The posting
WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO MANAGE SALES.
We're looking for someone to create them.
Hotel Royal Oak is looking for a Director of Business Development who knows how to hunt, build relationships, open doors and close business.
We're an independent boutique hotel in the heart of Royal Oak, Michigan, and we're entering our next stage of growth.
We have the rooms.
We have the location.
We have the bars.
We have the event spaces.
We have the systems.
We have the personality.
Now we need the salesperson who can turn all of it into revenue.
If you're looking for a corporate hotel sales position where you inherit a list of accounts, answer RFPs and maintain the status quo, this probably isn't your job.
If you're the person who sees a new company opening, a wedding venue, corporate office, production crew, sports tournament, event planner or major event coming to town and immediately thinks:
"How do I get that business?"
Keep reading.
THE MISSION
Your mission is to generate new annual business for Hotel Royal Oak.
And we're willing to pay you well when you do it.
You'll have the freedom and responsibility to build a proactive sales operation focused on:
- Corporate negotiated accounts
- Corporate transient travel
- Group room blocks
- Wedding blocks
- Meetings
- Extended stays
- Project and crew business
- Sports groups
- Entertainment and production
- Private events
- Corporate gatherings
- Venue rentals
- Social events
- Food & beverage events
- Strategic local partnerships
This is a revenue-producing position.
Your success won't be measured by how many emails you send or meetings you attend.
It will be measured by the business you create.
Requirements
WHAT YOU'LL ACTUALLY DO
Hunt.
Identify companies, organizations, planners and decision-makers who aren't currently doing business with us.
Build prospect lists.
Make calls.
Send the email.
Make the introduction.
Walk into the business.
Attend the event.
Ask for the meeting.
Get Hotel Royal Oak into conversations we aren't currently part of.
Build Relationships.
Develop relationships with:
- Corporate travel managers
- Executive assistants
- HR departments
- Office managers
- Event planners
- Wedding planners and venues
- Relocation companies
- Production companies
- Sports organizations
- Universities
- Hospitals and healthcare organizations
- Automotive companies and suppliers
- Local businesses
- Chambers and business organizations
- Entertainment venues
- Travel planners
- Community organizations
Become someone people in Metro Detroit think of when they need rooms or a place to gather.
Close.
Conduct property tours.
Build proposals.
Respond to RFPs.
Negotiate rates.
Create packages.
Follow up.
Ask for the business.
Close the deal.
Then find the next one.
YOU WON'T BE BUILDING THIS WITH A SPREADSHEET AND A PRAYER.
You'll have a modern hospitality sales and distribution technology stack to work with.
Our systems include:
Event Temple
Sales pipeline, group sales, proposals, contracts and event management.
Mews
Our property management ecosystem and hotel operating platform.
HotelREZ
GDS connectivity, corporate travel opportunities and hotel representation.
Cvent
RFPs, group opportunities and meetings/business travel exposure.
You'll be expected to use these systems, not simply have access to them.
Maintain the pipeline.
Track activity.
Respond quickly.
Keep account information clean.
Manage opportunities through the sales funnel.
Know what's closing, what's stalled and what you're going after next.
WHAT WE DON'T WANT
Someone waiting for leads.
Someone who considers answering an RFP a proactive sales strategy.
Someone who spends the entire week behind a desk.
Someone who needs the GM to continually ask, "Did you follow up with them?"
Someone who maintains accounts but doesn't create them.
Someone who can talk about sales activity for 30 minutes without talking about revenue.
WHO WE DO WANT
You might be our person if:
- You've sold hotels, hospitality, events, venues or a closely related product
- You know how to prospect
- You're comfortable cold calling
- You're even more comfortable walking into a business and introducing yourself
- You understand corporate negotiated rates
- You understand group business
- You know how to respond to and convert RFPs
- You can conduct a great property tour
- You're comfortable negotiating
- You're relentless about follow-up
- You're organized enough to maintain a real pipeline
- You understand that activity without conversion isn't success
- You enjoy networking
- You know Metro Detroit—or you're ready to learn it quickly
- You naturally build relationships
- You're competitive
- You're accountable
- You're resourceful
- You know how to ask for the business
Experience with Event Temple, Mews, HotelREZ, Cvent or similar hospitality sales systems is highly valuable.
Hotel sales experience is strongly preferred.
An existing network within Royal Oak, Oakland County and Metro Detroit is a major advantage.
ONE LAST THING.
We don't need someone to come here and tell us what Hotel Royal Oak has been.
We want someone excited about what it could become.
There's business in this market that we're not getting today.
Corporate accounts.
Groups.
Events.
Weddings.
Partnerships.
Extended stays.
Projects.
Companies that don't know us yet.
Your job is to go find it.
We'll give you the hotel.
We'll give you the tools.
We'll give you the ability to earn.
You build the book of business.
If that sounds exciting instead of intimidating, we should probably talk.
Benefits
COMPENSATION
Base Salary: $40,000–$45,000
Commission: Uncapped progressive commission up to 15% on qualifying incremental revenue
Target Total Compensation: Approximately $75,000–$85,000+
High Performer Potential: $100,000+
Exceptional Performance: Uncapped
Commission is paid on qualifying, actualized and collected new revenue attributable to the Director of Sales and is subject to the hotel's commission plan and profitability requirements.
We believe great salespeople should participate financially in the revenue they create.
That's why this position combines a $40,000–$45,000 base salary with an aggressive, uncapped commission plan.
$0–$100K Generated
3% Commission
$100K–$200K
5% Commission on revenue within this tier
$200K–$300K
7% Commission
$300K–$400K
9% Commission
$400K–$500K
12% Commission
$500K+
15% Commission — UNCAPPED
The tiers are progressive, with each percentage applying to revenue within that tier.
What does that actually mean?
With a $45,000 base:
Generate $300K → Approx. $60K total compensation
Generate $400K → Approx. $69K total compensation
Generate $500K → Approx. $81K total compensation
Generate $600K → Approx. $96K total compensation
Generate $700K → Approx. $111K total compensation
Generate $750K → Approx. $118,500 total compensation
There is no artificial commission ceiling.
If you can create $750K, $850K or $1M in genuinely new, profitable business for Hotel Royal Oak, we want you to make serious money doing it.
$500K is the target. It isn't the ceiling.
