Job Profile and Description

Responsible for proactively soliciting and managing group/catering-related opportunities. Actively up-sells each business opportunity to maximize revenue opportunity. Achieves personal and team related revenue goals. Ensures business is turned over properly and in a timely fashion for proper service delivery. Responsible for driving customer loyalty by delivering service excellence throughout each customer experience. Provides service to our customers in order to grow the account on behalf of BPR Properties/Homewood Suites Macon.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Works collaboratively with hotel service team(s) to ensure sales efforts are coordinated, complementary and not duplicative

• Responds to incoming group/catering opportunities

• Identifies new group/catering business to achieve personal and hotel revenue goals

• Understands the overall market - competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, economic trends, supply and demand etc. and knows how to sell against them

• Closes the best opportunities for the hotel based on market conditions and hotel needs

• Uses negotiating skills and creative selling abilities to close on business and negotiate contracts

• Builds and strengthens relationships with existing and new customers to enable future bookings. Activities include sales calls, entertainment, trips/trade shows, etc

• Develops relationships within community to strengthen and expand customer base for group/catering sales opportunities

• Manages and develops relationships with key internal and external stakeholders

• Monitors same day selling procedures to maximize room revenue and control hotel occupancy

• Uses sales resources and administrative/support staff effectively

• Conducts site inspections

• Creates contracts as required

• Services our customers in order to grow share of the account

• Executes exemplary customer service to drive customer satisfaction and loyalty by assisting the customer and ensuring their satisfaction before and during their program/event

• Partners with Management and/or Operations in providing a customer experience that exceeds the customer’s expectations

• Sets a positive example for guest relations

• Provides accurate, complete and effective turnover to Management

• Interacts with guests to obtain feedback on product quality and service levels

• Attends pre- and post-convention meetings to understand group needs, obtain feedback on quality of product (e.g., rooms, meeting facilities and equipment, food and beverage), service levels and overall satisfaction

• Executes and supports the operational aspects of business booked (e.g., generating proposal, writing contract, customer correspondence)

• Serves the customer by understanding their needs and recommending the appropriate features and services that best meet their needs and exceed their expectations, while building a relationship and loyalty to BPR Properties

• Gains understanding of the hotel’s primary target customer and service expectations; serves the customer by understanding their business, business issues and concerns, to offer better business solution both prior to, and during the program/event

• Flexible to work on weekends, evenings as business demands

• Performs other duties as assigned to meet business needs

   

Education and Experience

• High school diploma or GED; 2 years experience in the sales and marketing, guest services, front desk, or related professional are or a 2-year degree from an accredited university in Business Administration, Marketing, Hotel and Restaurant Management or related major.
  
  
  

Requirements

• Excellent selling skills and understanding of sales processes; can effectively up sell products and services; can bring a sale to closure and achieves personal and team related revenue goals

• Knowledge of operations associated challenges for all area hotels

• Knowledge of the overall local market specific business segments (group, local corporate transient)

• Strong customer development and relationship management skills

• Ability to develop and maintain relationships i.e. associates, customers, vendors

• Excellent negotiation skills

• Possesses excellent telephone sales skills

• Strong communication skills (verbal, listening, writing)

• Strong organization skills

• Commitment to exceptional guest service