Director of Sales

About the role

The Lead Sales position at Holiday Inn Nashville Stadium is a unique opportunity to shape the hotel's sales and marketing direction, own key client relationships, build a high-performing team, and drive revenue in one of America's most vibrant hospitality markets.

Responsibilities

• Own the development and execution of a proactive sales and marketing strategy designed to grow occupancy, revenue, market share, and long-term account value.
• Personally cultivate and manage the hotel’s most important corporate, group, sports, entertainment, association, and local accounts.
• Spend meaningful time in the market—approximately 50% of the role—making strategic outside sales calls, uncovering demand, and creating memorable client connections.
• Understand account production, booking patterns, competitive rates, market trends, and opportunities within the Nashville landscape.
• Apply a consultative sales approach that moves beyond transactions to become a trusted resource for every client.
• Partner closely with the General Manager and Revenue Manager on rate strategy, inventory decisions, forecasting, and commercial performance.
• Create and manage the annual marketing plan and sales budget, balancing ambitious growth with sound financial stewardship.
• Maintain an organized, accurate sales office, including account files, trace activity, and follow-up systems that keep opportunities moving forward.
• Lead daily and weekly sales meetings that create clarity, accountability, momentum, and celebration.
• Recruit, coach, mentor, and inspire talented sales professionals capable of delivering exceptional results.
• Build a culture of collaboration across operations, front office, revenue, and guest services—because a great sale is only as strong as the stay that follows.
• Represent the hotel in Nashville’s business, community, tourism, and civic circles, helping ensure the property is part of the conversations that matter.
• Serve as Manager on Duty when designated by the General Manager.

Requirements

• You are equal parts strategist, connector, coach, and closer. You know how to read a market, open doors, earn trust, and translate opportunity into revenue.
• You bring polish without pretense, urgency without chaos, and a genuine enthusiasm for creating experiences that make clients want to return.
• Exceptional verbal communication, listening, comprehension, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong direct sales, relationship-building, guest relations, and presentation abilities.
• Certainly command of time management, prioritization, follow-through, and account strategy.
• A collaborative leadership style with the ability to mentor others and strengthen cross-department teamwork.
• Working knowledge of market qualification, consultative selling, prospecting, trace management, and revenue fundamentals.
• An entrepreneurial mindset—resourceful, accountable, commercially curious, and always looking for the next smart move.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Hospitality, or a related field preferred.
• Certified Hospitality Sales Professional designation preferred.
• At least three years of direct sales experience required; hotel sales leadership experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience managing annual revenue goals, marketing plans, expense budgets, and sales forecasts preferred.