Empowering Sales Performance at Center Parcs

Center Parcs approached Selling Savvy in 2022 following a period of significant change within their team as sales confidence had become an issue.
As the events industry emerged from the challenges of the pandemic, the company found itself with a mixed team of existing staff and new recruits. Long-standing team members had a deep product knowledge, but the business had started to notice that conversion rates were lower, consultative conversations with clients were rare, and bad habits had begun to creep in. Newer team members were enthusiastic, although they lacked structured sales training and were slipping into the role of order takers, rather than confident, client-focused sales professionals.

The leadership team at Center Parcs wanted to achieve three clear outcomes:

• Improve conversion rates.
• Re-energise the team and give them confidence in their sales approach.
• Upskill new and existing team members with structured, practical sales training that went beyond product knowledge.

They needed us to help them! We understand the hospitality and events sector, and were able to provide genuine, measurable change.

Selling Savvy proposed a structured, three-stage solution to help Center Parcs identify skill gaps, upskill the team, and measure the impact of the training. This included:

Mystery Shopping (Stage One)
Before diving into training, Selling Savvy conducted an initial round of mystery shopping across the sales team. The goal was to experience the customer journey first-hand and pinpoint areas for improvement.

The results showed a team that had potential, but was underperforming due to a lack of deeper engagement and consultative practice. Key insights included:

• Good data gathering, but not qualifying the enquiry or upselling.
• The team provided detailed product explanations, but didn’t ask quite enough questions to understand the client’s needs or objectives.
• Proposals looked polished, but were a little generic and impersonal.
• Follow-ups were done via email, with no phone calls and a lack of proactivity.

These findings formed the foundation for the next stage of the project.

Sales Training Programme (Stage Two)
With the data from the mystery shopping in hand, Selling Savvy delivered a training plan, spread over four sessions, across three months. The training focused on the core consultative sales techniques that were missing, as well as reinforcing key habits to drive results. Topics included:

• The 7 Steps to Consultative Selling
• The Buying Cycle
• Upselling & Cross-Selling
• Negotiation Techniques
• Closing Strategies
• Account Management
• Customer Service Excellence

The sessions were practical, interactive using case studies, group discussions, and role plays. We encouraged the team to step out of their comfort zone and apply new ways of thinking to their sales approach.

Follow-Up Mystery Shopping (Stage Three)
Following the completion of the training, we conducted a second round of mystery shopping to assess how well the team had embedded the new skills.

The results spoke for themselves:

• All sales skills showed measurable improvement, with an average uplift of 33% across the board.
• The team were now asking more insightful, qualifying questions, and tailoring proposals accordingly.
• Follow-up processes were more proactive and personalised, with team members confidently engaging clients by phone and showing interest in their objectives.

The transformation in the Center Parcs sales team was really clear to see. They were no longer simply talking about what their venues could offer, they were making an effort to build relationships and understand client needs before offering tailored solutions.

The project delivered against all objectives:

• Conversion rates improved due to a more tailored, consultative approach.
• Morale and motivation increased as team members felt more equipped and valued.
• New team members developed core sales skills, while existing staff refreshed their knowledge and let go of old habits.

“We booked Selling Savvy to reawaken our sales team post-COVID and they were the perfect match for our requirements! They really took time to understand our company values and the intricacies of our unique offering and processes, before putting together a comprehensive training plan.

The Center Parcs team who attended the training left empowered, refreshed and motivated to put into practice their learnings. Following the sessions, we did a second round of mystery shopping and we were amazed to see all sales skills across the team had improved significantly!”

Julia Green, Sales & Commercial Manager, Center Parcs