Sales & Marketing Careers in the Hotel Business
A sales career in the hotel industry is one that can be very rewarding and exciting however it may not be as easy as sometimes perceived. Sales positions in the hotel industry are perceived as the "glamour" or "fun" positions, and while the career can be enjoyable, there is another side.
Entering into Sales
A career in hotel sales is in very high demand. The competition to enter into sales is growing increasingly stronger and making sales positions more difficult to obtain. Before you convince yourself that sales is the career you want, you should ask yourself, "Am I really cut out for sales?" In order to do this you may want to honestly ask yourself some of the following questions:
- Am I a highly competitive person? Would it bother me to lose a sale to another sales manager at a competing hotel property?
- Am I the type of person that can sit on the phone for 5-7 hours a day and make calls to people that I may not know, in order to see if they are interested in my product?
- Can I work under the pressure of a quota and the fact that, if I don't meet my quotas, my job could be in jeopardy?
- Is traveling and being away from my family, along with coming to work early and staying late to entertain customers, something that I would enjoy?
How Do I Find Out if Solos Is for Me?
As mentioned earlier, the competition for sales positions is very keen. In order to find out if sales is for you, and in order to pick up some experience in sales, there are several ways you can approach getting some much needed experience.
- Starting in January, look for a summer internship position. Many hotel sales departments look to summer interns to do a variety of projects which would include, but are not limited to: market research, database projects of accounts, organize sales projects, and a host of other projects.
- These are projects that may have been put off or may not have been finished. Many sales departments do not have the budgets to hire a full-time staff person to assist with these projects, therefore, many departments will take on someone at or around minimum wage to assist them. While it may not be a well-paying job, it is a step up that you will have on those competing for a sales position later.
- Offer to coordinate a telemarketing or blitz campaign for a hotel sales department. Through the college or university, contact a variety of hotels or resorts and let them know your class or a group of those interested in hotel sales management are interested in doing a telemarketing campaign. Most hotels will welcome you with open arms and will work with you to develop the campaign in order for it to be effective.
Perhaps not 100%, however, working in these environments will give you a feel for making calls and experiencing the types of situations sales managers face on a daily basis.
In order to succeed in sales, you must really know in your mind that it is what you want If you have the attitude that you just want to try it to see if you like it, or are unsure if it's for you, the chances for failure are high. You have to determine before you enter into a sales management position that this is for you, or you are wasting your career time and the hotel's time.
Are There Any Other Ways off Entering into Sales?
You may have succeeded in doing one or both of the programs mentioned above, however, when you go to look for a sales job, there may not be any available. Where do we go from here? Many people with successful and prominent careers in the hospitality industry have started as secretaries, pool attendants, night auditors, or hotel operators, and now direct entire corporations. They just wanted to get their foot in the door. From there, they made their careers happen with hard work, determination, and the desire to succeed.
If you are faced with not being able to acquire the job you want, settle for another position that will at least get you into the organization. You should also let the appropriate persons know that you took this job to get into the business however your goal is to be in sales. Make sure they know it, and make sure you keep reminding them.
The better sales people in the hospitality industry know what the other departments need, how they work, how they like to see information communicated, and how the hotel runs best. These areas are critical when making commitments on the hotel's behalf to our customers.
