The J Collection Boosts Business with Lead Sharing Across Portfolio of 19 Properties

MOUNT PLEASANT, SC - The J Collection, a New Orleans-based collection of exceptional Southern hotels and resorts wanted to share leads as efficiently and effectively as possible to capture and convert additional business. The brand also wanted to track conversions from lead referrals to booking in order to optimize its lead-sharing processes.

"We implemented the STS Cloud multi-property sales system from SalesAndCatering.com in 2018 and recently began using the system's lead-sharing capability," said Laurie Guidry Manning, director of sales and marketing at The J Collection. "STS Cloud lead-sharing functionality will help us capture and convert more business while increasing cooperation between our sales teams. It is ideal for our company."

The J Collection required one enterprise hotel sales and catering system that was cloud-based to automate and coordinate sales processes across its portfolio of hotels.

"We previously were using a larger 'one-size-fits-all' sales and catering system. It was costly, not supported well, and not tailored to our business. We tested STS Cloud at one of our properties to see if it would handle the operation. It did a very good job of automating our processes, plus, it was more cost effective. The biggest difference was the level of collaboration between our team and STS. Every suggestion or request that we made was fulfilled," said Guidry Manning. "We use SalesAndCatering.com's STS Cloud sales and catering system at nine properties now."

Once The J Collection's sales systems were fully installed, Guidry Manning coordinated with SalesAndCatering.com to refine the STS Cloud system's lead-sharing capability.

"I worked with the company's team to have the system record and track each lead referral, such as who had generated the referral, and who responded, and the value of the business once it was booked. Sending emails and making phone calls to lead-share is cumbersome. We wanted to automatically track lead-sharing between our properties, put a value on each referral when booked, and have access to reports that quantify which properties and teams were referring and closing business. The system does all this now and it has improved our bookings and strengthened our teams," said Guidry Manning.

SalesAndCatering.com's applications are the most affordable, full featured, sales and catering systems in the hospitality market. The company sets the standard for personalized service, professional training, and simplicity of system operation to help clients rapidly implement, and immediately impact productivity. STS Cloud is used by many independent properties and hotel chains.

"STS Cloud is very valuable for our properties and hotel group," said Guidry Manning. "The reporting tools and options are paramount of importance to me as the corporate director of sales. I can see monthly and annual total-company lead sharing data that shows me which teams are referring the most leads. We use this to improve performance and provide training with the sales teams that are lagging behind. I have seven directors of sales that report to me and real-time lead sharing is a valuable benefit of STS Cloud for The J Collection."

The J Collection also uses SalesAndCatering.com's ProposalPath automated proposal creation application.

"ProposalPath lets us generate custom proposals very quickly. When a client is on our website asking for a proposal, the request feeds into ProposalPath. The system provides a fast, smooth process to generate the proposal based on the client's exact requirements and the property's attributes," said Guidry Manning. "Our sales directors with multiple properties can respond to proposal request quickly."

ProposalPath is a fast, online proposal generation tool that is fully integrated with STS Cloud.

"In hospitality, if you get your proposal to a client fast you stand a better chance of winning the business," said Guidry Manning. "Integration of service is what it is all about. The STS Cloud lead-sharing referral tool is integrated with the process. If one of our hotels gets a proposal request and cannot accommodate the business, the system sends the lead to our properties that are appropriate. SalesAndCatering.com's lead sharing analytics show the lead flow, the value of each referral, and prompts the lead referring sales director to follow up to verify if the business is booked and its value."

STS Cloud puts sales teams in command of the facts wherever they are as they prospect new business or manage active accounts.

"The J Collection's sales teams can sell more effectively because they can see and offer real-time availability for rooms and event space," said Guidry Manning. "Creating accurate bids and responding quickly to proposal requests is essential for successful property sales. STS Cloud helps us achieve these goals."

About SalesAndCatering.com, LLC

SalesAndCatering.com provides the most affordable full-featured Sales and Catering systems for hospitality. Its STS Sales and Catering system is widely used and engineered to give property sales teams the sales tools that help them achieve their goals. SalesAndCatering.com's cloud and on-premise systems are developed and supported from the company's US-based offices. It is a trusted full-service sales and catering partner that delivers solutions via a software-as-a-service model that ensures greater client communication to streamline the sales process and maximize staff productivity. SalesAndCatering.com's systems help hotel companies meet revenue goals through anytime-anywhere data access and integration with multiple PMS systems. Available as a desktop or cloud-based solution, STS delivers unparalleled performance to help you thrive in today's competitive sales environment. For more information please visit https://salesandcatering.com.

About J Collection

The J Collection represents 19 unique, locally owned and operated hotels with more than 2,050 rooms situated throughout New Orleans and the surrounding region. Each property holds a distinctive style and personality all its own, yet all offer an authentic experience, steeped in the rich culture, charm and electricity of the Crescent City. The collection is comprised of: Bourbon Orleans Hotel; The Jung Hotel & Residences; Hotel Mazarin; Hotel Le Marais; Dauphine Orleans; Le Richelieu; Melrose Mansion; Audubon Cottages; The Whitney Hotel; Maison Dupuy Hotel; Historic Streetcar Inn; Chateau Hotel; Hotel Royal; French Quarter Suites; New Orleans Courtyard Hotel and the Crowne Plaza New Orleans Airport. Nottoway, located an hour outside of New Orleans, joined the collection in 2019 as the largest operating antebellum plantation in the South; followed by Dunleith in Natchez, MS. A 200-room Sheraton Resort and Conference Center in Flowood, MS is currently in development to open in 2020. Uniquely suited for meetings that break the mold, leisure escapes, and stunning celebrations, the J Collection offers the perfect venues for experiences rich with history. Sales & Marketing Property Technology MICE Big Data