Hotel Sales Playbook is a podcast for aspiring and on-property hotel sales managers who want clear, practical, real-world sales strategy.
Each episode breaks down what the hotel sales role really looks like, with career coaching and revenue-focused playbooks you can actually use.
It is also designed for select-service general managers without an on-property sales manager who want simple, proven ways to drive revenue and build smarter sales habits.
If your hotel is behind budget, group pace is soft or revenue just isn’t where you want it to be, where do you look first?
For many hotels, the answer is sales.
More calls. More leads. More prospecting. More business.
Sometimes that’s exactly what’s needed. Other times, there’s more going on.
In this episode of The Hotel Sales Playbook, Janelle Fae takes you beyond the sales office to look at the factors that can influence your hotel’s ability to win and keep business—from sales execution and staffing to the condition of the hotel, guest experience, online reputation, pricing, market changes, operations and hotel leadership.
You’ll hear why “Everybody sells,” how to separate sales activity from actual results, and one question every hotel leader should consider:
If your sales manager generated 20% more leads tomorrow, is your hotel ready to convert, service and retain that business?
By the end of the episode, you’ll have three practical questions you can take into your next sales or leadership meeting to help determine where business is being lost, what may need attention and where your team should focus next.
Before simply asking sales to sell more, take a closer look at the whole hotel.
You may already have the opportunities. The key is knowing what happens to them next.
13 Aug 2026
HotelPlanner Explained: How to Build a Profitable Partnership
HotelPlanner can be more than another source of group leads. When managed well, it can become a valuable part of your hotel’s overall sales strategy.
In this episode of The Hotel Sales Playbook, I’m sharing what I’ve learned from working with HotelPlanner from three different perspectives: as an on-property sales leader, supporting multiple hotels remotely, and managing the partnership at the enterprise level for global hotel brands.
We’ll talk about how to fine-tune your profile to attract the right opportunities, respond faster, price with purpose, build stronger relationships, navigate commission questions, and measure the results that matter.
I’ll also share practical ways to get more from the HotelPlanner dashboard, work with your HotelPlanner representative, and decide which opportunities make good business sense for your hotel.
And, of course, we’ll wrap up with this week’s Hotel Sales Tip — a simple, no-cost detail you can check throughout your hotel in about 15 minutes.
The goal isn’t to book every piece of business. It’s to book the right business, at the right rate, on the right dates.
11 Jul 2026
Building Stronger Hotel-CVB Partnerships | A Conversation with Sara Clausen
How can hotels build stronger relationships with their local Convention & Visitors Bureau? And why does it matter?
In this first interview episode of The Hotel Sales Playbook, I’m joined by Sara Clausen, Director of Sales at Experience Rochester, Minnesota, for a conversation about one of the most valuable partnerships in hotel sales.
Together, we discuss how hotels and CVBs work together to attract meetings, conventions, sporting events, and group business, while creating stronger destinations and more opportunities for everyone.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
• Why relationships with your local CVB matter
• How hotel sales leaders can become stronger destination partners
• What CVB sales professionals look for when working with hotels
• Ways to stay engaged and top of mind throughout the year
• Practical ideas you can implement immediately to strengthen your local partnerships
Whether you’re a hotel owner, general manager, director of sales, or someone building a career in hospitality, this conversation offers actionable insights to help you better leverage one of your community’s greatest resources.
If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone else in hospitality.
To learn more and access additional resources, visit HotelSalesPlaybook.com.
Follow The Hotel Sales Playbook on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok for more hotel sales strategies, leadership insights, and behind-the-scenes content.
21 Jun 2026
How Convention & Visitors Bureaus Drive Hotel Revenue | CVB 101 for Hotel Leaders
What role does your local Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) play in driving hotel revenue?
In this episode of The Hotel Sales Playbook, I draw on five years of CVB experience to explain how CVBs operate, attract business, and support hotel performance. Learn how they generate demand through meetings, conventions, sporting events, tour and travel, leisure marketing, and special events—and why they can be one of a hotel’s most valuable partners.
We’ll also cover how leads are distributed, what happens before a lead reaches your inbox, and how stronger hotel-CVB partnerships create more opportunities for both hotels and destinations.
Whether you’re a sales manager, director of sales, general manager, revenue leader, or owner, this episode will help you better understand how CVBs contribute to destination success and revenue growth.
In this episode:
• What a CVB does and how it differs from hotel sales • How CVBs are funded • Where CVB business comes from • How lead distribution works • Why some hotels receive more opportunities than others • The importance of need dates and communication • How to become a stronger CVB partner • Advanced strategies for experienced hotel sales leaders
If you want to get more value from your relationship with your local CVB, this episode is for you.
19 May 2026
Using AI With the STR Report to Find Revenue Opportunities
How hotel sales leaders, GMs, and owners can use AI to better understand STR data, uncover hidden demand, and create stronger revenue conversations.
19 Apr 2026
Tour & Travel in Hotel Sales: Building Consistent, Repeatable Revenue
Tour and travel can be one of the most dependable segments in hotel sales when handled well. In this episode, we cover pricing, FIT business, operator relationships, repeat business, and how to turn need dates into revenue.
3 Apr 2026
Growing Corporate Accounts: From Access to Consistent Room Nights
Corporate accounts create meaningful opportunity, and when approached with the right strategy, they can become a consistent and valuable source of business.
In this episode, Janelle walks through how to grow both national and local corporate accounts into steady room night production.
You’ll learn how business travel actually books (including a simple breakdown of the GDS and company travel portals), how to partner effectively with global sales teams, and how to build strong, repeatable business at the property level.
This episode also covers:
• The difference between national and local negotiated accounts
• How corporate travelers make booking decisions
• Practical, on-property ways to create loyalty and repeat stays
• How to use data and AI to uncover opportunity and grow share
• How to stay aligned with global partners to support long-term success
Whether you’re new to hotel sales or looking to refine your approach, this episode provides clear, real-world strategies you can put into practice right away.
And a special thank you to Ana, who inspired this episode with her question around business travel in the IT segment 🤍
22 Mar 2026
Sales and Revenue Management: The Alignment That Drives Hotel Performance
In this episode of Hotel Sales Playbook, we break down one of the most important partnerships inside any hotel — the relationship between sales and revenue management.
Sales creates demand. Revenue management optimizes it.
But when these two functions are not aligned, opportunities are missed, pricing becomes reactive, and overall performance suffers.
In this conversation, we walk through:
• The core responsibilities of sales and revenue management
• Where misalignment typically shows up
• Real-world scenarios like group pricing and last-room decisions
• Practical habits that create alignment
• How leadership sets the tone for revenue performance
If you’re a hotel sales manager, general manager, or revenue leader, this episode will help you think more strategically about how these roles work together to drive results.
13 Mar 2026
What Hotels Do When They Can’t Hire a Full-Time Sales Director
Fractional hotel sales is often discussed, but rarely explained clearly. In this episode of the Hotel Sales Playbook podcast, Janelle breaks down what fractional sales really looks like for economy, limited service, and select service hotels—based on her real-world experience as a fractional hotel sales professional.
This foundational conversation explores how the fractional sales model works, why it has become a smart solution for many hotels, and what general managers and owners should realistically expect. Janelle also shares what the role looks like from the sales professional’s perspective, including the benefits, challenges, and the importance of boundaries, communication, and fit.
Whether you’re a hotel owner, general manager, sales leader, or someone considering a career path in hotel sales, this episode offers practical insight, honest perspective, and clarity around a role that is often misunderstood.
More conversations, tools, and resources are coming soon.
Join the community at hotelsalesplaybook.com.
9 Mar 2026
10 Real Ways Hotel General Managers and Sales Leaders Can Use AI to Save Time and Drive Revenue
Artificial intelligence is already reshaping how hotel leaders manage their time, prepare for meetings, and strengthen sales strategy.
In this episode of Hotel Sales Playbook, Janelle walks through 10 real-world ways hotel General Managers and Sales Managers can use AI to work smarter and lead more effectively.
It’s about practical application.
Inside the episode you’ll learn how AI can help with:
• Preparing for forecast meetings
• Strengthening sales proposals
• Creating training plans for new sales managers
• Generating discovery questions before sales calls
• Building checklists and operational structure
• Researching companies before prospecting
• Improving internal sales conversations
Janelle also shares important guardrails for responsible AI use in hospitality sales, including why AI should support your thinking — not replace it.
If you are a hotel owner, GM, or sales leader looking for ways to simplify your workflow and strengthen your strategy, this episode will give you practical ideas you can apply immediately.
28 Feb 2026
The GM & Sales Manager Partnership - What Drives Revenue
What drives hotel revenue performance? It’s not just market conditions — it’s alignment between the General Manager and the Sales Manager.
In this episode of the Hotel Sales Playbook podcast, Janelle Fae breaks down how strong GM and Sales partnerships directly impact forecasting accuracy, commercial strategy, and overall hotel revenue growth.
You’ll learn:
• How to improve hotel revenue alignment between GM and Sales
• Why psychological safety impacts forecast transparency
• A weekly revenue meeting structure for hotels
• How to handle soft months without blame culture
• The difference between reactive sales management and strategic revenue leadership
If you’re a hotel owner, general manager, director of sales, or aspiring hotel sales leader, this episode provides practical strategies you can apply immediately to improve performance and strengthen commercial leadership inside your property.
Visit hotelsalesplaybook.com for additional resources and upcoming tools designed for revenue-focused hospitality professionals.
20 Feb 2026
Hotel Sales Strategies for the Only Sales Leader in the Building
If you’re the only sales leader in your hotel — whether as a sales manager or a general manager wearing the sales hat — this episode walks through practical hotel sales strategies you can implement immediately.
In limited-service and select-service hotels, revenue does not move unless someone drives it. This episode focuses on foundational sales actions that increase hotel visibility, strengthen local partnerships, and support occupancy growth.
You’ll learn how to:
• Engage your local Convention & Visitors Bureau for referrals
• Plan a quarterly business development blitz
• Execute a focused phone outreach day
• Improve your hotel’s online presence and OTA listings
• Complete a practical SWOT analysis to guide revenue decisions
These are realistic hotel sales tactics designed for properties without a large sales team.
If you are responsible for driving hotel revenue and increasing occupancy, this episode gives you direction you can act on immediately.
For a deeper tactical breakdown and additional strategies, join the Hotel Sales Playbook Patreon community.
More resources at hotelsalesplaybook.com.
12 Feb 2026
Capture Revenue in 30 Days: Practical Hotel Sales Strategies
Episode 4: Capture Revenue in 30 Days
How can hotel sales leaders drive revenue quickly without discounting or reinventing their entire strategy?
In this episode of the Hotel Sales Playbook podcast, Janelle Fae shares practical hotel sales strategies that can help owners, general managers, and sales managers capture revenue within the next 30 days.
This episode covers:
• Short-term group sales strategies, including overflow blocks, sports teams, and HotelPlanner opportunities
• How to generate hotel revenue through local partnerships and community demand drivers
• Reactivating dormant corporate accounts and past group clients
• Simple execution tactics that increase occupancy and strengthen rate integrity
If you are responsible for hotel revenue, group sales, business development, or hospitality leadership, this episode delivers actionable insights you can apply immediately.
Revenue growth does not require reinvention. It requires clarity, focus, and consistent follow-through.
Listen now and start activating near-term revenue opportunities in your hotel.
1 Feb 2026
So you Think you Want to be a Hotel Sales Manager
In this episode, I talk about what it really means to pursue a hotel sales manager role. From deciding what you want to do, creating a plan, and following through, to understanding the realities of the job once you are in it.
I share lessons from my own sales management journey, including why being all hands on deck and a strong team player is essential, and how growth often comes through experience rather than perfection.
This episode is for aspiring and early career hotel sales managers who want clarity, perspective, and encouragement as they build their path forward.
25 Jan 2026
Welcome to Hotel Sales Playbook: Let’s Talk Real Hotel Sales
Welcome to Hotel Sales Playbook—a podcast for aspiring and on-property hotel sales managers who want clarity, confidence, and real-world sales strategy.
In this short welcome episode, I’m sharing why Hotel Sales Playbook exists, who it’s for, and what you can expect from future episodes. Hotel sales is often misunderstood, and too many professionals are asked to figure it out on their own. This podcast is here to change that.
You’ll hear:
Who this podcast is designed for
Why hotel sales feels unclear early in the role
What kind of skills and playbooks we’ll focus on
How this podcast can support your growth and career path
Whether you’re exploring a future in hotel sales or currently on property and ready to level up, you’re in the right place.
It is also designed for select-service general managers without an on-property sales manager who want simple, proven ways to drive revenue and build smarter sales habits.
🎧 New episodes will cover hotel sales fundamentals, real-world revenue strategy, and career coaching for every stage of the role.
Subscribe and join me as we break down hotel sales—clearly and practically.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
6 ratings
Contact Hotel Sales Playbook
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Hotel Sales Playbook?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
