Description

About Taj Hospitality Management

At TAJ Hospitality Management, we bring the global brands you trust to the friendliest city in America. Here in Lubbock, Texas, we believe in treating each guest like family. We do that by combining our 45 years of experience in the hospitality industry, our homegrown values, and our dedication to quality to give you an unforgettable experience you’ll want to enjoy again and again.

Whether you need a home away from home during an extended stay or space for the whole family while you all enjoy local athletic or cultural events, we have the perfect place for you. With twelve hotels to choose from – and more on the way – we offer a wide variety of amenities, locations, and prices to fit your ideal stay.

At TAJ Hospitality Management hotels, you truly are our guest. Let us welcome you into our home and share with you all the fun and excitement Lubbock has to offer.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Summary/Objective

Sales is critical to our business success from a financial and guest experience perspective. This position is responsible for business generation as it relates to prospecting and securing small to mid-size groups (10-100 rooms) across vertical market segments on behalf of our branded hotel portfolio from economy to select service to extended stay. The Sales Manager is accountable for ensuring quotas and goals are met and to ensure that direct sales activities are focused on generating the highest possible RevPAR for the portfolio’s success. This position requires a high degree of independent judgement and discretion on decision making.

Essential Functions

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Prepare and edit internal/external correspondence, presentations, proposals, contracts, and other documents including responding to leads via 3^rd party channels
• Answer incoming inquiry calls for portfolio of branded properties.
• Log all communication in hotel sales system.
• Greet sales clients and prospects and give site tours.
• Handle contracts and inquiries, both for tentative and definite groups.
• Develop relationships within community to strengthen and expand customer base for sales opportunities.
• Manage and develop relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide accurate, complete and effective turnover to property and/or Sales Coordinator.
• Solicit, confirm and service travel agent, local and national accounts including negotiating rates and confirming contracts that ensure targeted budget achievement.
• Identify and create target accounts or agencies (Hit List) that will generate business on behalf of hotel portfolio ensuring proper function of the sales funnel.
• Utilize Visit Lubbock, Past Production Reports, Brand Account Directors and other business intelligence to solicit and secure business.
• Use company wide programs, sales developments, prospecting projects, Chamber events, CVB membership and reporting for business development.
• Follow up on all business inquiries/leads and qualify business to generate room nights and impact RevPAR performance through Group production.
• Impact sales production by ensuring maximum account penetration.
• Achieve monthly and annual revenue as well as direct sales goals including outside sales calls, prospecting calls, account management, site inspections and entertainment as outlined.
• Uncover potential property-to-property leads to keep all business within the ownership group.
• Return calls for all voicemails within designated timeframe during business hours.

• Account management, site inspections and entertainment as outlined.
• Create a targeted RFP Hit List across vertical markets for future Business Cases.
• Manage annual RFP process for each individual targeted account including account and market intelligence and pricing recommendations to maximize portfolio profitability.
• Uncover potential property-to-property leads to keep all business within the ownership group.

Prioritizing & Time Management:

• Treat active selling, solicitation and business development as #1 job priority.
• Protect the “Golden-Selling Hours”. Allocate time and resources as appropriate for account potential.
• Schedule activities effectively and meet deadlines.
• Handle sales calls and trips in a cost- and time-efficient manner.
• Plan activities in advance. Coordinate special events, promotions and other required management duties as assigned.

Community Connectivity:

• Participate in local business organizations or travel organizations as needed.
• Identify, select and participate in local organizations that will garner positive exposure for hotel, increase network of potential clients, and generate new business opportunities. Ideally, Group Sales would have opportunity to serve on a committee or board to demonstrate leadership within the community.

Product Knowledge and Training:

• Maintain thorough and complete product knowledge of hotel properties and in-depth understanding of comp set’s Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Threats.
• Perform customer site inspections to uncover needs and present solutions that will maximize booking opportunity and create strong customer relationships.
• Work with assigned Sales Coordinator to create VIP or group resumes identifying and communicating traveler’s needs, acting as liaison to ensure all operational and marketing aspects of their stay are met.
• Understand and utilize the sales tools the company provides and to follow and support all sales and marketing. Ability to sell all hotel products and services.

Sales Effectiveness:

• Track and focus on conversion to ensure hotel revenue objectives are impacted and achieved.
• Write clear and effective sales correspondence.
• Make a strong and positive impression on clients in individual and group setting.
• Contact customers in-house to promote good will and foster additional business or repeat business to property and overall portfolio.
• Develop and utilize sales skills in all sales interactions.
• Score 90% or higher in Taj shop calls to ensure standards are met and sales skills are used to maximum effort.

Sales Administration:

• Establish and maintain strong sales system hygiene including account creation, account traces, contact information, client email lists, bookings, etc. in accordance with brand standards.
• Understand and maximize the utilization of all automated sales and reservations systems.
• Participate in sales meetings, pipeline meetings and leadership meetings as required.
• Respond and maintain effective correspondence with all potential and existing clients.
• Follow up on all pending and currently booked business details.
• Produce monthly sales recaps of market achievement based upon marketing plan objectives.
• Produce and execute quarterly and annual Action Plans.
• Participate in and contribute to annual Marketing Plan including proposing and managing territory sales expenses and travel budgets.
• Initiate booking feedback as needed with the VP of Sales and GM during the sales process up to and including contract.

Business/Personal Skills

• Ability to work quickly in a high-pressure & high stress environment
• Excellent time management skills
• Exceptional with details and follow up
• Must be able to clearly and effectively communicate both verbally and in writing, with all level of employees and guests in an attentive, friendly, courteous and service oriented manner.
• Must be effective at listening to, understanding, and clarifying concerns raised by employees and guests.
• Must be able to prioritize departmental functions to meet deadlines.
• Maintain regular attendance in compliance with TAJ Hospitality Management standards.
• Maintain high standards of personal appearance and grooming.
• Maximize efforts towards productivity, identify problem areas and assist in implementing solutions.
• Must be effective in handling problems including anticipating, preventing, identifying and solving problems as necessary.
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality of information.

Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Qualifications

Required Education and Experience

• High School Diploma, a GED Equivalent or a minimum of three continuous years of work experience.
• Previous hotel/sales and events support or equivalent
• Previous phone experience
• Open to constructive feedback
• History of working in a team environment and developing working relationships
• Proven computer skills with strong power-user skills in Microsoft Office product suite.
• Analytical and people skills required.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications
Valid Driver License and access to personal vehicle. Ability/Authorization to work in the United States.

Work Environment
This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.

Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and to occasionally lift office products and supplies up to 25 pounds.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work
This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work area standard Monday through Friday week with a 1-hr lunch. This position may require extended hours and weekend work.

Travel
Travel is primarily local during the business day, however some out-of-area/overnight travel may be expected.