How Collaborative Sales and Marketing Strategies Are Shaping Hotel Profitability
By Christine Preusler
While working as a revenue manager early in his career, Calvin Tilokee encountered a property with a storied past – a converted hat factory once home to pioneering women in the 1920s. Yet the hotel’s marketing was disappointingly generic, relying on bland visuals that failed to capture its unique character.
“I realized that if you’re not putting the right message in front of your audience at the right time, you’re “Wasting resources,” Tilokee said. “In that case, the hotel’s rich history was its most powerful asset for engaging guests and driving revenue.”
That moment stayed with him and ultimately shaped his approach at RevPar Media, a branding and marketing agency he later founded. There, Tilokee champions customized marketing strategies that blend authentic storytelling with hard data to unlock revenue opportunities for hotels.
“The real magic happens when you pair your hotel’s untold story with data-driven strategy,” Tilokee said. “That’s when every guest interaction becomes a chance to create lasting value.”
This April at AAHOACON25 in New Orleans, Tilokee will join a panel of industry experts, including Melanie Calcagno, vice president of sales, Jacaruso Enterprises; Don Farrell, founder, Fresh Revenues; and Jason Lee, chief technology officer, Travel Media Group, to discuss how a strategic approach to sales and marketing can transform every guest interaction into lasting value.
As the convention draws near, these innovative leaders remind us that in modern hospitality, every guest interaction – whether it’s a conversation, click, or check-in – holds the potential to drive revenue.
From Cold Calls to Seamless Synergy
While creativity forms one pillar of success, another rests on discipline and measurable performance, a point passionately made by Farrell, founder of Fresh Revenues.
Farrell’s journey is a study in reinvention. Starting from humble beginnings as a bellman and progressing to roles at the front desk, he quickly learned that the old ways of doing business were ripe for change. In the 1980s, hotels relied on a straightforward, if crude, system.
“Sales teams made both inbound and outbound calls, while marketing teams made the phone ring,” Farrell said. “Conversion [of reservations and customer inquiries into revenue] was left largely to the front desk and reservations.”
Fast forward to today, and Farrell said the landscape has evolved dramatically. Modern marketing leverages online content and diagnostics that pinpoint what works and what doesn’t. Sales and marketing now work together, integrating customer relationship management (CRM) data into the guest experience, handling inbound calls, and managing online inquiries. For most hotels, which are often dependent on brand-level marketing or centralized corporate support, the challenge is not attracting guests but converting interest into revenue.
Farrell recalls a time, while working as vice president of sales and marketing for a mid-sized property when he overheard a frazzled reservations staffer struggling with a surge of calls. The inefficiencies were glaring: Calls passed between departments, unanswered questions, and a general lack of coordination cost the hotel dearly. That chaotic moment sparked his resolve to overhaul the way hotels manage inquiries. “For most hotels, conversion rates barely tip the scales at 30 or 40 percent,” he said. “But what if you could train your teams to hit 80 percent at a higher average rate? That’s when you start to see real revenue growth.”
Farrell’s approach is both practical and empathetic. He trains every team member to understand the mechanics of booking and the psychology behind every call, identifying whether a guest hesitates due to steep rates or unclear value. Every interaction – at the front desk, on the phone, or online – is an opportunity for him. His method is rooted in targeted training. “Front desk teams learn to convert walk-ins at nearly 90 percent, while sales and catering staff are equipped to be far more than mere order takers,” he said.
The process is simple in concept: Build, measure, learn, and repeat. He stresses that success hinges on aligning both departments on complementary incentive plans, maintaining an open dialogue, and even “walking a day in each other’s shoes” to foster mutual understanding.
“Training your teams to be elite isn’t just about hitting the numbers – it’s about mindset,” Farrell said. “It’s about training every team member to approach each interaction with a sense of excellence, ensuring that every inquiry is treated with the same urgency and focus as a top-tier lead.”
A Blueprint for Collaboration
As Vice President of Sales at Jacaruso Enterprises, Calcagno adds another vital dimension to this conversation. With nearly a decade of experience working alongside hundreds of hoteliers, Calcagno’s perspective is centered on technology.
“In today’s digital-first landscape, marketing efforts must be aligned with sales strategies to reach the right audience with the right messaging,” she said. “The most successful hotels break down silos and create a shared approach that leverages technology, data, and automation to drive measurable revenue growth.”
For Calcagno, integrating sales and marketing means creating a unified front that harnesses every available tool, from CRM systems to artificial intelligence-driven analytics, to nurture leads and drive revenue. Her strategy is as straightforward as it is effective: Create a shared vision. At Jacaruso, this involves regular strategy meetings, aligned key performance indicators, and a relentless focus on the guest journey. “The most successful hotels treat sales and marketing as one cohesive team rather than separate departments,” Calcagno said.
One illustrative case involved a mid-sized hotel struggling with low weekday occupancy and few corporate bookings. By aligning targeted digital advertising with personalized follow-up from the sales team, the hotel experienced a 25 percent surge in corporate bookings within three months. The result was an immediate revenue boost and the establishment of long-term relationships with corporate clients – a dual win that underscores the power of a collaborative, data-driven approach.
Calcagno emphasized that while technology isn’t a silver bullet, tools like centralized CRM systems provide the scaffolding upon which effective sales and marketing strategies are built.
Bridging the Gap
A common thread in these conversations is the need for a culture of collaboration that transcends departments and creates a shared sense of purpose. Whether it’s Tilokee’s focus on crafting resonant content, Farrell’s rigorous training programs, or Calcagno’s call for integrated digital strategies, the message is consistent: Revenue maximization is a team sport. It’s about aligning incentives, breaking down silos, and ensuring every team member understands their role in driving the bottom line.
“A common challenge is the siloed structure that prevents sales and marketing from working as a unified force,” Calcagno said. “Misaligned goals, inconsistent messaging, and ineffective resource allocation can result in lost revenue.”
Hoteliers who embrace an integrated approach find that it does more than boost occupancy; it transforms the entire guest experience. When sales and marketing work in harmony, a property speaks with a single, cohesive voice tuned to the needs of modern travelers, building a resilient brand identity that can weather market fluctuations.
Central to this transformation is the strategic use of data. No longer the exclusive realm of revenue managers, data now informs every decision, from crafting targeted social media campaigns to scripting personalized reservation calls. As Tilokee puts it, “Data isn’t just numbers – it’s the pulse of your audience. When you know when and how your guests engage, you can tailor your message in real time.”
Ultimately, the fusion of creativity and analytics paves the way for a new era in hospitality, where every guest interaction is an opportunity. In the words of Farrell, “Sales isn’t just about cold calling and hitting targets anymore. It’s about understanding that every conversation is an opportunity to build a relationship – and that relationship starts the moment a guest picks up the phone.”
Image: ichzigo/stock.adobe.com
Leave a Reply