Area Director of Group Sales

Overview

About CoralTree Hospitality

Our team members are the true soul of our company. We think differently. About travel, but also about how we deliver on our promise to engage, delight, awaken and challenge our team members as well as our guests. We are deeply committed to the foundation of core values that mold our interactions with everyone we encounter – our guests, our clients, our team, and our communities. We create engaging, impactful environments that connect people and places, awaken the spirit, and allow team members with talent, integrity, and heart to thrive. We believe our team members are the true soul of our company. We invite you to join us on this journey.

 

The Area Director of Group Sales is responsible for the leadership and management of all aspects of revenue generation for Lake Nona Wave Hotel and Aloft Orlando Lake Nona and accompanying venue related to the group segment including guest room, food and beverage sales and other ancillary revenue opportunities. The position will focus on optimizing productivity from the group sales team including ongoing development, coaching, and motivation of a cluster group sales organization. The position is also directly responsible for generating revenue from a defined market, industry and/or key accounts. In addition, this position is required to provide continued enhancement of the Lake Nona culture in accordance with Lake Nona standards and to maintain effective relationships with all associates throughout Lake Nona. The position requires a detail oriented, organized, and adaptable individual to manage all aspects of the direct sales process, which include development of action plans, performance management and the ability to operate in a dynamic, continuously changing environment. The position requires excellent communication skills – both written and verbal, along with the ability to utilize contemporary distribution channel management and analytics to support the sales and marketing initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Direct a strategic and comprehensive group sales effort to maximize group rooms, food, beverage and other ancillary sales revenue production goals.
• Represent the Area Director of Sales and Marketing on all on-property activities, and be an ambassador to all other departments.
• Lead the group sales team to achieve group budget and booking pace.
• Provide the required support and resources for all remote managers, optimizing ROI of site visits and their closure ration.
• Master the use of company resources and review with the group sales team on a regular basis as a part of total strategic account management.
• Regularly evaluate future or advanced performance or process issues relating to group booking pace, backlog, reservations pace, rate yielding or conversion to identify future revenue and performance shortfalls and upside opportunities.
• Frequently review group sales action plans and strategic objectives outlined in the business plan to ascertain their relevance to current market conditions and future/planned hotel performance. Make necessary recommendations on adjustments to this plan, as appropriate.
• Collaborate with each individual group sales manager to implement a targeted and direct strategic plan to penetrate assigned segments.
• Ensure that the team is effectively mapping and maintaining all new and existing accounts, and devoting appropriate account management effort based on their quality ratings and potential: top, target, good or marginal. Achieve this objective within your individually-assigned market segment(s), as well.
• Have a refined sense of communication: timely response to client requests; creative proposals; superb time management skills; effective communication with customers and amongst the hotel team.
• Engage in and leverage the CoralTree Synergy leads sharing programs.
• Execute daily business review meetings and weekly sales meetings.
• Actively participate in the appropriate CoralTree Affinity Team(s) for this position.
• Be able to understand industry reports appropriate to the position, and implement direct strategies using this business intelligence to positively affect group sales bookings.
• Evaluate training and development needs of group sales team and recommend and provide appropriate training tools, access to seminars and online learning opportunities. Mentor each direct report to achieve their professional goals through these programs.
• Serve as in internal resource for business volume updates and future business forecasts.
• Interview group sales candidates. Identify qualified external/internal sales and marketing professionals, and maintain talent bank of names for future reference in conjunction with CoralTree corporate efforts.
• Be visible within the local community and attend membership meetings of local chambers, bureaus and industry association events.
• Conduct creative site inspections with clients, including those from other segments.
• Maintain high level of knowledge of the competition’s product.
• Make outside sales calls, and handle all incoming inquiries. Plan and prepare appointments for sales trips. Create pre-trip and post-trip reports in a timely manner.
• Ensure financial success and profitability of hotel by overseeing all group booking contracts and agreements and contracts, and managing risk within these agreements.
• Drive Sales Intensity and ensure goal attainment of direct sales activity.
• Work with Event Sales and Convention Services, Revenue Management, Reservations and Leisure teams on a regular basis and integrate group sales with their direct sales and revenue management efforts.
• Meet with DOSM monthly to chart progress, adjust/adapt to market changes and shift strategies as deemed necessary.
• Contribute as needed to the completion and posting of all required reports and analysis.
• Assist in preparation and management of the monthly rooms forecast, annual rooms budget and sales and marketing expense budget.
• Facilitate monthly book keeping, check book management and invoice processing for the Group Sales Department.

Qualifications

• College graduate or equivalent industry experience.
• 5-7 years experience in a senior role within the Sales & Marketing department, preferably within the upper-upscale / luxury segment or in a cluster hotel environment
• Knowledge of group meetings and conference markets.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to utilize them effectively in English with guests, peers and associates.
• Ability to work under stressful conditions and balance multiple commitments simultaneously.
• Strong customer service aptitude
• Understanding of budgetary and fiscal responsibility within the department.
• Familiarity with all operational areas of the hotels

 Desirable:

• Expert level in use of Delphi, CI/TY property management systems, Word, Excel, Outlook and other department specific programs.
• Desire to progress within the hospitality industry.
• Sales & Marketing certification.

Working Environment/Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a team member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. 

• While performing the duties of this job, the team member is regularly required to walk, stand, and sit 6-8 hours per day and may have exposure to basic cleaning supply chemicals.
• The team member is occasionally required to climb and use balance. Additionally, they will frequently be asked to use their hands and arms to reach, carry, pull, and lift up to 25 lbs.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and peripheral vision. 
• While performing the duties of this job, the team member will experience temperature fluctuations (rain, wind, heat, humidity), and moderate to high noise levels.

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