Before clients say “YES” to a Corporate Retreat, you have to get past “NO”

Imagine you’re the best poker player in town.

You’ve honed your skills, learned all the strategies, and regularly take home big pots from low-stakes games. You think you’re ready to sit down at the high roller table. There’s just one problem – the bouncer at the door won’t even let you in the casino. If you can’t meet the casino’s basic requirements, your skill at playing poker doesn’t even matter.

You need to have the “table stakes” just to get in the game.

The same principle applies when trying to sell your boutique resort as a corporate retreat destination. Before the retreat planners will even consider you as an option, you need to prove you can provide the table stakes – the bare minimum requirements to host their event. This means having facilities for meetings and team building, comfortable lodging, meals and snacks, and amenities to occupy their down time.

Your website needs to clearly showcase your ability to handle the logistics of their retreat.

• Can you accommodate their desired room layouts?
• Are there team-building activities on site?
• What are the dining options?
• Is transportation provided?

A meeting planner isn’t going to call you to discuss booking if your site doesn’t assure them you can fulfill these basic needs.

Of course, once you get past the bouncer, your sales skills come into play.

This is where you convince the planner your resort is the right fit and get them to say “yes” to booking a corporate retreat with you. But none of that matters if your website fails the table stakes test. Remember Mike McDermott’s words in Rounders: “If you can’t spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, then you are the sucker.”

Don’t let poor website design make you the sucker.

Get past “no” by prominently featuring your logistical capabilities. Once inside the door, you can fully demonstrate the special charm and amenities that set your resort apart from the competition.

Meet the table stakes on your website, then get them to “yes” on the phone.

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