MICE Sales Manager (Pre-Opening)

Job Summary

Provides total account management support for assigned property accounts.  Executes the overall account strategy for assigned accounts to generate and maximize business for the property. Applies the principles of strategic account management.  Partners with Sales and Marketing leadership, and the property Leadership team, to develop a comprehensive strategic plan to grow market share from assigned accounts. As an Account Manager, develops strong partnerships with buyers for the purpose of penetrating and growing market share and driving sales for hotel.  Focuses specifically on growing market share from transient and group revenue.  Dependent on the size of the property, the position may also provide day-to-day supervision of Account Sales associates.

Candidate Profile

Education And Experience

• High school diploma or GED; 2 years experience in the sales and marketing, guest services, front desk, or related professional area.

Or

• 2-year degree from an accredited university in Business Administration, Marketing, Hotel and Restaurant Management, or related major; no work experience required.

Core Work Activities

Maximizing Revenue & Managing Profitability

• Develops and implements the overall account strategy for assigned accounts.
• Retains, expands and grows account revenue of existing accounts through total account penetration, margin management, and implementation of sales and marketing initiatives.   
• Penetrates assigned accounts for group and transient, as well as exploring opportunities for extended stay and catering sales business. 
• Identifies and aggressively solicits new accounts in coordination with any relevant Sales and Marketing colleagues and Above Property Sales.
• Develops and implements strategic sales plans. 
• Builds and strengthens Accounts with existing and new customers, industry organizations and brand network to enable future bookings. Activities include sales calls, entertainment, FAM trips, trade shows, etc.
• Understands the overall market dynamics - competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, economic trends, supply and demand etc. and how to sell to assigned accounts.
• Identifies emerging business opportunities and risks within assigned accounts and provide feedback to key stakeholders (i.e. property Leadership). 
• Identifies and implements process improvements and best practices. 
• Promotes accountability to drive superior business results. 
• Achieves account revenue and sales goals as defined by Leadership. Develop and achieve operating budgets and manage controllable expenses.
• Anticipates and identifies business opportunities and challenges and respond with a profitable strategy that aligns with overall business direction. 
• Increases local penetration of high potential accounts to optimize demand across all brands and satisfy important property needs.
• Engages in property related events that support the development of existing and new accounts (e.g., GM Reception, Concierge Level hospitality, etc). 

Managing Sales Activities

• Executes sales strategy to achieve property goals.
• Maintains current business Accounts for new business within accounts.
• Executes designated sales strategies to develop and solicit specific accounts to achieve revenue goals.
• Includes successful execution of Sales strategies and business processes.
• Executes and supports the operational aspects of business booked (e.g., generating proposal, writing contract, customer correspondence).
• Establishes and maintains accurate and up-to-date customer, account and opportunity data each account in Opera Sales and Catering to ensure accurate reporting.
• Executes and supports Customer Service Standards and hotel’s Brand Standards. 
• Participates in and practice daily service basics of the brand (i.e., MHR Spirit to Serve Daily Basics, RHR Savvy Service Basics, Courtyard Basics of the Day).
• Leverages methodologies, technical and business knowledge across the market. 

Building Successful Relationships

• Collaborates and engages third parties that are sourced through the organization for their individual travel or group planning needs.
• Serves as the account’s “local service guarantee” by ensuring that outstanding service delivery is maintained at every customer touch point, issues are resolved timely and to the customers’ 100% satisfaction. 
• Leverages Above Property Sales and property Leadership to ensure account saturation, pull-through of account strategies and selling solutions at the local property level. 
• Develops a close working Account with Operations to ensure execution of strategies at the hotel level. 
• Leverages all available sales channels, (e.g., marriott.com, group and transient intermediaries, field sales, worldwide reservation offices, etc), in an effort to optimize sales revenues.

Providing Exceptional Customer Service

• 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 solutions both prior to, and during the program/event.
• Acts as the customer’s advocate through understanding account needs and opportunities.
• Resolves guest issues that arise in the sales process. Brings issues to the attention of property leadership.
• Executes exemplary customer service to drive customer satisfaction and loyalty by assisting the customer and ensuring their satisfaction before and during their program/event.
• Serves the customer by understanding their needs and recommending the features and services that best meet their needs and exceed their expectations, while building a Account and loyalty to the business.

Additional Responsibilities

• Conducts and coordinates site inspections for hotels, as required. 
• Performs other duties, as assigned, to meet business needs.

Management Competencies

Leadership

• Adaptability - Maintains performance level under pressure or when experiencing changes or challenges in the workplace.
• Communication - Conveys information and ideas to others in a convincing and engaging manner through a variety of methods.
• Problem Solving and Decision Making - Identifies and understands issues, problems, and opportunities; obtains and compares information from different sources to draw conclusions, develop and evaluate alternatives and solutions, solve problems, and choose a course of action.
• Professional Demeanor - Exhibits behavioral styles that convey confidence and command respect from others; makes a good first impression and represents the company in alignment with its values.

Managing Execution

• Building and Contributing to Teams - Actively participates as a member of a team to move the team toward the completion of goals.
• Driving for Results - Sets high standards of performance for self and/or others; assumes responsibility for work objectives; initiates, focuses, and monitors the efforts of self and/or others toward the accomplishment goals; proactively takes action and goes beyond what is required.
• Planning and Organizing - Gathers information and resources required to set a plan of action for self and/or others; prioritizes and arranges work requirements to accomplish goals and ensure work is completed.

Building Relationships

• Coworker Relationships - Interacts with others in a way that builds openness, trust, and confidence in the pursuit of organizational goals and lasting relationships.
• Customer Relationships - Develops and sustains relationships based on an understanding of customer needs and actions consistent with the company’s service standards.
• Global Mindset - Supports employees and business partners with diverse styles, abilities, motivations, and/or cultural perspectives; utilizes differences to drive innovation, engagement and enhance business results; and ensures employees are given the opportunity to contribute to their full potential.

Generating Talent and Organizational Capability 

• Organizational Capability - Evaluates and adapts the structure of own assignments and suggests improvements to work processes to best fit the needs and/or support the goals of an organizational unit.
• Talent Management - Provides support and feedback to help individuals develop and strengthen skills and abilities needed to accomplish work objectives.

Learning and Applying Professional Expertise

• Applied Learning - Seeks and makes the most of learning opportunities to improve performance of self and/or others.
• Business Acumen - Understands and utilizes business information to manage everyday operations.
• Technical Acumen - Understands and utilizes professional skills and knowledge in a specific functional area to conduct.
• Devising Sales Strategies and Solutions - Trying different and novel ways to deal with sales challenges and opportunities; taking courses of action or developing sales strategies that appropriately consider available facts, constraints, competitive circumstances, and probable consequences.
• Sales Disposition - Demonstrating the traits, inclinations, and outlooks that characterize successful salespersons; exhibiting behavior styles that facilitate adaptation to the demands of the sales role.
• Sales Opportunity Analysis - Understanding and utilizing economic, financial, industry, and organizational data; accurately diagnosing customers’ business strengths, weaknesses, and key issues that can inform sales strategies and plans

Basic Competencies - Fundamental competencies required for accomplishing basic work activities.

• Basic Computer Skills - Uses basic computer hardware and software (e.g., personal computers, word processing software, Internet browsers, etc.).
• Mathematical Reasoning - Demonstrates ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly, correctly, and in a way that allows one to solve work-related issues.
• Oral Comprehension - Demonstrates ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Reading Comprehension - Demonstrates understanding of written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
• Writing - Communicates effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.