A few years back, I was working with a property that was in need of some on-site task force sales management.  It was pretty simple.  They had a Sales Manager resign and they were in a market where they knew it was going to take some time to find the proper replacement.  They needed someone to field inbound inquiries and handle site tours, as well as continue to build the pipeline.  Now, this was long before we started Right Fit Lead®, Plan B Activation™ or Sales4Hire™, and when we were actually conducting on-site task force.

This property was having far more challenges than just one Sales Manager’s resignation.  Morale was incredibly low, there was a lack of drive to meet goals and they were well on their way to a sales force implosion.  What was my diagnosis?  Leadership.  The Director of Sales was a phenomenal sales person.  Clients loved her, and she was a closer.  I truly respected her sales skills, it came very natural to her.  She applied for the sales director role, because she saw that it was the only way for her to grow in the industry that she loved.  She wanted to make more money, and have more responsibility.  Bless her… She wanted to make it work, but she didn’t have the leadership training and it did not come naturally for her to lead others to do what she could do in the sales field.  I witnessed horrible attitudes, shaming, distraction, and dysfunction.

It came down to the fact that this Director of Sales was promoted from being a Sales Manager because she was an incredible hotel sales person who had been in the industry for some time and was given the opportunity to “move up.”  The challenge that I see far too often is that these phenomenal Sales Managers are promoted to Sales Directors and given very little guidance, mentoring or training on how to be a sales leader.  The result is overwhelming for the rookie sales director.  That overwhelming situation, if not managed well, can translate to poor performing sales teams.

There is a big difference, as sales leaders are not just responsible for meeting their own revenue goals, but leading the team to do the same all the while providing communication and reporting to ownership & other stakeholders, as well as having a laundry list of other tasks and responsibilities that may not even be understood when they accepted the position.  It’s not just a better job title and more pay, it is a completely different animal.

Sales Directors are oftentimes tasked with booking a certain segment of the overall business, and have a set revenue goal.  However, 99% of them will tell you that the majority of their job is spent leading the sales team, communicating with owners and stakeholders, working with vendors to negotiate the best products & prices to be able to meet sales goals, collaborating to create sales messages and writing marketing plans and budgets… Everything but direct sales.

Now, everyone who knows me well will tell you that I am a huge proponent of taking personal responsibility.  Meaning, the Sales Directors asked for the job, they got the job, now they need to figure out how to perform it with excellence.  However, I also see a responsibility of the hiring managers, HR, and owners in vetting and ensuring that the person placed in a Sales Director role is qualified for the job, has the proper leadership mentality, and fits the culture to cultivate motivated & successful Sales Managers.  It’s perfectly fine to hire a first time Sales Director…They need to start somewhere, but you must provide them with the tools, training and mentorship needed to grow and be a strong leader, and most importantly ensure they fit the profile of a Sales Director.

Be on the lookout for a future post about using Strengths Tests and other tools to determine if your super star Sales Manager is cut out for a sales leadership role, and then if they are not how to keep them motivated in the role they excel at, so you can retain them at your hotel!