POSITION SUMMARY
The Destinations Sales Manager oversees the marketing for the cities of Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park as destinations for meetings, conventions, sports, and conferences. The primary area of responsibility for this position is sales, long-term planning, prospecting leads, working leads, and developing new approaches for attracting new and returning group business. The manager also supervises contract employees the organization may engage.
JOB SPECIFICATIONS
· Knowledge of a cross-section of business disciplines, including sales, marketing, and hospitality industry operations
· Effective sales skills, able to make cold calls, describe services, set up informational meetings, and gather pertinent information for proposal process
· Excellent interpersonal, collaboration, and relationship-building skills to effectively work with a diverse group/variety of people and personalities, including developing relationships with prospects, vendors, community members, board members, and staff
· Effective networking skills; able to represent Minneapolis Northwest Tourism (MNW) to the community at local, regional, and sponsored events
· Exceptional communication skills to communicate clearly and effectively both orally and in writing
· Develop and give oral presentations to large and small groups of individuals inside and outside the organization
· Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Internet, and database platforms
· Conduct market research and analyze and interpret research findings
· Strong collaboration skills; able to work as an effective and proactive team player with individuals in and out of the organization
· Self-starter with the ability to work independently, meeting high professional standards. Able to plan, prioritize and manage own work. Able to make decisions and solve routine problems independently, effectively, and creatively.
· Detail oriented and well organized; strong project management skills; able to juggle multiple priorities and meet various goals and deadlines
· Maintain strict confidentiality of sensitive information about the organization, the community, employees, partners, and stakeholders
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Sales Administration
· Work with President/CEO on long and short-term strategic planning for organization
· Complete expense reports, pre and post trip reports and other administrative duties. Monitor sales expenses to keep them in line with the budget and properly document and account for financial transactions
· Train and mentor new team members as needed
· Build, present and keep track of Destination Sales annual budget
· Keep in regular contact with hotel partners, venues and clients to gauge satisfaction with Destination Sales efforts
· Help develop and track Destination Sales key performance indicators (KPI)
· Present Destination Sales materials at board meetings and external meetings
· Create and maintain sales electronic files and accounts for new and historic qualified groups and conventions prospects
· Regularly and accurately maintain computer database(s)
· Work with the President/CEO and other MNW staff to determine department goals and budget items
· Collaborate with appropriate staff to establish and implement sales marketing plan and produce sales materials
· Prepare and keep accurate monthly sales and activity reports for the President/CEO and regularly communicate any variances to management
· Record outreach e-mails, phone calls, sales calls, site tours, bookings, and follow-up reports and maintain a system for tracking results of all sales efforts.
Sales and Prospecting
· Develop and maintain working relationships with contacts of assigned industry meeting planners, facilities, and venues
· Act as a liaison between the client and the venue and/or hotels when Brooklyn Center and/or Brooklyn Park are under consideration for potential business
· Act as a host to visiting clients, highlighting area hotels, facilities, and community and regional aspects of interest to visiting delegates
· Set-up and coordinate familiarization trips, client/partner events and site inspections.
· Conduct and coordinate sales missions to designated areas and target markets as established by sales team and by supervisor as needed
· Create and coordinate bid presentations as necessary to convert leads to booked business
· Attend internal and external meetings as required, including Designated Marketing Organization (DMO) staff meetings and hotel Director of Sales meetings
· Actively seek potential clients of convention, exhibition, sports and meetings sites
· Develop and qualify sales leads and submit qualified leads to appropriate hotels and venues
· Work closely with hotel and venue sales staff to build and maintain relationships and partner to secure business
· Participate in industry-related associations and maintain a visible presence to targeted prospects
· Attend industry trade shows and conferences to promote the Minneapolis Northwest area as a group-market destination
· Research appointments and conduct productive meetings to generate leads
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS NECESSARY TO PERFORM THIS JOB
· Constantly communicate with others to exchange information
· Apply manual dexterity for computer keyboarding and office equipment use.
· Able to move about for reaching, bending, stooping, etc. to perform office-related activities.
· Perform occasional light lifting of objects weighing up to 20 pounds and light physical activity such as setting up meeting rooms, setting up tradeshow displays and exhibits, moving chairs/tables, etc.
· Sit at a desk for extended periods of time and perform long hours of work sitting at a computer.
· Able to travel off-site to meetings, trade shows and other related events
· Possess a current driver’s license and valid insurance. Must have dependable transportation.
EDUCATION & WORK REQUIREMENTS
· Bachelor's Degree in business, marketing, hospitality, tourism, or a related field or work equivalent experience, preferably 3-5 years in the hospitality sector
· Must be legally authorized to work in the United States
WORK ENVIRONMENT
· Minneapolis Northwest Tourism employees are remote, but we share a co-working office space
· Travel Requirement: up to 30%
Paid Time Off, modified insurance benefits (dental and vision), short and long term disability, life insurance and 401K are included
Pay: $70,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Flexible schedule
- Flexible spending account
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Brooklyn Park, MN 55443
