8 Tips for Relationship Building in the Age of the eRFP

I had a conversation with one of my favorite third party meeting planners the other day that stuck with me.

Here’s the gist:

ME: (ring ring)

HER: Hello?

ME: Oh!! It’s so nice to hear your voice! It’s Anna, how are you?

HER: (laughing) You sound surprised

ME: Ummmm, I feel like I NEVER get anyone on the phone these days. I have planners who refuse to answer calls or even emails…it’s so nice to have a conversation.

I have a few quick questions about the ABC program for April…blah blah blah

HER: I feel your pain! Nice to talk to a human being!

You get the point here. It’s a sad phenomenon we Sales Managers are seeing more frequently in the eRFP age.

It’s interesting to me the personality traits that make those of us who work in hospitality, sales, meeting planning, etc. – successful people.

Many of us are eager to please, problem solvers, detail-oriented, focused, multi-taskers; people who love to interact, build and share experiences.

That being said, how many sales managers out there have fired off an RFP response without picking up the phone first?

Maybe sent a proposal without as much as an email? How many have responded through the Cvents, the Starcites and the SpeedRFP’s of the world without sending it via email as a follow up? Is the convenience of digital RFP’s teaching us to be lazy? To forget the reason we picked this industry? To build relationships, mutually beneficial, gratifying systems that support business goals?

I get it. I’ve been on both sides of the fence – as a corporate planner and on hotel sales side – and I’ve been inundated with work on both sides.

Phone calls, emails, in and out of the office constantly…I get it. And any time I felt frustrated…I couldn’t get in touch with someone, something’s not moving to contract fast enough, pressure to meet quotas with groups that aren’t ready to sign…I remember that my client also has a crazy schedule. She’s also in and out of the office. I understand she’s swamped. I want to help her get this program placed, and the contract done so she can check that off her list and move onto the next one. That if I take five minutes to call her she can hear my smile through the phone, hear the warmth in my voice, and know that I understand. She’ll know that I will be one less thing she has to worry about because she trusts my experience, my knowledge, she trusts ME. And when the next program comes to San Diego, she’ll reach out to me first.

Relationships like this may start through emails or digital proposals, but planners and sales managers can fast track things by picking up the phone. In the end it’s not about ‘closing the deal’ every time – not every program is a good fit for my property – I know that. It’s about working hard, supporting my clients, focusing on building trust and professional friendships that we will both take together for years, even after we have both moved on to new companies or cities.

A few pointers to help fast track relationship building in these days of digital:

1. Pick up the phone.

This is the quickest, easiest way to see if the program is a good fit for the both of you. Talk attendee demographics, where they’ve been before, what worked, what didn’t work, who is the decision maker, what is the decision process, how much of an influencer is the planner who submitted the RFP, what is most important to the group for a success event. These are just a few, but often these are important factors that planners omit from RFPs.

2. Introduce yourself. Even if it’s via voicemail.

Studies show that 79% of consumers found that receiving voicemails are more personal than e-mails.

3. Research the client, the Company and the Event

LinkedIn, Google, company Facebook and Twitter pages, resources abound. Make your first impression as a competent planner who does their research.

4. Respond promptly, but not first.

Some companies require a 24-hour or faster response. Let’s be realistic…you have work to do and coals already in the fire. If you’re a sales manager, your planner would much rather receive a thoughtfully-composed proposal based on research and what the two of you’d discussed on the phone – than a response fired due to your internal deadlines.

5. Send an email.

If you reply via a platform like Cvent, send a personal email to the contact right after you’ve submitted it in the system. Thank them for the opportunity to bid and cover the proposals salient points in the body of the email.

6. ‘Thoughtful’ Follow Up

Every sales manager differs on how often and what methods they use for following up. Do what works for you, but do so thoughtfully. You got an ‘out of office’ alert to your follow up email…set an Outlook alert to remind you when your client returns to the office.

Be proactive. Include a ‘welcome back to the office’ in your follow up email. Your planner will have a list of things to catch up on – bump your follow up on the list by reaching out first.

7. Schedule a ‘Soft Site’

Connect with the planner over the phone and via the web. Use programs like Skype, or offer a GoToMeeting Site, or a guided website tour while on the phone with the planner. Save time and money for your planner, and build those relationships.

8. Long Term Follow Up

Whether you book the business or not – log the planner information and ‘particulars’. Make note of ‘particulars’ like they a daughter named Sue who starts college soon, or their favorite pet. Follow up every few months with a short email and included a detail, see if they have anything in the pipeline that you two could work on together.

About Our Guest:

Anna Travis readily admits she’s in a committed relationship with the world of events, sales and hospitality. With 16 years of experience ranging from public relations, media, hotel operations, restaurants, four and five-star hotel sales, a successful event planning company, and she has a unique perspective on the industry. Anna has worked as a Task Force member for Marriott, turning failing properties into industry leaders and profit centers. She’s planned weddings for Olympians and celebrities, and her work has been featured in beau coup magazines, and has been recognized in the Top 5% of Wedding Planners nationwide by the Martha Stewart Wedding Network. She served on the Board of Directors for the Junior League, the National Association of Catering Executives, and serves on the Membership Committee for MPI.

She is working on her Master’s in Communication from the University of Southern California, and her CMP certification. She calls sunny San Diego home, but is a Southern girl, born and bred. The same values and etiquette she learned from her gentleman famer grandparents have carried over into all she does. Work hard, be passionate, share positivity, lead, mentor, grow, laugh and as always, plan and be prepared. In her spare time she enjoys swimming, running, skydiving, movies, sports, paddle boarding, wine, champagne, and more wine.