Peggy, other than the obvious scams (which are far and few between), I think you should treat each inquiry as serious. Just as severy phone inquiry doesn't turn into a reservation, not every email inquiry will turn into a reservation.

However, the people who are best at converting inuqiries into reservations sell, sell, sell. Without having seen what you do say in your responses, it's hard to say if you say too much or not enough; odds are you aren't saying enough.

Consider creating a couple of templates that will address the basic question types you get, then tweak those for the specifics, and have a strong sales component to each template. Templates will make your life easier, the response faster, and the sales effort consistent and strong.

Good luck!

I agree, treat all of them seriously, however, I tend to think that the more there is for them to read, the less ineterested they are. I personally like to add some of our policies in the response, but I try to be as breif (but informative) as possible. _________________ L. Rosan Bed and Breakfast/GuestHouse Accommodations Washington, DC

Welcome to The B&B Lady's blog!

Yes, brief is good, as long as you cover the salient points. It sounds as if you approach this like a dialogue. That sounds good to me. You may have an effective sales approach in that.