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Gillis Sales Press Room

May 20

Gillis Addresses Today’s Hospitality Sales Staffing Crisis Through Education, Training and Webinars

Company empowers hoteliers across the country with key initiatives, tools and insights to elevate the sales profession

As the hotel industry begins to re-open in the United States, Gillis, a consulting, training and sales performance partner organization for hoteliers, announced today the expansion of its training and consulting team to empower hoteliers with key strategies for bridging the sales gap. Gillis works hand-in-hand with top brands such as Best Western and Choice, as well as industry organizations such as AAHOA and IHG Owners Association to ensure hoteliers are prepared and ready to capture business as the industry gradually recovers.

Salespeople and sales as a profession often have a bad rap and the hospitality industry is no exception. Today's modern buyer is more informed than ever before and no longer needs salespeople for information. Gillis is committed to elevating the sales profession to help prepare hotels to engage with today's buyer through training, consulting and ongoing support and our industry recovers.

  • Bridging the sales gap - Some hotels today have either cut their sales staff or have reassigned them to operations to fill staffing gaps. As the industry re-opens, sales professionals need to reset to sell in this new environment. Gillis provides the strategies and tactics to help hotels elevate their internal sales teams by providing buyers with a more valuable experience with their salespeople.
  • Development of award-winning sales training programs - Sales is one of the only hospitality disciplines that doesn't require training or established business practices. To provide hoteliers with relevant training, Gillis has developed sales programs for general managers, front desk employees and sales personnel of major brands that are looking to establish a standard for their sales teams.
  • Building a sustainable sales strategy - As sales practices have evolved over the years, it is critical that hoteliers know how to leverage technology and move beyond selling "rates, dates and space." Gillis provides the insight needed to help its clients understand how to have business conversations vs. sales conversations while seeing through the lens of their customers.

Nathan Polny, director, Partnerships and Member Programs, IHG Owners Association said: "Tammy and the team at Gillis Sales have proven to be an integral allied member for the IHG Owners Association. The sales knowledge, breadth of information, and most importantly practical tools they have offered to our franchisees has been exceptional. Through various Association programs including Expert Session webinars, as well as personalized Gillis sales programs, our franchise members regularly look to Gillis Sales and their tools for up-to-date advice and guidance. They have proven themselves to be knowledge leaders in their field and we are grateful to have them as allied members in our Association."

Tammy Gillis, CEO, Gillis, said: "Those of us who are attracted to hospitality have a genuine desire to serve and help people. We're driven to bring travelers together, welcome them as our guests and deliver great customer experiences. To do that, we need to have the right sales and marketing approach to bring them in. I truly believe that it is time to push the reset button and take a hard look at our approach to sales and its effectiveness. We are committed to helping our clients do just that."

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Proudly Supporting Clients in the US & Canada

Proudly Supporting Clients in the US and Canada

Shared Client Experiences

“Gillis is one of our most valued and trusted advisors and partners.”

“We had the good fortune of engaging Gillis after years of managing our sales effort in-house. They came highly recommended through brand leadership and seasoned sales professionals, and they haven’t disappointed. Despite only a few months into our relationship, they have had an immediate impact on our hotels and key account relationships. The Gillis team has already established themselves as one of our most valued and trusted advisors and partners. They have always displayed the professionalism, passion and accountability demanded by their profession.”

– Perry Batke, CHA, General Manager, Denham Hospitality Organization

“The math is simple: Gillis equals heads-in-beds!”

“The sales pros at Gillis have been instrumental in building occupancy at Motel 6 and Studio 6 hotels in Canada over the past several years. Working collaboratively with owners and managers, Gillis takes the time required to find and convert prospects to guests. Gillis provides a best-in-class solution for hotels that don’t have a dedicated, well-trained sales team.”

– Irwin M. Prince, President & COO, Realstar Hospitality

“Gillis has become our most effective resource.”

"As a management company with 4 smaller hotels in busy transient markets, we have struggled to keep our sales and marketing costs relative to the size of our hotel. The cost and time invested in attracting, training, and retaining good salespeople with the current job climate can be not only daunting but frustrating with turnover. With varying demand in the market, a sales manager needs to recognize when to take the business, and when to say no to it. The right rate, at the right time!

We have solved all these problems through turning this demanding role in 3 of our hotels over to Gillis Sales.

Gillis is a trusted, credible partner who has supplied me with experienced professionals who know the fastest route to the business I need. This has become our most effective resource, and I 100% recommend the Gillis solution to my colleagues."

– Patti Barker, Vice President of Hospitality, Metropolitan Hospitality Management

“Giving us confidence no matter what comes up.”

“We have a diverse portfolio of hotels, both full-service and limited-service.  Having a company that can expertly do both is important. Gillis serves as a stand-alone effort for some hotels and, in others, is integrated with our on-site sales team to maximize revenue and efforts.  This helps in responsiveness when opportunities present themselves and fosters a hands-on tailored effort for each location.

Their above-property team is also there for the more complex, non-routine issues, giving us confidence no matter what comes up. That kind of expertise and attentiveness has made all the difference. Another benefit is that the RDOS teams have hotel experience and understand the day-to-day nuances that our team faces and can adapt. This helps avoid delays or the sacrifice of customer experience as situations arise.”

– Dhaval Brahmbhatt, Principal Owner, Prominence Hospitality Group