Marriott

JOB SUMMARY

Director National Sales -West, is a leadership role handling 17-18 team members and NSO offices in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Pune, which is subject to change based on market requirements. Director National Sales -West is responsible for providing total account management for a portfolio of high value complex accounts in an effort to increase Marriott's preference, loyalty, and profitable share. 

By applying the principles of strategic account management and team-based selling, this position provides overall leadership and direction in the development of business-to-business strategies to build long-term, value-based relationships between Marriott International and their portfolio of corporate accounts. As a leader, this individual will develop solid and broad relationships with the key buyers in central buying locations with the purpose of mapping all revenue streams to grow share and drive superior business results for Marriott India Hotels . 

Specific areas of responsibility include establishing, managing and communicating overall account strategies in alignment with the overall corporate segment priorities, mapping buyers to accounts, defending and growing market share and revenue targets for assigned accounts, and liaising with relevant cross-discipline resources (corporate, regional, property) to ensure effective pull-through of account strategies.

SCOPE / BUSINESS CONTEXT

Total Account Management 

• Develop and implement the overall account strategy in alignment with segment strategic goals. Promote accountability to achieve desired business results. 
• Retain, expand and grow account revenue through account growth, margin management and implementation of strategic initiatives. 
• Manage relationships with the largest buyers in primary buying locations; map significant buyers in other locations and direct the Market sales teams and Account teams to optimize account reach and share. 
• Assist in developing optimal Total Account Management teams that are focused on delivering customer value and growing account share. Develop and enhance the concepts of total account management and team-based sales. 
• Establish and maintain strong business relationships with key economic buying influencers. Act as the customer’s advocate through understanding account customer needs and opportunities. Monitor current and future customer needs, goals and attitudes including competitor activity to guide targeted solution development; remove barriers to business solution development; build a customer-focused team. 
• Harness and coordinate cross-discipline resources (corporate, in market and property) to ensure pull-through and sustainment of account strategies and selling solutions. Develop a close working relationship with operations and Market resources to establish integrated sales strategies that maximize customer relationships within the region and ensure pull-through of strategies at the hotel level. 
• Liaise with relevant cross-discipline groups to resolve customer issues and ensure profitability of the account. 
• Partner with the Account Manager (Business Transient). NSO to manage the annual RFP process and lead negotiations of preferred hotel agreements with customers. 
• Partner with the Account Manager (Large and Small Groups) in managing and closing on group transactions with Sales Offices and hotels. 
• Develop innovative cross-functional solutions to win in assigned accounts (e.g. e-commerce, marketing and revenue management solutions). 
• Lead the sales efforts for new and existing revenue streams within accounts. 
• Lead efforts to educate and communicate total account management and team-based sales principles to cross-discipline groups including Revenue Management, Property and Owner/Franchise partners ( need based ). 
• Attend and participate in all relevant customer events and trade shows. 
• Serve as a proactive leader on the Sales and Marketing team by providing input and execution to corporate initiatives. Establish strong partnerships between field and corporate by maintaining a productive dialog and exchange of idea

Organizational Excellence 

• Champion business transformation and change efforts in support of Sales and Marketing strategies.
• Maintain operational excellence by directing productive, streamlined administrative functions. 
• Ensure that the latest sales tools, including SFA and other value-added products & services, are being leveraged effectively to maximize productivity and build sustainable competitive advantage. 

Operational Excellence 

• Achieve account revenue and sales goals as defined by segment leadership. 
• Ensure the development of account plans that focus on improving market share, leveraging efficiencies, generating revenue and reducing overhead. 
• Leverage methodologies, technical and business knowledge across sales organization. 
• Translate customer and account needs into a range of support products and services that maximize returns. 
• Anticipate and identify business opportunities and challenges and respond with a profitable strategy that aligns with overall business direction. 
• Increase penetration of high potential accounts to optimize demand across all brands and satisfy important property needs. 
• Leverage all available sales channels, i.e., marriott.com, group and transient intermediaries, field sales, worldwide reservation offices, etc, in an effort to optimize sales revenues. 
• Conduct competitive assessments of lodging competitors, group intermediaries, technology companies, etc., and include in annual strategic planning process. Provide updates to Marriott Senior Management as appropriate. 

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Experience

• 10+ years of hotel industry work experience, demonstrating progressive career growth and a pattern of exceptional performance. 
• Account management experience, specifically complex accounts preferred. 
• Experience evaluating business trends and developing and successfully implementing new business programs or strategies that enhance business performance 
• Demonstrated ability to deliver results under difficult conditions, even when faced with complexity and ambiguity. 

Education or Certification 

• College degree and related experience generally required. 
• English language written and spoken

PERSONAL COMPETENCIES (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other Attributes)

• Ability to act as a strategic business advisor – strong business diagnosing and consultative skills; strategic thinker; processes information through a strategic lens and applies tenants of systems thinking to issues / assignments 
• Exceptional networking and prospecting skills. 
• Strong negotiating skills. 
• Ability to balance creative solution-development with pragmatic business considerations. 
• Must have good business acumen skills (e.g., keeping current on industry practices and developments; ability to evaluate business trends and develop successful solutions that meet customer needs and bring incremental business). 
• Must have strong financial acumen (e.g., using budgets and forecasts to manage financial performance; identifying and using key financial indicators to measure business performance, understanding ROI of the account etc.). 
• Demonstrated competency for planning, delegating, implementing, managing and improving processes that bring initiatives to a successful conclusion. 
• Gather and analyze information from a variety of sources; probe for underlying causes; consider alternative solutions before making decisions; advance problems toward resolution when encountering ambiguity or uncertainty; make sound decisions in a timely manner
• Approach problems with open-mindedness, generate innovative ideas and solutions, stimulate creativity and innovation in others. 
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with both internal and external stakeholders. Actively engage the right stakeholders from other disciplines and the market to refine account offerings. 
• Ability to sell ideas and influence persuasively, settling differences and winning concessions without damaging relationships; can be both direct and forceful while remaining diplomatic. 
• Strong organizational navigation acumen – cross-discipline understanding and ability to mobilize organizational resources to achieve superior business results. 
• Bring a global perspective to ideas and solutions. Has a cross-discipline and cross-regional understanding and is knowledgeable about MI brands, sales and marketing strategies and service offerings. 
• Ability to balance strategic thinking into idea execution. 
• Active learner – able to enhance personal, professional and business growth through new knowledge and experiences; pushes the organization Revenue Generation 
• Identifies key purchase points and decision-makers that influence the "buy" decision. 
• Relates customer needs to product capabilities. 
• Routinely quantifies the business impact to both the customer and Marriott. 
• Works with Revenue Management to support account strategy in-market. 
• Builds and strengthens accounts with existing and new customers, industry organizations and brand network to enable future bookings. Activities include sales calls, entertainment, familiarization ("fam") trips, trade shows, etc. 
• Pursues initiatives to capitalize on strengths and market opportunities, and to counter competitive threats.

MANAGEMENT

Leadership 

• Adaptability - Determines how change impacts self and others; displays flexibility in adjusting priorities; and communicates both the reasons for change and how it impacts the workplace.
• Communication - Customizes approach to conveying complex information and ideas to others in a convincing and engaging manner; appropriately interprets verbal and non-verbal behavior; and models active listening to ensure understanding.
• Problem Solving and Decision Making - Models and coaches others on breaking complex issues into manageable parts, identifying and evaluating alternatives and their implications before making decisions, and involving and gaining agreement from others when making key decisions.
• Professional Demeanor - Exhibits behavioral styles that convey confidence and command respect from others; makes a good first impression and represents the company in alignment with its values.

Managing Execution 

• Building and Contributing to Teams - Leads and participates as a member of a team to move the team toward the completion of common goals while fostering cohesion and collaboration among team members.
• Driving for Results - Sets high standards of performance for self and/or others; assumes responsibility for work objectives; initiates, focuses, and monitors the efforts of self and/or others toward the accomplishment goals; proactively takes action and goes beyond what is required.
• Planning and Organizing - Gathers information and resources required to set a plan of action for self and/or others; prioritizes and arranges work requirements for self and/or others to accomplish goals and ensure work is completed.

Building Relationships 

• Coworker Relationships - Interacts with others in a way that builds openness, trust, and confidence in the pursuit of organizational goals and lasting relationships.
• Customer Relationships - Develops and sustains relationships based on an understanding of customer needs and actions consistent with the company’s service standards. 
• Global Mindset - Supports employees and business partners with diverse styles, abilities, motivations, and/or cultural perspectives; utilizes differences to drive innovation, engagement and enhance business results; and ensures employees are given the opportunity to contribute to their full potential.

Generating Talent and Organizational Capability 

• Organizational Capability - Evaluates and adapts the structure of team assignments and work processes to best fit the needs and/or support the goals of an organizational unit. 
• Talent Management - Provides guidance and feedback to help individuals develop and strengthen skills and abilities needed to accomplish work objectives. 

Learning and Applying Professional Expertise 

• Applied Learning - Seeks and makes the most of learning opportunities to improve performance of self and/or others.
• Business Acumen - Understands and utilizes business information to manage everyday operations and generate innovative solutions to approach team, business, and administrative challenges.
• Technical Acumen - Understands and utilizes professional skills and knowledge in a specific functional area to conduct.
• Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of sales and marketing concepts including principles and methods for showing, promoting and selling products or services as well as marketing strategies and tactics.
• Analysis - The ability to analyze and summarize detailed data to make inferences and recommendations. Included is the creation and maintenance of spreadsheets for storing data.
• Research - Skill in collecting information from a variety of sources relating to market data, historical cycles, travel and tourism trends, and real estate market dynamics. The ability to know when to seek addition information and where to look to find it.
• Computer Skills - The willingness to learn and ability to use computer systems and software packages to input, access, modify, store, or output information or to execute programs and analyses. This includes the ability to enter and retrieve data from computer systems using a keyboard, mouse, or trackball.
• Economics and Finance - Knowledge of economic principles and practices, P&L statements, operating budgets, forecasting and scheduling, and the reporting of financial data.
• Revenue Management - Understanding of revenue management concepts, processes and strategies such as average daily rate, revenue per available room, sales cycles and trends, account management, pricing and inventory management.

Marriott International is an equal opportunity employer. We believe in hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive, people-first culture. We are committed to non-discrimination on any protected basis, such as disability and veteran status, or any other basis covered under applicable law.

Marriott International is the world’s largest hotel company, with more brands, more hotels and more opportunities for associates to grow and succeed. Be where you can do your best work, begin your purpose, belong to an amazing global team, and become the best version of you.