Sales & Marketing Manager - Skipton

Skipton, North Yorkshire
Competitive
16 Oct 2019
11 Nov 2019
Full Time

Sales & Marketing Manager - The Coniston Hotel, Skipton

The Coniston Hotel Country Estate and Spa offers a fantastic opportunity to anyone looking to join a rapidly growing business with an ambition to be a significant landmark hotel. The 71 bedroom  4 AA star hotel also plays host to a wide array of activities on the 1400 acre estate which includes; a state of the art spa, a Shooting Ground (CPSA Premier Plus standard), Archery, 4x4 Off-Road Experience, Holiday Cottages, Fly-Fishing on the 24 acre lake or River Aire.

The Huntsman’s Lodge, Nourish Brasserie and Macleod’s two rosette restaurant and bar form the heart of the hotel and all offer a wide range of locally produced food. We offer excellent conference and meeting facilities forming the base of unique team building days. Weddings are also a significant part of our business.

We are a family run hotel which is privately owned by the Bannister family, who are involved in the day to day running of the business.

The existing 160 Coniston Hotel team are very customer centered and if you pride yourself on delivering excellent customer service then you will fit in well.

ROLE OVERVIEW

Ensuring that the Hotel, Estate activities, Spa and Holiday Cottages revenue targets are achieved through the implementation of strategic marketing agenda. Responsibility for the development and success of all marketing activity to grow market share, establish the site as a market leader in the region and provides a return on investment to the owners.

Reporting to: Directors

Responsible for: The Coniston Hotel Country Estate & Spa

Days and hours of work: 5-days a week

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Sales & Revenue Management

  • To work with the Directors and Management Team to establish realistic financial targets and budgets.
  • To improve the profitability of the business through the implementation of sales and revenue management systems processes and best practice.  Increasing room revenue and secondary sales to meet and exceed sales targets.
  • Attends departmental sales strategy meetings to provide input on weekly/monthly and overall sales strategy.
  • Suggests innovative marketing ideas and to stay ahead of our competitors to continue to grow market share.
  • To develop strategy, tactics, sales plans and profit targets.
  • To manage relationships with agencies with responsibility for price and contract negotiations.
  • To identify and report on business opportunities within target markets.
  • To increase market share in existing markets, maximising new business development opportunities.
  • To attend and exhibit at Trade Shows and Networking events in order to promote sales of all divisions of the business.
  • To be an effective and professional ambassador, sourcing opportunities to promote all facets of the business.
  • To maintain accurate and up to date account data and reporting.
  • To achieve established sales goals and report to the Directors.

Marketing

  • To develop an effective global sales and marketing plan with strategies to promote different areas of the business.
  • To ensure that all department revenue targets are achieved through the implementation of the strategic marketing agenda.
  • To implement the marketing plan and deliver marketing activities within an agreed budget, in-keeping with the brand standards of the hotel.
  • To generate media coverage and establish PR opportunities for the hotel, estate activities, spa and holiday cottages, establishing strong relationships with media agencies, negotiating favorable rates for advertising.
  • To develop strong e-marketing initiatives to increase awareness and generate up-take on promotional events, promote all sectors and secondary sales.
  • To manage and optimise opportunities from effective website set up and management.
  • To explore, report and implement marketing strategies utilising social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest to assist with the hotel’s strategies.
  • To develop and manage the databases across all market sectors.
  • To generate media coverage and establish PR/Blog/Influencer opportunities across all areas of the business
  • Serves the customer by understanding their needs and recommending the appropriate features and services that best meet their needs and exceed their expectations, while building a relationship and loyalty to The Coniston Hotel Country Estate and Spa.
  • Gains understanding of the hotel’s primary target customer and service expectations; serves the customer by understanding their business issues and concerns, to offer better business solution both prior to, and during their visit

Brand Development

  • To be involved with the development of an effective brand for the overall business with effective and innovative messages to promote each sector (Hotel, Estate Activities, Spa, Restaurants and Holiday Cottages) with clearly unique differentiators.
  • To establish brand standards to protect the quality and integrity of all marketing material and ensure that all messaging and initiatives throughout the business are appropriate.
  • To ensure consistency in all sectors of the business regarding communications, utilising branded tools and taking action to remedy lapses when required.
  • Responsibility for the production, quality, content of all branded materials (off-line and on-line).
  • Liaison with main suppliers (printers, graphic designers, media, PR agencies and photographers) to ensure that brand standards are adhered to.
  • Develops strong partnerships with local organisations to further increase brand/product awareness.
  • Develops strong community and public relations by maintaining property participation in local, regional and national tradeshows and client events

Working Relationships/Communication

  • To build and develop a committed and successful team.
  • To establish strong systems of communication with the Hotel and Spa Management and all employees.
  • Evaluates the property’s participation in the various sales channels (e.g. Journey, Gifted, Premier, Reslynx and Roomlynx) and develops strong working relationships to proactively position and market the property.
  • Coaches heads of revenue generating departments in developing effective revenue strategies and setting aggressive goals that will drive the property's financial performance.
  • Provides day to day leadership to HOD’s to achieve department sales objectives with overall responsibility for achieving booking goals and department revenues.
  • To establish strong links with the corporate guest base, booking agencies, local businesses and external suppliers.
  • To review, develop, communicate and ensure accessibility of standard practice procedures and communication bulletins to ensure up-to-date practices and consistency across the business.
  • To effectively communicate performance expectations and targets to the marketing team and all employees dealing with existing and potential guests.
  • To provide training, support and coaching to all staff as required to ensure that procedures and policies are followed and standards met at all times.
  • To be a motivational leader capable of implementing team building strategies to ensure a strong and harmonious spirit with low levels of staff attrition.
  • To continually develop individuals within the team, ensuring a consistent learning curve with a high level of motivation.
  • To be involved with appraisals and reviews of the marketing team.
  • To hold regular Meetings to ensure effective team communication, direction and continued professional development.
  • To continually review the annual training plan and respond to the changing needs of the business.
  • To be involved with disciplinary procedures when required in conjunction with the Directors, according to the procedure as documented in the Company Staff Hand Book.

Commerciality 

  • To have a strong commercial focus; ensuring that the business is efficient with high levels of productivity, occupancy and profitability.
  • To ensure implementation of an effective system to monitor productivity and growth establishing key performance indicators and an effective mechanism of reporting.
  • To devise, implement and monitor incentives, targets and systems of rewards to motivate to ensure that sales and secondary sales targets are achieved and exceeded.
  • Provides customer intelligence in evaluating the market and economic trends that may lead to changes in sales strategy to meet or exceed customer expectations.
  • Researches competitor’s sales team strategies to identify ways to grow occupancy and RevPAR and increase market share.
  • To track and analyse ROI of all promotional initiatives ensuring key learning for future activity and expenditure.
  • To ensure that a programme of continued professional development is implemented and that this becomes a key focus of the retention strategy reducing staff turnover.
  • To set up a process to monitor and evaluate standards and guest experience through customer feedback mechanisms, mystery shop programmes and levels of repeat business.

Financial Control

  • To work with Directors to establish realistic budgets, projecting expenditure, revenues and profitability.
  • To annually review membership structure; average membership rates and joining fees, payment procedures and control of debtors.
  • To effectively control and plan expenditure to achieve optimum financial efficiency and maximisation of sales. 
  • Preparing performance reports for review on a monthly basis.
  • To work within the budgetary payroll to sales ratio and ensure that manpower costs are controlled accordingly.

To work with the Coniston Hotel management team and to carry out any other reasonable duties that may be requested to ensure the smooth running of the business.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

ESSENTIAL

  • A structure and process driven approach
  • A thorough knowledge of digital marketing
  • High levels of energy and motivation to achieve targets
  • Excellent communication, interpersonal and presentation skills
  • Strong organisational administrative and people management skills
  • Well-developed commercial acumen and ability to formulate and implement marketing strategies
  • Experience of database management
  • Good IT, budget and report writing skills
  • The ability to inspire, motivate and lead a team
  • Excellent negotiation skills

DESIRABLE

  • Experience in the leisure or hospitality sector