Director of Sales and Destination Services

SUMMARY: The objective of all departments is to position Visit Greater Palm Springs (V GPS) as the official tourism agency for the Greater Palm Springs area.

This leadership position will represent the organization nationally and locally while managing sales and destination services teams.

The primary responsibilities are to position the destination as a top-tier meetings destination, increase group business across key segments while emphasizing need periods (May through September), and developing alliances with key industry organizations. This leadership position will work closely with the VP of Sales, local community partners, to ensure all goals and objectives are achieved effectively.

This position must have strong leadership skills, public speaking / presentation skills, proven conflict management experience and strategic thinking abilities.

This role also oversees the destination experience’s function, ensuring groups, clients and meeting planners receive a seamless, high-quality experience throughout Greater Palm Springs.

The target bonus incentive for this position is 20%.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES, and RESPONSIBILITIES:

LEADERSHIP

• Lead and motivate a team with varying levels of experience, tenure and sales styles, adapting coaching and communication approaches to bring out each individual's strengths while unifying the team around shared goals.
• Meet and exceed team qualitative and quantitative goals, including room night production, lead generation, new business development, site visit satisfaction and other key performance indicators established by leadership.
• Represent VGPS in various industry and community leadership meetings.
• Interact with hotel community and strategic partners to establish strong working relationships that will support overall goals and objectives.
• Build relationships and open communication both internally and externally with team members, partners and stakeholders.

SALES

• In collaboration with VP of Sales, Execute Global Sales Plan strategies and initiatives focused on Groups, Meetings and Conventions to generate and exceed the team’s annual room night goals and other metrics.
• Manages sales team, and holds them accountable for their goals, smart plans & actions, and sales activities (i.e. sales calls, prospecting, etc.)
• Utilizes CRM, Cvent, Future Pace and STR data to track and report definite and tentative room nights, lead-to-booking conversion rate, and market share performance against the destination's competitive set.
• Collaborates with Palm Springs Convention Center and hotel partners to provide clear channels of communication, ensuring join success related to lead generation, site inspections and room night closure.
• In collaboration and participation with VP of Sales with development of a strategy for all tradeshows, client events, sales missions and FAMS and other industry events to ensure budgets and ROI are maximized. Ensuring all events have the correct branding, attracting new clients and potential organizations for the destination.
• In collaboration with VP of Sales and Director of Business Development, will assist with goal setting process, performance reviews, consistent individual and team coaching and mentoring.
• Must constantly maintain knowledge of the destination’s products and services with the ability to effectively communicate and understand the features and benefits to clients and internal team members.

DESTINATION EXPERIENCES

• In collaboration with Destination Experiences Site Team help to guide the planning and execution of site visits, pre- and post-convention meetings, and all other group services needs for eligible group and convention business.
• Lead the Destination Experiences Team to ensure every group and convention secured by the sales team receives seamless, high-quality experience from contract signing through post-event follow-up and increase positive economic impact for our partners and cities.
• Build and maintain relationships with local attractions, restaurants, venues and community stakeholders to support meeting planners hosting events in Greater Palm Springs.
• Directly responsible for the day-to-day management of department operations to include strategic development of department initiatives, managing projects, budgets, contract negotiations and all personnel while exhibiting attention to detail in a fast-paced environment and operating with a high level of customer service.
• Works with all VGPS departments to fulfill events and programming, integrating and champion innovation, creativity and efficiency, both within the department and company-wide, through utilization of technology, streamlining of processes and evaluation of standards.
• Ensures brand consistency in execution of all events, materials and projects.
• Oversee the destination services team's use of CRM systems, ensuring accurate listings, reporting and continuous improvement of best practices.
• Stay current on destination services and DMO industry trends, incorporating best practices into the department's strategy and service standards.

MANAGEMENT

• Evaluate, monitor and track team performance measurements, including room night production and other metrics, identify opportunities and troubleshoot potential challenges and conflicts
• Support sales team with new and existing prospecting resources in collaboration with Director of Business Development.
• Carry out supervisory responsibilities including employment, training, mentoring, assigning and directing work, appraising performance, rewarding, and disciplining employees and addressing complaints and resolving problems.
• Maintains positive relationships, ensures credibility with key business leaders, association and tourism industry representatives, governmental representatives, members of media and the community at large.

FINANCE / BUDGETARY OBLIGATIONS

• Assist VP of Sales in the development, maintaining and policies operating of department budget, maximizing the financial performance of the assigned budgets.
• Collaborate with departments and finance team members to effectively manage assigned budget and expense reports on a monthly, quarterly and yearly basis.

Perform related duties as assigned. Employee must be flexible to changing policies and procedures, as well as varying deadlines.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS & GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, the employee must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills and ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Core Values

Embody our core values:

• Balance: We enjoy our best results through a balance of professional and personal achievement.
• Collaboration: We foster our collective strengths.
• Community: We build relationships to unify all and enhance our quality of life.
• Inclusion: We embrace diversity and foster equity and inclusion in all we do.
• Innovation: We dream beyond, challenging the norm and expanding boundaries.
• Integrity: We are honest, ethical, respectful and accountable to deliver our very best.
• Passion: We think, speak and act from the heart.

Qualifications, Education and/or Experience

• Minimum of 10 plus years in sales leadership within the hospitality industry previous experience within a DMO preferred. Experience managing teams of 15 or more employees, ideally spanning multiple functions, strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years overseeing or managing a sales team.
• Demonstrated strong sales, negotiating and decision-making skills.
• Strong written, verbal and presentation skills.
• Strong knowledge of sales reporting tools and ability to articulate internally and externally.
• Comfortable with public speaking and interacting with high-level decision makers.
• Strong working knowledge and experience in working with Convention Centers.
• Proficient in CRM and sales database management systems; hands-on experience with, Cvent and STR data required.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Products including strong presentation software experience.
• Appreciate and assimilate constructive criticism
• Comfortable multitasking as a key player on a variety of projects

Core Competencies

• Forward thinker, ability to think strategically and open to new ideas in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to collaborate and build consensus.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Very strong presentation skills.
• Strong track record of meeting and exceeding goals and objectives.
• Strong work ethic.
• Ability to challenge the process in a constructive manner.
• Model the way and inspire a shared vision.
• Enable others to act and understand succession planning.
• Encourage from the heart.
• Ability to manage conflict
• Understanding of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion best practices.

Commitment to Service

• Maintain a positive and cohesive working relationship with internal team and external vendors, members, partners, and suppliers to successfully accomplish Visit Greater Palm Springs’ mission, vision and goals
• Participate in ongoing high-quality improvement/client satisfaction efforts.
• Demonstrate high standards and display a positive and proactive approach.

Listen, direct and apply all VGPS-branded elements necessary per project, possess a positive, upbeat attitude and role in the organization. Promote and exemplify VGPS values; represent departmental objectives and interests to internal operations and external customers and relationships.

Carry out responsibilities in accordance with VGPS policies and federal/state laws. On a consistent basis, must contribute to a friendly and collaborative work environment

Follow up on telephone calls, emails, requests, complaints and challenges; respond quickly to internal and external needs. Show an appropriate sense of urgency in completing work and addressing the needs of the department.

Language Skills

Must be able to analyze and interpret general business information, technical procedures related to the job functions and to governmental regulations. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from leadership, managers, colleagues and the general public.

Reasoning Ability

Ability to solve problems and deal with a multitude of variables including, but not limited to, information submitted in oral, written, diagram or report form.

Required Technical/Other Skills/Licenses

Proficient with PC and Mac and business machines such as copiers and printers. Proficient with Microsoft Office including Word, Excel and Outlook and key Adobe software, including all design and presentation software and platforms (e.g., PowerPoint, InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop).

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk, listen, sit and stand, have hand and finger dexterity; reach with hands and arms; walk and stand for long periods of time; and occasionally required to climb, balance, stoop or lift up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is moderately quiet, except when in-office meetings or hands-free speaker phone calls are conducted nearby.

Safety

Employee is required to comply with established safe work practices and attend safety-related training provided or made available by Visit GPS.

Company Funds

This position HAS access to company funds, such as cash, checks, company credit cards, client credit card information or contracts.

Confidential Information

This position has access to confidential information that includes legal, financial personnel, clients, contracts, passwords, and codes.

• NOTE: The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this position. These statements are not intended to be construed as a complete list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required.

Pay: $150,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Experience:

• Sales Leadership in Hospitality industry: 10 years (Required)
• Managing a Sales Team: 5 years (Required)

Willingness to travel:

• 25% (Required)

Work Location: In person