Why your hotel tech sales strategy is annoying buyers and what to do instead
Look, I love this industry. I’ve spent decades helping hotel tech companies break through the noise. But there’s one thing we have to talk about: the pitch slap epidemic.
You know what I’m talking about.
Cold DMs. “Circling back” emails. Random calls asking for “just 15 minutes.”
It’s exhausting. And worse, it’s ineffective.
That’s why I brought in my friend Don Barnett, Director of Sales and Marketing at LondonHouse Chicago, to talk shop on The InnSync Show. Don’s in a unique position, because he’s both the pitcher and the target. And he didn’t hold back.
“If I got a hundred bucks for every cold pitch I get in a day, I could probably retire by year’s end.”
How to Modernize Your Hotel Tech Sales Strategy
The Old Playbook Is Ineffective and, Quite Frankly, Annoying
Hotels are running lean. Teams are smaller, roles are stretched, and time is the most precious commodity in the building. Yet somehow, vendors are still opening with “Got a sec?”
Spoiler: we don’t.
And those generic, AI-generated pitches? They’re landing like a wet towel. No context. No relationship. No chance.
Today’s Hotel Buyers Want to Discover, Not Be Sold
“We’re doing the research ahead of time,” Don says. “I’m on LinkedIn checking for mutual contacts, reading reviews, asking around. I don’t need someone to sell me. I need someone I can trust when the time’s right.”
Sound familiar?
This is the shift: hoteliers are now in control of the buyer’s journey. If you’re trying to insert yourself too early — or too aggressively — you’re not just being ignored, you’re being remembered (for all the wrong reasons).
So What’s Working for Hotel Tech Sales Strategy in 2025?
Be Found. Be Helpful. Be Human.
Let’s break this down. Here’s Don’s 3-pillar playbook for hotel tech vendors that actually want to get noticed:
1. Your LinkedIn Is Your Landing Page
If your profile looks like it’s from 2017, we’re not taking you seriously. Update your headline. Add testimonials. Share wins. Show your face. And above all, speak directly to the problems you solve.
2. Stop Pitching. Start Teaching.
Nobody wants another feature list. Give me content that educates. Show me use cases. Share insights. Answer the questions I haven’t asked yet.
“Thought leadership doesn’t mean being loud,” Don said. “It means being useful.”
3. Learn Agentic Search or Get Left Behind
AI is changing the way people discover solutions. LinkedIn posts, Google searches, and even ChatGPT prompts are all indexing your content. If you’re not creating keyword-rich, question-based content, you’re invisible when buyers go hunting.
And Please, Don’t Be “That Guy”
Don shared this gem: “Someone tried to get to me by calling our housekeeping manager. Now, that person is on my do-not-call list. Forever.”
Don’t be slick.
Don’t spam contact forms.
And for the love of hospitality, don’t trick your way into a conversation.
Play the Hotel Tech Sales Long Game Like a Pro
You want to know how we ended up working together?
“Cory never cold-pitched me,” Don said. “We dialogued for years. Then one day, it clicked. And here we are.”
That’s it. No tricks. Just trust.
TL;DR: Want to Sell Hotel Tech in 2025? Do This Instead:
- Personalize every pitch. No excuses.
- Invest in LinkedIn — it’s your storefront.
- Be helpful before you’re ever hired.
- Write like a human, not a chatbot.
- Respect the timeline — trust takes time.
Because no one ever said “yes” to the guy who wouldn’t stop calling.
