Bachelor's Degree in Management, Business, Hospitality, or equivalent experience.
5+ years in National Sales, Global Sales, or on-property sales, specifically in groups and meetings.
Strong knowledge of the hotel industry and group sales dynamics.
Proven ability to execute large-scale sales strategies from start to finish.
Excellent executive-level communication skills for engaging diverse stakeholders.
Understanding of competitors' sales strategies and market positioning.
Commercial acumen with experience in owned, managed, and franchised hotel environments.
Responsibilities
Develop and maintain relationships across customer organizations through proactive engagement.
Prioritize accounts based on revenue potential and strategic opportunities.
Leverage insights to identify business opportunities with Group Travel Partners.
Drive incremental revenue through innovative partnerships and strategies.
Anticipate objections and negotiate effectively to close deals.
Create and implement Strategic Account Plans with clear growth objectives.
Expand IHG's reach by identifying new decision-makers within accounts.
Benefits
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
401K plan with company contributions.
Paid time off for work-life balance.
Opportunities for professional development and growth.
Flexible remote work arrangement.
Full Job Description
Job Description
The Account Director is responsible for driving revenue growth and increasing IHG market share across an assigned portfolio of Group Travel Partners. This role combines strategic account management with proactive business developmentin the groups and meetings segment and working with agency/intermediary customers to identify new opportunities, deepen customer partnerships and deliver against sales objectives for the Group Travel Partner Americas Sales team.
Your day to day
Strategic Account Management
Develop meaningful relationships across multiple levels of the customer organization and maintain a consistent cadence of proactive customer engagement, including sales calls, business reviews, industry events and account activations.
Effectively prioritize a diverse portfolio of accounts based on revenue potential, business need and strategic opportunity, balancing immediate sales opportunities with long-term account development.
Use customer, market, and performance insights to develop strategies that identify business opportunities with existing and emerging Group Travel Partners.
Demonstrate a strong understanding of the group and meetings segment, including the agency/intermediary landscape, customer buying behaviors and the dynamics that influence group business placement.
Identify creative ways to drive incremental revenue and market share through strategic partnerships, mutual value opportunities and other innovative approaches.
Anticipate and overcome objections through thoughtful research, impactful negotiation and creative problem-solving.
Develop and execute Strategic Account Plans that establish clear growth priorities, sales strategies and measurable objectives for assigned accounts.
Build relationships beyond established contacts to expand IHG's reach within assigned accounts, identifying new decision-makers, business units and sources of group opportunity.
Sales and Business Acumen
Own both business development and strategic account management for the assigned portfolio, proactively identifying, pursuing and converting new opportunities that grow revenue, increase IHG share and uncover new sources of group business.
Translate account, production, market and customer insights into specific sales actions, identifying performance gaps, share opportunities and areas requiring strategic focus.
Demonstrate proficiency in relevant industry and IHG sales metrics, reporting and tools, with the ability to quickly learn and effectively leverage IHG systems, including Javelin and established sales methodologies.
Take calculated, data-informed risks to close incremental revenue opportunities and shift market share to IHG.
Maintain clear ownership of account performance, pipeline, opportunities and results, adjusting strategy when performance is not tracking to plan.
Demonstrate curiosity and a seeker mentality, consistently looking beyond established relationships and traditional approaches to uncover untapped revenue and share opportunities.
Work Collaboratively
Connect customer opportunities with IHG Hotels and internal stakeholders, effectively advocating for both the customer and IHG while driving opportunities toward conversion
Build credibility with hotel ownership and property-level commercial teams, communicating account strategy and helping hotels capitalize on Group Travel Partner opportunities.
Appropriately share information and ideas across stakeholder groups and IHG tools and resources to advance sales efforts
Exhibit an ability to influence others within the organization to achieve intended outcomes
Encourage and participate in open and honest dialogue amongst account teams, peers and leaders
Champion interdependency and act as a liaison for Global Sales in cross-functional working groups
What we need from you
Bachelor's Degree in Management, Business, Hospitality or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience.
Minimum of 5 years of National Sales, Global Sales, on-property sales or other relevant sales experience, including demonstrated experience in the groups and meetings segment and working with agency/intermediary customers.
Demonstrated knowledge of the hotel industry, group sales and marketing, and business planning, along with strong sales, problem-solving and analytical capabilities.
Demonstrated experience organizing, planning and executing large-scale sales or account strategies from conception through implementation.
Demonstrated executive-level verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively engage clients, vendors, senior leaders and other key stakeholders. Strong relationship management, negotiation and influencing skills required.
Demonstrated knowledge of competitors' sales strategies, positions and initiatives.
Demonstrate strong commercial acumen and an understanding of operating within an owned, managed and franchised hotel environment. Experience working with franchise organizations or ownership constituencies is preferred.
Experience working with globally scoped accounts, international markets, or cross-cultural stakeholders is strongly preferred.
Travel - 40%
Location - Remote: Candidate must reside in the Southeast or Central U.S. within one [1] hour of a major U.S. airport.
The salary range for this role is $83,000.00 to $115,000.00. This role is also eligible for bonus pay (as applicable). We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance, 401K, and other benefits to employees.
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About IHG
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is a British multinational hospitality company that operates a portfolio of hotel brands, including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, and Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. The company was founded in 2003 as a result of the merger between British hotel company Six Continents and the hotel and restaurant business of the American conglomerate Bass. IHG is headquartered in Denham, England, and has operations in more than 100 countries. The company's brands cater to a range of travelers, from budget-conscious to luxury-seeking.
