Director of Sales

Access Destination Services•Nashville, TN

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Sales (DOS) is responsible for setting the strategic direction and leading the Sales team to meet and exceed revenue goals. This is achieved through thoughtful sales strategy, strong leadership, and hands-on coaching to ensure consistent execution. The DOS serves as the undisputed expert of the local destination, deeply immersed in the market with strong knowledge of hotel partners, venues, and industry relationships.

Requirements

10+ years of sales experience in DMC, events, or hospitality
3+ years of sales leadership with a track record of team growth and coaching
Strong knowledge of and relationships within the [local hotel/market ecosystem]
Salesforce fluency: pipeline management, forecasting, and reporting
Confidence in client-facing roles, especially with hotel GMs and executives

Nice To Haves

A warm, approachable leadership style, especially with newer sellers
Flexibility for regional travel

Responsibilities

Client Relationship Management Define and drive the territory’s relationship management strategy, building executive-level partnerships with key clients, hotels, and industry partners aligned to long-term growth. Advise the sales team on complex client needs, translating insights into customized solutions while promoting best practices for discovery and strategic selling. Set the standard for client communication across the territory, cultivating high-level relationships and intervening in critical or high-stakes discussions as needed.
Sales & Marketing Develop and implement the overall lead generation and qualification strategy, analyzing data and establishing best practices to ensure efficiency across the sales team. Set and refine the overarching sales strategy for the Territory, aligning with national objectives, monitoring performance, and driving accountability for results. Define proposal development standards, oversee strategy for major opportunities, and engage directly with top clients to secure key wins and partnerships. Collaborate with Managing Directors, Events, and Creative teams, as well as across territories with DOS’ and ADOS’, to promote consistency and best practices. Represent Access at high-profile industry events and conferences, leveraging relationships and insights to shape market perception and uncover growth opportunities.
Product Knowledge Serve as the top destination expert and ambassador within Access and the industry, leading the development of destination knowledge resources aligned with market positioning and sales strategy. Establish and uphold best practices for team communication on destination offerings and vendor partnerships, ensuring consistency across the Territory. Build and maintain senior-level relationships with key partners to secure preferred access, insights, and competitive advantages for clients.
New Business Development Set the overall strategy for client identification, prospecting, and pipeline development across the territory, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, market opportunities, and revenue objectives. Partner across territories to share best practices, coordinate outreach, and oversee KPI performance to ensure market coverage and growth. Drive the Territory’s closing strategy by setting standards, coaching the team to improve win rates, and personally leading enterprise-level or strategic deals. Establish the strategic direction for FAM and hotel event participation, representing Access at the most critical partner events to secure senior-level relationships and alignment with company goals. Define and monitor pipeline KPIs for sustainable growth, regularly adjusting tactics, coaching leaders, and removing obstacles to ensure long-term pipeline health and team success.
Proposal Contract and Negotiation Defines negotiation standards and frameworks for the territory to ensure consistency, risk mitigation, and profitability. Engages in negotiations for enterprise-level or strategically critical opportunities; partners with executive leadership as needed. Collaborate with National, Events and Creative teams, to ensure successful implementation of client programs.
Reporting and Administration Oversee territory-wide Salesforce data quality, forecasting, and reporting, ensuring adherence to CRM standards and accurate pipeline management. Build and leverage dashboards to monitor performance, identify risks and opportunities, and inform strategic decisions at both the territory and national level.
Team Development and Management Mentor and inspire team members to exceed both company and individual revenue performance goals. Oversee and manage the entire sales team, setting KPIs and performance benchmarks that align with Access’ objectives. Lead hiring, training, and development to build and sustain a high-performing sales team. Define and refine ongoing training programs to strengthen capabilities for both new and tenured team members.
Access Values Consistently display the Access Values (Imagine First, Demand Integrity, Embody Excellence, Always Collaborate, Service Obsession)

Benefits

CULTURE & EXTRAS
Certified as a Great Place to Work – 3 years in a row and counting!
50+ years in the industry!
Women-owned and women-led
Fun, creative, and supportive culture
Focus on recognition and employee value – including annual and quarterly awards
Paid day off to serve your local community
Annual all-company retreat to connect, learn, and have fun together
Annual qualifier-based incentive trip for top performers (certain departments eligible)
Regional team outings
Monthly companywide meetings to connect, learn, and celebrate wins
COMPENSATION
Highly competitive total compensation, including strong base salary and quarterly bonuses
Very strong performance-based quarterly commission plans
401k with company match (eligible after 1 year – up to 4% of salary matched, vested immediately
Monthly cell phone stipend
WORK LIFE BALANCE
Work from home opportunities and flexibility (including full home office setup)
Flexible schedule opportunities
Generous PTO
Sick days
9 full holidays
5 half days off prior to holidays to unplug early
2 floating holidays off to be used on holidays of your choice
½ day Fridays in July & August (based on achievement of goals)
HEALTH, WELLNESS, AND FAMILY
Extensive menu of health plans to choose from
Paid parental leave
Pet insurance program
Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Mentorship program
“Masterclasses” in industry/department-specific topics
State-of-the-art technology platforms and tools – including training
Annual and monthly meeting content that focuses on professional development