Director of Sales

Description About the Company StepStone Hospitality is a premier hotel and restaurant management company driven by an unwavering commitment to excellence in every aspect of our operations. At StepStone Hospitality, our core mission is to understand the unique goals of each owner and consistently surpass their expectations. Through tailored operating strategies that complement investment objectives, we continuously enhance the value of our clients' assets. StepStone Hospitality is seeking a dynamic, results-driven, and relationship-focused Director of Sales & Marketing to join the team at Crowne Plaza North Augusta. This is an exciting leadership opportunity for an experienced hospitality sales professional who thrives on driving revenue growth, developing strategic partnerships, leading sales initiatives, and creating innovative marketing strategies that increase market share. The Director of Sales & Marketing will oversee all sales and marketing efforts for the hotel, including group, corporate, government, association, SMERF, sports, social, and catering segments. This individual will be responsible for developing and executing comprehensive sales strategies, maximizing revenue opportunities, strengthening client relationships, and positioning Crowne Plaza North Augusta as a premier hospitality destination within the market. This role requires a strategic sales leader with a strong hunter mentality, exceptional communication skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively with hotel leadership, ownership, operations teams, and clients to achieve financial and service excellence. What You’ll Do Develop and execute strategic sales and marketing plans designed to achieve and exceed hotel revenue goals, increase market share, and drive profitability. Lead the development of new business opportunities through proactive prospecting, cold calling, networking, client meetings, outside sales calls, virtual and in-person site inspections, referrals, and community engagement. Build and maintain strong relationships with key local demand generators, corporate accounts, government organizations, associations, sports groups, social accounts, and community partners. Identify revenue opportunities across all market segments and develop strategies to maximize occupancy, group business, banquet revenue, catering revenue, and overall hotel performance. Oversee the sales team by establishing goals, monitoring performance, coaching team members, and ensuring accountability to achieve individual and department objectives. Develop and maintain account strategies for key clients while continuously growing existing relationships and identifying opportunities for additional revenue. Manage group and catering sales efforts, including prospecting, proposals, negotiations, contracts, detailing, and execution of events. Conduct professional hotel tours, client presentations, virtual site inspections, and sales appointments to showcase hotel amenities, meeting space, and event capabilities. Collaborate with Revenue Management to evaluate pricing strategies, availability, forecasting, and group displacement decisions to maximize revenue. Develop creative sales promotions, packages, and marketing initiatives to increase demand and generate new business opportunities. Drive digital marketing initiatives, social media strategies, and promotional campaigns to enhance brand awareness and market visibility. Maintain accurate sales activity tracking, account information, forecasting, pipeline reporting, and client records within sales systems including Delphi and other CRM platforms. Utilize market intelligence, competitive analysis, STR reporting, booking trends, and revenue data to identify opportunities and adjust sales strategies. Work closely with Operations, Front Office, Food & Beverage, Banquets, and Revenue Management teams to ensure seamless execution of meetings, events, and group programs. Partner with clients to create Banquet Event Orders (BEOs), event timelines, and operational details to ensure successful execution and client satisfaction. Oversee the execution of special events and ensure client expectations are exceeded throughout the planning and event process. Communicate sales performance, market trends, opportunities, and action plans with hotel leadership and ownership as needed. Maintain strong knowledge of hotel operations, service offerings, competitive positioning, and market conditions. Ensure all sales activities align with company standards, brand expectations, ethical business practices, and financial objectives. Assist with additional responsibilities and special projects as assigned by the General Manager and Vice President of Sales & Marketing. Provide occasional weekend support and attend networking events, client functions, and community activities as business needs require. Successful candidates will demonstrate Proven leadership experience managing hotel sales teams and achieving revenue goals Strong business development and prospecting skills with a hunter mentality Exceptional relationship-building, networking, and client retention abilities Strong negotiation, closing, and presentation skills Ability to develop and execute effective sales and marketing strategies Strong understanding of group, corporate, government, catering, and event sales Excellent communication skills with the ability to interact professionally with clients, ownership, and hotel leadership Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret market trends and revenue performance Ability to lead, motivate, and develop a high-performing sales team Professional presence with exceptional customer service and relationship management skills What We’re Looking For Minimum of 4 years of successful hotel sales experience within a full-service hotel environment. Previous experience as a Director of Sales & Marketing, Senior Sales Manager, or similar hotel sales leadership role preferred. Proven track record of achieving and exceeding sales goals through proactive solicitation, account management, and strategic sales planning. Experience managing Corporate, Government, Association, SMERF, Sports, Group, and Catering market segments. Strong knowledge of hotel operations including Rooms, Food & Beverage, Banquets, Catering, and Events. Experience leading and developing sales teams to achieve performance goals. Strong understanding of group contracts, room blocks, catering agreements, and revenue management principles. Experience with hotel sales systems including Delphi, CRM platforms, and group booking systems preferred. Hilton system knowledge preferred; experience with branded full-service hotels strongly preferred. Ability to utilize reservation systems and sales platforms including Delphi, PEP, or comparable hotel technology. Experience analyzing market trends, competitive positioning, STR reports, and revenue opportunities. Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. Ability to work independently while maintaining strong collaboration across all hotel departments. Ability to attend client meetings, networking events, and hotel functions, including occasional evenings and weekends. Preferred Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, Marketing, or related field preferred. Experience with Hilton, IHG, or other major hotel brands. Experience utilizing Delphi Sales & Catering, Cvent, Salesforce, or similar sales platforms. Experience developing digital marketing campaigns and social media strategies. Strong community relationships and knowledge of the local market. Why StepStone? At StepStone Hospitality, we believe in fostering a collaborative and growth-oriented environment where employees are empowered to make an impact. This is an opportunity to join a dynamic team, lead strategic sales initiatives, build meaningful client relationships, contribute to the success of a premier hotel, and grow your career with an organization committed to excellence. StepStone Hospitality is an Equal Opportunity Employer. #J-18808-Ljbffr