Director of Group Sales

JOB SUMMARY

 

Functions as the leader of the property’s group sales effort for properties with a significant number of events over 300 peak rooms. Manages the property's reactive and proactive group sales efforts. Shares responsibility for achieving group revenue goals, guest and associate satisfaction. Implements the brand’s service strategy and applicable brand initiatives in all aspects of the sales process. Provides day-to-day leadership oversight to the on-property group sales associates with a focus on building long-term, value-based customer relationships that enable achievement of the property’s sales objectives. Maintains ultimate accountability for verifying that the team maximizes group revenue opportunities by up-selling and accurately forecasting revenues (e.g., catering and group rooms) for all events.

 

CANDIDATE PROFILE

 

Education and Experience

 

Required:

• 2-year degree from an accredited university in Business Administration, Marketing, Hotel and Restaurant Management, or related major; 4 years experience in the sales and marketing or related professional area.

OR

• 4-year bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Hotel and Restaurant Management, or related major; 2 years experience in the sales and marketing or related professional area.

 

Preferred:

• 4 year college degree.

• Demonstrated skills in supervising a team.

• Group sales experience.

 

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES

 

Managing Sales Activities

• Functions as the leader of the property’s group sales effort for properties with a significant number of events over 300 peak rooms.

• Solicits, books and develops local group business.

• Recommends booking goals for sales team members.

• Develops and manages group sales revenue and operation budgets, and provides forecasting reports.

• Works with management team to create and implement a group sales/marketing plan addressing revenue, customers and market.

• Assists with selling, implementation and follow-through of group sales promotions.

• Executes and supports Marriott’s Customer Service Standards and hotel’s Brand Standards.

• Executes and supports the operational aspects of business booked (e.g., generating proposal, writing contract, customer correspondence).

• Participates in and practices daily service basics of the brand (e.g.,, Marriott Hotels and Resorts (MHR) Spirit to Serve Daily Basics, Renaissance Hotels and Resorts (RHR) Savvy Service Basics, Courtyard, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn Basics of the Day, Residence Inn Daily Huddle, or TownePlace Suites Morning Meeting).

• Coordinates and deploys group sales resources on-property to monitor the pull-through and sustainment of sales strategies and selling solutions.

• Verifies that the property implements a seamless turnover from sales to operations and back to sales while consistently delivering high level of service.

• Manages the property's reactive and proactive group sales efforts.

• Monitors the effective resolution of guest issues that arise as a result of the sales process by creating mechanisms to channel issues to property leadership and/or other appropriate stakeholders.

• Maintains successful performance by increasing revenues, controlling expenses and providing a return on investment for the owner and Marriott International.

• Implements the brand’s service strategy and applicable brand initiatives in all aspects of the sales process.

• Maintains ultimate accountability for verifying that the team maximizes group revenue opportunities by up-selling and accurately forecasting revenues (e.g., catering and group rooms) for all events.

• Performs other duties, as assigned, to meet business needs.

 

 

Building Successful Relationships

• Works collaboratively with off-property sales channels (e.g., Group Sales with the Sales Office, Area Sales, Enterprise Sales Team (EST)) to verify the property needs are being achieved and the sales efforts are complementary, not duplicative.

• Interacts effectively with guests/clients, sales and kitchen, vendors, competitors, local community, catering associations and other hotel departments in order to ,maintain guest satisfaction.

• Executes exemplary customer service to drive customer satisfaction and loyalty by assisting the customer and monitoring their satisfaction before and during their program/event.

• Serves the customer by understanding their needs and recommending the appropriate features and services that best meet their needs and exceed their expectations, while building a relationship and loyalty to Marriott.

• Gains understanding of the hotel’s primary target customer and service expectations; serves the customer by understanding their business, business issues and concerns, to offer better business solution both prior to, and during the program/event.

• Develops a close working relationship with operations to execute strategies at the hotel level.

 

Leadership

• Manages and directs the on-property group sales effort to achieve hotel revenue goals by proactively targeting current and new high value accounts in the market and implementing effective sales deployment strategies to grow market share.

• Works with the Director of Sales and Marketing to establish understanding of sales strategy and effective implementation of this strategy for the hotel.

• Partners with Human Resources to attract, develop and retain the right people in order to support the strategic priorities of the market.

• Creates effective structures, processes, jobs and performance management systems are in place.

• Sets goals and expectations for direct reports using the Leadership Performance Process (LPP), align performance and rewards, addresses performance issues and holds staff accountable for successful results.

• Forecasts talent needs and manages talent acquisition strategy with Human Resources (HR) to minimize lost time due to turnover.

• Keeps an active list of the competition’s best sales people and executes a recruitment and acquisition plan with HR.

• Supports tools and training resources to educate sales associates on winning catering solutions.

• Champions leadership development and workforce planning priorities by assessing, selecting, retaining and developing diverse, high-caliber talent that can lead the organization today and strengthen the leadership bench for the future; continues to upgrade the sales & marketing talent; works with HR to anticipate future talent needs based on business growth plans.

• Identifies, trains and mentors group sales associates; utilizes all available on the job training tools for associates.

• Transfers functional knowledge and develops group sales skills of other discipline managers.

• Shares responsibility for achieving group revenue goals, guest and associate satisfaction.

• Provides day-to-day leadership oversight to the on-property group sales associates with a focus on building long-term, value-based customer relationships that enable achievement of the property’s sales objectives.