Hear from our Senior Sales Director, Cheryl

 

The moment is now to take your career to the next level. With quiet quitting and uncertainty in the workforce at an all-time high, there’s never been a better time to evaluate opportunities. To all my hotel salespeople, here’s some career advancement advice especially for you.

First, a little background: I started working at Jacaruso Enterprises in 2021 as a Regional Director of Sales. My job at the time consisted of supporting the sales efforts of 8-10 hotels and I loved every minute of it. Our industry was recovering from being obliterated by COVID-19, and as Jacaruso was again growing at rapid rates, new opportunities arose. In 2022, I snagged a promotion to a leadership role as Senior Sales Director. Most promotions don’t happen this quickly, which is why I want to share what worked for me in my transition into leadership.

Here are 3 things you can do to advance your career in 2023.

1. Ask questions.

When I started JE as an RDOS, I thought I had a pretty good handle on my role, but there were times I hesitated to ask questions I felt I should have known the answers to. JE makes it a point to hire the best salespeople in the industry. Everyone is an expert, and that can sometimes feel intimidating. It took me a while to learn that it’s okay to ask questions, even the ones you think are dumb. In reality, it can be the smartest thing you can do.

Once I built confidence in asking questions, I learned better ways to organize my daily schedule, find resources faster, and communicate more effectively with our partners. Learning what works for other colleagues and leadership has been vital to my success.

In my new role, I’m responsible for selling our remote sales services to hotel owners looking to increase revenue. It’s a different sale from my RDOS days, but I’ve learned what I need to know efficiently by asking questions. I’ve been able to acquire new knowledge, eliminate confusion, work through challenges, and close deals more successfully.

2. Be willing to take on special projects.

If you’re unmotivated, or you aren’t loving what you do, being assigned a special project can feel like the last thing you’re interested in taking on. At JE, I LOVE special projects and see being asked as an honor. I enjoy lending my time and talents for the greater good. Every project counts. Know that if you are approached to complete a special project, your work isn’t unnoticed.

In my former role as an RDOS, I completed all brand trainings within our internal learning management system JE University, whether I supported the brand or not. I saved all documents as references for questions from management companies or coworkers who needed assistance.  I also took time out of my schedule to travel and represent JE during tradeshows. This gave me invaluable knowledge to use in my current role.

I’m grateful for those experiences and the special requests, because talking to owners about their brands and attending events and tradeshows is what I do now, every day!

3. Be receptive to feedback.

One of our values at JE is direct communication. That means we talk to people, not about them. Receiving direct feedback can be an emotional experience, and sometimes feels like a tough pill to swallow. Yet the feedback I’ve received just within the last few months in this role has helped me reinforce existing strengths, further develop my skill set, and provide feedback to others I work with in a way that strengthens our working relationship. It really is a gift, and I’m appreciative of it. I encourage you to be open to any advice or constructive criticism that can help you improve.

These are three great ways to advance your career if you’re a hotel sales professional. And here’s a *bonus* opportunity:  we’re hiring. If you want to learn more about working for Jacaruso, head to https://bit.ly/3jzXtzh and send me a message.

When you’re ready to apply, list my name as the referrer on your application to ensure you receive a preliminary interview. I’d love to see you take the next step in your career and join us here at Jacaruso.

Good luck! You got this.

#jacaruso #hotelsales #remotehotelsales #yourbestlifeiscalling #myjelife #hospitality

Cheryl Fosberry is the Senior Sales Director  for Jacaruso Enterprises. In her role, Cheryl assists owners looking to increase revenue with our hotel sales services. Cheryl has worked for JE since 2021.