Erica Benford-Riley
Spring Valley,CA
Summary
Experienced and skilled hotel and office professional with expertise in luxury and non-luxury hotels, hotel sales, leadership, coordinating events, and outstanding customer service. Seeking a position to bring dynamic skills to a growing organization where strengths and education can be utilized to excel. Proven ability to work effectively in a diverse, multi-cultural/multi-ethnic environment with outstanding interpersonal skills. Honest, hardworking, and strongly committed to achieving success.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
Work History
National Sales Manager
Davidson Hospitality, Paradise Point Resort & Spa
10.2022 - Current
- Handle telephone and online inquiries and requests related to group, extended stay, and catering business promptly and with appropriate phone etiquette
- Address customer inquiries and concerns during the initial call by employing active listening
- Recognize and determine when a sales opportunity falls outside the defined scope or parameters and appropriately assign it to the relevant sales channel or sales associate
- Comprehend and showcase the ability to assess each business opportunity, recommending brands and products that align with both customer needs and property business objectives
- Maintain accurate and current lead information for each account to ensure precise reporting
- Accurately maintain sales lead information log using Delphi, Knowland, Cvent, iLeads, etc
- Systems
- Concentrate on enhancing the overall purchasing processes, placing a strong emphasis on ensuring the 'ease of doing business'
- Monitor all leads promptly and relay lead status information to the relevant teams
- Participate in and successfully complete sales onboarding training, consistently showcasing proficiency in sales and meeting production goals
- Keep communication channels open with leadership regarding performance
- Showcase the ability to comprehend trends, identify opportunities, and stay informed about market changes, sharing findings with leadership
- Verify that business is turned over properly and in a timely manner for quality service delivery
- Develop selling techniques, strong communication skills, and a detailed understanding of property operations, food and beverage
- Work collaboratively with other sales channels to verify sales efforts are coordinated, complementary, and not duplicative
- Focus on understanding the overall market and how to sell against them
- Verify business booked is within property parameters
- Established coordinated sales efforts that are complementary and not duplicative
- Drive customer loyalty through excellent customer service throughout the sales process
- Understand customer needs and recommend features and services that best fulfill those needs
- Build and strengthens relationships with existing and new customers to enable future bookings
- Build and maintains strong working relationships with key internal and external stakeholders
- Establish clear expectations for customers and properties throughout the sales process
- Resolve guest issues that arise as a result of the sales process
- Bring issues to the attention of leadership teams as appropriate.
Task Force Sales Manager
Coral Tree Hospitality Lake Nona Wave Hotel
06.2022 - 07.2022
- Utilizing revenue management techniques by profitably negotiating room rates and function space commitments in order to enhance the hotel's financial performance
- Achieving and exceeding team sales goals and hotel budgets
- Winning the business and selling the product/hotel to increase hotel sales revenue
- Strong negotiation, conflict resolution, and closing contracts that meet the hotel's business plan objectives
- Manage and maintain an accurate and up-to-date contact management system
- Accurately prepare and present requests for proposals so that both client and hotel receive a good value
- Prospect for new contract business using a wide variety of methods including phone call, outside sales calls, attending community functions, internet prospecting, supplier partnerships, etc
- Implement ideas on ways to better different processes in the sales department and modify action plans
- Accurately maintain sales lead information log using iVvy and Cvent systems
- Exercise excellent prompt effective communication, both verbally and in writing to provide clear direction to staff regarding groups, lead information, client updates, and sales/hotel procedures.
Task Force Campus Area Sales Manager
Evolution Hospitality, Hotel Citrine & AC Marriott
10.2021 - 12.2021
- Targets accounts, markets, or segments with heavy emphasis on proactive solicitation and account saturation
- Partners with counterpart to effectively manage the business opportunity
- Responds to and manages larger and more complex incoming opportunities for the property
- Identifies, qualifies and solicits new business to achieve personal and property revenue goals
- Focuses efforts on accounts with significant potential sales revenue
- Develops effective sales plans and actions
- Works with partners to develop creative ideas and proposals for events
- Maximizes revenue by upselling packages
- Understands the overall market - competitors' strengths and weaknesses, economic trends, supply and demand etc
- And knows how to sell against them
- Closes the best opportunities based on market conditions and individual property needs
- Uses negotiating skills and creative selling abilities to close on business and negotiate contracts
- Handles complex business with significant revenue potential as well as significant customer expectations
- Negotiated rates and concessions with Business Travel clients, created proposals and contracts
- Assisted the Director of Sales & Marketing with the on-boarding process
- Set-up groups Audio & Visual needs ensured internet connection was accurate
- Implement ideas on ways to better different processes in the sales department and modify action plans
- Accurately maintain information log using CI/TY
- Exhibit effective communication skills with properties, consistently providing lead status updates
- Exercise excellent prompt effective communication, both verbally and in writing to provide clear direction to staff regarding groups, lead information, client updates, and sales/hotel procedures.
Sales Manager
Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Westin San Diego
09.2016 - 03.2020
- Utilizing revenue management techniques by profitably negotiating room rates and function space commitments in order to enhance the hotel's financial performance
- Increased the Government market by 115% plus in 2019
- Achieving and exceeding individual and team sales goals and hotel budgets
- Winning the business and selling the product/hotel to increase hotel sales revenue
- Strong negotiation, conflict resolution, and closing contracts that meet the hotel's business plan objectives
- Manage and maintain an accurate and up-to-date contact management system
- Accurately prepare and present requests for proposals so that both client and hotel receive a good value
- Accurately maintain information log using CI/TY, ISAC, BD Tools, and Knowland
- Focus on brand knowledge and able to work with customers to align customer preferences with brand offerings and actively up-sell each business opportunity to maximize revenues and drive customer loyalty
- Builds and strengthens relationships with existing and new customers to enable future bookings
- Activities include sales calls, entertainment, FAM trips, trade shows, etc
- Develops relationships within community to strengthen and expand customer base for sales opportunities
- Provides excellent customer sales service in order to grow share of the account
- Manages and develops relationships with key internal and external stakeholders
- Utilizes intranet for resources, templates, and information
- Participates in site visits
- Focus on understanding the best opportunities for each property based on market conditions and individual property goals
- Transfer accurate, complete, and timely information to property in accordance with brand standards
- Acquire and demonstrate the ability to actively utilize company marketing initiatives/incentives to close on business
- Analyze and identify areas for potential process improvements and develop best practices
- Leverage other resources and administrative/support staff to achieve personal and team related revenue goals
- Process business correspondence and creates contracts and other related booking documentation as required
- Perform other duties, as assigned by management, to meet business needs
- Develops and facilitate execution of contracts as required
- Executes and supports the operational aspects of business booked (e.g., generating proposal, writing contract, customer correspondence)
- Executes brand's Customer Service Standards and property's Brand Standards through the sales process.
Executive Meeting Manager
HEI Hotels & Resorts, Marriott La Jolla
02.2015 - 09.2016
- Achieving and exceeding individual and team sales goals and hotel budgets
- Accurately prepare and present requests for proposals so that both client and hotel receive a good value
- Prospect for new contract business using a wide variety of methods including phone call, outside sales calls, attending community functions, internet prospecting, supplier partnerships, etc
- Effectively detail corporate groups catering events and assisting in setting up client for success
- Accurately maintain information log using CI/TY, Guest-Ware, MARSHA, Micros, and Property Management System (PMS)
- Conduct competitive analysis and maintain competitor files in order to be able to compete successfully
- Exercise excellent effective communication, both verbally and in writing to provide clear direction to staff regarding groups, lead information, client updates, and sales/front desk procedures.
Education
Certificate of Completion - Real Estate
Allied Real Estate School
San Jose, CA07.2021
Masters of Business -
Department of Business Administration
Gardena, CA08.2013
Bachelor of Science -
Department of Recreation, Tourism, & Management
Northridge, CA05.2010
High School Diploma -
Pacific Palisades Charter High School
Pacific Palisades, CA06.2004
Skills
- Account Retention
- Key Account Management
- New business acquisition
- Sales expertise
Activities Awards Honors
- Nominated for Manager of the Quarter, Westin San Diego, Jul. - Sep. 2019
- Nominated for Manager of the Quarter, Westin San Diego, Jul. - Sep. 2017
- Associate of the Month, San Diego Marriott La Jolla, December 2013
Volunteer Experience
- HSMAI San Diego Chapter, 06/2023, Present, Member
- The McGrath Family Biz Town Junior Achievement, 04/2016, Volunteer Assistant, Assist Elementary & Middle School students in what's it's like to hold a job for a day, Mentoring the students in showing them how to obtain a check, Multitasking in purchase retail items and managing and checking accounts, Participated in business and town meetings
References
Available upon request
Certification
Timeline
National Sales Manager
Davidson Hospitality, Paradise Point Resort & Spa
10.2022 - Current
Task Force Sales Manager
Coral Tree Hospitality Lake Nona Wave Hotel
06.2022 - 07.2022
Task Force Campus Area Sales Manager
Evolution Hospitality, Hotel Citrine & AC Marriott
10.2021 - 12.2021
Sales Manager
Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Westin San Diego
09.2016 - 03.2020
Executive Meeting Manager
HEI Hotels & Resorts, Marriott La Jolla
02.2015 - 09.2016
Certificate of Completion - Real Estate
Allied Real Estate School
Masters of Business -
Department of Business Administration
Bachelor of Science -
Department of Recreation, Tourism, & Management
High School Diploma -
Pacific Palisades Charter High School
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