Designing an effective sales commission structure is crucial for hotels to motivate team performance, attract top talent, and drive profits. For hotels, commission-based compensation represents a primary tool to incentivize sales staff, agents, and partners to generate more bookings. However, poorly structured plans can lead to confusion, intra-team conflicts, and revenues leaking through unintended loopholes.
That’s why taking a thoughtful approach to crafting your commission policy is so important - aligning pay with behaviours that enhance guest experiences and your bottom line. Get it right, and your sales team will be motivated to convert and upsell actively. Get it wrong, and you’ll be paying out on bookings that undermine profitability.
But with so many models and variables, where do you start? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down the key components of strategic commission plans to help your property maximize results.
We will walk through exactly how to optimize your hotel’s sales commission model based on proven structures. You’ll learn how to balance base pay, variable earnings, and ownership mentality and target the right behaviours. Let’s get started designing a sales commission plan that works!
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Base pay provides security, variable motivates growth
- Balance individual and team performance factors
- Incentivize booking directly over OTAs
- Account for channel costs in payout rates
- Encourage upselling additional services
- Accelerate commissions as targets hit
- Reward group and extended stay conversion
- Track special promotions closely
- Keep structures simple and transparent
- Continuously monitor and adjust
Essential Elements of a Sales Commission Structure
Blend Base Pay with Variable Commission
As part of the Sales Commission Structure, Fixed base salaries give staff financial security. Layering variable commissions tied to metrics like occupancy and RevPAR then provides incentives to maximize performance. Base pay is commonly 50-70% of total compensation.
Balance Individual and Team Factors
Well-crafted plans incorporate both individual conversion metrics like bookings generated and teamwide goals like overall hotel occupancy. This fosters collaboration while still rewarding top performers.
Incentivize Direct Bookings Over OTAs
Pay higher commission rates for bookings via your direct channels. This compensates for OTA distribution costs and motivates driving direct traffic. Add bonus payouts for moving share away from OTAs.
Account for Channel Costs in Commission Rates
Each channel has different costs - 10-25% for OTAs, 3% for credit card fees, lead gen fees, etc. Build compensation around net revenue by channel to avoid unprofitable sales behaviours.
Encourage Upselling Additional Services
As part of the Sales Commission Structure, Pay incremental commissions when staff upsell room upgrades, amenities, packages, and more. This motivates promoting ancillary services that enhance guest experiences.
Accelerate Commissions as Goals Are Met
Structure payout rates to increase upon hitting predefined targets - e.g. 15% commission up to 75% occupancy, then 20% beyond. Accelerators keep staff pushing all season.
Reward Group and Extended Stay Conversion
Pay premiums for securing group, meeting, and extended stay bookings due to their high margins. Enhance base rates after thresholds are met to drive sales staff to close these lucrative bookings.
Track Promotional Offers Closely
To avoid leakage, ensure special promo codes or offers only payout commissions if entered properly upon booking by the earning staff member. Audit usage closely.
Keep Structures Simple and Transparent
Complex, opaque commission structures cause mistrust. Keep metrics, multipliers, and policies easy to understand. Provide clear reporting to link pay and performance.
Continuously Monitor and Adjust
Build regular reviews of booking trends, profitability, and team behaviours to identify required commission structure changes. Like any initiative, keep optimizing over time.
Commission Models by Sales Role
Now, let’s explore commission structures tailored to specific hotel sales roles:
Front Desk Staff
- Small commissions for converting walk-ins
- Bonuses for upselling room upgrades
- Converting no-shows into bookings
- Few tiers based on occupancy goals
Reservations Agents
- Progressive commission rates by channel
- Bonuses for peak period bookings
- Group and extended stay bonuses
- Upsell commissions on add-ons
- Pay premiums on high-margin source markets
Sales Managers
- Base salary plus individual commission
- Group and contracted corporate bookings
- Bonuses for key accounts renewed
- Overrides from team performance
- Accelerators around revenue goals
Also Read: Considering A Commission Structure? 14 Important Elements To Factor In
Third-Party Representatives
- Pay net commissions accounting for lead gen fees
- Limit payouts to profitable source markets
- Clawbacks if bookings are cancelled
- Caps on commission share of revenue
Optimizing Commission Investment ROI
Commission structures require significant investment, so ensuring maximum ROI is crucial. Here are tips to optimize value:
Link Pay to Guest Satisfaction
Incorporate guest satisfaction or reviews into commission criteria. This motivates staff to provide better service alongside driving sales.
Focus on High-Value Guests
Pay higher commission rates for suite bookings, extended stays, and other high-value guests. Incentivize attracting ideal customer profiles.
Offer Contest Bonuses
Run sales contests for specific periods with rewards like bonuses, comp stays, and public recognition to motivate spikes in performance.
Pay Higher Rates During Slow Periods
To incentivize year-round effort, pay 10-20% higher commissions during seasonal lows to keep staff focused.
Audit for Errors and Fraud
Actively monitor for misuse of promo codes, partners booking their stays, and other attempts to game the system. Continual auditing protects profitability.
In A Nutshell
An optimized sales commission structure is one of the most effective investments hotels can make to drive profitability by incentivizing the right staff behaviours. Take a strategic approach using the best practices outlined here as your guide. Plot competitive compensation plans tailored to your property and sales roles. Continuously monitor performance, adjust metrics as needed, and watch your revenues climb!
For hands-on guidance designing a high-ROI commission model, connect with Emersion Wellness. Our team brings decades of hospitality expertise ready to help your sales strategy succeed!
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the hotel Sales Commission Structure typically work?
They involve base pay for security plus layered variable commissions tied to metrics like bookings, occupancy, and RevPAR growth targets. Rates vary by channel and role, with accelerators as goals met.
What behaviours should commissions incentivize?
Increased bookings, extended stays, direct reservations, shoulder season volume, group sales, local partnerships, upsells, repeat visits, guest satisfaction, and high-margin segments should all be incentivized through commissions.
How much pay is usually variable commissions?
On average, base salaries compose 50-70% of total comp, with the variable portion making up 30-50% paid on commissions, reflecting the security versus growth motivator balance.
Should hotels use a Sales Commission Structure with different commission rates by channel?
Yes, paying higher rates on direct bookings versus OTAs accounts for channel costs and motivates driving more profitable direct traffic to your property.
How can commission structures encourage teamwork?
Blend individual conversion metrics with property-wide goals like occupancy, RevPAR, and guest satisfaction that require collaborative efforts to hit shared targets and payouts.
Why pay higher for group and extended stay bookings?
These booking types have higher margins, so paying premiums incentivizes sales staff to focus on securing more of these lucrative reservations.
How often should the Sales Commission Structure be reviewed?
Evaluate quarterly based on results, profitability, and team feedback. Adjust payout rates, accelerators, bonuses and goals as needed to optimize performance.
What risks come with overly complex commission models?
Complexity confuses pay determinants. This leads to mistrust, errors, conflicts, and gaming of the system that undermines profitability.
How should commission payouts be documented as part of your Sales Commission Structure?
Provide clear reporting that links earning activities like bookings to specific commissions paid so staff understand exact compensation drivers.
What can undermine Sales Commission Structure ROI?
Poorly configured hotel sales structures incentivize unprofitable sales activities, lack of auditing, errors in tracking, fraudulent misuse of promo codes, and opaque performance-to-pay connections.
Contact us for more details.
Also See: What are the Top Expenses in the Hotel Business?
