Complex Business Travel Sales Manager

Highgate is a leading real estate investment and hospitality management company widely recognized as an innovator in the industry. Highgate is the dominant player in major U.S. gateway cities including New York, Boston, Miami, San Francisco and Honolulu, with a growing Caribbean and Latin America footprint. The hospitality forward company provides expert guidance through all stages of the property cycle, from planning and development through recapitalization or disposition. Highgate has a proven record of developing its diverse portfolio of bespoke lifestyle hotel brands, legacy brands, and independent hotels and resorts with contemporary programming and digital acumen. The company utilizes industry-leading revenue management tools that efficiently identify and predict evolving market dynamics to drive outperformance and maximize asset value. With an executive team consisting of some of the most experienced hotel management leaders, the company is a trusted partner for top ownership groups and major hotel brands. Highgate maintains corporate offices in New York, Chicago, Dallas, London, Miami, and Seattle. www.highgate.com.

Midtown convenience. Classic hospitality. Complete comfort. A celebrated past. It all comes together at the Park Central New York Hotel – located squarely amidst New York’s most popular sights and hotels in Midtown Manhattan. Our mix of exciting amenities pay homage to our glamorous past, while presenting a modern spin on the hotel’s electrifying environment. Guests will delight in escaping the hectic city life to bask in the stylish Park Central New York.

The Complex Business Travel Sales Manager is responsible for effectively and proactively identifying, soliciting, and becoming familiar with all accounts in his/her market segments. He/she is also responsible for prospecting, closing, and maximizing performance of assigned accounts/territory to positively impact hotel revenues.

• Proactively drive top line revenue for transient sales segments to include volume transient & consortia for primary hotels through customer acquisition and development strategies and tactics.
• Identify and research potential accounts/clients and prospect for new business opportunities, generate leads, and set up meetings/presentations with clients, buyers, influencers, and agencies that will keep the hotels pipeline consistently full of opportunities.
• Manage annual account rate negotiations requests for proposal through required RFP platforms.
• Maintain and participate in an active sales solicitation program.
• Regularly contact existing accounts based on the tracing frequencies of the Account Coverage Program.
• Meet or exceed sales solicitation call goals as assigned by the Director of Sales & Marketing.
• Invite clients to the hotel for entertainment, lunches, tours and site inspections as appropriate.
• Conduct a professional, thorough site inspection of the hotel with clients, exhibiting key features and benefits of the property.
• Initiate and follow up on leads.
• Handle inquiries as part of Inquiry Day Program.
• Monitor production of all top accounts and evaluate trends within your market.
• Meet or exceed set goals.
• Be familiar with all Highgate Hotel sales policies and selling techniques with an emphasis on maximizing occupancy and Average Daily Rate (ADR).
• Meet and greet onsite contacts and travelers to garner and foster relationships, loyalty, and new opportunities.
• Conduct outside sales calls 2-3 days per week
• Entertain clients as appropriate.
• Abide by Prime Selling Time (PST).
• Use your property’s computerized sales management system to manage the hotel’s business, including (but not limited to) generating reports, entering business, blocking space, building accounts, and logging activities.
• Assist in the preparation of required reports in a timely manner.
• Assist in implementing special promotions relating to direct sales segments, i.e. events, sales blitzes, etc.
• Participate in industry trade shows and events which may require out of market travel.
• Develop networking opportunities through active participation in community and professional associations, activities and events.
• Develop a complete knowledge of company sales policies and SOPs and ensure knowledge of and adherence to those policies by the sales team.
• Attend daily Highgate Hotel Business Review (HHBR) meeting.
• Develop a full working knowledge of the operations of the hotel, including Food and Beverage, Guest Services and Reservations.
• Operate the Sales Department within established sales expense budget.
• Participate in required M.O.D. and Saturday office coverage as needed and scheduled.

• College course work in related field helpful.
• At least 2 years sales experience in a hotel or a related field preferred.
• High School diploma or equivalent required.
• Must be skilled in Windows, Company approved spreadsheets and word processing.
• Long hours sometimes required.
• Light work - Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.
• Must be able to effectively communicate both verbally and written 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 multitask and prioritize departmental functions to meet deadlines.
• Approach all encounters with guests and employees in an attentive, friendly, courteous and service-oriented manner.
• Attend all hotel required meetings and trainings.
• Must be effective in handling problems, including anticipating, preventing, identifying and solving problems as necessary.
• Must be able to understand and evaluate complex information, data, etc. from various sources to meet appropriate objectives.
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality of information.