How to Hire a Sales Hunter

HSMAI’s Sales Advisory Board (SAB) is developing resources to help hospitality organizations that are gearing up to bring back staff and hire for new positions, including sales hunters. The SAB has drafted this job description template to use as a starting point for the sales hunter role.

JOB DESCRIPTION TEMPLATE: Sales Hunter

SUMMARY:

Prospect for new and needed period business, and negotiate and book group room nights and meeting space (set at specific goals) to meet and exceed guest room occupancy, guest room average rate, exhibit hall occupancy, exhibit hall revenue goals, and booking pace goals. Develop relationships with new accounts to ensure repeat bookings and referrals.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Increase opportunities to book maximum number of room nights, room revenue, and total square foot usage.
Increase hotel’s ability to maximize annual occupancy with a focus on business from [insert need period] of each year.
Develop relationships with targeted companies and prospect for new business.
Conduct site tours and familiarization trips.
Establish good working relationships with other departments.
Ensure continuity of flow for clients and work with conferences for a seamless transition post-booking and throughout the events.
Book businesses with best possible ADR and banquet F&B, keeping budgeted figures in forefront.
Travel to industry functions [list industry shows] to develop new business contacts and sales leads.
Develop and maintain effective relationships with [list brand, management company, and/or owners] with a focus on developing new contacts and new accounts.
Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s degree preferred.
Six+ years of hotel experience and four+ years of sales-related experience required. Sales experience in [insert markets] markets preferred.
Experience in proactively building in-person sales calls.
Experience in trade-show connections, pre-, during, and post-show.
Experience selling [insert description of property — think about addressing size of hotel, number of guest rooms, amount of meeting space, chain scale, and property type (e.g., full service, select service, etc.)].
Proven track record of acquiring new business.
Creator of long-lasting relationships.

Skills and Abilities:

Persistence: Able to be persistent in a professional and positive manner.
Language ability: Able to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, and/or governmental regulations. Able to write reports, business correspondence, and procedural manuals. Able to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
Mathematical ability: Able to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and fundamentals of plane and solid geometry and trigonometry. Able to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
Reasoning ability: Able to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form; and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
Computer skills: Knowledge of [insert software and systems with which you require experience (e.g., word-processing software, spreadsheet software, accounting software, payroll systems, development software, internet software, database software, contact management systems, etc.)].

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Shared management of one sales assistant.
Carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws.
Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; and addressing complaints and resolving problems.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to outdoor weather conditions. The employee is occasionally exposed to work near moving mechanical parts and risk of electrical shock. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
The job involves this amount of travel per year: [insert percentage of time and/or total number of days].

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand and walk. The employee is occasionally required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

TOP PRIORITIES:

[List priorities for first 30 days.]
[List priorities for first 60 days.]
[List priorities for first 90 days.]