UNIT I Roles and Responsibilities of Sales and Marketing Team II

 Job Description

 The Sales and Marketing Team is responsible for the daily sales efforts and is responsible for the overall positioning of the hotel, brand communication and the development of customers for the property including, Rooms, Dining Outlets, and Events.  In addition, they are responsible for rental revenue, yield strategies, implementation, market performance and meeting budget, forecast, and optimal business mix targets. Strategies will include pricing, status, direct sales, market mix, marketing, and public relations.  Candidates must have a dynamic leadership style, possessing excellent communication and decision-making skills and an astute business acumen.

 Description:

 ·         Prepares Sales Reports and annual Sales & Marketing Plan

·         Creates an effective Sales Programs that will increase awareness and positive perception of the Hotel, its activities, culinary services, and personnel.

·         Knowledge of travel industry, current market trends and economic factors

·         Ability to access, understand and accurately input information using a moderately complex computer system.

·         Assist Managing Director in preparation of the marketing, advertising, sales plans, programs and annual budget; manages within approved plans and budgets

·         Develop rates, group sales deployment strategies through review of competitive data, demand analysis and mix management.

·         Ability to effectively listen, communicate and perform diplomacy with internal and external customers and staff in all situations.

·         Ability to stand and move throughout the hotel property and continuously perform essential job functions.

·         Develop awareness and reputation of the hotel and the brand in the local community

·         Direct and manage all group, transient, and banquet sales activities to maximize revenue for the hotel.

·         Prepare, implement and compile data for the strategic sales plan, monthly reports, annual goals, sales and marketing budget, forecasts and other reports as directed/required.

·         Perform other duties as assigned.

·         May participate in Manager on Duty Program

Qualifications

 ·         Desired Skills & Experience

·         Bachelor’s degree required

·         Requires advanced knowledge of the principles and practices within the sales/marketing/hospitality profession

·         Minimum five years of sales and marketing in the luxury hotel industry

·         Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and property management systems.

·         Command of the English language both written and verbal

·         Strong media, presentation and computer skills

Set up and organization of sales and marketing department

The sales and marketing department is generally composed of a director of marketing and a director of sales (or one person with both titles) who, in turn, manage a team of sales managers. In many hotels, entry-level sales positions are titled account executives or sales associates. Another entry point may be as a sales and marketing assistant or researcher.

 The task of this department is quite simple-they must sell the hotel facilities, hopefully well into the future. There is generally not a great deal of career cross-over from sales to marketing, though the converse may be true. After gaining a couple of year experience in one of the above entry-level positions, the next step would be to sales manager (this may or may not have a specific geographic or market segment attached to it). From sales manager, one would aspire to director of sales, or if with a chain, to a regional sales position, which would involve selling a number of hotels as opposed to one.

 Career paths from a hotel's top sales and marketing position may be either through operations as an executive assistant manager or resident manager or as a sales and marketing professional within a large chain's corporate structure. Sales and marketing tends to hold a "glitz and glamour" image and, therefore, competition for entry-level positions is keen.

Different aspects of sales and marketing department in a hotel

Marketing and sales are important areas within the hospitality industry as they directly correlate to the profitability of a business. The Marketing and Sales team is responsible for maximising a hotel’s revenue by developing strategies and business plans to increase revenue. The team is tasked with making profits from business verticals such as room occupancy, event spaces, leisure facilities, restaurants, etc.

 Many organisations within the sector have one team to cover both functions of marketing and sales. However, some hotels may have separate teams handling the two functions. The Marketing and Sales team can be directly employed by a specific hotel, or be employed by the corporate office of a large group that has a chain of hotels. This means that you may be required to either work in a corporate office, or at the hotel premises. It is a demanding job, and requires you to have a number of different skills to be effective in the role.

The activities of a member of the Marketing and Sales team will depend on the structure of the organisation, however, the following are the core functions of hotel marketing. Experience in all four areas is important if you are to move up the ladder in this field.

 ·         Brand Advertising/Marketing – developing marketing strategies and plans, liaising with advertising agencies, developing media schedules and execution of marketing campaigns.

·         PR and Communications – content creation, managing social media channels, coordinating with media for editorial coverage, cultivating relationships with key opinion leaders and influencers, handling crisis communications.

·         E-commerce – developing and executing online marketing/advertising plans, managing website, driving online bookings and promotions, working closely with digital marketing agency.

·         Activations and Events – developing activities and events to showcase the property and all its services, successfully planning and executing events, managing guest lists.

Larger hotel chains will have separate jobs for each of these functions, but smaller hotels may require one employee to undertake all responsibilities

Many hotels nowadays do not focus greatly on above the line (ATL) marketing, but the focus on online marketing is increasing rapidly.