ShareBenjamin Premack, Regional Director, Sales & Marketing- US & Mexico, Omni Hotels & Resorts, HSMAI Sales Advisory Board Member
At a discussion of the Sales Advisory Board, I brought a question that many sales leaders are asking: are hospitality organizations investing in the right kind of development for today’s sales professionals? We’ve all seen that hotel sales roles have changed. For example, sellers who once focused primarily on relationship-building and prospecting are increasingly expected to understand business mix, profitability, technology, and broader commercial strategy. Training programs have evolved as well, but not always at the same pace as the role itself. One participant summed up the issue clearly:
“If your sales training program disappeared tomorrow, would anything actually change in how your team sells next week? If not, it’s not a training program, it’s a checkbox.”
Throughout the discussion, advisory board members brought up how training is no longer limited to teaching sales techniques. The conversation focused on capability development, helping professionals build the skills needed to succeed in a commercial environment that now includes revenue management, digital marketing, analytics, and AI.
Many sales professionals entered the industry when success was measured by relationships, prospecting, and securing contracts. As organizations became more specialized, roles narrowed around specific market segments and business objectives. Commercial strategy has brought sales, marketing, and revenue management closer together. Sales professionals are now expected to understand which opportunities generate the greatest value for the organization, not simply how to secure more business. Several participants pointed to business acumen as a growing requirement. Understanding profitability, evaluating business mix, and making smarter decisions about demand have become important parts of the role.
Some participants noted that their organizations have adopted increasingly sophisticated systems and are now exploring AI across the commercial enterprise. While many companies are introducing AI tools and training programs, questions remain about how quickly teams can adapt and how effectively new technology can be integrated into daily selling activities. The discussion was not focused on mastering specific platforms, instead it centered on helping teams become more analytical and more effective in using technology to support decision-making.
Several participants contrasted hospitality training practices with approaches used in technology and SaaS organizations. Rather than relying on periodic training events, these organizations often emphasize ongoing coaching, real-time feedback, performance review, and continuous skill development. Training is directly connected to outcomes and adjusted as business needs change.
Several participants emphasized the importance of providing visibility into career opportunities and outlining the skills needed for advancement. Programs like leadership development programs, mentorship structures, self-assessments, and formal career pathing initiatives support retention while helping employees build both technical and leadership capabilities over time. Career pathing was also discussed as a recruiting advantage. Candidates increasingly want to understand not only the role they are being hired for, but also where that role can lead.
As hospitality sales becomes more commercially focused, some participants suggested valuable skills can come from outside hospitality, particularly from industries where sales training is rigorous, performance-driven, and highly accountable. Others noted that hospitality’s unique inventory and service-driven environment require specialized commercial knowledge that must be developed after hiring.
The consensus was less about finding a specific background and more about identifying adaptable, curious professionals who want to learn. Ambition, coachability, relationship-building ability, and a willingness to develop new skills were repeatedly cited as desirable traits.
Recommended Reading
- Exploring the Current Trends in Hospitality Sales Training
- The evolution of commercial strategy in hospitality
Questions for Teams
- How has the current hospitality sales professional’s role evolved over the years? From seller to leader to executive.
- How have our industry’s training and development programs changed to align with new roles and responsibilities?
- Should every salesperson be fluent in revenue management, digital marketing, and financial analysis, etc?
- Are we hiring the wrong profiles for modern hospitality sales roles? And are we providing what is needed to the right talent to keep them in the industry?
More Resources
- Commercial Strategy Conference
- CHSL (Certified Hospitality Sales Leader)
- HSMAI Foundation research on talent, workforce development, and commercial leadership development