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Erin, Director of Sales and Marketing at Santa Monica Proper Hotel : Advize Career Interview
A career in hospitality, as detailed by a Director of Sales and Marketing at Santa Monica Proper Hotel, offers dynamic, unpredictable days filled with team leadership, budget management, and constant problem-solving.
The path began with a hospitality degree and strategic internships, showcasing the importance of early career planning and networking.
Success in this field demands strong listening and empathy skills, alongside data analysis and a deep understanding of consumer behavior.
While the post-COVID-19 landscape presents challenges, the ever-changing nature of the industry, global reach, and the satisfaction of developing a team make it rewarding.
The interview highlights the crucial role of reputation and mentorship, especially for women navigating a male-dominated field, and emphasizes the often-unseen complexities of hotel sales.
Entry-level opportunities abound, with potential for rapid advancement through various training programs or simply by mastering the skills needed to excel.
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Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Erin Bennett
Director of Sales and Marketing
Santa Monica Proper Hotel
Boston University 2008
UCLA EMBA 2023 (expected graduation June 2023)
Hospitality Administration
Hospitality & Restaurants
Sales and Client Management
Took Out Loans, Greek Life Member
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Career Path of a Director of Sales and Marketing at Santa Monica Proper Hotel
Erin's career path, beginning with a hospitality degree from Boston University, involved numerous internships in food and beverage and event production, culminating in a first role at the New York Palace Hotel. The career progression involved "jumping around to different disciplines within Hotel sales," steadily advancing through various lifestyle and luxury hotel brands to their current Director of Sales and Marketing position at Santa Monica Proper Hotel.
Responsibilities of a Director of Sales and Marketing at Santa Monica Proper Hotel
Erin, Director of Sales and Marketing at Santa Monica Proper Hotel, leads a team of eleven, overseeing a $14.5 million direct sales budget and $5 million in expenses, spending "a lot of time with the managers going over RFPs, talking about process, and providing training and mentorship." This leadership role involves forecasting, stakeholder presentations, and ensuring team accountability to key performance indicators.
A Day In The Life Of A Director Of Sales And Marketing At Santa Monica Proper Hotel
A day as Santa Monica Proper Hotel's Director of Sales and Marketing is unpredictable; while a typical day might involve morning meetings with various hotel teams and report preparation, unforeseen events—from guest requests to weather-related emergencies—constantly require adaptation and pivoting, making it a "living, breathing 24/7 operation." This highlights the dynamic and reactive nature of the role, demanding flexibility and problem-solving skills.
Most Important Skills For A Sales And Marketing Director At Santa Monica Proper Hotel
Erin, a Director of Sales and Marketing, highlights that mastering "listening" and developing "empathy" are crucial for sales leadership, enabling effective coaching and understanding client and operational needs. Data synthesis into actionable strategies, coupled with a deep understanding of "consumer behavior" and their motivations, are also key to successful sales.
Favorite Parts of Being a Director of Sales and Marketing at Santa Monica Proper Hotel
Erin, Director of Sales and Marketing at Santa Monica Proper Hotel, most enjoys "develop[ing] the team," hand-selecting individuals and "guid[ing] people" to grow professionally within a "hotel start-up environment," finding immense satisfaction in contributing to their team's success and launching a new brand.
Biggest Challenges Faced by a Director of Sales and Marketing at Santa Monica Proper Hotel
Erin, Director of Sales and Marketing at Santa Monica Proper Hotel, cites the "post-covid-19 world" as the biggest challenge, noting the industry's upheaval impacting labor, supply chains, and consumer behavior. This makes forecasting—a cornerstone of the hospitality industry—nearly impossible, forcing adaptation to "unprecedented times" and reliance on unreliable historic data.
Favorite Parts Of Working In The Hospitality Industry As A Sales Marketing Director
Erin's favorite aspect of the travel industry is its ever-changing nature and global reach, stating that "it's ever-changing" and allows for flexibility in location. This dynamism, coupled with a passion for travel, has enabled a career that's both fulfilling and geographically diverse.
What Type of Person Thrives in Hospitality, According to a Director of Sales and Marketing at Santa Monica Proper Hotel
Erin, a Director of Sales and Marketing, highlights that success in the hospitality industry hinges on a "passion for making things amazing for other people," fueled by a love of travel and service. The demanding hours and hard work require individuals who are passionate about their roles and find fulfillment in creating exceptional experiences for guests.
What a Director of Sales and Marketing at Santa Monica Proper Hotel wishes they had known before entering the Hotel industry
Erin, a Director of Sales and Marketing, wishes someone had explained the niche nature of hotel sales before entering the industry, noting that "what the job is...can be unknown to other people," often leading to misunderstandings about the multifaceted nature of the role. The daily tasks are largely invisible to hotel guests, unlike more visible roles such as servers.
Entry-Level Positions for Aspiring Sales and Marketing Directors at Santa Monica Proper
Entry-level hospitality roles for undergraduates often begin as coordinators, with opportunities for rapid advancement; Erin's own career progression from coordinator to manager in under a year exemplifies this, while larger hotel chains like Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott offer formal management training programs "where they rotate you to different hotels or different departments" to develop future general managers.
Significant Career Lesson From a Sales and Marketing Director at Santa Monica Proper Hotel
Erin, a Director of Sales and Marketing, emphasizes the importance of reputation in the close-knit hospitality industry, stating that "your reputation matters" greatly impacting career trajectory. This positive reputation, cultivated through consistent professionalism and strong interactions, has opened doors and led to new opportunities throughout their career.
College Experiences That Helped a Director of Sales and Marketing at Santa Monica Proper Hotel Succeed
Erin's strategic approach to undergraduate studies, focusing on event management internships and jobs aligned with their career goals, directly led to their first role at the New York Palace Hotel—a surprising career path given their initial aversion to the hotel industry; this highlights the importance of acquiring relevant skills early in one's career journey.
How Identity Has Influenced a Director of Sales and Marketing at Santa Monica Proper Hotel's Career
Erin's career progression has been significantly shaped by the scarcity of high-level female leaders in hospitality; this motivated a proactive search for mentors to emulate and navigate the path to "the highest levels," thereby overcoming underrepresentation at the corporate level. The pursuit of these mentors and their support has been key to their career focus and success.
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