CERTIFIED HOSPITALITY SALES PROFESSIONAL (CHSP) OFFICIAL CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION | AMERICAN HOTEL & LODGING EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE (AHLEI) PROCTORED TESTING & CREDENTIAL ASSESSMENT 2025-2026

marketing

A system of interrelated activities formulated to plan, price, promote and make available to consumers in a target market.

sales

Direct efforts to sell a property by personal sales calls, telecommunication and mailings.

marketing mix

combination of the four P's of marketing; product, place, promotion and price.

4 P's of marketing

product, place, price and promotion (controlled variables)

Product-Service Mix

guestroom, furnishings, decor, amenities, service features, structure/exterior, quality/name brand.

Place-Distribution Mix

travel agents, tour operators, salespeople, referral groups, reservation systems, direct sales

Promotional - Communication Mix

publicity, internal sales, media advertising, direct sales, public relations, word-of-mouth

Price - Rate Mix

room rates, menu pricing, amenity fees, beverage prices, discounts, commissions

Valley period

off-season, when demand is lowest

peak period

in-season, when demand is highest

shoulder period

time frame between a peak and a valley

uncontrollable variables

external factors such as a recession, energy crisis, natural disaster, weather conditions

Director of Marketing

Difference between DOM and DOS is that the DOM deals more with research and strategy and is concerned with identifying the needs and wants of consumers.

Director of Sales

carries out marketing strategies and directs the sales staff in finding solutions to consumers' problems.

Intangibility

selling the "use" of guest rooms or banquet space

Perishability

Lost business forever; used guest room, empty restaurant seat, unfilled tee-time

Inconsistency

service by an employee that varies greatly at different hotels

Inseparability

production and consumption happen at the same time. Guest comes to the hotel and services are consumed at the same time.

Environmental scanning

The study of trends. Keeping abreast of trends and acting on them before your competitor does.

Globalization

establishing an international presence to serve travelers abroad

Consolidation

the combination of two or more corporations to form one corporation.

Partnership marketing

Two or more firms, serving the same markets with non-competitive products joining together. Also known as developing strategic alliances and synergism marketing.

strategic alliances

like - kind alliances team up to increase their presence in the market.

niche marketing

designing, building and marketing products for a specific market segment.

ecotourism

tourism that promotes enjoyment of nature; may includes efforts to protect or preserve the visited region.

relationship marketing

Customers are assets. Retaining customers by nurturing and sustaining a relationship with them.

service guarantee

promise made to customers that they will be 100% satisfied.

marketing plan

a guide for marketing, sales, advertising, and promotional efforts.

Steps of a marketing plan:

conduct mkt audit, select profitable target mkts, position the property, establish objectives and action plans, monitor & evaluate the plan.

marketing audit

evaluation of a business, it's competition and the marketplace

marketing intelligence

information that has been analyzed, evaluated and formatted to help formulate plans and make decisions.

marketing information system

the people, the equipment and procedures involved in gathering and analyzing data to provide accurate info to marketing decision makers.

property analysis

evaluation of a business's facilities, services and programs to determine its strengths and weaknesses

occupancy and activity analysis

analysis of a property's past, present and potential operating statistics; part of the marketplace analysis.

competition analysis

evaluation of the business's competition to identify opportunities and unique selling points.

competitive set

properties in the area that sell to a similar market segments, with similar pricing and similar product and service.

differentiation

separating your property from those in your competition

fair share

number of rooms a hotel would sell if the demand were distributed based on the number of rooms in each property.

feeder city

city in which guests arrive from

guest mix

mixture of guests who stay at your property

market segementation

dividing the market into groups with similar needs, wants, backgrounds, incomes, buying habits

market share

number of room nights a property sells compared with the total number of room nights within a market area.

marketplace analysis

evaluation of environmental trends affecting a business. Such as changes in lifestyles, societal values, economic conditions and technology

positioning

the process of how consumers perceive the products and services offered by a hotel in relation to similar products/services by the competitor.

RevPAR

revenue per available room.

target markets

market segments with the greatest potential. marketing activities are aimed here.

zero-base budget

budget that starts at zero and forces planners to justify expenditures.