Director of Sales

Position Overview:

Responsible for maximizing sales opportunities and profitability for the hotel and event center by selling and booking hotel rooms and event space. Responsible to oversee, prospect, qualify and maintain new and existing accounts in the corporate, corporate group and convention group (including SMERF) market segments for the hotel.  Plan strategies and solicit hotel business focusing on increasing hotel revenues and occupancy levels, through yield management practices and active solicitation in assigned market segments.  

Essential Functions:

• Develop an aggressive and market appropriate on-going sales building plan for the booking of the hotel and conference center, with cooperation and direction from the General Manager (GM). 
• Design, complete and prepare follow-up action steps for sales calls in designated market segments, in cooperation with the overall Sales Department mission. 
• Generate revenues and make a positive impact on the hotels’ gross operating profit and customer satisfaction/service standards. 
• Participate and assist with contracts and booking details for business conference or association groups and events needing function space and sleeping rooms. Refer food and beverage arrangements to Catering Director. 
• Actively participate in greeting, and other guest relations work, in a hands-on manner, for the property’s business conference or association clients when they are having a function or event.
• Participate in a weekly/monthly property sales meeting process with:
  • Sales Staff
  • GM 
  • Catering Director 
  • Department staff management meetings 
  • Pre and post conference client meetings
  • CVB Director and staff

Leadership Functions:

Create and maintain a positive work environment through team building and serve as a role model for staff in terms of: 

• Professionalism     
• Attitude     
• Respect       
• Communication
• Appearance     
• Conduct     
• Cooperation      
• Trust

Uphold and abide by the policies in the Associate Handbook for your position. Follow these policies, rules and regulations for the safe and effective overall operation. Teach and enforce all existing and new policies and procedures. Must have commitment to company values.  

Maintain a hands-on, positive and inspirational coaching approach while working with and supporting your supervisors and associates. Be a good role model and actively seek coaching opportunities to help maintain a positive work environment. Maintain this environment through team building. Be proactive to assure your property has a “harassment free” work environment.  Report harassing behavior immediately.

Maintain a positive approach to working with associates to include coaching and counseling. Offer praise for those times when someone is doing the right thing and immediately correct when improvement is necessary.  

Maintain a 45 hour average annual workweek. Work schedule prescribed by the GM. 

Report hotel and conference center sales directly to the GM. 

As a leader of the Sales Department, your support for and direction to the sales team is essential to their overall success. You are one of the main community ambassadors for the property, in many instances. You are one of the top liaisons for the conference and association guests and their events.  Participate in top VIP conference and association events to make initial contact with the guest representative(s).  

Participate in aggressive and targeted solicitation of business focusing on selling rooms, food and beverage through outside, personal, telephone and correspondence calls. 

Assist and support floor operations, or kitchen food plating, for top VIP conference and association events, as requested by the GM. Support with a “Hands-On” approach and lead by example.

Participate in and attend activities in area service and civic groups.  Network and build relationships with key community contacts and organizations. 

Professionally represent the hotel and property when interacting with guests from the community and industry organizations.

Maintain a high level of professional standards when working with clients, hotel guests, and fellow employees. 

Directly supervise the duties of an Assistant Director of Sales, Sales Manager and possibly one office assistant.

Serve as the supervisor for the Catering Director. Assist and support that position with coaching, directing, goal setting and other supervisory and developmental functions. 

Expected to do monthly travel, or as necessary. Attend travel/trade shows, convention bids and meetings.

Management and Supportive Functions:

Confirm training programs are conducted regularly and property/company standards of performance are met. Provide guidance and counsel staff toward improvement. Verify the proper staffing, training and operational standards are being monitored by Catering Director.  

Create and implement an approved VIP program for clients.

Prepare, execute and compile data for the strategic sales plan, monthly reports, annual goals, sales and marketing budget, forecasts and other reports, as directed/required. 

Complete the following Corporate Sales/Marketing Reports:

• Cold Prospecting Call Report
• In-person Call Report
• Monthly Bid Report
• Up Coming Monthly Goals Report
• Group Booking Pace Report
• The annual and monthly Advertising/Marketing Budget Report
• STR Report (if available) and Sales Meeting Minutes.

Attend requested pre and post conference meetings with Catering Director and client. Attend meetings relating to the top property businesses or association clients. Participate and assist with in-house guest sales presentations, property tours and customer meetings. 

Prepare for and participate in monthly meeting with CVB.  Discuss new leads generated, up-coming bids and ideas for securing the business, booked business since month prior, pending business and cancellations. 

Meet regularly with the GM and REVPAR team.  Plan and implement sales, rate strategies and activities. 

 Organize and/or attend scheduled sales department meetings, hotel department manager meetings, and related meetings, as requested by GM. Work with sales staff and hotel management team on promotional programs, hotel marketing plan, budgeting, advertising campaigns and special projects, as assigned. 

Set weekly/monthly goals and work agendas. Share weekly with GM.

Complete required sale reports and email weekly to the Corporate Office.

Sales Building for Property:

Solicit and sell guest rooms, food & beverage services and any additional hotel services to existing and new corporate, group and transient customers. 

Generate correspondence, contracts and requested information in a timely manner. Return customer inquiries and calls promptly. 

Develop and implement a plan to solicit new and existing accounts to meet/exceed revenue goals for both.  Focus sale efforts on outside sales, sales blitzes, sales presentations, telephone, mail and email solicitation and communication. Utilize social media and property websites to help accomplish revenue goals. 

Lead the solicitation and direct sales efforts, of the sales and catering staff, through effective oral and written communication.  Oversee rate, date and space commitments for group room sales within the hotel.

Develop rates and group sales deployment strategies through review of competitive data, demand analysis and market mix management.

Maximize revenue for the property by directing, managing and ensuring that room revenue is maximized in group and transient sales activities.

Actively maintain, review and update the hotel’s account management/customer relationship booking system (hSP) with account/customer information, tentative/confirmed bookings and room blocks. Update and maintain an active sales trace system in (hSP) database. 

 Actively seek out, establish and cultivate social and business relationships with potential or current clients, Chamber members and top business and community leaders in the local and regional market. Attend related meetings and social events. Research potential clients’ special needs/requirements to provide first-class service, accommodations and experience to exceed guest expectations. 

Invite prospective and existing clients to the hotel for site and FAM tours.  Keep customers updated of on-going renovations and property enhancements. 

Develop and conduct persuasive verbal sales presentations to prospective clients. Internally promote property and company programs.

Develop marketing tactics to include working with a public relations and advertising team.  Develop campaigns designed to reach target market segments to meet direct sales, advertising and marketing goals. 

Oversee quantitative marketing efforts.  Identify the competition and analyze bookings at other local, regional industry and competitive set properties.

Coordinate ongoing research of the travel industry.  Detect market trends and related information for development of new marketing strategies. Make reasonable recommendations to improve potential from various markets.

Initiate preparation of annual business/marketing plan and execute plans as outlined.  Critically examine and adjust, as deemed necessary, per current market conditions.

Focus on PURE SELLING.  Maintain an active sales management system with a targeted goal of 30 qualified personal, telephone and correspondence sales calls per week, via Sales Revolution and rebooking/inquiry conversion.  Quality is as important as quantity.  ACTIVE AND CONTINUED PROSPECTING PRODUCES RESULTS. 

Adhere to the selling basics: 

• Know your product. 
• Know your competition. 
• Know your prospect. 
• Retain loyal client base. 
• People buy from people. 
• Each action step should have an objective. 
• Find out wants and needs. 
• Features and Benefits. 
• Plan approach - structured sales effort. 
• Closing - Always ask for the business! 

Qualification Standards:

The individual must possess the job knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as be able to explain and demonstrate that he or she can perform the essential functions of the job.This being with or without reasonable accommodation, using a combination of knowledge, skills and abilities.

Education: High School Diploma or GED required.

College degree in hospitality management preferred.

Experience: 2-5 years of sales and marketing experience required.

Supervisory experience required. 

Catering sales experience preferred. 

Licenses or Certificates: State requirements

Specific job knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Ability to use computer for daily work.  Strong knowledge of spreadsheets, word processing, advertising and photo software.  
• Possess working knowledge of catering software and hotel front desk POS systems. 
• Communicate effectively with staff and guests, verbally and in writing.  This being done with a strong understanding of the English language. 
• Possess strong inter-personal, sales and marketing experience/skill.  Demonstrate organizational, planning and goal setting skills.
• Possess extensive demographic knowledge of region, state, city hotel and conference center competitive market.
• Possess extensive knowledge and skill working with marketing and advertising mediums; print, TV, radio, and social media. 
• Knowledge of food and beverage menus, presentation of food and beverage items, food delivery, guest service and room setup helpful.
• Act independently with minimal or no supervision.
• Possess supervisory skills.
• Thorough knowledge of federal, state and local laws governing equal employment opportunity and civil rights, occupational safety and health, wage and hour issues, labor relations, and corporate and property-specific policies.

Physical Demands:

• Well-paced ability to maneuver between functions occurring simultaneously. 
• Well-paced ability to reach other departments of the hotel on a timely basis.
• Occasionally lift up to 25 lbs. 
• Walk and stand during long periods of time.  
• Climb steps in hotels that do not provide elevators.  
• Travel by car and air frequently. 

Appearance Guidelines: 

Business casual attire is required. See manager dress and appearance guidelines. Also, one must maintain a neat, clean and well-groomed appearance.