All About That Base….

“Because you know
I’m all about that bass ’bout that bass, no treble,
I’m all about that bass ’bout that bass, no treble,
I’m all about that bass ’bout that bass, no treble,
I’m all about that bass ‘Bout that bass

Base business is the key to every sales strategy for every one of our hotels.  Without a base of consistent, and consistently priced business you will always be scurrying to keep up with your comp set.  So how do you create a good base of business?

All businesses begin with no customers. Products evolve from abstract ideas, into primitive objects that are then further refined, and the business that created the product begins to gain customers.  Satisfied customers become repeat buyers and core customer of the company. This is the process that creates the customer base.  Finding local base (LNR’s) is hard.  You must go out and find that business and go through the process of wooing them to trust you and your hotel.  Many hotel communities shift business from year-to-year and unless your base business remains loyal – you are a target.  To keep your business YOUR business, you must develop a consistent plan of communication and contact.

Hotels (should) work very competitively to keep their core market intact. Sales managers research their buyers so as to increase customer awareness. It is very rare for an established hotel to lose its core customers to other hotels, and it has been stated that when an established hotel loses their consumer base via sudden and straightforward methods, it was not an ingenious move of the hotel that allowed this to happen, but rather a result of the established hotel “dropping the ball.”

Who are your current customers, and why do they buy from you? Look for common characteristics and interests. Which ones bring in the most business? It is very likely that other people like them could also benefit from your product/service.  Do customers like you?  Are you asking for referrals?

Remember, not all base business will be your best-priced business.  In fact, it is normally quite the opposite.  The reward to frequent companies and guests translates into lower price tags.  Making up your ADR and revenue goals comes from driving prices up based on demand.  If you have a good base of business you can “decorate” the top end with higher room rates.  It’s much more fun to participate in a revenue call when all you do is talk about how much to raise the rate!

Our goals for 2015 is to find the perfect ratio of base business to other business.  If you did not develop a strategy for increasing base, put one into play today!

Happy Base Building!

Linda