Trends Across Preferred Hotels Sales Teams Right Now

Heading into the Preferred Hotels conference next week, I’ve been noticing a pattern across the sales teams we work with. It isn’t about tools, and it isn’t about tech stacks.

Alisal Ranch, The Broadmoor, Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort, and The Ranch at Laguna Beach, there’s a clear shift happening — and it’s worth paying attention to.

Personal is winning again

Proposals are starting to feel less like documents and more like conversations. The teams getting traction right now aren’t sending bigger decks. They’re sending tighter, more specific ones — written to a planner, not at one.

That shift showed up immediately at Alisal Ranch, where the early reaction wasn’t about the layout or the design system. It was about the response from clients on the other end.

I’ve sent 3 proposals and the feedback from clients is amazing… I can’t believe how much easier this is going to make my life.

The process matters more than people think

One of the biggest differences I see across successful teams is how quickly they get up and running without disrupting their day-to-day. Sales leaders rarely have time to absorb a months-long rollout, and the teams that adopt fastest are the ones whose lift is handled for them.

The Broadmoor is a good example. With a property of that scale, onboarding could easily have stalled. It didn’t.

The onboarding process was collaborative and seamless. They took care of everything so we could stay focused on our day-to-day.

The best teams are showcasing, not just quoting

This is especially true for properties with a strong sense of place. A rate sheet doesn’t sell a horseback ride through a coastal canyon, and a PDF doesn’t capture the feeling of pulling into a property surrounded by saguaros.

The sharpest teams have stopped treating the proposal as a quote with photos attached. They’re treating it as the first on-property moment a planner experiences. The Ranch at Laguna Beach has been deliberate about this.

SendSites allows us to showcase the full scope of what we offer… and deliver personalized, visually compelling proposals that mirror the guest experience.

Repeat buyers are the strongest signal

One of the clearest indicators that something is working is when a sales leader brings the same approach with them across roles. Mark Scheller at Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort has now done that three times.

That doesn’t happen unless the underlying behavior change is real. People don’t carry tools across jobs out of habit. They carry them when the way they sell has genuinely improved.

What this means for sales teams

If you’re heading to the Preferred conference, you’re going to be surrounded by teams who are quietly evolving how they sell. Not louder. Not flashier. Just sharper.

More thoughtful. More personal. More reflective of the experience they’re actually offering. That’s the through-line worth watching this year — and it’s the conversation I’m most looking forward to having on-site. If you’ll be there, I’d love to connect.