Dir, Strategic Partnership

POSITION PURPOSE AND SUMMARY
The Director, Strategic Partnerships is responsible for total account management of their assigned portfolio of ESA's highest value strategic accounts. Responsibilities include account penetration, saturation, activation, market share growth, maintaining, and growing relationships within the assigned portfolio of accounts. The Director, Strategic Partnerships will thoroughly develop and maintain relationships through hands-on proactive account management, ongoing sales interaction, qualification of opportunities, and consistently identifying areas for share growth for ESA. This involves developing strategic account plans, internal stakeholder communication, negotiating as a value exchange, proactively seeking business through additional departments, and building long term client partnerships.

 

MAJOR / KEY JOB DUTIES
* Consistently uses a consultative selling approach to maintain and expand partnerships and increase market share within assigned accounts.
* Achieve revenue goals and other performance metrics.
* Create and implement detailed strategic account plans to that promote loyalty or customer preference resulting in shared goals.
* Results driven mindset where the client relationship is beyond vendor relationships.
* Proactively work with assigned accounts to increase ESA's participation in their preferred travel programs.
* Lead all team selling efforts across ESA field sales team for further account saturation at local levels.
* Maintain regular contact with all key account contacts including scheduled reviews to ensure the customer's needs and expectations are met by ESA.
* Use effective sales and negotiating skills to through evaluate account offerings, including detailed analysis for rate offerings during the annual rate renewal process while having a clear understanding of future forecasting.
* Leverage sound business acquisition and retention strategies while understanding the competitive landscape to cultivate both new and existing business relationships and achieve budgeted revenue and share goals.
* Work collaboratively with the Account Services Group to provide excellent service to the account. This includes account onboarding, participation in account reviews, and ongoing/daily interaction to review actionable items, make recommendations for proposed solutions, and ensure the Account Services Group has a clear understanding of client needs.

 

OTHER DUTIES

 

Strategy and Planning
* Conduct an account planning process and ongoing analysis to outline performance objectives, forecasting, financial targets, and account growth plans to continually grow ESA's revenue and market share of account spend.
* Develop high level, client relationships including a deep understanding of an accounts value, competitive landscape, buying behaviors and motivations, technical requirements, distribution channels, etc.
* Understand, analyze, and interpret reports and sales technology aids to maximize revenue. These include STAR data, the daily ops report, hotel lists, in-house guest lists, Kalibri, LinkedIn, ZoomInfo, etc.

Training, Coaching and Team Selling
* Coach, partner and mentor other members of the sales organization, including Regional Directors of Field Sales, Account Services Coordinators, Director of National Sales, operations team members to support account growth and client satisfaction.
* Seek and provide ongoing training and coaching to improve sales effectiveness.

 

Sales Activities
* Meet assigned targets for growing profitable sales volume and achieving strategic objectives for assigned accounts.
* Maximize ESA hotel participation in the RFP process to include open source booking methodology and TMC partnerships.
* Develop a thorough understanding of all electronic distribution systems used by assigned accounts. Establish connectivity and viewership for any booking platforms used to ensure ESA is accessible and easy to book for the accounts' travelers and agents.
* Consistently assess, clarify, and validate customer needs to deepen client commitment to ESA.
* As necessary, lead service recovery efforts to address customer needs promptly and thoroughly, while coordinating the involvement of all necessary ESA personnel.
* Leverage industry knowledge and trends of verticals to uncover growth opportunities.
* Conduct comprehensive Quarterly Business Reviews with all business units within assigned accounts.
* Maintain accurate documentation of all account contact and sales activities within the CRM program.
* Serve as a subject matter expert within the verticals you support to include ESA sales training and lunch and learn sessions.
* Participate in periodic sales promotions as appropriate.

 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES & COMPETENCIES

 

LANGUAGE SKILLS:
* Fluent in the English language.
* Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
* Excellent interpersonal communication skills including effective listening.
* Excellent presentation skills in one-on-one and small group situations involving clients and associates.

 

SELLING SKILLS AND INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE:
* Strong knowledge of strategic business-to-business sales including prospecting, business development, and account management.
* Demonstrated ability to sell using a variety of approaches and delivery platforms.
* Thorough knowledge of hotel and travel industry.

 

LEADERSHIP ABILITIES:
* Self-motivated with strong time management skills and demonstrated ability to set goals and achieve priorities.
* Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously; must function well under pressure, delegate effectively, and remain positive and constructive under stress.

 

ANALYTICAL SKILLS:
* Strong problem-solving skills.
* Demonstrated skills in data and performance metrics.
* Ability to gather client information and analyze industry data to create client specific action plans and communications.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL JOB REQUIREMENTS
* Located in a comfortable indoor area. Any unpleasant conditions would be infrequent and not objectionable.
* Some travel is required depending on the account portfolio -- typically 25-50%.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
* Associate degree, at least 6 years of outside sales experience, with a minimum of 4 years' experience in complex sales; or the equivalent combination of the two.
* Must be pro-active and knowledgeable of strategic sales activities and client interactions.
* Must be able to work a flexible schedule to include infrequent evening and/or weekend meetings.
* Must possess a valid driver's license and have reliable transportation.
* Must be proficient with Microsoft Office software including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

 

PREFERRED QULIFICATIONS
* Bachelor's Degree preferred but not required.
* Hotel sales experience, particularly in the extended stay niche, is preferred but not required.