Senior Sales Manager

Lodging Dynamics•Santa Clara, CA

About The Position

The Senior Sales Manager functions as a senior business leader within the property's Sales department, combining strategic vision with hands-on account management excellence. This role proactively develops strong customer relationships to position and market the property while providing mentorship and day-to-day guidance to on-property Sales associates. The Senior Sales Manager implements the brand's strategy and applicable brand initiatives in all aspects of the sales process and focuses on building long-term, value-based customer relationships that enable achievement of the hotel's sales objectives. This position bridges tactical execution and departmental leadership, making it ideal for a high-performing sales professional ready to grow into a Director of Sales role.

Requirements

Associate's degree from an accredited university in business administration, marketing, hotel and restaurant management, or equivalent experience in a related field.
A minimum of three (3) years of progressive experience in hotel sales required.
A minimum of two (2) years of supervisory or team leadership experience in hotel sales required.
A minimum of one (1) year as a Sales Manager at a branded hotel strongly preferred.
The capability to understand and follow both oral and written directions, as well as the ability to communicate effectively with others in English and interact successfully with internal and external customers.
Proficient in time management; the ability to effectively organize and manage multiple priorities.
Emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build strong working relationships with team members at all levels.
Skilled in building and motivating a team, fostering a collaborative environment and inspiring high performance.
Analytical and problem-solving skills.
Performs well with frequent interruptions and/or distractions.
Understands how to develop and implement business strategies.
Ability to interpret and create policies, procedures, and manuals.
Able to communicate appropriately and effectively with all levels of management and external stakeholders.
Ability to effectively listen, understand, and resolve challenges and concerns from management, team members, and/or customers (internal/external).
Exceptional interpersonal skills to include coaching, counseling, and mentoring.
Able to identify and seize revenue-generating opportunities while effectively managing costs and resources.
Visionary mindset, capable of developing and executing a comprehensive business strategy that aligns with brand identity and exceeds guest expectations.
Knowledge of key industry trends, best practices, regulations, and the current industry landscape.
Proven ability to drive revenue growth, optimize costs, and achieve financial targets.
Able to engage diplomatically and effectively with third party operators and owners, empathizing, and reacting appropriately to partner feedback and helping resolve issues where necessary.
Proficient in public speaking.
Basic math skills.
Proficient in Google Docs/Microsoft Word.
Proficient in Google Sheets/Microsoft Excel.
Proficient in Google Slides/Microsoft PowerPoint.
Proficient in Gmail/Microsoft Outlook.
Ability to adjust effectively to evolving work environments and shifting customer (internal/external) requirements.
Able to maintain a positive and professional working environment.
Fosters a culture of excellence.
Able to work effectively in a culturally diverse environment and support diversity and inclusion within the organization.

Nice To Haves

A minimum of one (1) year as a Sales Manager at a branded hotel strongly preferred.
Experience working within Marriott and/or Hilton brand systems (e.g., CI/TY, Delphi, OnQ, SalesPro) preferred.

Responsibilities

Executes the sales strategy and ensures individual booking goals are met for the on-property Sales team.
Proactively participates in hotel direct sales efforts by conducting sales calls for assigned accounts and with members of the on-property Sales team.
Evaluates the property's participation in the various sales channels (OTA, Group, brand.com, RFP, etc.) and recommends optimization strategies.
Attends Sales strategy meetings to provide input on weekly and overall sales strategy.
Suggests innovative Sales and Marketing ideas and proactively develops deployment strategies to continue to grow market share.
Participates in business planning with the Revenue Management and Sales Support team.
Interfaces with Revenue Management and Sales Support team to execute the PSR and Sales and Marketing quarterly action plans.
Reviews the Smith Travel Research STAR report, competitive shopping reports, and uses other resources to maintain an awareness of the hotel's market position.
Researches competitor's Sales team strategies to identify ways to grow RevPAR and increase market share.
Provides customer intelligence in evaluating the market and economic trends that may lead to changes in sales strategy.
Serves as the Sales contact for the General Manager, Revenue Management, Sales Support team, and Catering Sales leaders.
Serves as the Sales contact for customers; serves as the customer advocate throughout the sales process.
Serves as the property Sales liaison with Marriott/Hilton National Group Sales and National Accounts.
Executes and supports the operational aspects of business booked (e.g., generating proposals, writing contracts, customer correspondence).
Executes exemplary customer service to drive customer satisfaction and loyalty by monitoring customer needs before and during their program or event.
Gains understanding of the hotel's primary target customer and service expectations; applies that knowledge to offer better business solutions.
Monitors the effective resolution of guest issues that arise as a result of the sales process and channels them to appropriate stakeholders.
Verifies that the property implements a seamless turnover from Sales to Operations.
Develops strong partnerships with local organizations to further increase brand and product awareness.
Develops strong community and public relations by supporting property participation in local, regional, and national tradeshows and client events.
Maintains successful performance by increasing revenues and controlling expenses.
Develops strategic working relationships with leaders of these sales channels in order to proactively position and drive sales to the property.
Verifies the Sales team is leveraging brand demand engines to full potential.
Develops quarterly bonus Key Sales Objectives (KSO) and individual sales action plans.
Supports the development and oversight of the Sales department budget in partnership with the GM.
Provides mentorship and day-to-day leadership guidance to on-property Sales Coordinators and junior Sales associates.
Sets career development goals and reviews performance for direct reports.
Addresses performance issues and holds team accountable for successful results.
Verifies that effective structures, processes, jobs and performance management systems are in place and in practice.
Champions leadership development and workforce planning priorities by assessing, selecting, retaining and developing diverse, high-caliber talent.
Forecasts talent needs and manages talent acquisition strategy to minimize lost time due to turnover.
Keeps an active awareness of the competition's top sales talent and supports a recruitment and acquisition pipeline.
Executes and supports the brand's standards and daily service basics.
Maintains open and effective communication with team members and management at all levels.
Attends and participates in team meetings and brand strategy sessions.
Adheres to established safety and emergency procedures and protocols, this includes Company, federal, and state specific regulations and guidelines.
Completes all required Company training/compliance courses as assigned.
Maintains a professional appearance in accordance with Company standards.
Attendance is a key component of this position.
Performs other related duties and responsibilities as assigned.