Group Sales Manager - Remote

About Four Seasons:

Four Seasons is powered by our people. We are a collective of individuals who crave to become better, to push ourselves to new heights and to treat each other as we wish to be treated in return. Our team members around the world create amazing experiences for our guests, residents, and partners through a commitment to luxury with genuine heart. We know that the best way to enable our people to deliver these exceptional guest experiences is through a world-class employee experience and company culture.         
At Four Seasons, we believe in recognizing a familiar face, welcoming a new one and treating everyone we meet the way we would want to be treated ourselves. Whether you work with us, stay with us, live with us or discover with us, we believe our purpose is to create impressions that will stay with you for a lifetime. It comes from our belief that life is richer when we truly connect to the people and the world around us.

About the location:

At Four Seasons we consider life and work to be richer when we truly connect with the people and the environment around us. 

Our family members are masters at their crafts – a gardener can become an artist, a manager a conductor, a chef an inventor. We look for employees who share the Golden Rule: people who, by nature, believe in treating others as we would have them treat us. We look for our people to characterize a shared passion for excellence and to infuse that enthusiasm into everything they do. 

About Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica:  

From our hillside perch overlooking the Pacific Ocean, our expansive Costa Rican resort offers privacy while being your launching pad into boundless adventures. After a day of zip lining, surfing or hiking a volcano, return to our tropical retreat for farm-to-table dining from one of our five restaurants and bars, refreshing swims or relaxing spa treatments. With customized itineraries for families and couples alike, we can’t wait for you to experience “pura vida” at Peninsula Papagayo.

Position
We are looking for a dynamic sales person to handle group & incentive markets for our eco-adventure property Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica.  In this position you will promote and sell to the group market in the USA.  This position is remote and to be based in a city with easy access to both the resort and assigned market in the United States, ideally on the East Coast. Travel within the market and to the resort is required.

Applicant must excel in the following areas

• Strong track record of achieving and exceeding sales goals with at least 5 years group sales experience.
• Promote and sell to group / incentive market in the defined geographic region.
• Generate resort and destination awareness through direct phone sales, direct sales calls, entertaining, tradeshows and networking groups.
• Work closely with Director of Revenue and sales and marketing team to solicit, sell and confirm group business required to meet budgeted sales goals.
• Presentations skill proficiency in one-on-one, small group, or large forum requirements (up to 80ppl audience or more). 
• Ability to travel domestically on sales trips and internationally to the resort.
• Display a high degree of independent judgment and discretion in decision making and managing confidential information.
• Perform and follow up on all extra tasks, actions and responsibilities assigned by the Director of Sales and Director of Marketing.
• Coordinate all sales related activity in conjunction with guidance of the director of sales; negotiates contract specifics to achieve maximum profitability while satisfying customer needs. 
• Possess the ability to be a Public Ambassador for Four Seasons Hotels.
• Work well within a team structure.
• Maintain and expand current group relationships and generate leads for new business.

Generic Skills:

• Keep supervisors informed of any and all potential problems so corrective action can be taken where needed.
• Prepares for and attends Operations Meeting in a professional and friendly way when on property.
• Maintain a professional appearance and conduct personal behavior in a mature professional business manner where representing the hotel and company.

• Be a sound analyzer and problem solver.
• Be a do-er and implementer.
• Be a team member and assist as needed within the hotel.
• Develop and use good acumen and be a good business operator.
• Communicate industry trends or market data as needed to better understand our marketplace and business.

• Have a strong attention to detail, monitor quality and be obsessively service oriented.
• Be versatile and flexible and maintain composure during stressful times.
• Manage, coach and guide assistant to assigned sales coordinator.
• Receive and share constructive criticism.
• Have interpersonal sensitivity.
• Respond to hotel safety or emergency situations.
• Perform all tasks as assigned by hotel management and staff.
• Support and provide proper handover and back-ups to buddy partners while on sales trips or during vacation periods.

• Support in a very professional way another Sales Manager while buddy partnering during their absence, treating accounts, territories and follow ups as own until Sales Manager is back.

• Ensure our employees embrace the Golden Rule and perpetuate the Four Seasons culture.

Key Relationships:
External:

• Entire client base including Strategic Partners and Key Meeting Planners and Accounts.
• Corporate contacts including Meeting Planners, Travel Buyers, Account Executives, etc.
• Administrative contacts and any other group travel arrangers.
• Group Sales Manager Counterparts

Internal:

• CORE Reservations Department, Director of Revenue Management, Group Sales Managers, Conference Services Managers, Catering Managers, Director of Sales, Director of Marketing, Department Heads, Planning Committee and WSO and Corporate Office contacts.

Prioritizing & Time Management:

• Treat active selling, solicitation and business development as #1 job priority.
• Protect the Golden-Selling Hours for both properties. Allocate time and resources as appropriate for account potential.
• Schedule activities effectively, meet deadlines and cover hotel´s internal meetings and events assigned.
• Handle and organize sales calls and trips in a cost and time-efficient manner and within compliance of established budgets.
• Plan activities in advance. Ability to coordinate special events, promotions and other required management duties as assigned.
• Secures proper handover to another Sales Manager “buddy” partner while traveling and/or vacation periods.
• Complete weekly prospecting calls to solicit new and untapped business leads.
• Attend assigned meetings, webinars and conference calls on time (5 mins prior to starting time).

Vacation / PTO, business travel and any time off must be authorized by Director of Sales.

• Optimum productivity to be realized and positive results delivered with strong focus on prioritizing and managing time effectively.

Product Knowledge and Training:

• Maintain thorough and complete product knowledge of Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica, the destination and in-depth understanding of comp set’s Features/Advantages/Benefits.
• Perform customer site inspections to uncover needs and present solutions that will maximize booking opportunity and create strong customer relationships.
• Create VIP, Site Inspection alerts, etc in a timely manner… identifying and communicating traveler's needs and acting as liaison to ensure all operational and marketing aspects of their stay are met. Involve as many PC Members and/or Department Heads to greet clients and provide answers to questions/concerns during their visit.
• Understand and utilize the sales tools the company provides and to follow and support all sales and marketing MOS. Ability to sell all hotel products and services.

Sales Administration:

• Establish and maintain strong Golden Sales & Catering maintenance including account creation, account traces, contact information, client email lists, back-ups, bookings, due dates, meeting space, etc. in accordance with Four Seasons standards.
• Produce and audit Handover Check list to Conference Services Department once contract signed and first deposit are received in accordance with Four Seasons standards.
• Participate in daily business review, sales meetings, pipeline meetings and leadership meetings as required.
• Proactive and prepared for Pipeline, Yield and Forecast Meetings when assigned.
• Respond and maintain effective correspondence with all potential and existing clients.
• Follow up on all pending and currently booked business details.
• Produce monthly sales recaps of market achievement based upon marketing plan objectives.
• Produce monthly sales reports on time, even while on business trips.
• Produce and execute quarterly and annual action plans.
• Participation and contribution to annual Marketing Plan including proposing and managing territory sales expenses and travel budgets.
• Initiates booking feedback as needed with DOS, DOM and GM during the sales process up to and including contract.
• Produce own expense report collecting all necessary backup based on cross charging procedures requested by Finance Department.
• Produce, plan, coordinate and execute Site Inspections, Fam Trips, Sales Trips and Industry Events / Tradeshows.
• Provides all the necessary information to Sales Coordinator while supporting drafting Proposals and Contracts.
• Site Inspection alerts, Room bookings, Agendas, etc. Contracts, Addenda or any other Financial/Legal document cannot be assigned to Sales Coordinators.
• Track and follow up to get signed agreements and first deposits.
• Utilize work day in an organized and professional manner and well planned to cover office logistics.
• Attend Pre-Convention meetings when on property. Call in for pre-con’s as needed / recommended if unable to be on property in person.
• Data integrity for effective and thorough record-keeping, trend analysis

Sales Effectiveness:

• Track and focus on conversion to ensure hotels revenue objectives are positively impacted and achieved.
• Write clear and effective sales correspondence.
• Provides error-free proposals, contracts and addendum to clients.
• Make a strong and positive impression on clients in individual and group setting.
• Contact customers in-house to promote good will and foster additional business or repeat business to property or sister properties.
•  Develop and utilize sales skills in all sales interactions.
• Score 90% or higher in sales shop calls to ensure standards are met and sales skills are used to maximum effort.
• Cross-sell with catering and group managers and team-sell also where appropriate.
• Meet deadlines to present Market Budget and Marketing Plan for the following year with action plans, ROI and expenses.
•  Responds to complaints from customers and give after-sales support when requested.
• Will keep updated information in Delphi presenting rates, concessions, hot buttons and reasons why clients booked hotel or booked at a competing property (whether FS or outside the brand).
• Ensure growth and development through sales training effectiveness and evaluation/feedback.

• Development of annual plans and participation in budget/marketing plan process

Four Seasons is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. Minorities, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. To access the 'EEOC is The Law' Information poster please visit this website - https://eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_files/employers/poster_screen_reader_optimized.pdf