Corporate Sales Manager

Reports:  Vice Presidents/Executive Director of Hotel Sales & Marketing

Location: Hilton Garden Inn Winchester

Position Summary:

The Corporate Sales Manager is responsible for developing and fostering relationships in the corporate transient market of Winchester/Front Royal and for generating awareness of Aikens Group Virginia hotels through direct phone sales, direct sales calls, sales trips, tradeshows, and networking. The Corporate Sales Manager will be an active part of the community, maintaining a professional rapport with local businesses and organizations. The Corporate Sales Manager must be able to work independently, be comfortable digging and prospecting for leads and enjoy outside sales as a means of building relationships and gaining business.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Solicit business through telephone calls, personal sales calls, and email.
• Conduct site tours and entertain potential transient accounts.
• Promptly send proposals, contracts, and other sales correspondence.
• Accurately confirm all bookings, quotes and negotiate rates while adhering to hotel rate structure, credit policies, and general hotel policies and procedures.
• Maintain an up-to-date accurate client file, database and tracking system.
• Responsible for full market knowledge as it relates to competitors and industry trends.
• Contribute ideas to the Sales and Marketing action plans based on guest and client feedback, knowledge of the marketplace and sales targets.
• Prepare sales reports and attend regular sales meetings.
• Meet or exceed budgeted RevPAR for the hotels under their responsibility.
• Guest Service
  • Supports guest service as the hotel’s driving philosophy.
  • Personally demonstrates a commitment to guest service by responding to guests’ needs.
• Marketing & Sales Management
  • Identifies and maintains communications with each hotel’s Key Accounts.
  • Actively sells to in-house guests (greeting tours, talking with guests at breakfast to surface additional leads, etc.).
  • Uses the resources available in the hotel brand manuals to surface, call on, and track potential new business.
  • Reads and responds to all RFP’s for each hotel in a timely manner.
  • Actively pursues designated ‘Target Accounts’ for VA Hotels
  • Prospects and targets Area Projects including utilities, infrastructure and commercial development to solicit for crew, team members, project managers’ hotel room nights
  • Utilizes the weekly BidClerk Report to obtain new business/project business for the VA Hotels.
  • Reads and responds to the weekly Hotelligence Report and takes actions to obtain new business or strengthen existing relationships for the VA Hotels.
  • Builds and maintains a strong relationship with Corporate Travel Agencies.
• Human Resource Management
  • Ensures that hotel employees (specifically front desk staff) are familiar with Key Accounts and ‘specifics’ (special rates, special requirements, etc.) relating to business booked in the hotel.
• All other duties as assigned.

 Knowledge, Skills and Requirements:

• Able to appropriately handle difficult or emotional customer situations
• Responds well to questions
• Demonstrates group presentation skills
• Proficient with computer operations including Microsoft Suite
• Able to contribute to building a positive team spirit.
• Writes clearly and informatively
• Has the ability to read and interpret written information
• Must be attentive to details.
• Be timely in all communications and requests by management
• Must have the ability to handle pressure in meeting deadlines and prioritize tasks.
• Must have the ability to work independently and use independent judgment with minimal supervision.
• Must produce high-quality work that has been proofed and is error free.