Marriott's new Global Sales Team leads industry with "Sales Force One" - customers love one-stop shopping
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Marriott's new Global Sales Team leads industry with "Sales Force One" - customers love one-stop shopping
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Category: Worldwide - Industry economy -
Trends / Expert's advice
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2008-12-08
At Marriott, it’s all about the customer. The company’s global sales team continues to leads the industry by making it easier than ever for customers to book any of Marriott’s nearly 3,000 hotels worldwide. The new sales organization provides corporate accounts, association and group customers a primary point of contact representing all of Marriott’s eight core brands, significantly improving the booking process.
“With the explosion of new channels and a constantly changing lodging landscape, our Sales Force One strategy simplifies the buying process and gives us the ability to cover more accounts,” said David Marriott, senior vice president, global sales, Marriott International, Inc. “For the customer, it’s like having a personal shopper who can help find the right hotel in the right location at the right price.”
The strategy will be brought to life with the creation of the new Global Sales Team. This team will be focused on meeting all customer needs, whether they be planning a group event, managing a business travel program, planning catered events or housing associates for extended stays away from their homes.
Marriott started the transition to the Global Sales Team this summer with the reorganization of the Global Sales Organization focused on developing strong relationships with Marriott’s largest accounts. “Now we are ready to revolutionize and streamline booking business at the local hotel level by bringing our sales team to our customer’s back yard,” said Marriott
On December 3, the DC Metro Area became the first to implement the Sales Force One strategy with more than 300 sales associates redeployed into new sales roles. This sales team is supported by a new state-of-the-art, high tech sales office located just outside of Washington, D.C. in Gaithersburg, Md. Designed as a “high-energy” work environment, the 22,000 square foot space will utilize innovative new technology to personalize and greatly enhance the customer buying experience.
Sales Force One is the result of extensive customer feedback and interviews with more than 450 stakeholders including a broad cross section of customers, Marriott property owners and franchisees, hotel general managers and associates. The strategy will expand the company’s ability to cover more accounts and sell a portfolio that includes a robust pipeline of 115,000 new rooms over the next three years.
“This strategy also integrates the company’s vast sales talent with recent innovations in eCommerce, marketing and pricing,” said Marriott. “Our customers are telling us this is how they want to do business with us and we’re excited to be the first to meet their needs. Furthermore, given our distribution, the strength of our brands and our 800-year history of service innovation, we are confident in our unique ability to deliver this game-changing experience to our customers ”
Marriott’s plans to implement its Sales Force One strategy in all markets over the next two years across the United States, beginning with Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Portland, Denver and San Francisco.
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