Director of Sales
Des Moines, IA 
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Posted 13 days ago
Job Description
Position: Director of Sales
Location: Des Moines, IA
Job Id: 293
# of Openings: 0
DIRECTOR OF SALES
Reports to: General Manager, the position is exempt.
WHO WE ARE
Surety Hotel is managed by Aparium Hotel Group which was founded in 2011. Since its founding, Aparium has grown into a new kind of hotel brand, one that ventures off the beaten path, both geographically and philosophically. It is a sophisticated hotel brand known for its singular ability to combine the business acumen of large hospitality companies with the charm of boutique hotels, bringing the disparate forces together in bustling, smaller markets.
THE ROLE
This leadership role requires the tenacity to build and support an efficient and productive sales + catering team; it is not for the faint of heart. If you are known to have the grit that is associated with an entrepreneurial spirit, then we invite you to your next career opportunity.
You understand how a successful sales department should be running; you have a trainer's mindset and can guide any team through all sales process phases. You gain deep satisfaction from creating and implementing systems, processes, tools, and sales strategies that help teams succeed for years to come.
WHO YOU ARE
You are passionate about sales, catering, collaboration, and communication with the ability to think creatively and strategically to identify and close on revenue opportunities. You are a talented and highly effective sales leader that enjoys the solidarity of a team and knows that everyone plays an important role, no matter their title. When one of the members of the team goes down, you are the first to jump in and pick them up. You are ambitious and looking for the next opportunity. The Director of Sales role may be a step up in your career. Your confidence in your past success, aptitude and can-do attitude will prove you are ready to take this leadership role. If you're confident in your experience in sales, then this is the role for you.
You are adventurous and driven, plus your experiences have led you to understand that there is an art + science to the how and what a sales leader is responsible for. Your career journey has been dynamic and is filled with numerous success stories of how you captured indecisive groups. You are inquisitive and look forward to discovering the business needs of your clients and city.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
* Uphold and role model the company's principles of People, Place, and Character; and ensure direct reports also model our values that drive collaboration, intuition, and translocal hospitality.
* You are a collaborative peer and a key partner with the SVP of Sales + Revenue, Corporate Director of Sales, VP of Marketing, the Corporate Revenue Management team, and the Director of Hotel Openings Transitions; work as a team to develop best-in-class tools and training for our Sales Teams
* Responsible for securing new sales and catering accounts, developing + maintaining existing accounts, and implementing effective sales strategies. Develop and maintain relationships with key clients to secure group, business travel, and catering event business. The vision is to create and execute a strategic sales plan that addresses pace and productivity should the need arise.
* The vision to create and execute a strategic sales plan that addresses pace and productivity should the need arise.
* Work with precision in drafting and validating monthly forecasts utilizing pace reports and trend data.
* Evaluate, solicit, sell, and confirm transient, group and catering business for the hotel; meet overall budgeted sales revenue and profitability, through driving revenue
* Guide and mentor, your team to follow the strategy outlined in your budget to ensure your team is booking the right business at the right time in the best interest of your hotel
* As the Director of Sales, you will work closely with your team by reviewing your funnel every day to drive conversion. Your laser focus on funnel management will guide your team to focus on booking the right business that will be essential to our growth strategy for your hotel
* Negotiate with clients using creative attractive menu presentations + event proposals to achieve both maximum revenue/profit potential and fulfillment of contractual responsibilities while satisfying client needs.
* Dive deep into Client needs, to discover unstated needs, hidden objections or concerns, and the hotel is the best choice for the client's needs; spend time developing the relationship with the client that goes beyond rapport to genuinely understand their individual needs.
* Lead and direct the sales and catering team in developing and executing the sales and marketing plan and in refining their revenue forecasting; provide creative strategies to positively influence sales initiatives that drive revenue helping teams achieve their monthly, quarterly, and annual goals.
* Craft and establish the annual sales goals, ensuring they are fully understood and implemented in the hotel; collect and maintain proper documentation of incentive worksheets to document achievements, which is best in the market.
* Direct the reporting and apprising of results against planned objectives; coordinate sales associate activities; takes appropriate action to maximize sales and affect need periods.
* Develop the annual budget and sales + marketing plan in collaboration with the General Manager and Controller, ensuring the department operates within cost constraints, and achieves yield management goals; ensures proper market mix, group room rate, and average rate goals.
* Coach the Sales team by collaboratively helping them creatively solve problems when challenges arise; ensure the team receives the necessary learning and development to grow within their roles whether is functional training or soft skill development activities.
* Conduct property tours and entertain planners of meetings, social events, and weddings.
* Develop and maintain good relationships with officials and representatives of local community groups and companies to promote new business and increase sales for the hotel.
* Build and maintain a trusting and transparent relationship with all stakeholders including ownership and asset management. Specifically taking the time to develop rapport and respect with the individuals of your peer group, known as the Executive Committee.
* Clever in maximizing hotel revenue through effective pricing strategies for transient, group and space inventory, which is done by analyzing sales statistics against booked vs. consumed business; and having an educated understanding of the local market to determine client needs, occupancy potential, and desired rates.
* Pivot short-term strategy to compensate for short-term needs, without compromising long-term goals, such as placing business on the books in the fourth quarter, without losing focus on the first quarter and gaining traction on long-term goals.
* Collaborate with GM, Director of Food & Beverage and Director of Lifestyle on strategic management of meeting/public space to ensure maximum revenue capture and seamless customer experience.
* Establish regular and frequent communication with Aparium Headquarters to ensure initiatives are executed within the hotel marketing plan; champion the need for thorough and accurate reporting and forecasting to develop an informative database of business to identify needs, trends and gaps that will create better booking decisions.
* Communicate regularly with the Corporate Director of Sales to provide updates and align on priorities, discuss plans, and request any additional resources to support the operations.
* Additional tasks and responsibilities as requested by SVP of Sales + Revenue, Corporate Director of Sales, and/or hotel General Manager in support of a successful operation.
* Ensure a sense of belonging for associates by upholding the company's values and guidelines for a Respectful Workplace, diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment; and the traits outlined within the Manager Code of Conduct, and Work Rules outlined the Associate Handbook.
POSITION REQUIREMENTS
* Minimum of three (3) to five (5) years of hospitality sales experience within upscale, lifestyle or luxury hospitality companies
* Minimum of three (3) years in a Catering and Conference Services role
* Delphi FDC and Lanyon system knowledge preferred but not required
* Bachelor's degree in sales, marketing, communications, or hospitality is preferred though not required if you have the proven years of experience in a sales leader role

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Job Summary
Start Date
As soon as possible
Employment Term and Type
Regular, Full Time
Required Experience
3 to 5 years
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