Director of Group Sales

Trump International Hotel and Tower Chicago•Chicago, IL

4d•$100,000 - $125,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Group Sales is responsible for overseeing the sales strategy, development, and execution of group business for the hotel, focusing on high-end, luxury clientele. This role includes managing key accounts, driving group revenue, and fostering long-term relationships with corporate, association, incentive, and leisure clients. The Director of Group Sales will work closely with the hotel's leadership team to ensure sales targets are met and the property’s position in the luxury market is maintained.

Requirements

Has worked in the group market for over 7-10 years.
Strong analytical skills, with experience in data-driven decision-making and KPI tracking.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience in content creation and storytelling.
Words Per Minute typing of 60
Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
Leadership and team-building abilities.
Return all phone calls on the same day and demonstrate timeliness in getting proposals to clients.
Always maintain a professional image in appearance/attire and conduct when dealing with meeting planners and hotel employees.
Basic mathematical skills to complete reports and working knowledge of financial statements and forecasting techniques.
Strong computer skills including Excel, PowerPoint, Word.
Ability to work under pressure and deal with stressful situations during busy periods.
Interpersonal skills to provide overall guest satisfaction.
A minimum 7 years of previous experience in the group sales market, preferably in a 4-5 star hotel.

Nice To Haves

Associates in Operations will call upon us for support in order to ensure customer satisfaction occurs. When we are fortunate enough for this to occur, each associate will positively respond unless there is a chance that an opportunity resulting in dissatisfying a guest could occur. If this is the case the leader is to be notified and the level of support that is being requested will be obtained.

Responsibilities

Organizes and supervises departmental activities including tele-marketing, prospecting and qualifying potential leads, soliciting viable leads, preparing and presenting written proposals/contracts and oral presentations.
Strategically direct the group sales for the property in line with the business plan, goals and within the budget guidelines.
Directs effort of sales staff including assisting job performance and improvement of job performance.
Promote awareness to corporate, incentive and association markets via travel to respective regions in the country providing presentations and personal sales calls.
Solicits leads from corporate national sales in the national association market for cultivation, development, solicitation and booking.
Assists in compiling sales forecasts, development of guest room rates, collection and reporting of sales data, and management of sales department budget.
Develops target lists and action plans for account solicitation.
Assists in assignment and distribution of leads and inquiries.
Assists in the approval of file turnovers.
Meets with clients on property, during outside sales calls and attends major trade shows around the country in order to assist in developing and closing major pieces of business.
Promote local awareness through maintaining relationships with CVB’s and tourism authorities.
Directs maintenance of sales files, accounts and other administrative duties.
Functions as the leader of the property’s group sales effort for properties with a significant number of events over 10 rooms a night.
Solicits, books and develops local group business.
Recommends booking and prospecting 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 the operational aspects of business booked (e.g., generating proposal, writing contract, customer correspondence).
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.
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., banquets and group rooms) for all events.
Performs other duties, as assigned, to meet business needs.
Works collaboratively with off-property sales channels, such as other Trump Hotel’s.
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 Trump Hotels.
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.
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.
Creates effective structures, processes, jobs and performance management systems are in place.
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.
Responsible for the performance of an assigned market, achieving sales objectives and supporting business growth.