Hosting tricks and tips. The quick wins to get your home booked.

[Omphile1]

I want to know how the hosts attract more clients, how they maintain relationships with returning clients, and how they communicate with them. 

[Joe771 · Accepted solution]

@Omphile1 I want to say that this is not a quick process. However I am happy to share somethings that I wish I knew when I first started out. One know what kind of guest you want to stay at your property and design the property towards them. Once I started doing that, I noticed my property was getting booked more and I was getting more of the kind of guest I was wanted. The days of just putting something on the OTA’s and it will get booked are gone. 
How do I maintain a relationship with my guest? I communicate with them about the property before they arrive to the property. I share with them my favorite places to visit and eat. I also communicate with them during their stay as well to make sure everything is going smoothly. I try to let them know there is a human on this side of the experience and I am here to make their experience the best it can be. I use automated messaging to communicate with the guest when it is appropriate and depending on the situation I might pick up the phone and talk to them. I treat each guest the same way I want to be treated. 

I hope this helps and good luck. 

[Omphile1]

Hi Joe771, this is so insightful. I guess one might take it for granted and think that it is a business, but it is more of a relationship-building tool because this can also speak to people advertising your place via word of mouth. I really appreciate this insight. 

People are always looking for an experience and not just time out... it must make sense to want to go back. 

Please can you let know @Joe771 how you manage your bookings on different OTA's. which channel would you recommend that has worked effectively and has catered to your business needs?

[Joe771]

@Omphile1  Your welcome. I think as host we are in the relationship business. Part of the guest experience is our interaction with them. Sometimes that means very little contact with the guest, and sometimes that means a lot of contact with the quest. Each guest is different. 

I have my properties on another OTA as well as AirBnB. I sync the calendars together so that I do not double book guest. I use a 3rd party PMS to sync the calendars and run my automated messages from. This helps to make sure the same message goes to each guest. 

Hope this helps and good luck.