Hotel Sales Strategy: From RFP Responders to Revenue Creators
The rules of hotel sales have changed. Again.
For years, success was measured by how quickly sales teams responded to Requests for Proposal (RFPs). Speed mattered. Volume mattered. Fill the inbox, answer the inquiry, quote the rate, hope for the win.
That approach isn’t enough anymore.
Today’s meeting planners—and increasingly, executive assistants, office managers, and operations leaders who suddenly find themselves planning events—are researching destinations long before they ever submit an RFP. Artificial intelligence is helping buyers build shortlists.
Buyers expect immediate answers, frictionless experiences, and trusted advisors; search engines and AI tools are providing that for them.
The hotels winning more business aren’t simply responding faster. They’re creating demand before the RFP ever exists.
During a recent episode of the InnSync Show, Cory Falter sat down with Jeff Livingston, Head of Sales at JC Resorts, to discuss what sets today’s highest-performing hotel sales teams apart.
Their conversation revealed an industry in transition, one where relationships, adaptability, and proactive selling are becoming the ultimate competitive advantage.
How Should Hotel Sales Teams Adapt to AI and Changing Buyer Behavior?
First Things First … Stop Waiting for the RFP
Jeff defines what a high-performing sales team is today: “The most successful teams that I’ve seen are filling the top end of that funnel.”
Five years ago, many sales teams were measured by productivity metrics—how many RFPs they answered, how quickly they responded, and whether they quoted rates within brand standards.
Today, the best teams are doing something completely different.
They’re identifying opportunities before competitors ever receive the RFP.
“They’ve developed that trust. They’ve developed that relationship with the planner,” Jeff explains. “They’re two steps ahead.”
That’s an enormous shift. Responding to inbound demand is reactive. Creating demand is strategic.
The difference often determines whether you’re competing against ten hotels or becoming the first (and sometimes only) call a planner makes.
The Planner Has Changed. Has Your Hotel Sales Strategy?
One of the biggest blind spots in hospitality isn’t technology.
It’s the customer.
Following the pandemic, many organizations never rehired dedicated meeting planners. Instead, event responsibilities landed on executive assistants, HR managers, office administrators, and department leaders.
As Cory points out, these new planners often aren’t hospitality experts. They’re figuring things out as they go. They’re also far less likely to use traditional sourcing platforms.
Instead, they’re searching Google, asking ChatGPT for recommendations, browsing hotel websites, and reaching out directly.
Many don’t know industry terminology.
Many don’t have firm dates.
Many simply want someone who can help.
He says, “Sometimes they just want to know, ‘Hey, do you have availability in August, and can I talk to you?’”
That seemingly simple observation exposes a major opportunity.
Hotels are continuing to require prospects to complete lengthy RFP forms before they’ve even spoken to a human being. When all the buyer wants is a quick conversation.
Hotels that want twenty fields of information, in this day and age, are the ones losing out on revenue.
Jeff admits the industry still struggles here. “Do we need all of that? Is it needed in step one? Is it needed before you say hello?”
It’s a question every sales leader should ask.
Every additional required field increases the chances that a prospect abandons the inquiry altogether.
Reducing friction doesn’t mean collecting less information forever; it simply means collecting the right information at the right time.
Start with four simple fields: first name, last name, email, and a question box.
Then, you can earn the rest through conversation.
The easier you are to do business with, the more business you’ll earn.
Relationships Are Becoming Your Biggest Competitive Advantage
Technology keeps getting smarter; that doesn’t make relationships less valuable. It makes them more valuable.
As buyers gain access to unlimited information, they no longer need salespeople to explain room capacities or meeting space dimensions.
They simply need confidence, guidance, and trust.
Jeff believes relationships remain the foundation of great sales. “It’s all based on that.”
The best salespeople don’t wait for opportunities; they create memorable experiences before business is ever discussed.
Building those relationships may look like inviting a planner to lunch, hosting a site visit, experiencing the spa together, or taking a walk around the property.
It’s all about building familiarity before negotiation begins.
When competitors become interchangeable, relationships become priceless. Otherwise, every proposal becomes a pricing exercise. And no one wins the race to the bottom.
Buyers Don’t Want Another Sales Pitch
One of the strongest moments in the conversation arrives when Cory describes the highest-performing sales teams as teachers first.
Jeff agrees. “Sales team…we talk too much.”
The strongest sales conversations aren’t presentations; they’re discoveries.
The best salespeople, no matter the industry, listen first. They aim to understand the business challenge. They’ll ask better questions so that they can tailor the solution.
Jeff shares a humorous example. Hotels often offer free parking during negotiations. Except the attendees are flying in and taking rideshares.
The concession sounds valuable, but it isn’t. Without listening, even generous offers miss the mark.
Modern selling isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about solving the right problems.
AI Has Changed the Buying Journey Forever
Before contacting a hotel, planners now research destinations, compare venues, evaluate reviews, browse social media, watch videos, and increasingly ask AI platforms for recommendations.
Buyers no longer rely on salespeople to educate them. They educate themselves first.
By the time they reach out, they’ve already eliminated dozens of options. Many have a shortlist before speaking with anyone.
Jeff sees it happening every day. “A lot of planners have their shortlist before they even start the process.”
If your digital presence isn’t earning trust before the first conversation, you’re already behind.
Marketing and sales can no longer operate in separate worlds.
Every article, every testimonial, every video, every review, and every team member featured online influences whether your hotel even makes the shortlist.
Cold Calling Is Losing Ground. Warm Prospecting Is Rising.
Traditional prospecting often feels like throwing darts in the dark. Call enough people, and eventually someone answers.
Technology is making that strategy obsolete.
Cory discusses a growing trend: intent-based prospecting.
Instead of guessing who might need meeting space someday, modern platforms identify organizations actively researching meeting venues, team-building activities, destinations, and event planning.
That changes everything.
Rather than making 100 cold calls, sellers can focus on buyers who are already showing interest.
“You’re gonna utilize your sales team’s time better,” Jeff says.
High-performing sales teams aren’t eliminating prospecting; they’re making prospecting smarter.
Warm conversations consistently outperform cold interruptions.
The Salesperson of Tomorrow Creates Demand Today
Perhaps the boldest prediction comes near the end of the discussion. Jeff believes AI will eventually handle much of today’s inbound inquiry process.
Tasks that many current sales teams do manually, such as routine RFP responses, basic information requests, and availability checks.
Technology is steamrolling ahead so that much of that work can be automated. So where does that leave sales?
Jeff says, “The seller is going to earn the business because of their own efforts.”
We’re talking about sales professionals who will become revenue generators, business developers, relationship architects and community builders.
The most valuable sales professionals of the future are those who consistently fill the top of the funnel rather than waiting for opportunities to arrive because AI can’t replace those skills.
Your Team Is the Brand
Luxury hotels spend millions showcasing guestrooms, ballrooms, restaurants, golf courses, and scenic views.
Yet one of the most visited sections on many meeting websites is surprisingly simple. It’s the Meet the Team page.
Why are hotels hiding their greatest asset?
“We need to showcase who you’re working with,” Jeff says.
And the best properties are not just highlighting sales managers. They’re featuring any team member who is guest-facing: conference services, banquet captains, chefs, and setup crews.
The people creating memorable events deserve visibility.
People buy from people; they always have and always will.
Future-proofing the bottom line happens when team leaders and revenue managers truly embrace a core truth: while stunning spaces capture attention, it is outstanding people who secure lasting loyalty.
Leaders Must Become Coaches
Jeff believes today’s best leaders don’t provide all the answers; they develop problem solvers.
Rather than asking, “What should I do?” Strong sales professionals arrive with ideas, possible solutions, and recommendations. The leader coaches, challenges assumptions, and builds confidence.
That creates independent thinkers capable of navigating an increasingly complex marketplace. Adaptability, not experience alone, becomes the defining leadership skill.
“Our world’s changing,” Jeff says. “The leaders who embrace continuous learning will help their teams thrive as a result.”
Video Now Opens the Door
One recommendation from the conversation stands above the rest: get comfortable on camera.
Not because every salesperson needs to become a content creator. Because video builds familiarity before conversations begin.
Cory encourages sellers to stop overthinking it.
Here are a few ideas how:
- Record a room setup.
- Highlight an event design.
- Walk through a meeting space.
- Share one useful tip.
- Teach something.
“The bar is literally in the basement,” he jokes.
Authenticity consistently outperforms perfection.
Personalized video messages, property walkthroughs, behind-the-scenes moments, and educational content create trust long before a planner visits your website.
In a world flooded with generic emails, a genuine face still stands out.
The Future Belongs to Revenue Creators
Hotel sales isn’t disappearing, it’s simply transforming.
The highest-performing teams won’t be defined by how many RFPs they answer; they’ll be recognized for the number of opportunities they create.
By …
- Removing friction instead of adding it.
- teaching instead of pitching.
- Embracing AI instead of fearing it.
- Building relationships before competitors even know an opportunity exists.
As Jeff reminds us, one principle hasn’t changed despite all the technology. “At the end of the day, it’ll be about relationships.”
The tools will evolve, buyer behavior will continue shifting, AI will reshape workflows, but trust remains impossible to automate.
The hotels that understand that distinction won’t simply respond to the future.
They’ll help define it.
