(not required, but may be right for you)  Apply for a job at a front desk and learn the ropes of the hotel.  Front desk jobs are fairly easy to obtain if you have a nice image and can be inviting and hospitable to guests checking in to the hotel.  After 6 months to a year you can possibly transfer over to the sales offices where the better money is made.  The front desk only pays 10-14 or so an hour depending on the city or location.  Keep in mind the front desk is a great place to start because you will be interacting with all departments of the hotel.  You will learn a lot at the front desk and this will carry over well to the sales office.

Step 2) 

Skip the front desk and jump in at the entry level hotel sales manager level.  You can easily get a hotel certificate at www.aprinda.com    They will train you on-line in just 14 hours on how to become a hotel sales manager and hit the ground running.    You should be able to start at a minimum of 40-50 thousand or more as an entry level sales manager.  This site works well because it will teach you the practical things you need to know about hotel sales and the site skips the theory and fluff.

Step 3)

Update your resume and make sure it is sales oriented.   Note at the top of your resume any hospitality training or hotel sales certificates you may have earned.  Put them at the top of your resume.  Any hotel sales training or hospitality training must be at the top of your resume, otherwise, your resume can easily be tossed aside and overlooked.

Step 4)

Visit hcareers.com   hospitalityonline.com and indeed.com and search for hotel sales manager positons.   Be sure and look for hotel sales on these sites, there should be plenty of jobs in each city.

Step 5) 

Call the Director of Sales at each hotel and let them know you understand hotel sales, how to generate and land new accounts, how to identify corporate and SMERFE business, how to handle group inquireis, and target accounts and maximize revenue for the hotel.  If you don’t understand the business, just visit www.aprinda.com or www.ecornell.com and review their courses, they even have some free courses at aprinda.com.  Ask for the interview and don’t be afraid to leave a message and follow up again….and again if neccessary.

Step 6) 

At the interview, be sure and demonstrate that you know the hotel sales business.  The last thing the Director of Sales wants to do is explain to you what the position entails.  They don’t want to feel like they are going to spend months training you.  Be sure and communicate that you can land the business, you know where to find it, you understand the various market segments, and that you  are ready to hit the ground running.  Those are the steps folks…..Good luck.

I have over 25 years of hotel sales experience. I’ve hired hundreds of individuals for Hilton Hotels, Wyndham Hotels, Holiday Inn, Radisson, and more. I have helped hundreds of individuals start lucrative careers in the hotel busienss. If your looking for a fun, and life long career, I hope I have helped you.

Sales training courses were developed to teach salespeople an overall view on Sales Techniques. A sales training professional will teach your salespeople the fine art of sales.

A sales training course or seminar can teach your salespeople the fine art of sales. It can give them the confidence and finesse to close the sale. Salespeople have to appear confident and self-assured in order to convince the potential client that your product or service is right for them. Sales training teaches each one to have the confidence and persistence to land even the toughest sale.

Sales training also teaches your salespeople how to communicate with clients. At times, it is necessary to finesse them, and with sales training, this skill can be perfected.

No matter what you sell, your salespeople need to have a good sense whether or not the client is interested in your product, and with sales training, your sales force can be taught the art of reading the client. Sales training can also teach your sales force how to become proficient in the art of negotiation, a skill that is needed to insure the maximum amount of profit.

Sales is all about who you know. It is called networking, and in today’s business world, it is more important than ever. In the past, all that was needed was a telephone. However, The Internet is growing everyday, and keeping good business contacts with allow your business to grow with it. Sales training can teach your salespeople how to network successfully on the Internet and develop solid business contacts.

Another skill that salespeople need is to motivate and be motivated. Clients respond better to a motivated salesperson than one who is quiet and reserved. Sales training teaches your salespeople motivation and how to use it to their advantage.

Before you send your salespeople out to meet potential clients, you have to be confident that they will be able to not only be able to sell your products or services, you also have to be confident that they will be able to close the sale.

Sales training teaches your salespeople how to successfully close a sale. Highly trained professionals who come to your business teach the sessions. If your sales force is in different locations, online sessions can be set up for them to attend at their convenience. Sales training schedules are very flexible and can be arranged at any time.

In today’s competitive business world, competition is fierce and it is necessary for businesses to give themselves an edge over their competition. Sales training gives you that edge by equipping your salespeople with the tools and knowledge that they need to get the job done.

Peter Geisheker is the CEO of The Geisheker Group marketing company. Peter develops and implements strategic marketing programs as well as sales management training for businesses of all sizes.