Life OS

Encore Sales Process

4 min read

Inspiration

Prompted by starting the Sales Manager role at the Fairmont Miramar (April 2026) with Encore Global. The goal is to build a compounding reference for how the sales process works — from first contact to executed event.

Observations

Add your own field observations here as you build experience on property — what works, what doesn’t, patterns you notice with clients.

Overview

Encore operates an embedded, consultative sales model inside hotel properties. As the exclusive in-house AV provider, the Sales Manager is positioned at the intersection of the hotel’s event sales team and the client — not pitching cold, but guiding clients who are already booking the venue toward the right technology and production package.

Key Concepts

The Sales Manager’s Role

  • Owns the AV sales relationship for all groups booked at the property
  • Works closely with hotel catering/events managers — their bookings are your pipeline
  • Responsible for revenue capture: quoting, upselling, and closing AV packages for every event on property
  • Manages the client relationship through pre-event planning, day-of execution, and follow-up

The Sales Process

  1. Lead intake — group books or inquires with the hotel; hotel event manager loops in Encore SM
  2. Needs assessment — call or meeting with the planner; ask about event type, room, headcount, presentation needs, branding, budget, and what success looks like for the organizer
  3. Site walk — walk the proposed room with the client when possible; lets you spec accurately and builds trust
  4. Quote / proposal — build a tiered package (base + recommended + premium); anchor to the recommended tier
  5. Revisions — iterate on the quote based on client feedback; know what you can flex and what you can’t
  6. Confirmation — signed BEO (Banquet Event Order) with AV addendum; confirms all gear, labor, and logistics
  7. Pre-con — pre-conference meeting with client, hotel, and operations team; walk through the run of show
  8. Execution — on-site day-of with tech team; SM is point of contact for client issues
  9. Follow-up — post-event check-in; plant seeds for repeat business and referrals

Pipeline Management

  • Maintain a healthy pipeline by staying close to the hotel’s forward booking calendar
  • Flag events weeks or months out — last-minute quotes lead to last-minute problems
  • Track every active opportunity: stage, estimated value, decision timeline

Revenue Capture Strategy

  • Every event on property is a revenue opportunity — including small meetings
  • Tiered quoting anchors clients to the middle tier (recommended), making premium feel reasonable
  • Upsells with highest ROI: LED walls, recording/streaming, Q&A mic packages, event lighting, confidence monitors
  • Protect exclusivity: gently but firmly redirect clients who want to bring outside AV

Key Relationships

  • Hotel Events/Catering Manager — primary internal partner; your pipeline flows through them
  • Hotel GM / Director of Events — the relationship that determines how well Encore is supported on property
  • Client / Event Planner — the buyer; may be an experienced planner or a first-timer
  • Encore Operations Team — the techs who execute; a good SM keeps them informed and resourced

Synthesis

The Encore Sales Manager role is fundamentally a relationship and trust role dressed up as a technical sales role. Clients are not comparison shopping AV vendors — they’re relying on you to tell them what they need. The consultative approach (ask first, quote second) is what separates a good SM from an order-taker.

Contradictions / Open Questions

  • How does Encore handle clients who push back on exclusivity and insist on outside vendors?
  • What’s the typical commission structure / incentive model for SMs?
  • How does the BEO revision process work operationally — what’s the cutoff for changes?

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