Director of Sales

Key Responsibilities

Administration

• Develops, implements, maximises, monitors and evaluates the hotel’s Sales Strategy (goals, tactics and actions) to achieve and exceed forecasted revenue figures in all revenue generating departments.
• Ensures Sales activities are aligned with the Corporate Marketing Strategy and company’s Actions have been implemented where appropriate.
• Represents the Marketing function on the company’s Executive Committee in the absence of the Director of Marketing.
• Oversees the preparation and update of the Sales Departmental Operations Manuals.
• Conducts regular departmental communications meetings and ensures departmental briefings and meetings are effective and conducted as necessary.
• Reviews sales files and systems to ensure correct booking procedures, including group room and meeting programme history, contractual agreements,credit and payment documents, etc.

Customer Service

• Monitors all company; s employees in delivering the brand promise and provides exceptional guest service at all times, providing positive and constructive feedback as necessary to the respective Head of Department.
• Ensures that all Sales employees provide excellent service to internal customers in other departments as appropriate.
• Handles all guest and internal customer complaints and inquiries in a courteous and efficient manner, following through to ensure problems are resolved satisfactorily.
• Maintains positive guest and colleague interactions with good working relationships.

Financial

• Maximises employee productivity through the use of multi-skilling, multi-tasking and flexible scheduling to meet the financial goals of the business as well as the expectations of the guests.
• Assists with the preparation of the Annual Business Plan for Marketing.
• Strategically analyses business performance to facilitate accurate and meaningful forecasting, involving the respective Heads of Department as appropriate.
• Proactively manages all the sales resources and funds, and control departmental costs.
• Ensures that all company and local rules, policies and regulations relating to financial record keeping, money handling and licensing are adhered to, including the timely and accurate reporting of financial information

Marketing

• Manages all the company’s sales brand contacts, enforces and maintains the company’s brand positioning and concept, agreed upon in the hotel’s Annual Business Plan.
• Assists to prepare, utilise and update an Annual Sales Plan, broken down as necessary by division and/or department.
• Assists to manage all sales strategy, tactics, and action implementations, complying with the SMART Selling approach, in order to create a strong and disciplined sales team that achieves set sales goals.
• Implements the strategic marketing process, maximises the available sales data including hotel COGNOS, Marketing Portal, Competitive Intelligence, and DELPHI/OPERA systems in order to make sound decisions.
• Manages all key sales accounts and groups, evaluates them based on sales account analysis prepared by Marketing Manager – Strategy/Marketing Analyst, and develops strategies for pricing, inventory, and sales resource allocation.
• Actively participates in weekly yield meetings and monthly strategic meetings, developing and adjusting sales and pricing strategy.

Operational

• Directs and coordinates all selling activities and communicates these activities throughout the hotel.
• Assists the Director of Marketing to review and evaluate the effectiveness of selling activities and adjust as necessary to achieve or exceed the objectives as outlined in the Annual Marketing Plan.
• Be aware of community, business, political and social factors that may affect the company’s financial performance.
• Ensures all sales proposals, collateral, digital tools, and other sales communications are in-line with the company’s brand standards, and up- to-date in terms of information.
• Ensures all contracts signed by or on behalf of the Marketing and Sales Department follow the established company’s policies and procedures.
• Attends major travel, trade and corporate functions to network and promote the company when required.
• Plans and executes sales trips based on business priorities.
• Assists to communicate closely with the WWSOs (World Wide Sales Office) and updates them regularly regarding key company sales information.
• Entertains existing and potential customers and ensures the Sales Team entertains customers based on business priorities.
• Ensures a high level of exposure for the coapny through direct sales solicitation, telephone contact and written communication.
• Ensures Sales employees work in a supportive and flexible manner with other departments, in a spirit of “We work through Teams”.

Personnel

• Assists in the recruitment and selection of all Sales employees; follows company’s guidelines when recruiting and uses a competency-based approach to selecting employees.
• Ensures the punctuality and appearance of all Sales employees, making sure they wear the correct uniform and maintain a high standard of personal appearance and hygiene, according to the company’s and department’s grooming standards.
• Conducts annual Performance Development Discussions and supports employees in their professional development goals.
• Plans and implements effective training programmes, including all required SMART Selling Courses, for employees in coordination with the Human Resources Manager and Departmental Trainers.
• Maximises the effectiveness of every Sales employee by developing each individuals’ skills and abilities through the appropriate training, coaching, and/or mentoring.
• Encourages employees to be creative and innovative, challenging and recognising them for their contribution to the success of the operation.
• Ensures all employees have a complete understanding of and adhere to employee rules and regulations.
• Ensures employees follow all company and local rules, policies and regulations relating to fire and hazard safety, and security.
• Feedbacks on the results of the Employee Opinion Survey and ensures relevant changes are implemented.
• Oversees the implementation and ongoing monitoring of Personal Business Plans for all Sales employees