The posting
Job Description
The Sales Manager will manage the sales process from initial prospecting and inquiry through qualification, proposal development, negotiation, and contract execution. Following contract signing, the Event Manager will assume responsibility for the operational planning and servicing of the group.
The ideal candidate is a proactive, relationship-driven sales professional with a strong business-development mindset, excellent negotiation skills, and a proven ability to convert opportunities into profitable group business. The individual should be highly organized, commercially minded, and comfortable developing new relationships while maintaining and growing existing accounts.
Responsibilities
Sales & Business Development
- Actively prospect for new group business through outbound sales efforts, networking, referrals, industry relationships, trade shows, sales missions, local market research, and other business-development activities.
- Develop and maintain a strong pipeline of prospective group business within assigned markets and segments.
- Respond promptly and professionally to incoming group inquiries and leads.
- Qualify group opportunities based on room-night potential, dates, rates, meeting requirements, ancillary revenue, and overall value to the hotel.
- Identify opportunities to generate group business during need periods and strategically balance short-term opportunities with long-term account development.
- Develop and maintain relationships with meeting planners, corporate clients, associations, agencies, entertainment organizations, professional organizations, and other group decision-makers.
- Conduct sales calls, client meetings, site inspections, presentations, entertainment, and other relationship-building activities.
- Maintain a thorough understanding of the hotel’s guest rooms, suites, meeting and event spaces, food and beverage offerings, amenities, and competitive positioning.
- Stay informed about market trends, competitive activity, citywide events, and other factors that may influence group demand.
Sales Process & Negotiation
- Manage the complete sales cycle from initial inquiry or prospecting through contract execution and formal handoff to the Event team.
- Develop customized proposals, presentations, room block offers, meeting packages, and other sales materials based on client needs.
- Collaborate with Revenue Management to develop appropriate group rates and evaluate opportunities based on demand, displacement, profitability, and overall account value.
- Negotiate rates, room blocks, concessions, meeting space, attrition, cancellation terms, and other contractual components within established hotel guidelines.
- Maximize total account value by identifying opportunities for meeting space, food and beverage, guest room upgrades, suites, amenities, and other ancillary revenue.
- Prepare and present contracts and ensure all terms are accurate, complete, and aligned with hotel policies.
- Maintain accurate and timely records of leads, opportunities, account activity, proposals, contracts, and revenue within the hotel’s sales and CRM systems.
- Conduct consistent and strategic follow-up throughout the sales process to maximize conversion.
- Communicate confirmed business and all relevant contractual details clearly and accurately to the Events team upon contract execution.
- Participate in turnover meetings or formal handoff processes to ensure a seamless transition from Sales to Events.
- Remain available as a relationship resource following turnover and support the Events team with client history, account context, or other information as needed.
Account Management & Relationship Development
- Build and maintain strong, long-term relationships with key group accounts and meeting professionals.
- Develop account-specific strategies to increase production, repeat business, referrals, and share of wallet.
- Conduct regular account reviews and proactively identify opportunities for future group business.
- Maintain consistent communication with past, current, and prospective clients.
- Develop strong relationships with intermediaries, including third-party meeting planners, destination management companies, agencies, and other relevant partners.
- Deliver a personalized and elevated sales experience that reflects the hotel’s luxury positioning.
- Partner with Marketing and other hotel departments to identify opportunities for client engagement, partnerships, promotions, and market development.
Revenue & Performance
- Achieve or exceed individual group room night, revenue, and other established sales goals.
- Manage a balanced pipeline of tentative and prospective group business to support hotel revenue objectives.
- Monitor group pace, pickup, conversion, and production within assigned markets.
- Provide accurate forecasts and regular updates regarding pipeline, tentative business, definite business, and anticipated revenue.
- Partner closely with Revenue Management to optimize group rates, dates, room blocks, and overall business mix.
- Identify opportunities to increase total group revenue through room upgrades, meeting space, food and beverage, and other ancillary services.
- Analyze account and market performance and adjust sales strategies as needed to maximize results.
- Participate in regular sales strategy and business review meetings with Sales leadership and other commercial stakeholders.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality, Business, Marketing, Sales, or a related field preferred.
- 3+ years of hotel group sales, hospitality sales, or related experience; luxury or upper-upscale hotel experience strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated success in generating new business and achieving group sales or revenue goals.
- Proven experience managing a full sales cycle from prospecting and lead qualification through proposal, negotiation, and contract execution.
- Strong understanding of group hotel sales, room blocks, meeting space, and the relationship between guest rooms and ancillary event revenue.
- Experience working with corporate groups, associations, conferences, meetings, or other group market segments preferred.
- Strong prospecting and business-development skills, with the ability to independently identify and cultivate new opportunities.
- Exceptional relationship-building, communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.
- Strong commercial and financial acumen, including an understanding of group pricing, profitability, displacement, and hotel revenue management principles.
- Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple opportunities, deadlines, and client relationships simultaneously.
- Strong follow-through and ability to move opportunities efficiently through the sales process.
- Professional, polished, and service-oriented demeanor appropriate for a luxury hospitality environment.
- Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and familiarity with hotel sales/CRM systems.
- Willingness and ability to travel for sales missions, trade shows, client meetings, and industry events.
- Flexibility to work occasional evenings, weekends, and holidays based on business needs.
