The AskMeInc marketing team is visiting more than 1,000 travel agents in the first quarter, promoting hotels, destinations and niche markets and learning more about what the agents and their clients are looking for in 2012. While their sales team is hitting the road, the AskMeInc.com partners will be attending the 2012 Caribbean Hotel Industry Marketplace Conference, where they will meet with existing and potential clients.

“We are passionate about the Caribbean and want the region to succeed in the tourism industry,” stated Hilary Lanzer, Vice President of Sales for AskMeInc.com, “The more hotels and destinations participating in the marketing effort of the region, the better.” AskMeInc, a hotel sales and marketing company, offers five tips on how hotels can increase sales.

1. Keep in constant contact with your travel partners with offers, deals and updates. (AskMeInc updates travel partners weekly on client specials, promotions and incentives).

2. Visit travel agents on a regular basis. (AskMeInc started their annual three-month Winter Blitz on January 3 – visiting more than 1,000 travel agencies. “Travel agents are an amazing sales force if you engage them and provide them with the resources they need,” said Hilary Lanzer, Vice President of Sales for AskMeInc.com.)

3. Respond. The faster the better. When a potential client calls, answer within 24-hours. The same goes for emails. AskMeInc increase call conversions for one hotel by 28% in just one quarter. This is the impact of being there to answer the call and getting the client the answers they need. Quickly.

4. Be mobile friendly. In addition to search engine optimization, your website should be mobile device friendly. Industry analysts at eMarketer™ Digital Intelligence predict the number of US consumers using mobile devices to research travel will climb from 19.7 million in 2010 to 29.7 million in 2012. Those who take the next step of booking via mobile will nearly double from 8.7 million to 15.1 million in 2012.  Also, be involved in social media marketing with consistent communication via product facebook pages.

5. Focus on what you do best. If your hotel is best suited for scuba divers, dive into that market. If your hotel is best for families, embrace them. If your hotel is ideal for destination weddings, engage brides. By going after the market that fits best with your hotel, reviews will be better, clients happier and repeat business will increase,” stated Marilyn Cairo, Director of Marketing for AskMeInc.com.

“We increase sales for hotels and destinations by effectively communicating with consumers and travel agents,” stated Hilary Lanzer, Vice President of Sales at AskMeInc. “It is not enough just to answer a call or show up at a travel agency or trade show. You have to be professional, respond quickly, have a plan, and have the skills to convert the call into a booking - it’s all about building relationships.  That’s our sole focus and it results in increased revenues for our clients.”