Associate Director, Group and Leisure

Associate Director, Groups & Leisure Sales - USA Hotels

REPORTS TO: Director of Sales – USA Hotels

DEPARTMENT: Sales – USA

JOB LOCATION: Sales Office at Melia Orlando Celebration

POSITION SUMMARY: The Associate Director, Groups & Leisure Sales, USA Hotels position focuses in generation of budgeted top line revenue, increasing market share and maintaining customer satisfaction in line with the Company’s overall Vision and Strategy.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES (include but are not limited to)

Core Outside Sales Responsibilities:

• Executing the Sales Action Plan established by Sales Leadership. Targeting accounts, markets, and segments with heavy emphasis on account saturation.

• Effectively locating new sales opportunities through tactics like conducting persuasive in person, virtual, verbal sales presentations to prospective clients.
• Taking ownership of the existing account portfolio and markets assigned, maintaining and increasing the Company account base’s revenue goals as designated by Sales Leadership.
• Achieving revenue goals through proactive sales, prompt response to all inquiries, correspondence from clients, prospects and lead referrals, and consistent follow up on assigned incoming sales leads.

• Achieving self-generated business goals by proactively identifying, soliciting and qualifying new business opportunities to achieve individual and property level revenue goals for USA Hotels.
• Focusing efforts on accounts with significant potential sales revenue, repeat business and cross-selling opportunities between sister properties.
• Executing effective individual strategic account management guidelines and sales action plans in line with Sales Department.
• Working with partners such as travel agencies, meeting planners, travel managers, meeting management companies, travel trade, consortia allies and others, to develop proposals for groups business, including and no limited to MICE, SMERF, GOV, ASSOC, Entertainment, Tour and Travel with or without meeting space involve.
• Maintaining an updated portfolio of managed accounts for the leisure market and performing activities involved in developing and managing key accounts & programs to drive incremental revenues for the leisure market to all USA Hotels.
• Converting prospect in to clients closing the best agreements based on market conditions and individual property needs.
• Using negotiating skills and creative selling abilities to negotiate contracts and close on business.
• Producing and communicating group resumes and detailed information to operations team to warranty successful group execution and guest experience.
• Performing post-sale follow up and engage repeat business opportunities.

• Maintaining accurate and thorough data and history within Company’s CRM for all accounts.
• Vast knowledge of value propositions for all hotels represented.

• Managing time effectively between the sales offices, visits to the hotels, sales activities, business related travel and administrative assignments.

• Following Sales Action Plan, performing frequent sales presentations, off property sales calls, customer site tours and customer entertaining as required.
• Attending on-going self-driven education of Company’s brands and hotels, and hotel industry trends.
• Constantly survey and analyze threats and opportunities from competition.
• Effectively communicate with other hotel departments, regional and global sales teams.
• Participate in professional organizations to maintain high visibility and drive revenues.

• Organizing and executing client events, roadshows, sales missions, tradeshows in line with USA Sales Action Plan.
• Assisting the Director of Sales in the direction, coordination of all sales-related activities and administration of the department.

• Perform administrative duties as assigned.

Operational/Functional:

• Effectively promoting the Hotels in the United States to meeting & event groups and leisure decision makers.
• Deeply analyzing market conditions and account specific data to determine current account status and alter individual account strategies.
• Participating in business review meetings, pre-convention meetings, training and other sales-related meetings as required.
• Following all mandatory standards operating procedures, policies, manuals, memos, oral instructions, all of which go to make up the essential functions of the job.
• Proficiently utilizing primary online tools for RFP solicitation and negotiations such as and not limited to Cvent, Meeting Broker, and Company’s CRM.

Building Successful Relationships:

• Developing and maintaining strong synergies with Global Sales Teams, collaborate in join initiatives and sales activities to enhance relationship with Key, Strategic and Advance Accounts.
• Strengthening relationships with existing and new customers and business partners to enable future opportunities.
• Developing relationships within community organizations to strengthen and expand customer base for sales opportunities.
• Managing and developing relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.

JOB EXPECTATIONS

• Exceed individual production goal.
• Support team exceed budgeted total revenues.
• Contribute to achieve ADR index goal without losing RevPAR index.
• Contribute with employee satisfaction and retention.
• Maximize customer/guest satisfaction.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS (to do this kind of work, candidate must possess/be able to)

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required; preferably in Business or Hotel Management.
• Previous relevant Hotel sales experience required; sales experience in multi-property, multi-brand.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
• Proven track record of exceeding goals through individual sales efforts.
• A comprehensive understanding of the local market for all USA Hotels.
• Computer skills including typing, using MS Office products and using Property Management System.
• Proficient experience RFP management, free marketing opportunities for group business, local group opportunities, and business development tools.
• Knowledge of food and beverage component in group contracts.
• Ability to communicate and negotiate effectively with internal/external customers both in written and verbal format.
• Deal with the general public, customers, associates, and government officials with tact and courtesy.
• Ability to read and interpret business records and statistical reports.
• Ability to use mathematical skills to interpret financial information and prepare reports.
• Interpret established policies and understand the government regulations pertaining to the business.
• Make business decisions based on production reports and similar facts as well as on your own experience and personal opinions.
• Must be flexible and able to work mornings, evenings, overnight, weekends and/or holidays as travel for business required.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Minimum of five (5) years’ experience preferred. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: Ability to read, write, and verbally communicate effectively and professionally with other business departments, guests, and vendors. Ability to diplomatically deal with difficult situations and people, while exhibiting a consistent level of professionalism.

MATH and LOGICAL SKILLS: Requires mathematical development sufficient to be able to: Deal with system of real numbers; algebraic solution of equations and probability and statistical inference. Apply fractions, percentages, ratio and proportion. Ability to determine time, place and sequence of operations or action to be taken on the basis of analysis of data; executing determination and/or reporting on events.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly being required to stand, walk, and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, or telephone. The employee is required to use body members, hand tools, and/or special devices to work, move, or carry objects or materials. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10-25 pounds and frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Requires walking, standing and/or sitting; and to a significant degree, reaching, handling, feeling, talking, hearing, seeing.