Group Sales Manager

About the role

As the local, on-property sales contact for customers, the Sales Manager is responsible for proactively soliciting and handling all revenue-related opportunities in a sales role. The position actively upsells each business opportunity to maximize all revenue opportunities, achieves personal and team-related revenue goals for the hotel, and ensures business is turned over properly and in a timely fashion for proper service delivery.

Business Results

• Builds the department’s top-line revenue by adhering to sales strategy guidelines set forth by the Director of Sales & Marketing.
• Identifies revenue opportunities for the hotel based on the event profile.
• Meets and exceeds individual revenue goals.
• Effectively manages customer budgets to maximize revenue and meet customer needs, and identifies opportunities to upsell products and services throughout the sales process.
• Exceeds company minimum standards with the sales process and acts as a mentor for others within this area.
• Understands the overall market in which they sell—competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, economic trends, supply and demand, etc.
• Builds and strengthens relationships with existing and new customers, including sales calls, entertainment, FAM trips, etc.
• Conducts customer site inspections.
• Excels at proactive selling; targets key accounts, markets, or segments with heavy emphasis on proactive solicitation and account saturation.
• Proactively identifies, qualifies, and solicits new business to achieve personal and hotel revenue goals; focuses on accounts with larger potential sales revenue.
• Responds to incoming inquiries within their market segment within 4 hours.
• Closes the best opportunities for the hotel based on market conditions and hotel’s needs.
• Accurately forecasts group sleeping rooms and revenue for his/her groups prior to the turnover and continues to be a partner for this process after the turnover.
• Creates sales contracts as required.
• Comprehends budgets as needed to assist in the financial management of the department; understands the impact of the department’s role in the overall financial goals and objectives of the hotel and manages to achieve or exceed budgeted goals.

Guest Satisfaction

• Ensures a high level of customer satisfaction and builds long-term, mutually beneficial customer relationships to support future revenue growth.
• Coordinates and communicates verbally and in writing with customers (internal and external) regarding event details; follows up with customers post-event.
• Makes presence known to customers at all times during this process, regardless of which hotel they sit at; greets customers during the event phase and hands off to the Convention Services department for execution of details.
• Is available to solve problems and/or suggest alternatives to previous arrangements; displays leadership in guest hospitality and ensures consistent, high-level service throughout all phases of hotel events.
• Ensures products and services sold to event planners meet or exceed their expectations, create loyalty, and lead to increased market share.
• Sets a positive example for guest relations; interacts with guests to obtain feedback on product quality and service levels; effectively responds to and handles guest problems and complaints.
• Reviews guest service results with leaders; participates in the development and implementation of corrective action plans.
• Emphasizes guest satisfaction during all departmental meetings and focuses on continuous improvement.
• Utilizes Delphi or other hotel system to capture and manage customer information on a daily basis.

Leadership

• Applies broad business knowledge and balances both short- and long-term perspectives to generate strategies while leading the organization to achieve them.
• Demonstrates commitment to Driftwood Hospitality Management operating principles and philosophies.
• Holds self and others accountable for achieving results; addresses conflict in a timely manner.
• Contributes to team results; deals with change effectively; makes decisions, including for employees/team, and commits to a course of action with available information.

Building Relationships

• Eliminates insular thinking by fostering a positive climate for work relationships and teams committed to achieving organizational goals and initiatives.
• Treats people fairly, with dignity and respect; works to meet goals in a manner that does not disadvantage other employees or groups.
• Demonstrates business ethics and personal integrity—is widely trusted; is seen as a direct, truthful individual.
• Listens and responds to others; is interested in others’ views even if they counter own views.

Managing Work Execution

• Proactively ensures that others have the accountability, authority, and resources necessary to both manage work execution and drive for results.
• Adheres to all standards, policies, and procedures (SOPs, etc.).
• Effectively uses sales resources and administrative/support staff; approaches work with a sense of urgency and purpose.
• Allocates time and resources effectively when faced with competing demands; overcomes obstacles to accomplish challenging objectives.
• Follows through on inquiries, requests, and complaints.

Generating Talent

• Proactively identifies and develops talent within the organization.
• Discusses problems immediately with others before they are forgotten or get out of control.
• Actively pursues self-development; explains own rationale and thought processes to help employees improve their skills.

Organizational Learner

• Actively pursues learning and self-development to enhance personal, professional, and business growth; shares learning; demonstrates depth of knowledge in technical or specialized area.
• Acts independently to improve and increase skills and knowledge; demonstrates an awareness of personal strengths and areas for professional improvement.
• Shares learning, innovations, and best practices with others; is willing to learn from others.
• Performs all technical/procedural requirements of the job.

Requirements

• Must have 3+ years of progressive sales experience.
• Previous experience in the hospitality industry preferred; experience selling luxury brands and experiential services preferred.

Skills

• Aggressive negotiating skills and creative selling abilities to close on business with a high conversion ratio.
• Possesses software knowledge (Microsoft Office, etc.) and systems knowledge (Delphi and Delphi Diagrams).
• Must be able to “knock on doors” to get the business; knows how to conduct research on the Internet.
• Sets weekly prospecting and soliciting goals; uncovers new customers.
• Effective sales skills to upsell products and services.
• Knowledge of menu planning, food presentation, and banquet and event service operations.
• Ability to manage guest room and meeting space inventories.
• Strong customer development and relationship management skills.
• Knowledge of overall hotel operations as they affect the department.
• Knowledge of AV products and services at both hotels.
• Knowledge of contract management and legalities.
• Financial management skills, e.g., ability to understand P&L statements, manage operating budgets, forecasting, and scheduling.
• Strong communication skills (verbal, listening, writing).
• Strong problem-solving skills; strong customer and associate relation skills.
• Strong presentation and platform skills; strong organization skills.
• Strong “closing skills” and “persuasion” skills.
• Ability to use standard software applications and hotel systems.
• Effective decision-making skills.

Physical Demands

• Frequent walking, standing, sitting, hearing, talking, smiling.
• Lifting, pushing, and pulling of objects weighing up to ten (10) pounds.

Benefits

• 401(k)
• Disability insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Room discounts
• Employee food and beverage discounts