Account Sales Manager - Sheraton Lagos Hotel at Marriott International, Inc.

Job Summary

• Responsible for proactively soliciting and managing group/catering-related opportunities. Manages group/catering opportunities not handled by the Event Booking Center. 
• 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. 
• Provide service to our customers in order to grow share of the account on behalf of the company.

Requirements 

Education and Experience

• High School Diploma or GED; 2 years experience in the sales and marketing, guest services, front desk, or related professional area.

OR

• 2-year Degree from an accredited university in Business Administration, Marketing, Hotel and Restaurant Management, or related major; no work experience required.

Core Work Activities

Understanding Markets & Maximizing Revenue:

• Identifies new group/catering business to achieve personal and property 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 property based on market conditions and property needs.
• Monitors same day selling procedures to maximize room revenue and control property occupancy.
• Gains understanding of the property’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.

Conducting Daily Sales Activities:

• Responds to incoming group/catering opportunities for the property that are outside parameters of the Event Booking Center.
• Uses negotiating skills and creative selling abilities to close on business and negotiate contracts.
• Uses sales resources and administrative/support staff effectively.
• Executes and supports the operational aspects of business booked (e.g., generating proposal, writing contract, customer correspondence).

Providing Exceptional Customer Service:

• Supports the company’s service and relationship strategy, driving customer loyalty by delivering service excellence throughout each customer experience.
• Services our customers in order to grow share of the account.
• Executes and supports the company’s Customer Service Standards and property’s Brand Standards.
• Provides excellent customer service consistent with the daily service basics of the brand.
• 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 Event Management and/or Operations in providing a customer experience that exceeds the customer’s expectations.
• Sets a positive example for guest relations.
• 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 exemplary customer service to drive customer satisfaction and loyalty by assisting the customer and ensuring their satisfaction before and during their program/event.
• 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 the company.

Building Successful Relationships:

• Works collaboratively with off-property sales channels (e.g., Event Booking Center, Market Sales, Strategic Accounts) to ensure sales efforts are coordinated, complementary and not duplicative.
• Builds and strengthens relationships with existing and new customers to enable future bookings. Activities include sales calls, entertainment, FAM 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.
• Provides accurate, complete and effective turnover to Event Management.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Utilizes intranet for resources and information.
• Conducts site inspections.
• Creates contracts as required.
• Participates in and practices daily service basics of the brand.