LBA Hospitality

LBA Hospitality, an award-winning hotel management and  development company with 60 plus properties in the southeast United States, is looking for a dynamic, proven Director of Sales who shares our values of financial success and exceptional customer service. 

This position will be responsible for generating top line revenue to meet or exceed budget expectations for a new 124-room Hampton Inn & Suites scheduled to open in October, 2010.  The position will collaborate with and report to the General Manager of the hotel to set sales strategies and tactics to also grow market share.   

Required knowledge, skills and abilities include, but are not limited to:

• Sees a vision and is not deterred from achieving it.
• Committed to the company and the achievement of its goals.
• Effective communication skills, written and verbal, including group presentations.
• Has the ability to effectively influence others and engage clients and coworkers on difficult issues.
• Financial analysis skills.  The ability to assess potential business opportunities and whether or not they contribute to the success of the business.
• The ability to inspire confidence in and gain respect from superiors, peers, subordinates, industry partners and competitors.
• Combines a confident, self-starting, high performance orientation with a track record that reflects a “can do” attitude.
• Enjoys interacting with customers and networking within the industry.
• Project management skills (i.e., organizing, multitasking).
• Creative and strategic skills.

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Based on the hotel’s selling strategy, books appropriate business that allows hotel to achieve/exceed monthly room revenue budget, and, if applicable, other revenue budgets specific to assigned hotel.
• Approaches the position with a relationship building/proactive selling mindset.  Ensures that weekly telephone prospecting/qualification/solicitation calls goals as well as outside call goals are met or exceeded.  Includes General Manager on appropriate sales appointments as well as calls on Corporate-based Sales personnel for assistance as needed to “win” business.
• Utilizes available business tools to prospect for new business.
• Performs the necessary pre-call planning and post-call follow-up for client outside sales calls.
• Evaluates potential business opportunities for assigned hotel and presents findings/defends position, as necessary, to the General Manager and/or Regional Revenue Manager.
• Thoroughly knowledgeable with regard to market’s client base.  Has a strong business relationship with top producing clients.
• Utilizes internal lead source generators (i.e., Brand GSO, LBA sister hotels) to maximize revenue production for assigned hotel.
• Develops and presents to General Manager and Regional Revenue Manager business cases for seasonal and segmented promotions and packages.  Deploys as appropriate. 
• Grows revenue for LBA Hospitality by cross-selling other LBA hotels.
• Gains contacts and business intelligence/shows community spirit through involvement in an industry and/or charitable organizations.
• Takes the initiative to develop new strategies and tactics to drive new-found revenue within the market.  Presents these plans to the Hotel General Manager and Vice President of Sales for review and approval.
• Meets SMART Plan due dates.
• Monitors economic/business news in general and news specific to assigned market segments.  Recommends adjustments to SMART Plan as changes occur in the business world.
• Understands the business rationale behind and contributes, as appropriate, to the hotel’s rooms forecast.
• Maintains awareness of the sales practices of the hotel’s competitive set, and, as warranted, takes proactive steps to “neutralize” their efforts.
• Is an “expert” when it comes to selling against the hotel’s competitive set.
• Adds to the camaraderie of the hotel by helping to celebrate the successes of coworkers.
• Ensures that all reports, internal requests for information and special projects are submitted on or before their due dates.
• Provides suggestions to the Vice President of Sales, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing and other Corporate-based staff with regard to growing the company’s revenue.
• Understands the business rationale behind the annual budgeting process (revenue generation and Advertising and Promotion costs).
• Collects and analyzes information on use history, plans, decision structure and strategies of key customers in assigned market segments.  Forwards this information to the Hotel General Manager and Vice President of Sales.
• Strives to continually improve his/her general business and industry/job specific skills by attending Brand and LBA Corporate-sponsored sales training, and, if appropriate, outside continuing education. 

Prerequisites include:

• College Degree (BS/BA) preferred.
• Previous direct selling experience in a hotel.
• Demonstrated success in developing a market.
• Experience selling Hilton Select Service lodging to the weekday Corporate market and weekend demand generators, as well as hotel pre-opening sales experience, are pluses.
• Hotel operations experience preferred.

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