Area Sales Manager

Position Summary:

 The Area Sales Manager is responsible for fostering and developing business through proactive direct sales, marketing, telemarketing, direct mail, appointment calls, and hotel tours for assigned hotels. This role involves creating strategic action plans to drive measurable, incremental sales revenue. The manager identifies performance improvement areas and recommends tools and training to optimize the sales team's performance. Collaboration with individual hotel teams is key to identifying skill development needs and effectively deploying sales and marketing resources. The primary duties include prospecting, soliciting, and acquiring new business through assigned segments for multiple hotels, while maintaining existing accounts and relationships. The position requires developing long-term business partnerships, striving to maximize revenue, and promoting relationships through effective negotiation. Follow-up and maintenance of accounts, file and account accuracy, fielding inquiries, reporting, sales blitz, and special projects are also required. The role reports directly to the Senior Regional Director of Sales & Marketing.

 Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manage group inquiries, rooming lists, billing follow-ups, meeting details, contracts, account maintenance, outside sales calls, repeat bookings, and activity reports.
• Maintain marketing collateral and sales kits for customer distribution.
• Utilize trace systems to fully service customers from start to finish.
• Review daily inventory and availability to qualify needs for group-based sales strategies.
• Qualify and book group rooms for business and social events.
• Provide exceptional customer service throughout the account lifecycle.
• Maintain a filing system for customers/events, including call reports and tracking charges and conversations.
• Communicate group and meeting details in weekly staff meetings.
• Conduct hotel tours with prospective clients and walk-ins.
• Stay informed about upcoming events and conventions in the area.
• Establish effective working relationships with professional organizations and cluster groups.
• Respond to Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Requests for Information (RFIs), and Requests for Quotes (RFQs) for SMERF/Corporate/Government clients as required.
• Assist in planning open-house functions for major clients or guest appreciation events to promote the hotel.
• Submit weekly sales and status reports as requested.
• Attend local networking events.
• Attend trade shows and participate in sales blitzes.
• Engage with the local community to develop business opportunities.
• Perform any other duties, projects, and tasks assigned.
• Consistently provide the highest quality of service to clients.
• Understand the hotel’s business strategies and create action plans to meet specific goals.
• Identify new markets and business opportunities to increase hotel sales.
• Represent hotels at training sessions, meetings, exhibitions, and other events as appropriate.
• Conduct daily sales calls and arrange hotel site tours as needed.
• Support the hotel's service and relationship strategy, driving customer loyalty through service excellence.
• Make pricing strategy recommendations; establish group rate parameters; monitor turndowns and group selling strategies.
• Develop strong relationships with the front office team to ensure unity and shared goals of guest satisfaction.
• Assess additional training needs for professional growth and brand education.
• Attend all necessary department and hotel meetings.
• Target key accounts with potential for the hotel.
• Build and strengthen relationships with existing and new customers to enable future bookings.
• Develop relationships within the community to expand the customer base for sales opportunities.
• Acquire and develop new business accounts and prepare sales proposals for clients.
• Follow up on all business leads within a 24-hour response timeline.
• Perform any additional sales-related duties as assigned by the RDOS-NOVA or CDOSD to advance the hotel's sales goals.

Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Hospitality experience required, with a focus on Sales in select service/mid-scale branded hotels strongly preferred.
• Multi-Property/Cross-Selling experience strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of hotel PMS Systems (Opera, OnQ/PEP, Fosse, Choice Advantage) strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of the Northern Virginia Market preferred.
• Previous Tour & Travel, SMERF, Corporate, and Government experience highly preferred.
• CRM experience (SalesPro, HotelPro, Salesforce, etc.) strongly preferred.
• Computer literacy with proficiency in various programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, OneDrive, Asana, Acrobat Adobe, property management systems, hotel sales software).
• Ability to work effectively as an independent contributor and as part of a collaborative team.
• Ability to multi-task and manage numerous priorities with a sense of urgency within a fast-paced environment.
• This is a full-time, on-property position with benefits and a competitive salary plus bonus potential.

Walk in interviews not accepted, please submit resumes to Lewis Tedesco, CHSP - Corporate Director of Sales Development - ltedesco@hmphotels.com