Area Director of Sales

AREA DIRECTOR OF SALES
Company: Matrix Hotels
Department: Sales
Status: Full-Time
Job Type: Exempt
Reports To: Property General Managers
Location: Hilton Garden Inn & Hampton Inn UAlbany Area

POSITION PURPOSE
The Area Director of Sales is responsible for leading the sales and commercial strategy for a two-property hotel portfolio, with accountability for driving revenue growth, market share, profitability, and overall sales performance.

This position provides strategic and hands-on leadership to the sales teams across both properties while ensuring each hotel maintains a distinct and effective market position. The Area Director of Sales develops coordinated strategies that maximize the combined performance of the portfolio, including the strategic placement of business between properties based on demand, rate potential, inventory, customer needs, and overall portfolio objectives.

The position partners closely with General Managers, Revenue Management, Marketing, Operations, and Finance to develop and execute sales strategies, strengthen key accounts, maximize group and transient business, optimize market opportunities, and build long-term customer and community relationships. Conduct regular outside sales calls, client meetings, property tours, networking events, trade shows, and community functions.

The Area Director of Sales is expected to be both a strategic leader and an active business developer, personally engaging in high-value accounts, market development, negotiations, and customer relationships while leading and developing the sales teams.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Portfolio Sales Leadership

• Develop and execute an annual sales strategy for the two-property portfolio based on market conditions, competitive positioning, historical performance, demand patterns, and revenue objectives.
• Establish property-specific sales goals and strategies while identifying opportunities to leverage the combined strength of both hotels.
• Provide leadership, direction, and accountability for sales performance across both properties.
• Conduct regular property visits, sales audits, pipeline reviews, and performance assessments.
• Lead regular sales meetings to review pipeline activity, production, market trends, need periods, and revenue-generating initiatives.
• Ensure consistent execution of company sales standards, processes, CRM requirements, and performance expectations.
• Maintain a visible presence within both properties and the local and regional business community.

Commercial & Revenue Strategy

• Partner with General Managers and Revenue Management to align sales strategies with pricing, forecasting, inventory, and overall revenue objectives.
• Monitor occupancy, ADR, RevPAR, pace, forecast, STR performance, market share, and competitive positioning for both properties.
• Identify opportunities to maximize total portfolio revenue through strategic placement of business between properties.
• Evaluate business opportunities based on rate, volume, profitability, displacement, customer needs, and individual property objectives.

Business Development & Key Accounts

• Lead the identification, development, and acquisition of new business across corporate, group, leisure, government, sports, social, and other relevant market segments.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key regional and national accounts, meeting planners, travel partners, community organizations, universities, government agencies, tourism organizations, and other strategic partners.
• Personally solicit and cultivate high-value accounts and opportunities that materially impact portfolio performance.
• Determine the most appropriate property for new business based on customer needs, hotel positioning, availability, rate strategy, and portfolio objectives.
• Lead major proposals, presentations, negotiations, and contracts for high-value opportunities.

Group Sales & Market Development

• Develop and execute a coordinated group sales strategy across both properties.
• Monitor group pace, tentative business, conversion, cancellations, and future demand.
• Strategically place group business based on meeting space, room availability, rate potential, need periods, and portfolio profitability.
• Develop relationships with meeting planners, tour operators, sports organizations, corporate groups, universities, and other group-producing organizations.

Marketing & Brand Strategy

• Develop property-specific marketing strategies while identifying opportunities for joint portfolio initiatives.
• Ensure each property is appropriately positioned within its competitive set and target markets.
• Leverage tourism organizations, convention and visitors' bureaus, chambers of commerce, destination partners, and community relationships to generate business.
• Represent both properties at industry events, networking functions, and community activities.

Performance Management & Reporting

• Monitor and analyze sales performance across both properties and provide actionable recommendations to leadership.
• Track room night production, ADR, RevPAR, market share, group pace, account production, pipeline activity, conversion, and other key performance indicators.
• Prepare sales reports, forecasts, business reviews, and strategic updates.
• Identify performance gaps and implement corrective action plans.
• Monitor competitive activity, market trends, economic conditions, and changes in demand.

Key Performance Indicators (KPI)
Performance will be evaluated based on achievement and improvement in the following areas:

Revenue & Market Performance

• Total portfolio rooms revenue
• Revenue performance versus budget and forecast
• ADR and RevPAR performance
• Market share and STR performance
• Group and transient revenue growth
• Portfolio profitability and revenue contribution

Sales Performance

• Group room-night production
• Key account production and retention
• New account acquisition
• Sales pipeline volume and quality
• Lead conversion and booking conversion
• Sales activity and productivity
• Pace and future business development

Portfolio Optimization

• Effective placement of business between properties
• Cross-selling and shared account production
• Revenue generated during need periods
• Growth in portfolio-level accounts
• Successful utilization of each property's market position and inventory

Leadership & Team Performance

• Achievement of individual and departmental sales goals
• Sales team productivity and accountability
• Employee development and retention
• Completion of coaching and performance management activities
• Consistent execution of company sales standards

Customer & Market Engagement

• Key account retention
• Customer relationship development
• Client satisfaction and repeat business
• Community and industry engagement
• Growth of strategic partnerships

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Hospitality, Marketing, or related field preferred.
• Minimum 5-7 years of progressive hotel sales leadership experience.
• Previous Director of Sales, Area Director of Sales, or multi-property sales experience.
• Proven track record of driving sales performance, increasing revenue, and improving market share.
• Strong understanding of hotel revenue management principles, forecasting, pricing, inventory, and market analysis.
• Experience developing and executing sales strategies across multiple market segments.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop sales professionals across multiple properties.
• Strong understanding of group sales, corporate account development, and key account management.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong analytical and commercial decision-making abilities.
• Proficiency with CRM systems, Microsoft Office, and applicable hotel sales and revenue technology.
• Ability to travel regularly between assigned properties and throughout the local and regional market.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings, weekends, networking events, and client functions.

POSITION SUCCESS PROFILE
The successful Area Director of Sales is a strategic, commercially minded, hands-on sales leader who can lead through others while remaining actively engaged in the market.
Success requires the ability to view the two hotels as both individual businesses and one combined portfolio -identifying where opportunities exist, determining which property is best positioned to capture each opportunity, developing the sales teams required to execute the strategy, and ultimately maximizing the revenue and profitability of the portfolio.